SurePact has once again expanded within regional Queensland, welcoming Boulia Shire Council to its growing list of regional clients.
Boulia Shire Council has chosen to use SurePact to enhance project management processes and provide better outcomes for the community.
The Boulia Shire is steeped in a rich history. It has existed as a local government entity since 1887 in Central West Queensland, shares a 320km border with the Northern Territory, and covers a vast area of 60,906 square kilometres.
The township of Boulia is a pivotal point of the far-west, with Mount Isa 300km to the north and Winton 366km to the east. It is an attractive Shire community with a population of almost 500 people and well-serviced modern facilities. The land within the Boulia Shire encompases the Traditional Owner Groups of the Pitta Pitta People, Kalkadoon People, Yulluna People, Yalarrnga People, Bularnu Waluwarra Wangkayuju People and Wangkamahdla People.
It was Boulia Shire Council’s Director of Corporate Services, Kaylene Sloman, who introduced SurePact to the Council after experiencing it within another organisation.
“Having worked closely with Curry Project Management, who utilise SurePact’s Porftolio solution, I was exposed to the benefits the Council would gain from integrating SurePact into its processes,” Kaylene says. “I was particularly interested in how it could assist us with project management, which is something we have had challenges with previously.
“Prior to using SurePact, we used a number of complex spreadsheets alongside a financial management system, but there was nothing all-encompassing. We are really looking forward to having access to everything related to a project in the one place.
“Keeping track of and approving variations can be a huge drain on time, with meetings and lengthy email chains. With SurePact, there is one spot where you are able to see what has been done and when. Everyone across the department knows the same story. Even if there is a delay in work because of weather conditions, for instance, it can be recorded in SurePact and everybody knows exactly what is happening and what the delay is.
“It is also a great benefit that funding bodies can be granted access to see for themselves how things are going, rather than having to contact us and wait for a report.”
Boulia Shire Council CEO Lynn Moore says the Council relies primarily on grant funding for its community projects, which can be difficult to manage unless best practices are in place.
“All of our projects rely on grant funding,” she says, “and so a main objective we had was to find a platform that can help with probity, compliance and auditing, which we have found in SurePact.
“We are excited to have a platform that everyone can access for an up-to-date, bird’s-eye-view of where projects are at, both financially and in accordance with their milestones. It really is a tool that provides a solution for all our grant woes.
“There are several major projects coming up, including Local Government Grants and Subsidies Program, Building Our Regions, Building Better Regions, Queensland Reconstruction Authority Funding, RIUP and RCP, all of which we will be managing through SurePact.”
Lynn says there are a range of benefits the Council will gain from taking on SurePact’s solution, but live analytics and real-time reporting – and the way these features enhance transparency, communication, time savings and project and document management – are particular highlights.
“Prior to using SurePact we really have struggled with reporting, and elevating this was crucial to the success of our projects,” she says.
“It is a huge benefit that we can keep the entire Council up to date on every single one of our projects at a moment’s glance, with assurance that the data is accurate and provided in real-time.
“We are also able to report and make decisions with confidence, knowing that the figures in our budget, as reflected and managed by SurePact, are correct and match directly with what has been reported by those working on the ground.
“We have had an excellent experience with [SurePact CEO] Megan Avard and the team and we are looking forward to continuing to work together to enhance Boulia Shire.”
