Portfolio

I've been writing, editing and formatting a variety of documents for many years. Most of this has been in a number of roles with the ACT Electoral Commission (ACTEC) and Australian Electoral Commission (AEC), but also with a number of other organisations and associations.

Following is a sample of what I've done over the past 20-odd years.

• Web content
• Training material
• Procedural, systems or user documentation
• Reports and evaluations
• Forms and templates
• Educational or promotional material
• Stationery items
• Items for sporting associations

 

Web content

The ACTEC has a large number of fact sheets and other printed material, generally created in Word. I converted the original documents to HTML for placement on the website. There is no way to do this automatically to create valid HTML - whatever program is used, it still requires a human eye to do this accurately. For longer items, such as election reports and annual reports, it was more appropriate to write a summary of the document in HTML format and provide a PDF and/or a Word version for the user to download.

Samples of my website content

• Everything on this site
• The ACT Electoral Commission site (although content may have changed since I left)

Training material

Training. Learning. Staff development. Continuous improvement...Whatever you want to call it, it has always been part of my job and at one stage I worked in a training section where it was my full time job.

I have created training material and run sessions for:

• Polling officials at a number of ACT and federal elections.
• Permanent, temporary and casual staff in a range of subjects:
  • A variety of IT applications.
  • Operational procedures.
  • Office procedures.

My tasks have involved:

• Writing, editing, formatting and updating manuals, workbooks and presenters' guides.
• Developing an online training system.
• Preparing PowerPoint presentations.
• Conducting training sessions, including train-the-trainer sessions - from half an hour up to several days; from one-on-one up to 30-40 participants.
• Performing evaluations on training materials and sessions.

Procedural, systems or user documentation

My work on procedural, systems and user documentation started many years ago when I was with the AEC and continued with the ACTEC. Apart from the manuals listed under training material above, I also documented (to varying degrees) the systems listed under database services.

Specifically:

• For the ACTEC's TIGER, I:
  • Created a system to automatically document each part of the system.
  • Wrote user documentation.
  • Wrote procedures for developers.
• Wrote user and systems documentation for the Election Results System and Polling Official Internet Training System.
• For several elections I was responsible for polling place procedures, at times significant changes were made to procedures and I wrote manuals and workbooks and designed forms to cover the changes.
• Wrote user and systems documentation for various AEC systems.

Reports and evaluations

For many years I co-ordinated the production of the ACTEC's annual report. My various roles included writing various sections of the report myself, compiling a large number of tables, combining these with sections written by other staff members, editing and formatting for consistency in writing style, checking grammar, spelling, punctuation and compliance with whole of government directions. Several of these annual reports received awards.

Have a look at the ACTEC's annual reports - my first one was 1997/98 and the awards were won in 2001/2 and 2002/3.

I have researched, written, formatted or edited a variety of reports or evaluations, such as evaluations of election tasks. I conducted an evaluation into the efficiency and effectiveness of material and sessions used to train polling officials across Australia in a federal election.

Forms and templates

This may sound a little strange but I actually enjoy designing forms - there's a skill in deciding what information is actually required, then creating the words, questions and fields, and placing them into the required space in a logical sequence, making it as easy as possible for the person who has to complete it, as well as the person who will be using the completed information. A form is only to be created if there is actually a need for it, it must suit the procedures that determine that it is required, and it must be as simple as possible.

I have created many standard forms, pro-forma letters, or template word documents. Over a hundred different forms are required for each election and I've created or revised every one that is used by the ACTEC. I have written or revised a number of standard letters using plain English to ensure the letter explains legal requirements clearly and simply without quoting legislation verbatim.

Educational or promotional material

The ACTEC has a large range of educational material. I've played some role in the creation of most of these items; any or all of formatting, editing, writing or designing a range of material, such as brochures, information factsheets, posters, cards. Many of these items are available from the ACTEC's website (note that these may have changed since I left there).

Stationery items

Although it was never part of my job, I enjoyed designing a range of stationery items such as business cards, letterhead, envelopes.

Items for sporting associations

For a number of sporting organisations I've written or rewritten constitutions; written, edited, designed and formatted newsletters and information booklets; written publicity articles and reports on sporting matches.

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