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Transformation, Engagement and  Communication

Elysium EPL’s Transformation, Engagement and Communication Business Unit provides services which enable projects and organisations to succeed through targeted communication and engagement. 


Key to these services is development and implementation of strategic communications strategies. These strategies enable transformation within organisations by influencing stakeholders and increasing awareness of and support for policies, plans and projects.

The Elysium EPL Transformation, Engagement and Communication Business Unit includes specialists across:

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  • communication

  • stakeholder engagement

  • government process

  • media and issues management

  • multimedia

  • graphic design 

Introduction

Murray-Darling Water and Environmental Research Program

The Case Study

The Murray–Darling Water and Environment Research Program (MD-WERP) was a five-year, $20 million Australian Government research initiative to inform water management decisions and improve outcomes for the Basin and its communities. Led by the Murray–Darling Basin Authority (MDBA), the initiative examined climate trends and cultural and social aspects, and was completed in 2025.

Elysium EPL was brought on in the final year of the Program as a Communication, Adoption, Transformation, and Engagement (CATE) Partner. Teaming up with science consultancy Water Technology, their role was to deliver synthesis and science communication, with a suite of products to ensure MDBA policymakers could use the Program's outputs for years to come.

The MD-WERP CATE Partner project demonstrates a comprehensive approach to translating complex science, engaging government stakeholders, and building a replicable framework for research communication and adoption. This ensures that valuable research is not only preserved but actively used to inform water policy and practice.

The Challenge

The 
Challenge

The MD-WERP was in its final year and there had been limited cross-theme collaboration and integration, with CATE objectives to support adoption of the research outcomes at risk of not being achieved. This included summarising and integrating research outcomes, and accessibility to and communication of the research.

Another challenge faced by the MD-WERP CATE Partner project was translating complex scientific language and research outcomes into formats that were accessible and meaningful for a broad range of audiences, particularly government stakeholders and policymakers.

Our 
Comprehensive Solution

The primary outputs for delivery as CATE Partner were communication products that synthesised five years of MD-WERP research into a cohesive narrative, provided an overview of the findings and identified research synergies to enhance decision making and knowledge of the Basin. Elysium EPL and Water Technology collaborated on the synthesis and synergies work, with drafts of the documents provided to the MD-WERP researchers for their feedback, which was then incorporated.

The primary stakeholders of the CATE Partner’s communication planning were end-users of the research, including those working in policy, river management and water management. The team’s collaborative and end-user-centric approach focused on three areas:

  • Demonstrating Value to Government Stakeholders - to help government stakeholders recognise the value and benefits of the research, the team engaged directly with end-users, including policymakers within the MDBA and external agencies. Through interviews and feedback sessions, the team identified how stakeholders had used MD-WERP outputs, what they found valuable, and what additional resources would enhance their ability to apply research findings in policy and decision-making contexts. This feedback informed the design of communication products and the online Knowledge Hub, ensuring that outputs were relevant, accessible, and actionable.

  • Translating Complexity into Clarity - the CATE Partner team worked closely with both researchers and communication specialists to synthesise five years of MD-WERP research into clear, audience-friendly products. This included the development of a comprehensive Synthesis Report and a Synergies of Outcomes Report. By collaborating directly with content experts, the team ensured that scientific findings were accurately represented while also being understandable to non-experts.

  • Designing an enduring solution for accessing the research - Interviews with key end-users of the research informed the design of the online MD-WERP Knowledge Hub. Housed on the MDBA website, the Knowledge Hub provided an easy way for MDBA stakeholders to access MD-WERP research outputs through a dedicated search function or deep-dive into projects. The CATE Partner team collaborated with the MDBA’s information technology, web and data teams to determine the best way to develop the content in a compressed timeframe. This meant drafting all output pages (including output summaries) and incorporating feedback and changes from the researchers in enough time for the Knowledge Hub to go live by the annual symposium.

Comprehensive Solution
Client Testimony

The
Enduring
Value

The CATE Partner team supported MDBA to close out the five-year program of work and ensure its outcomes and outputs could be easily accessed and used in the future. The Knowledge Hub was showcased at the key MD-WERP annual symposium, which was attended by a wide array of end-users of MD-WERP’s research. 

The two reports - the longer Synergies of Outcome Report and the more succinct Synthesis Report - were published externally and made available for policymakers, MDBA stakeholders and researchers to ensure the outcomes of MD-WERP would have a lasting impact and value.

The Knowledge Hub’s placement on the MDBA website meant that its outputs could be searched and used for various purposes, informing future MDBA policy and all levels of government, Basin communities and universities.

The approach developed through the MD-WERP CATE Partner project provides a framework that can be adopted by other government departments and research programs:

  • Stakeholder-driven design: Begin by understanding the needs of end-users through interviews and feedback.

  • Collaborative synthesis: Work with both content experts and communication specialists to translate complex findings into accessible formats.

  • Iterative feedback: Incorporate feedback from both researchers and end-users to refine outputs.

  • Accessible knowledge management: Develop searchable, user-friendly websites (such as the MD-WERP Knowledge Hub) to ensure research is preserved and accessible for future use.

The project’s approach offers a replicable framework for other departments seeking to maximise the impact and enduring value of research investments. By embedding these principles, departments can ensure that research investments deliver lasting value, inform policy, and remain accessible to future decision-makers.

The Enduring Value

Positive end-user feedback on Knowledge Hub:

  • The summaries are so great for people who are time-poor.

  • Easy-to-read summaries of reports, including the target audience.

  • I like the logical organisation, and that it will bring all the outputs together for projects.

  • This tool looks like it will be useful for policy officers to access info quickly.

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