About ME

My name is Matthew Skoien. I am a professional editor and trainer, and owner of Perfect Documents.

I have more than 20 years' senior experience working in a range of Commonwealth and state government departments, in policy, program and corporate roles.

I have extensive experience writing and editing submissions, reports and other publications for a diverse range of customers, including ministers, department heads, internal staff, external stakeholders and the public.

My government experience includes:

• Executive Director, Corporate and Client Services, Department of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships (QLD)
• Executive Director, Office of Climate Change, Department of Environment and Resource Management (QLD)
• Director, Executive Services, Department of Premier and Cabinet (QLD)
• Director, Corporate and Executive Services, Department of Communities (QLD)
  
• Senior policy and program analyst, U.S. Department of Defense
  
• Senior strategy, intelligence and international policy roles in the Department of Defence (Commonwealth).

My roles have included responsibility for communications teams, as well as extensive experience in policy-writing, governance, machinery-of-government change management and disaster management. My written products include a wide variety of policy briefs, reports on departmental reviews, Cabinet submissions, Annual Reports, Service Delivery Statements, strategic plans and public policy statements.

My interest in plain English writing extends back to the beginning of my career. Since leaving government to establish Perfect Documents in 2016, I have trained hundreds of government staff from a wide range of departments and edited many significant government documents.