capacia
Focusing on the for-purpose sector,
working at the interface between government,
philanthropy, community and industry
My strategic, operational and commercial experience across public and private sectors means I know how organisations operate and what’s required to move.
I work at board and executive level, while understanding operational realities and the challenges of delivery.
I bring people along, building networks and using codesign to shape the work and create ongoing support for its outcomes.
I can help you with
A new initiative or capability the organisation is committed to developing.
A stakeholder group that needs to come together — properly.
A funding approach that needs to match how the decisions actually get made.
Strategic planning that needs someone who can engage the room, guide the discussion and take people with them.
Or just a problem that needs a trusted hand to get it sorted, so you can move on.
Recent work
Shared advocacy position, early childhood education and care hubs
Facilitating policy specialists, service providers and philanthropic funders into a common advocacy position for engagement with government.Outcome: The position was used in government advocacy and drew strong engagement from government stakeholders.
“(Our) workshop really changed how we presented the argument to government and I often reflect how it’s saved a lot of work in the long run by getting everyone on the same page at the start of the year.”
- Client
AI readiness assessment, state department group — Assessing current AI maturity to inform strategy development, organisational design and capability building.
Outcome: Delivery of a tailored and action-oriented report to inform new roles and strategic approach across the group, including a growing coalition of internal stakeholders built through the assessment process.
“This work has been excellent – it has given us an AI readiness assessment as well as frameworks to apply. Sam’s work has saved us time and brought new thinking to our approach. And it isn’t just theoretical, the advice has been grounded in understanding our people, systems and processes and how they work on the ground.”
-Client
Community-led investment strategy, remote communities
Developing investment strategy and funder relationships for communities along a remote corridor undergoing major infrastructure change, with direction set by the communities themselves.Outcome: A draft charter for a community-led entity, and clear evidence that new institutional funding and support settings are required to support mobilisation of extremely remote communities.
Also delivering specialist lectures on innovation in government for visiting international delegations.
I specialise in setting up new functions and businesses — particularly in tight timeframes where navigation is difficult and a working model is needed before longer-term commitments are made. I have deep experience convening and leading complex stakeholder groups at executive and board level, supporting constructive engagement at the sensitive interfaces between government, community, regulators and industry.
My career has spanned executive leadership in the Victorian Public Service — including establishing the VPSC’s First Peoples branch, leading whole-of-government workforce reform, and directing the $11m Public Sector Innovation Fund — alongside senior roles at Australia Post, Bendigo Bank and Fairfax Digital, and management consulting with McKinsey & Company.
This breadth is what helps me in working at complex interfaces. I understand what government, funders, community organisations and private sector partners each actually need, uncover the plumbing and find the path that works to move things forward.
Capacia: Sam Hannah-Rankin
I've spent twenty-five years in government and the private sector, most recently as an Executive Director in the Victorian Public Service. I’m fundamentally intrigued by institutions, systems change and human behaviour, and how co-design, evidence and relationship-building can work together to create sustainable outcomes.