Searching for outcomes that matter?
If your daily work involves improving the world in some way and you need some help to make it happen, you’ve come to the right place: I help people in your situation every day.
I help government agencies & authorities, non-profits, and social enterprises to plan, sharpen and realise their impact. Clear goals, solid plans, awesome programs and calculated steps. All carefully tailored to achieve the things you exist to achieve.
[ n. pl., v. speh·shuh·luhst; adj. speh·shuh·luhst:
possessing rare skill or knowledge; trained by practice; sought-after practitioner; trusted authority ]
I design impactful programs, targeted processes and high-visibility initiatives for organisations that want to improve the way the world works.
Hi, I’m Patrick O’Callaghan. I love building worthwhile things: better programs, better organisations and better outcomes. Decades of program development experience and leadership roles in cause-based organisations, government agencies, statutory authorities, enterprise startups and the wild world of consulting have given me a quiver of powerful insights and street-smarts that I love sharing around.
What are you working on?
Please view my portfolio to see how I might be a resource for you.
I’m also happy to connect on LinkedIn or by email. You could even call me during waking hours if you’d like a coffee. (It’s on me.)
View my portfolio
I can help you build impact that lasts
If we combine my extensive experience in government, small business, fundraising, nature-based tourism and cause-based organisational leadership with your deep understanding of your own purpose, we can build something together that is truly effective. Let’s turn your current challenge or project into the successful initiative it deserves to be.
I am a big believer in great strategy. Done properly, your strategy can be your touchstone, your motivator, your defence shield and the thing that lets you say "no" to all the shiny squirrels that will fly across your field of view.
I have worked with cause-based startups, social enterprises, established NGOs, zoos, aquariums, museums, government agencies & authorities and local government to develop strategies that are realistic, achievable, and best-fit for each organisation’s needs.
A great program pushes your strategy out into the world to bring about the change you want.
Most programs out there achieve less than great results because they fail to engage true ’change audiences’, or they assume that what resonates with the program owner will resonate with the outside world. (Hint: it rarely does.) My deep experience with cause-based programs allows me to precisely identify the change audiences that will accelerate your outcomes: only then do we design and build change-making programs together, using resources and approaches that are guaranteed to reach them.
Purposeful, responsive on-the-fly and highly effective - without the fluff and nonsense.
I have facilitated hundreds of meetings, workshops, community engagement processes and planning sessions. And not one of them asked participants to achieve mindfulness by listening to their food. People don’t need gimmicks to get great results - they need clarity, a room that oozes purpose, and someone who knows enough about the subject matter and the right process to get them the outcomes they’re looking for. That’s what I bring, without the bullshit.
Your story is good enough that it deserves to be told properly, isn’t it?
Success may beget success, but only if people know about it in the first place. We’ve all seen dozens of organisations squander future successes by simply doing a bad job of communicating what they’ve already achieved. You can never underestimate the importance of telling your story to the right people in the right way. I’ll work with your comms team to craft and sharpen messages that get audiences listening, thinking and behaving as you need them to. I also have bat-phone-like access to full video capture and production capability, with the expertise to create compelling vignettes for program pitching, funding campaigns, membership drives and board reporting.
"I have had many positive experiences with Patrick and his team. They will help you to clarify your objectives, challenge your thinking and give you a better outcome than you thought was possible in the first place. Hire them - your organization will be the better for it."
— Bert Vescolani, CEO St. Louis Science Center (USA)
I am thrilled and honoured to be a small part of their stories.
“The breadth of skills, experience and strong strategic thinking that Deliberate Impact brought to our team was a major contributor to our success. Patrick truly worked in partnership with us and was as heavily invested in getting an excellent outcome as we were. When we asked our staff what they would keep the same if we had to do this again, Patrick’s involvement rated the highest.” - Ann-Maree W., Senior Science & Technology Broker (Government Agency, AU.)
“Working with Patrick allowed us to carefully and critically review and define our vision and mission, chart a strategy for effectively achieving them, and create a framework for decision-making around new opportunities which may arise in the future. Whilst Patrick offers outstanding skills, expertise and experience for such a process, he also supports an open and safe discussion environment where thoughts, concerns and ideas can be aired and worked through constructively for very exciting outcomes.” - Lizzie Corke, CEO, Conservation Ecology Centre (AU)
“I asked my husband and fellow company director what I should write to promote the excellent work that Deliberate Impact does, and he said 'Just write, Thanks Pat, you're great’. Whilst this statement is both accurate and precise, I think I can expand a little to share what Patrick has done for our growing, three and a half year old company. From the inception of Canidae Development, Patrick has been our sounding board. On many occasions he has armed us with the knowledge we required to navigate our business strategy. We were encouraged and guided to build a clear statement of what our company does, the services it provides and the principles it stands by. This has been pivotal in shaping our company to what it is today and its next evolution. Everytime we call Patrick, he genuinely gets excited for us and the success of Canidae Development. We trust him and value his opions, suggestions and perspectives. Thanks for everything Patrick, you are indeed great.” - Tracy Edwards, Director, Canidae Development (AU)
“I have worked with Patrick and his team over a number of years now on some very complex conservation projects. His capacity to distil disparate views around sensitive issues and convert them into sound objectives and actions is second to none. He excels in helping the client understand what they want and providing meaningful outcomes.” - Jim Whelan, Parks Victoria (AU)
“Patrick worked with the Marine Mammal Center to help us chart a course for growth in our programs. His team is both knowledgeable and networked; most importantly, they integrated themselves into our process and didn’t flinch when it came to providing clear and insightful guidance in evaluating our existing programming and presenting a compelling new vision. There's no question that we're where we are today, on a healthy and innovative path towards growth in education, because of this talented team.” - Jeff Boehm, Executive Director, The Marine Mammal Center (USA)
“Patrick and his colleagues have a rare ability to cut through the fluff and deliver meaningful, tangible results. I have had many positive experiences with this team via strategy development projects and staff alignment workshops. They will help you to clarify your objectives, challenge your thinking and give you a better outcome than you thought was possible in the first place. Hire them - your organization will be the better for it.” - Bert Vescolani, CEO St. Louis Science Center (USA)
Because Even 78 Sizes Do Not Fit All
I am yet to find two organisations facing exactly the same challenges. Why would anyone think they can use the same canned process to help them both? Sure, I have a range of tools that I pick up from time to time, including a head-spinningly fast Rapid Prototyping methodology - and what just might be the world’s largest collection of oversized sticky notes. But I guarantee that what I build with you will fit you perfectly - and you alone.
Before we jump too far ahead, I like to make sure I’m the right fit for your needs (and you for mine), so I generally tackle things as follows:
Call
Before we even start, a no-obligation chat will let us each form an educated opinion as to whether we are right for each other.
Coffee
We will meet you face to face, or if you are far, far away, have an extended conversation across time-zones. This is where I make sure I understand exactly what you need. Still no obligation.
First ideas
If we’re both comfortable that I can help, we will start the engagement with an outline of ways I’d suggest working on your particular needs.
Let’s go!
When you are happy that our approach will get you where you need to be, it’s heads down.
The Coffees Are On Me
