Challenge

The Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) needed to merge 2 complex government websites into a single unified platform by a hard deadline of 30 June 2020. The sites contained hundreds of pages of regulatory and public-facing content that had to be categorised, ranked for value, checked for overlaps, and restructured into a coherent information architecture, all while meeting WCAG accessibility standards and coordinating with an external digital agency (Squiz).

Process

I started with visual mapping. Using a physical board with post-it notes, I invited key stakeholders to assess each page's value and context in person, building relationships while efficiently capturing institutional knowledge.

Then COVID-19 hit. Within days, I photographed the board, rebuilt it digitally, and transitioned the entire project to remote delivery without missing a milestone. The information architecture went through multiple iterations as the picture clarified.

When Squiz came on board, I worked directly with their project manager in daily standups to ensure all requirements were transferred accurately and dependencies were tracked. I ran fortnightly showcases to maintain stakeholder alignment throughout.

Outcome

• Delivered on time by the mandated 30 June deadline

• Merged 2 complex government websites into 1 unified, accessible platform meeting WCAG standards

• Maintained full project momentum through the sudden shift to remote work

• Zero delivery issues despite COVID-19 disruption