A new paradigm for youth mental health – proactive care through universal screening, early intervention and prevention, using neuroscience. Behind it was substantial evidence and internationally renowned neuroscientist Dr Michael Merzenich.
To run at national scale, it needed the country’s most demanding audiences: the Prime Minister’s Office, National Cabinet, and private investors.
Bateman’s Advisory was engaged to develop and present the pitch.
Strategy
A Minister doesn’t fund science. They fund outcomes in their portfolio – education, health, employment, justice.
So the case couldn’t be one document asking everyone for the same thing. It had to be one core proposal, then refit for the responsibilities and interests of each Minister reading it.
And the ask had to land as sense, not spend – costed against what government was already paying for the problem.
Action
I interviewed stakeholders in five countries – the scientists, educators, program participants and partners who could speak to what the program does.
From that came the full business plan: local, regional and national rollouts, with sensitivity analysis and costings related to existing government expenditures. I brought in a research and policy specialist with twelve years in the Queensland Government to build the supporting data sets.
Then the materials to carry it – the prospectus, the pitch presentations, and a video platform of the interviews, so any Minister’s office could hear the evidence from the people themselves, on their own time.
Last, the ministerial pack. The core proposal, the impact report, the costings – and a separate briefing written for each Minister, speaking to their portfolio, through to the Office of the Prime Minister.
Outcome
The pack was handed over, and the pitch presented. A month later, the government changed.
The program has continued – the platform and the evidence are at strongerbrains.org, and Stronger Brains has since worked with the Australian Government’s Department of Social Services, in schools, TAFEs, child protection and juvenile justice.
If your cause needs a decision from the highest levels of government – I can help you build the case, and put it in the room.
