The past two years have been some of the most challenging in the history of the Australian public sector, and the post-pandemic era will bring greater pressures to deliver innovative programs with limited resources, and increase the need for highly capable staff.
In this environment, ongoing professional development is vital for public servants who want to make the most of their talents and take the next steps in their careers. It is also vital for organisations who want to retain staff in an era of strong competition for the most talented people.
The Australia and New Zealand School of Government has a strong track record of giving emerging and established leaders the skills and strategic thinking they need to take the next step in their careers.
We are owned by governments and work closely with them, and our university partners, to ensure that our courses not only cover what is relevant to public services now, but the skills needed for the future. Our networks of academics and practitioners give us a unique understanding of the environment that public servants are working in.
ANZSOG has devoted considerable effort and resources over the past two years to building our capability to deliver education programs online without a drop in quality or participant satisfaction.
We are now using that knowledge to deliver programs in blended formats that combine the convenience and accessibility of virtual delivery, with intensive in-person teaching that builds a strong bond across our cohorts.
The second half of 2022 will see two of our flagship programs – Towards Strategic Leadership (TSL) and the Executive Fellows Program (EFP) – delivered in a new blended format.
Both programs have a strong track record of producing future leaders in the public sector, and both take advantage of our broad networks of senior practitioners and academics to expose participants to ideas from a wide range of guest contributors.
The EFP, led by ANZSOG Deputy Dean (Teaching and Learning) Professor Catherine Althaus and former chief executive of the UK School of Government Robin Ryde, is designed to give senior public sector executives new perspectives on leadership while exploring the contemporary issues that affect their work, such as the post-COVID environment, social movements, civil unrest, and preparedness amidst the global spectre of war.
It puts participants in the ‘room’ with fellow public sector executives from across Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand, expanding their professional networks and creating an opportunity to learn from the experiences of other jurisdictions.
The EFP is designed for high performing leaders and senior public sector executives, such as Deputy Chief Executive Officers (CEO), Deputy Director-Generals and Deputy Secretaries, and executives two levels below CEO, Director-General or Secretary. Nominations for EFP close on 9 September and the program will be delivered from 29 September to 6 December.
Towards Strategic Leadership, led by Utrecht University’s Professor Paul ‘t Hart and Robbie Macpherson, is designed to help future leaders in organisations think about their leadership and develop the strategic outlook, resilience and self-knowledge they will need as they progress through their careers.
The program creates a dynamic forum which combines non-traditional learning methods, such as extensive individual and group-based reflection and real-world case studies, with peer consultations and critical thinking.
Emerging public sector leaders will develop the qualities needed to thrive in volatile and uncertain times. Participants walk away with a renewed strategic outlook, political astuteness, personal resilience and the capacity to reflect, collaborate, lead and learn continuously.
Participants will explore the triangle of self, role and system within which strategic leadership takes place, and their own assumptions about themselves, their organisation and the wider public sector. The course will give them a better understanding of the challenges associated with different types of crises and the opportunities for change and innovation that open up during critical junctures.
Nominations for TSL close on 1 September, and it will be delivered in six modules from 22 September to 7 February 2023.
In addition to these programs ANZSOG is offering a range of one-off or short courses for individuals or organisations who want to expand their skills or be exposed to fresh thinking.
Our Future public sector leaders series (FPSL) began in 2020 as a response to the pandemic and has continued due to strong demand. FPSL is a series of masterclasses which allow participants to be exposed to new ways of thinking and strategic tools to solve the complex problems they face.
FPSL features academics, former practitioners and presenters from the private sector covering subjects from adaptive leadership, political astuteness, systems leadership and creating public value through negotiation. The series is designed so that participants can choose whichever sessions interest them.
ANZSOG’s offerings for the remainder of 2022 also include a range of Executive Education workshops, aimed at building capability in key individual areas. These include Authentic Leadership for the Path Ahead with Harvard Kennedy School Professor Dana Born, Leading Community Engagement with DemocracyCo, Managing Regulation, Enforcement and Compliance with Professor Malcolm Sparrow, and Women Leading in the Public Sector with Christine Nixon and Professor Amanda Sinclair
ANZSOG also offers Custom Education programs, which allow us to use our expertise and networks to design a program which meets the specific training and capability needs of a public sector agency.
For more information on how ANZSOG can help your career please visit our website.
