Director and co-founder of First Nations-led initiatives Ngakkan Nyaagu and Buledya, John Saulo, will be the presenter at the MasterCraft Series — First Nations Data Sovereignty virtual event on 25 June. Photo: Supplied.
Developing Project Management Expertise
Date: 22 — 30 June
Time: 9 am — 12:30 pm
Duration: Four 3.5-hour face-to-screen sessions
Location: Virtual
Email: https://apslearn.apsacademy.gov.au/user_login
Understand the project management process and tools for implementation and evaluation. This includes project planning, resource identification, implementation, deliverables and milestones, risk assessment, stakeholder management and governance. Develop a project plan and risk and stakeholder management activities to deliver the plan on time and within budget.
This learning experience has been provided by a third party in consultation with the APS Academy. The content is suitable for APS 4 — APS 6.
From Digital to Resilient: Australian Government Services in an AI-Accelerated World
Date: 23 June
Time: 11 am — noon
Location: Webinar
Email: [email protected]
AI is reshaping both how Australian governments deliver services and how adversaries attack them. APS agencies, state governments, and the broader ANZ public sector are under simultaneous pressure to lift productivity, harden cyber posture, and do more with less.
Anthropic’s Claude Mythos has surfaced thousands of zero-day vulnerabilities in weeks, with under 1 per cent currently patched. AI-driven discovery is about to flood agency vulnerability queues at a volume no human team can manually triage. Meanwhile, 95 per cent of public-sector AI pilots remain stuck in experimentation, leaving a gap between AI promise and the operational impact citizens feel.
In this session, we will explore:
- Moving from AI experimentation to scalable, measurable operational impact.
- A unified, AI-driven operating model across security, operations, and development.
- Strengthening Essential Eight maturity when attackers can weaponise CVEs at machine speed.
- Embedding compliance into continuous, automated remediation.
- Reducing cognitive load on platform teams so they focus on citizen outcomes.
Join us to see how the government can use AI for both productivity and protection, and build services designed to adapt, recover and remain trusted.
MasterCraft Series — APS EA Excellence — power, prioritisation & professional growth
Date: 23 June
Time: 11 am — noon
Duration: One-hour face-to-screen session
Location: Virtual
Email: https://apslearn.apsacademy.gov.au/user_login
We talk with professional executive assistants about mastering their EA career: developing referent power, strategic judgment, and prioritisation skills to become influential professional role models.
Panellists will be:
- Senior executive assistant to the Director-General at the National Library of Australia, Rhiannon Leonarder
- A strong advocate for the EA role, having worked in the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing since 2022, Yazmin Sheehan-Noobs
- Experienced executive with more than 17 years of experience across multiple Australian Government departments and agencies, PJ Donnelly.
This content is suitable for all staff.
MasterCraft Series — Stronger together: 15 years of APS & Jawun advancing change
Date: 23 June
Time: 1 pm — 2 pm
Duration: One 60-minute face-to-screen session
Location: Virtual
Email: https://apslearn.apsacademy.gov.au/user_login
Celebrate 15 Years of Partnership: The Australian Public Service & Jawun Transforming Together. Join us as the APS marks 15 years of transformative partnership with the Jawun secondment program. Jawun brings APS employees together with Indigenous communities, empowering Indigenous-led change and forging meaningful connections.
Hear first-hand from past secondees about how the program shifted their thinking, enhanced their leadership, and inspired new ways of working. Join us to hear how individuals are embedding valuable learnings from their Jawun secondment to make a lasting impact in their workplace.
Presenters are:
- Deputy Commissioner — Head of APS Academy and Capability at the Australian Public Service Commission, Dr Rachel Bacon
- A GP for more than 30 years and full-time director of the Professional Services Review, Associate Professor Antonio Di Dio.
Be inspired. Get connected. Make an impact. Register now to discover how Jawun is helping strengthen the APS and drive positive change. The content is suitable for all staff.
APS 6 — EL1 Leadership, Capability & Professional Excellence Masterclass
Date: 23 — 24 June
Time: 9 am — 4:30 pm
Location: Crowne Plaza Canberra
Email: [email protected]
This tailored program will strategically fast-track your APS leadership skills. Optimise your leadership for more senior and complex roles. Practical, engaging and hands-on, this comprehensive masterclass will maximise your professional performance and prepare you for the next stage of your career.
Specifically designed for APS 6 and EL1-level roles and built around the core capabilities set out by the APSC, the program will give you the key tools to thrive as a senior public-sector leader and to tackle your career with drive and resilience.
A proverbial ‘’one-stop shop’’ for professional and leadership development, it will leave you feeling inspired, re-energised and confident about your leadership and the path ahead.
After making waves in corporate strategy and management by consulting with Australia’s biggest financial services giants, facilitator Daniel Murray now channels his expertise into helping businesses and leaders supercharge their performance through the power of people, culture and empathy. Combining his mathematical and strategic background with deep research into emotions, neuroscience and behavioural economics, Daniel is the leading expert on embedding strategic empathy.
Power BI Fundamentals — Powering Up Your Data Insights
Date: 23 — 24 June
Time: 9 am — 4:30 pm
Location: Online
Email: [email protected]
Overview
Take your business intelligence and professional success to the next level through analysing, visualising and sharing data.
- Power BI 101 — Build impactful reports using data modelling and visualisation tools.
- Transform data like a pro.
- Use Power Query Editor to shape and clean data for powerful insights.
- Communicate insights effectively.
- Create visually compelling reports that communicate complex data clearly.
- Collaborate with ease.
- Discover the best practices to share your reports and seamlessly collaborate with your team.
Trainer Lance Rubin has extensive financial modelling experience, having worked at two of the Big 4 firms, Investec Bank and National Australia Bank. He is the founder of Model Citizn, helping businesses and governments improve decision-making by managing cash flow and optimising Excel and Power BI environments.
Lance has led workshops on data analytics and visualisation across Australia and New Zealand for ACCA and CA ANZ. He is also the Chief Excel Officer at EXL Cloud, a software solution for automating cash flow and financial models. Lance is a global expert in Power BI for finance and has spoken at the Global Power BI Summit.
Navigating Difficult Conversations
Date: 24 June
Time: 9 am — 12:30 pm
Location: Online
Email: [email protected]
Overview
Discover strategies, tools and frameworks to communicate effectively in challenging situations.
- Identify and address barriers hindering difficult conversations.
- Develop practical strategies for effective communication.
- Enhance conflict resolution skills, define objectives and stay solution-focused.
- Craft a personal action plan to apply your newfound skills in various real-world scenarios.
Trainer Dr Karen Whittingham is one of Australia’s leading executive management development specialists, having worked with thousands of executives to transition them into senior leadership roles quickly and effectively. She is an organisational psychologist passionate about people’s success and facilitating their careers to rise. She teaches organisational psychology at UNSW and works with ASX-listed companies and large public-sector organisations to drive engagement, inclusion and performance.
The Public Sector in the Age of AI: Leadership, Governance and Impact
Date: 25 June
Time: 1 pm — 2 pm
Location: Webinar
Email: [email protected]
Overview
Artificial intelligence (AI) has moved from experimentation to a strategic priority across government. Yet, as investment grows, so too do questions around trust, governance, capability and outcomes. While many agencies are exploring AI, the challenge is no longer whether to adopt it, but how to ensure it delivers meaningful value for citizens, strengthens public trust and supports better government decision-making.
Join Dr Ian Oppermann, commissioner at the ACCC and former NSW chief data scientist, for a discussion on what it takes to move beyond AI ambition and towards responsible, effective implementation. Drawing on lessons from government, industry and international experience, this session will explore how leaders can navigate the opportunities and risks of AI while building the foundations for long-term success.
Key discussion points:
- Moving beyond pilots: what separates successful AI adoption from experimentation.
- Defining and measuring public value in AI-enabled government services.
- Building trust, transparency and accountability into AI decision-making.
- Developing the leadership, workforce capability and organisational culture needed for responsible AI adoption.
- Creating governance and standards that enable innovation while managing risk.
Speakers:
Dr Oppermann has extensive experience across data, technology, digital identity and AI governance, with a focus on how data can be used responsibly to improve services, decision-making and public outcomes. His work has helped shape important conversations around trust, transparency and the role of emerging technologies in government and the wider digital economy.
The session will be moderated by Jennifer Arnold, managing director of Jennifer Arnold Consulting and a senior executive with nearly three decades of experience across marketing, sales, communications, customer experience and consulting. Jennifer has worked with leading technology and services organisations, supporting go-to-market strategy, advisory boards, customer communities and public-sector engagement.
MasterCraft Series — First Nations Data Sovereignty
Date: 25 June
Time: 1 pm — 2 pm
Duration: One-hour face-to-screen session
Location: Virtual
Email: https://apslearn.apsacademy.gov.au/user_login
First Nations data sovereignty is increasingly recognised as a critical consideration across government, yet it is often understood as a policy concept rather than a practical responsibility. For many public servants, data collection, reporting and measurement are part of everyday work, but the lived impact of these systems on First Nations organisations is not always visible.
Presenter John Saulo is a director and co-founder of Ngakkan Nyaagu (NGNY) and Buledya, First Nations-led initiatives working at the intersection of strategy, design, technology and data. Since establishing NGNY in May 2014, John has spent more than a decade supporting organisations across the government, corporate and community sectors, bringing a practitioner-led perspective to complex challenges involving systems, data and engagement.
Through NGNY and Buledya, John works to centre First Nations perspectives in digital and data environments, translating complex concepts into accessible, practical understanding. His work focuses on helping organisations move beyond compliance-driven approaches towards more responsible, informed and culturally grounded practices.
This content is suitable for all staff.
Brave Leadership & Daring Conversations: A Dare to Lead Seminar
Date: 26 June
Time: 9:30 am — 1 pm
Location: Online
Email: [email protected]
In this seminar, you will learn how to be braver as a leader in all your interactions. You will explore the key concepts of Brené Brown’s book Dare to Lead and experience a deep dive into the crucial skillset that leaders need to shape behaviours, influence performance, and make difficult decisions easier.
Facilitator Tammy Coggan travelled to San Antonio, Texas, to be certified as a Dare to Lead facilitator in a cohort led by Dr Brown herself. The Dare to Lead program, based on more than 25 years of research, focuses on humanising the workplace by exploring who we are and how we lead.
Tammy’s expertise lies in helping leaders unlock their courage, engage in tough conversations, and build high-value work teams. So far, more than 2500 leaders have discovered how brave leaders build courageous cultures in Dare to Lead programs facilitated by Tammy.
