Tanck’s Theory of Change: Three disciplines to ensure your organisation is heard and taken seriously
A practical framework for turning purpose into lasting policy influence.
By Neil Pharaoh
Tanck actively works across the social justice sector and through years of experience have found that three disciplines consistently determine whether organisations are heard and taken seriously by government in Australia.
1. Be influence ready, not just issue focused
Many organisations understand their cause deeply, but have limited insight into how decisions are made. Influence comes from preparation, timing and clarity, often over extended periods of time, not passion or facts alone.
Tanck’s work focuses on helping organisations engage government as it is, not as we may wish government to be.
Practical actions:
Map decision points, policy cycles and budget and MYEFO timelines relevant to you
Narrow advocacy to a small number of achievable asks
Ensure your board and CEO actively understand the engagement strategy and approach
2. Turn insight into shared evidence
Frontline experience is a powerful asset when it drives policy change. It is even better when translated into evidence others can trust, see and use. Tanck has supported organisations to move from individual stories to shared insight that travels across departments, jurisdictions and political cycles.
Practical actions:
Capture patterns and trends systematically, not just anecdotes (n = 1 is not sufficient)
Partner with researchers or evaluators to test and validate insights
Align evidence to government language and priorities so it is usable, this includes political documents
3. Build relationships that outlast campaigns
Effective advocacy is cumulative. It is built through consistency, trust and constructive engagement over time. The best outcomes are most often achieved where organisations invest in relationships even when no immediate win is on offer.
Practical actions:
Maintain regular, low stakes contact with officials and policymakers
Stay engaged when decisions go against you
Use community trust to frame issues around long-term public interest
Together, these disciplines form the basis of Tanck’s theory of change. How many do you use in your organisation?
This article was written as part of the development of Tanck's 2026 whitepaper together with Perpetual Wealth.
Tanck offers advisory services in government engagement, advocacy, stakeholder strategy, and communications.
We share our political expertise and government experience so you can achieve your funding and policy goals.
