Check out the latest public sector networking and education events. Photo: Supplied.
Advanced Writing Skills for Government Workshop
Date: 19 November, 2024
Time: 9 am – 4:30 pm
Location: Online
Email: [email protected]
Are you looking to improve your writing skills? The ability to write effectively is arguably the most important aspect of a role in the public sector. Australian public servants must consistently sharpen their communication skills to tackle the intricate challenges ingrained in their roles.
The Advanced Writing Skills for Government Workshop will focus on strategic writing of specific government documentation and will help you develop the skills to write high-level reports that attract minimal editing!
Overview
Develop the skills to write government documents that attract minimal editing:
- Take a strategic and analytical approach with your writing.
- Improve your editing and proofreading skills.
- Fact-check and use credible sources.
- Understand the difference between misinformation and disinformation.
Trainer Adrian Cropley is a certified strategic communication management professional and past global chair of the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC). He is widely recognised as one of the world’s foremost experts in strategic communication.
With a career spanning more than 30 years, Adrian has worked with clients all over the world on major change communication initiatives, internal communication reviews and strategies, professional development programs, and executive leadership and coaching.
He is currently board adviser for IABC in Victoria, is on the RMIT University advisory board for the PR degree and was named a fellow of the IABC in 2020.
NSW Public Sector Grades 9-10 Critical Thinking & Problem-Solving
Date: 19 – 20 November, 2024
Time: 9 am – 4:30 pm
Location: Sydney, Australia
Email: [email protected]
Check out our NSW Public Sector Grades 9-10 Critical Thinking & Problem-Solving and master this highly valued skill set that will become a key differentiator among high-performing leaders of the future.
Learn how to make decisions effectively, problem-solve with confidence, and drive productivity and progress.
Overview
Practical outcome-driven models for critical thinking and problem-solving:
- Unpack critical thinking as a mental process and set of action steps to address everyday problems.
- Use a structured systems thinking approach to analysing problems and designing solutions.
- Leverage the skills of creative and lateral thinking in complex problem-solving.
- Overcome common roadblocks to enhance decision-making.
Trainer Alexandra O’Mara is a seasoned leader in sustainability, policy, and strategy. As a former Deputy Secretary in the NSW government, she led transformative shifts in environment, infrastructure, and renewable energy. With a master’s in administrative law and policy from the University of Sydney, Alex combines practical expertise with academic insight.
She currently drives change as the director and founder of Sustainable Solutions Advisory, a member of the UNSW Science Advisory Council, and a non-executive director at St George Community Housing.
Policy Officers Workshops
Date: 19 November, 2024 – 13 March, 2025
Time: 9 am – 4:30 pm
Multiple locations: Townsville | 19 – 20 November
Melbourne | 19 – 20 February
Sydney | 18 – 19 February
Brisbane | 4 – 5 March
Canberra | 12 – 13 March
Email: [email protected]
Join our two-day Policy Officers Workshops across Australia and take a hands-on approach to tackling complex policy problems. Delivered by expert leadership facilitators with years of experience, our Policy Officers Workshops are designed to equip you with practical insights tailored to navigate the current policy landscape effectively.
Overview
Essential skills for policy writing and development – a practical guide for effective governance:
- Determine the core structure and sequencing of policy documentation.
- Tools to effectively communicate all stages of the policy process cross-functionally.
- Gain a deep understanding of policy development, analysis models, and real-world challenges.
- Create and implement proactive, robust policy development plans with effective monitoring and evaluation.
Trainer Alexandra O’Mara is a seasoned leader in sustainability, policy, and strategy. As a former Deputy Secretary in the NSW government, she led transformative shifts in environment, infrastructure, and renewable energy. With a master’s in administrative law and policy from the University of Sydney, Alex combines practical expertise with academic insight.
She currently drives change as the director and founder of Sustainable Solutions Advisory, a member of the UNSW Science Advisory Council, and a non-executive director at St George Community Housing.
EL1-2 Women in Leadership Masterclass
Date: 19 – 20 November, 2024
Time: 9:30 am – 4:30 pm
Location: Crowne Plaza
1 Binara Street, Canberra, ACT
Email: [email protected]
Here is an immersive program designed to strengthen and guide your public sector career. Specifically designed for EL 1-2 officers and management, this highly interactive masterclass will equip you with the tools and strategies to lead with greater impact and confidently take on more senior and complex roles in the public sector.
Learn how to overcome the common internal and external barriers to success faced by women in the workplace, enhance and refine your current leadership skills, and develop new capabilities to take the next step in your career. Set a career plan, seize progression opportunities, and learn how to purposefully lead yourself, your team, and your organisation into the workplace of the future.
This interactive course is cognisant of the APS Work Level Standards (WLS) for EL1-EL2 and is designed to reflect and align with the expectations of these roles. It will support and enhance the capabilities and behaviours required of EL1-EL2 roles as per the APS Integrated Leadership System (ILS) essential for high performance.
Facilitator Kathryn Thomas has a career of more than 20 years as a management consultant and global learning leader. Kathryn specialises in unlocking performance for people and their organisations. She has previously worked as an HR senior consultant for PricewaterhouseCoopers and held global and Asia-Pacific leadership roles with IBM Global Business Services. She brings deep expertise in adult learning, facilitation, leading change and leading with impact.
Psychological Safety Toolkit for Managers & Leaders
Date: 20 November, 2024
Time: 9 am – 4:30 pm
Location: Online
Email: [email protected]
Our Psychological Safety Toolkit for Managers & Leaders workshop is filling up fast – don’t miss your chance to secure a place!
Psychological safety enhances team performance, fosters innovation, and boosts employee engagement, benefitting leaders and organisations alike.
Overview
Prioritising wellbeing – A practical guide for managers and leaders on navigating psychosocial risks:
- Define a leader’s role in ensuring a safe and healthy work environment.
- Identify psychosocial hazards, red flags and warning signs within your teams and organisation.
- Discover the direct correlation between professional success and mental health.
- Practical strategies and tools to build a high-performance workplace by prioritising your team’s wellbeing.
Trainer Kevin St Mart is a workplace mental health expert with more than 23 years of experience in work health and safety. He is a consultant for the Opus Centre for Psychosocial Risk and holds qualifications in business, injury management, and training and assessment.
Kevin previously served as a workplace engagement manager at Beyond Blue and led mental health programs at Comcare. He has extensive experience delivering training, presentations, and projects, and has contributed to initiatives like the People at Work risk assessment tool and the Mentally Healthy Workplace Alliance.
Virtual Sustainability Forum 2024
Date: 26 November, 2024
Time: 8:30 am – 5 pm
Location: National virtual event
Email: [email protected]
Sustainability is central to organisational vision, strategy and decision-making. The regulatory expectations for ESG standards, reporting and disclosure continue to evolve and national and international standards are now imminent.
Join the Governance Institute of Australia for the Sustainability Forum as leaders from across sectors and industries share their expertise and experience on their ESG journey and the advantages of embedding best practice.
Our panel of speakers will examine the strategies and frameworks for ESG and how effective communication, public disclosure and reporting have become critical and offer a competitive edge. How can you create and canvass effective partnerships, resources, and internal and external stakeholders to develop the knowledge base? How do you gather intelligence and meaningful data to deliver sound sustainability strategy and disclose accurate reports?
Speakers will unpack:
- Framing a broad overview of ESG, its definition and practical applications in different contexts.
- How to overcome inertia and be an effective communicator of ESG principles, targets and ambitions to internal and external stakeholders.
- Taking stock of the regulatory landscape, a brief overview of domestic and international developments.
- An essential update on climate-related financial disclosures.
- The task and accountabilities for boards.
- How SMEs and NFPs can plan and respond to mandatory reporting and disclosure requirements.
- The state of climate litigation and the role of regulators.
- Leveraging AI to achieve sustainability goals.
- Environmental stewardship: the business case for measuring and reporting on nature impact.
- Implementing Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
- An essential update on modern slavery.
- Navigating the S in ESG.
APS 5-6 Women in Leadership
Date: 26 – 27 November, 2024
Time: 9:30 am – 4:30 pm
Location: Crowne Plaza, 1 Binara Street, Canberra, ACT
Email: [email protected]
This is an immersive and comprehensive program to harness your strengths and grow as a leader. Find your strengths and continue your leadership journey with confidence. Intimate, engaging, and hands-on, this unique learning experience will cultivate your professional and personal development to optimise your performance and accelerate your growth as an APS 5-6 leader.
Specifically designed for women in APS 5 and 6 roles, this highly engaging masterclass will give you the key tools to thrive as a leader, work effectively in your role and equip you to tackle your professional and personal life with passion and resilience.
This program has been thoughtfully designed to optimise your learning experience around your work week and develop a greater understanding and capability to thrive in your role. You will be refreshed, inspired, and confident in your leadership and the path ahead.
The facilitator is Claire Harrison, an executive coach, meditation teacher and former tech and media industry business leader. She holds senior leadership roles with realestate.com.au, Mamamia Women’s Network, Women’s Agenda, Business Chicks, Getty Images, and News Corp.
Claire has a Diploma in Positive Psychology, and her areas of expertise include resilient leadership, emotional intelligence, mindfulness-based stress reduction and executive coaching with a focus on leadership and business. She has worked with more than 2000 leaders in the public and private sectors and has over 15 years of experience leading high-performing teams and developing workplace culture.
EL2 – SES Leadership, Capability & Professional Excellence Masterclass
Date: 26 – 27 November, 2024
Time: All day
Location: Canberra, ACT
Email: [email protected]
Learn how to lead at the peak of your game, with tips from the top of the public sector. The highest ranks of the public sector demand more from your leadership. You have more responsibility, more difficult and complex problems to solve, and you will need to have a keen sense of the distinctions between your own ideas and the demands of the role.
No-one understands these demands, and the skills that are needed to meet them, more than Rebecca Skinner PSM. Having led at the highest levels of the APS, including the extra-large agency Services Australia during its most challenging times, she knows exactly what it takes from you, your mindset and your skill set to steer the public sector in the right direction.
With an emphasis on capability, accountability and integrity, and a valuable blend of ideas, advice and practical tips, this is a learning and development opportunity that cannot be missed. Join Rebecca for two full days of learning and interactive activities to gain the perspective you need to lead at the top.
A former chief executive officer of Services Australia, Rebecca has a deep background in Defence and national security. She served as the Associate Secretary of Defence and as the Deputy Secretary for Strategic Policy and Intelligence.
A long-term member of the Defence Committee, she has led Defence strategic policy, capability and technology investment and ministerial engagement, and driven transformed governance, human resource management and integrated service delivery.
Rebecca led Services Australia through the social security and health demands of the pandemic in the post-Robodebt era, setting the organisation on its customer-centric cultural renewal. She is a resilient people-focused leader experienced in operating under intense pressure through international and domestic crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic, natural disasters and defence operations.
She was awarded a PSM in 2021 for outstanding public service in the areas of national security policy, intelligence, business transformation and service delivery.
Public Sector Leadership: Managing Performance & Difficult Conversations
Date: 26 – 27 November, 2024
Time: 9 am – 4:30 pm
Location: Online
Email: [email protected]
Are you struggling with how to approach difficult conversations with your team members? Do you find it challenging to manage performance effectively? If so, then this workshop is just for you!
Join the Managing Performance & Difficult Conversations workshop and gain the skills you need to confidently navigate tough discussions. Walk away with practical strategies and tools that you can immediately apply to your work.
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.
