About Connext Consulting
Effective planning is not about producing a suite of documents. It's about creating clear connections between community aspirations, strategic priorities, organisational capacity and practical implementation.
At Connext Consulting, this philosophy underpins every project we undertake.
Based in the South West of Western Australia, Connext Consulting partners with local governments, businesses and not-for-profits to deliver practical strategic planning, community engagement, governance, and advisory services that support better decision-making and long-term outcomes.
Our work is grounded in an understanding of the operational realities facing regional organisations, including limited resources, competing priorities and the need to deliver practical, achievable outcomes.
Rather than treating strategic planning, engagement and governance as separate activities, we help organisations connect them into a practical framework that supports implementation, accountability and continuous improvement.
Connext Consulting focuses on providing practical support across the full project lifecycle — from strategic planning and engagement through to feasibility, business case development and implementation.
About Megan Richards
Megan Richards is the Founder and Principal Consultant of Connext Consulting, bringing more than 17 years of senior local government leadership and advisory experience across regional Western Australia.
Throughout her career, Megan has worked closely with elected members, executive leadership teams, staff, and community stakeholders to develop practical strategies informed by community priorities and capable of being implemented within organisational capacity.
Her experience spans strategic planning, community engagement, governance, feasibility studies, Aboriginal stakeholder collaboration, organisational planning and the preparation of key strategic documents, including Strategic Community Plans, Corporate Business Plans, Reconciliation Action Plans and community strategies.
Megan holds a Bachelor of Psychology, a Diploma of Project Management and a Certificate in Change Management. Her collaborative approach, practical mindset and understanding of regional local government enable her to deliver solutions that are both strategically sound and achievable in practice.
How We Work
Every organisation is different, but successful projects share common foundations. We work collaboratively with decision-makers, leadership teams and staff to ensure strategic planning, community engagement and governance are aligned with organisational priorities and available resources.
Our approach is built around five principles.
Collaboration
We work alongside internal teams, building on existing knowledge and capability rather than working in isolation.
Meaningful Engagement
We design engagement processes that inform decision making, providing communities with the information they need to contribute constructively while ensuring diverse voices are heard.
Practical Outcomes
Our focus is on developing strategies and recommendations that are realistic, implementable and aligned with organisational capacity.
Evidence-Based Decision Making
We combine community feedback, strategic analysis and relevant data to support informed, transparent decision-making.
Governance and Accountability
Our work aligns with legislative requirements where applicable, recognised frameworks and good governance principles, producing documentation that supports effective decision-making and long-term organisational success.
Our role isn't simply to prepare strategic documents. It's to help organisations create practical connections between planning, people, resources and delivery.