Client profile

Murray PHN is a not-for-profit organisation, funded primarily by the Commonwealth Department of Health. They have 90 staff located across Bendigo, Shepparton, Mildura and Albury/Wodonga. As one of 31 PHNs (Primary Health Networks) around Australia, Murray PHN works to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of primary health care and service systems across their region, which covers 22 local government areas across the north of Victoria and over the border to include Albury, NSW. The estimated catchment population in 2019 was almost 680,000 and is projected to grow steadily for the next decade. Almost a third of all Victorian First Nations people live in the Murray PHN region, meaning they live and work on the lands of many different Traditional Owners and Aboriginal language groups and count Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations (ACCHOs) amongst their network.

Project context

Murray PHN was operating in the context of an ageing population and increasing numbers of both refugee communities and “tree-change” settlers from urban areas, all placing pressure on primary health care systems and providers. A significant number of population groups in the region had been identified as “underserviced” – people who experience health inequality and health inequity. Health outcomes were lagging behind those in city and suburban areas. The threat of COVID-19 and the rollout of COVID vaccination were major health and logistics issues for the region in 2021 and into 2022. Murray PHN engaged Spark Strategy (Spark) to support them to develop their 2023-2025 strategy.

Solution

Spark and Murray PHN collaborated closely to develop, draft and refine the new Murray PHN strategic plan. Given Murray PHN’s important role as a collaborator and coordinator, the project included wide-ranging stakeholder engagement, spanning the Murray PHN board, executive and team, as well as partners, peers, academics, thought leaders, funders and funding recipients. In total, over 300 people were consulted through approximately 400 unique stakeholder touchpoints across the strategic planning process. In addition to the breadth of engagement, a couple of other factors were central to the project’s success. First of all, a focus on Murray PHN’s impact remained front and centre throughout the project. In addition, Murray PHN had recently made a commitment to anti-racism and supporting First Nations health and healing – this was also embedded into the strategic planning process. The Spark and Murray PHN project team also made sure to align closely with other important strategic projects, such as the development of an Outcomes and Experience Framework, which was happening concurrently to the strategy development work.