![person writing in a notebook on their desk](https://psnews.com.au/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2024/07/Business-writing.jpeg)
Check out the latest public sector networking and education events. Photo: Supplied.
Persuasive Public Sector Writing Masterclass Series
Date: 30 July, 2024
Time: All day
Location: Multiple locations
Email: [email protected]
All writing should be clear, concise, and correct.
Good-quality public sector writing should also be professional, persuasive, and polished. Public sector writing can be challenging and time-consuming. You have to contend with different audiences, rigid deadlines, and complex topics.
While the basic skills of good writing are critical, you need more to meet the demands of more involved government communication. You need to be able to present every case confidently and well, regardless of who you are writing to or what you are writing about. You must be able to use words, structure, flow, and more to deliver compelling arguments and convincing information that people will want to read.
It is about using writing to communicate complex issues clearly and with influence. This masterclass will help you to make the most of your existing skills and practise new ones. It will also offer tips and techniques to make your writing easier, faster, and more effective.
Register and refine your skills, so your writing stands out, for all the right reasons.
Facilitator Bev Sullivan has decades of experience in running written communication workshops for public servants at all levels and from all tiers of government. Her specialty is helping people to use (and tweak) their existing skills and experience to make writing less of a chore and deliver better results.
With an extensive background in government, education and communication, she is familiar with the challenges involved in producing excellent public sector writing. Bev has been an English teacher, a trainer, manager and director in the public service, as well as a consultant, presenter and editor.
RSM Australia Webinar Series: Mastering Business Essentials
Date: 30 July, 2024
Time: 11 am – noon
Location: Online
Information and RSVP: https://experience.rsm.com.au/2024-RSM-Busines-Essentials-Webinar-Series
RSM is hosting a series of webinars to help you with your business. Take charge of change with a new series of webinars designed to help Australian businesses grow.
Drawing on more than a century of experience supporting businesses throughout Australia, industry experts from RSM Australia will provide valuable insights and tips on a range of topics to help you succeed in today’s competitive business world.
Each webinar is tailored to focus on a specific topic, and features practical tips and strategies to help you manage and grow your business. From EOFY tax planning to cash-flow management and more, these informative webinars cover the essential topics that every business owner needs to know to achieve success.
You’ll receive expert advice and guidance from experienced professionals in real time, giving you the tools and knowledge you need to take your business to the next level.
The ”live” online sessions are a valuable resource for entrepreneurs looking to enhance their business knowledge and skills in a variety of areas, including leadership, management, and growth strategies.
Implementing Problem-centric Work & Special Classes of Risk Influence
Date: 30 – 31 July, 2024
Time: All day
Location: Online
Email: [email protected]
We are thrilled to announce the launch of the highly sought-after Implementing Problem-Centric Work & Special Classes of Risk seminar in collaboration with esteemed international regulatory expert Professor Malcolm Sparrow from Harvard University.
Through the seminar with Professor Sparrow, we will examine two sets of puzzles for regulatory and risk-control operations, both of which are currently demanding significant attention from a broad range of Australian regulatory bodies.
Day one will examine the practical challenges of implementing “problem-centric” work (which some agencies refer to as “harm-reduction” or “risk-based” projects). The basic concept has been circulating in regulatory circles for at least two decades, but the practical work of developing mature problem-centric capabilities, and institutionalising them, is far from done.
Day two will focus on Special Classes of Risk and the practical challenges these risks present for agencies responsible for controlling them. Agencies that do engage in problem-centric work soon discover that some – but not all – of the important problems they seek to tackle exhibit confounding qualities of one type or another. Such risks, or problems, are often termed “wicked” or “special” because of these qualities. This seminar will explore the major categories of “wicked” risks most frequently encountered by regulatory and enforcement agencies.
Professor Sparrow is a leading international expert in regulatory and enforcement strategy, security and risk control. He is the Professor of the Practice of Public Management at Harvard’s John F Kennedy School of Government and he is faculty chair of the school’s executive program ”Strategic Management of Regulatory and Enforcement Agencies”.
He served 10 years with the British Police Service, rising to the rank of detective chief inspector. He has conducted internal affairs investigations, commanded a tactical firearms unit, and has extensive experience with criminal investigation. Professor Sparrow’s research interests include regulatory and enforcement strategy, fraud control, corruption control, and operational risk management. He is also a patent-holding inventor, and dead serious at tennis.
QLD Public Sector SO-Level High-Performance & Leadership Workshop
Date: 31 July – 1 August, 2024
Time: 9 am – 4:30 pm
Location: Cliftons Brisbane
24/288 Edward St, Brisbane City, QLD
Email: [email protected]
Enhance your strategic leadership skills and capabilities at the QLD Public Sector SO-Level High-Performance & Leadership Workshop.
Get the skills and practices you need to excel at the executive level, including strategic leadership, navigating complex politics, and stakeholder management.
Overview
Strategic leadership skills and capability development for current and emerging SO-level leaders.
- Understand the expectations and values of an SO-level leader.
- Utilise heightened EQ to make effective, strategic decisions.
- Diagnose and proactively manage complex business and economic challenges.
- Create a leadership action plan to address your strategic challenges.
Speaker Michael Collins is one of the region’s leading talent, leadership and change experts, with more than 25 years’ experience in roles spanning Australia, New Zealand and Asia. Having served in executive roles within the Australian Defence Force and Coca-Cola Amatil, Michael is a seasoned practitioner in the field of leadership assessment and development.
Armed with academic credentials including an MBA and a PhD in neurocognitive leadership, he blends practical experience with scholarly insight in his role as a trusted adviser and thought leader.
Australian Public Sector Anti-Corruption Conference (APSACC)
Date: 29 – 31 July, 2024
Time: 9 am – 4:30 pm
Location: Darwin Waterfront Convention Centre, NT
Email: [email protected]
The Australian Public Sector Anti-Corruption Conference (APSACC) is the leading anti-corruption event in Australia, with a primary focus on preventing, exposing and responding to corrupt conduct and corruption risks in the public sector, including all levels of government, elected bodies, the judiciary, police and statutory bodies.
The 2024 event will feature physical and virtual participation, comprising a two-day conference of local and international leaders in corruption mitigation and exposure. The conference will include plenary sessions, discussion panels and workshops, and will provide opportunities for developing professional networks across areas of expertise and jurisdictions. It will offer opportunities for anti-corruption and other agencies, academia, the private sector and other practitioners to discuss and share their experience and expertise.
With a theme of ‘’Meeting the integrity challenge: the power of innovation, diversity and collaboration’’, the event brings together Australian and international anti-corruption experts to speak on risk identification and management, emerging trends and innovative approaches to combat corruption and heighten workplace integrity systems.
The proceedings start with an optional day of workshops, followed by the two-day conference. The conference will be a hybrid event combining in-person and virtual attendance, and provides opportunities for developing professional networks across a wide range of jurisdictions and expertise.
Frances Adamson Oration: Dr Wendy Craik
Institute of Public Administration Australia (IPAA) ACT
Date: 1 August, 2024
Time: 5:30 pm – 7 pm
Location: Hotel Realm, 18 National Circuit, Barton, ACT
Telephone: (02) 6154 9800.
This year’s Frances Adamson Oration will be delivered by Dr Wendy Craik, scientist, public policy adviser, and company director.
This event is for established and emerging public sector leaders who want to deepen their understanding of institutional and individual integrity, resilience, and challenges in the service.
Join us for a keynote and audience Q&A led by Andrew Metcalfe, IPAA national president, followed by an opportunity to network.
WFP Boost – Demand and Supply Forecasting
Date: 1 August, 2024
Time: 10 am – 1:30 pm
Duration: One 3.5-hour face-to-screen session
Location: Australia-wide
Email: https://apslearn.apsacademy.gov.au/user_login
The Workforce Planning Boost Program – external site is a collection of modules that target the development of technical workforce planning skills. These units have been co-designed by the APS Centre of Excellence for Workforce Planning, with workforce planning experts and academics from across Australia.
This program is designed for mid-career workforce planners, and those who have completed the Workforce Planning Start Up Program, to further build their workforce planning toolkit. While each module is completed individually, they all form a wider program to build workforce planning skills.
This module teaches the capability to forecast workforce demand and supply. Forecasting is used in all types of workforce planning, and enables workforce planners to leverage data and information to inform decisions about the future.
This content has been provided by the Australian Public Service Commission. The training is in a virtual environment suitable for APS 5 – SES Band 1 participants who have completed the Workforce Planning Start Up Program and/or those with at least two years’ relevant experience in workforce planning or workforce analysis.
JMI Policymaker Summit 2024
Date: 2 August, 2024
Time: 9 am – 2:30 pm
Location: UNSW Sydney, John Niland Scientia Building, Kensington, NSW
Email: [email protected]
The Policymaker Summit is the James Martin Institute’s flagship event for public policy professionals in Australia. This year’s conference focuses on intergenerational equity and how to deliver a stronger future for Australia.
Bringing together government policymakers, researchers, industry and community experts, the 2024 JMI Policymaker Summit will explore ways to shape a more equitable future for Australia and forge networks of collaboration.
Focusing on intergenerational equity, the conference aims to drive forward practical solutions across a wide range of policy areas, from housing to energy policy, transport, education, and economic policy. The event will also feature a Policy Impact Exhibition where leading research and policy institutes showcase their latest projects and impact in this space.
Influence, Negotiation and Persuasion
Date: 6 August, 2024
Time: 9:30 am – 4:30 pm
Duration: One seven-hour face-to-face session
Location: Australia-wide
Email: https://apslearn.apsacademy.gov.au/user_login
Explore aspects of influence and the psychology of persuasion. Understand how verbal and physical language affects interpersonal exchanges, including negotiations, meetings and briefings. Build your practical knowledge and experience through discussion and participation.
This content has been provided by a third party in consultation with the APS Academy. The training is suitable for APS 3 – APS 6.
Effective Communication
Date: 6 – 8 August, 2024
Time: 9:30 am – 12:30 pm
Duration: Three three-hour face-to-screen sessions
Location: Australia-wide
Email: https://apslearn.apsacademy.gov.au/user_login
This course was previously named Compelling Communication.
Almost everything we do in the workplace involves communication, and our overall job effectiveness is strongly influenced by how well we communicate. In the APS, we require the ability to present information clearly, concisely and in a compelling manner, going to the heart of the issue with speed and clarity.
Effective communication is about being able to deliver strategic and operational information quickly and clearly to a specific target audience or individual. As such, effective communication takes into account the needs and characteristics of the specific audience.
Participants should bring two current samples of writing when they attend. These may be emails, briefs, reports, or other writing from the workplace. Editing practice can be applied directly to their own work. All writing remains confidential and will not be shared or discussed.
This content has been provided by the APS Academy. The training is in a virtual environment suitable for APS 1 – EL 2.
QLD Public Sector AO 7-8 Advanced Data Literacy Workshop
Date: 6 August, 2024
Time: 9 am – 4:30 pm
Location: Online
Email: [email protected]
Learn how to interpret and clearly express data trends and insights, translate data into impactful and accessible action, and use data to inform decision-making at a senior level.
Overview
Strategies to inform decision-making and deliver greater impact – Data for non-data professionals.
- Explore the importance and impact of data literacy at AO 7-8 levels.
- Leading data-literate teams and driving a culture of data literacy.
- Data visualisation essentials for influential communication.
- Using data to drive effective decision-making.
Speaker Rabia Khan is a public health and data specialist with more than 20 years’ experience in the global health sector, spanning Australia, New Zealand and Europe.
Rabia excels in leveraging data and evidence to enhance health outcomes and reduce disparities. She empowers individuals to drive positive change, make informed decisions, and amplify their impact through effective leadership, data utilisation, and evidence-based strategies.
Coaching and Developing Others
Date: 6 – 20 August, 2024
Time: 10 am – 1 pm
Duration: Three three-hour face-to-screen sessions
Location: Australia-wide
Email: https://apslearn.apsacademy.gov.au/user_login
This course is designed to improve the way APS employees coach and manage others so they can deliver improved outcomes, ultimately resulting in higher APS productivity.
This content has been provided by the APS Academy. The training is in a virtual environment suitable for EL 1 – EL 2.
NLP Strategies for Flexible and Inclusive Communication
Date: 6 August, 2024
Time: 9 am – 4:30 pm
Location: Online
Email: [email protected]
It’s time to embark on a transformational journey with our upcoming Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) workshop.
Whether you want to excel in your career, improve relationships, or enhance personal growth, NLP provides the keys to unlock your full potential.
Overview
Influential communication to get results.
- Utilise NLP to identify and adapt communication styles.
- Improve clarity in verbal communication.
- Navigate difficult conversations with confidence.
- Understanding inclusive communication.
Speaker Deborah Bispham is a seasoned professional in the field of leadership and transformation across both the private and public sectors. With a track record of empowering individuals and organisations to reach new heights of success, Deborah guides people through innovative strategies and transformative leadership development.
With a deep understanding of leadership dynamics combined with a unique blend of NLP coaching expertise and transformational facilitation, she specialises in unlocking hidden leadership potential to create resilient high-performing leaders and teams.
Workforce Planning Start Up Program
Date: 6 August – 26 September, 2024
Time: 10:30 am – 1:30 pm
Duration: Four 3.5-hour face-to-screen sessions
Location: Australia-wide
Email: https://apslearn.apsacademy.gov.au/user_login
The Workforce Planning Start Up Program focuses on building foundational strategic workforce planning capability across the APS.
The program is delivered over four dates and focuses on the following topics:
- Setting up workforce planning and linking to business deliverables through engagement with the executive.
- Linking workforce planning to business planning in an agile manner, and utilising labour market data to gather insights.
- Storytelling with internal and external workforce data (focus on both quantitative and qualitative data).
- Implementation of workforce planning to drive business outcomes and deliver benefits.
This content has been provided by the APS Academy. The training is in a virtual environment suitable for APS 5 – EL 1.
AWS Public Sector Symposium Canberra
Date: 7 August, 2024
Time: 8 am – 5 pm
Location: The National Convention Centre Canberra (NCCC)
Email: [email protected]
Overview
Bringing the cloud community together to innovate, build, and learn.
Join us for AWS Public Sector Symposium Canberra 2024, and discover how organisations of all sizes are using Amazon Web Services (AWS) to accelerate innovation and drive their missions forward.
Explore how the cloud can help you enhance security, analyse data at scale, advance sustainability, and achieve your mission – faster and at a lower cost.
This must-attend event features inspiring keynotes from Australia’s tech leaders, breakout sessions, hands-on workshops, networking hubs and more. Some 20-plus sessions will cover topics ranging from generative AI and big-data analytics to cybersecurity and citizen service transformation.
Our goal is to empower you, the leaders and architects of public sector digital transformation, with new capabilities and insights that help you accelerate your mission and improve the lives of people and the planet using cloud technology.
Whether you’re new to the cloud or an experienced user, you’ll gain key knowledge that you can use right away. Join us and discover how to accelerate digital transformation today.
This event is specifically designed to help public sector organisations across government, education, non-profit, health care, and financial services navigate the increasingly complex and ever-evolving tech landscape.
Writing with Clarity & Impact for Government Seminar
Date: 13 August, 2024
Time: All day
Location: Online
Email: [email protected]
Overview
Writing engaging and accessible content to clearly and accurately communicate your intended message.
Reading between the lines – learn the art of writing clear, impactful content that engages your audience. Do you want to become a more skillful and confident writer at work? The importance of writing well cannot be overstated. Words, and how we arrange and use them, affects how our audience ‘’hears’’ and ‘’perceives’’ us.
Effective writing conveys your message or information with 100 per cent clarity to your audience. In good writing, everything makes sense and readers don’t get lost. Crafting effective writing requires regular, deliberate practice. Attending this seminar will set you up for success with your writing and readability skills.
Learn how to:
- Understand the function of words, phrases, and clauses.
- Use plain language that is accessible and readable.
- Understand how formatting impacts the reader experience.
- Correctly use the punctuation mark.
- Avoid common grammatical errors.
- Write with consistency and by conventions.
- Confidently proofread and edit documents.
Facilitator Megan Hender is an experienced non-executive director with a strong interest in strategy, governance, risk, and communication. She serves on several boards and committees, including as chairperson.
Megan’s experience working with and for the government gives her the practical insight required to teach and train you to write in a way that will allow well-informed decision-making and provide better-quality information to decision-makers.
The course is ideal for professionals who seek to:
- Develop and strengthen their writing for the public sector environment.
- Write simply, clearly, and effectively at work.
- Understand the function of words, phrases, clauses, and grammar.
- Deliver better-quality information to decision-makers through clear writing.
- Better advise staff or team members on how to improve written communication.
- Improve the clarity and impact of their current writing.
- Improve the readability and comprehension of their writing.