School Infrastructure NSW

The Challenge.

The NSW School Maintenance Program required a series of animation videos to explain and communicate budget allocation and maintenance of NSW schools. With over 2,200 schools in the Department of Education’s asset portfolio, School Infrastructure NSW (SINSW) is responsible for the maintenance of all these assets. These animations were intended to explain how the government’s $1.3 billion investment in school maintenance is prioritized and how this investment was projected to stabilize the maintenance backlog by July 2020.

Our Approach.

We wanted to answer the big question, “Where does the money go?” So, we focused on explaining the different types of maintenance work done at schools, why some tasks are more important than others, and how maintenance can pile up in schools if not addressed, causing a maintenance liability.

SINSW wanted us to develop a ‘brand guide’ for the video campaign. Featuring a fresh new colour palette, a suite of bespoke characters, design assets, and a clear and informative script & voiceover. The key driver to establishing a bright, approachable visual treatment was to inform and correct the negative perceptions around government spending on such projects. The well-being of students is the driver for everything that SINSW does. Therefore, how the maintenance funding flow works – money in, has to equal expenditure priorities.

Video 1: An explainer that outlines priorities regarding school upgrades and budget allocation. 

Video 2: An explainer that outlines how SINSW builds a school. 

Video 3: A social media infographic that shows school maintenance statistics in a fun and engaging way (required in 2 x ratios).

The Result.

The 250 Asset Services Officers around the state used the package to explain the funding in/funding out principles and priorities for school maintenance. In addition, it was distributed to school Principals and P&Cs around the state to explain why all requests for new work sometimes take time to be met. 

The feedback we received was excellent, with increased understanding among school Principals and P&Cs regarding the budget allocation and maintenance process. These results demonstrate the project’s effectiveness in addressing its primary objectives and reaching the intended audience.