An exclusive online leadership series for the public sector leaders of the future working in today’s volatile and uncertain times
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Frequently asked questions
Public sector leaders have always needed to think creatively to solve complex problems and deliver public value to their communities. Now, as governments respond to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic in an increasingly ambiguous environment, it is even more important for you as an emerging public sector leader to have the knowledge, creativity and confidence required to provide informed and timely advice, and lead others through change.
To do this, you need to understand the broader context of the environment you are working in, strengthen your capacity to tackle complex problems and be prepared to think strategically about the future.
ANZSOG’s Future public sector leaders’ series (FPSL) will inspire and educate hard-working and passionate emerging leaders, providing an invaluable opportunity for self-reflection and professional growth. The FPSL is a ‘choose-your-own adventure’ style series which puts you in control of your online learning experience. Choose from various packages which feature top-rated masterclasses classes from previous series and new masterclasses led by domestic and international thinkers on leadership and public management.
Previous FPSL participants said:
The Future public sector leaders' series will inspire you to reimagine your role in the public sector and become the leader you want to be – talented, creative innovative - for the challenges of today with an eye on the problems of tomorrow.
You can expect to find the inspiration and practical tools needed to succeed in volatile and uncertain times from current and former senior public administrators, academics exploring topics such as: adaptive leadership, negotiations, leading systems change, policy capability, creation and implementation, partnering with First Peoples communities and foresighted government.
The short and engaging online masterclasses have been purposely designed to fit around your busy workday and to provide a forum to discuss the future challenges of the public service, how they affect your role, your agency and the communities you serve.
Challenge yourself to grapple with new concepts and learn approaches that you will be able to apply right away to problems in your everyday work.
See individual masterclasses for specific learning outcomes.
The series has been tailor-made for emerging public sector leaders working in Australia and Aotearoa-New Zealand. The ideal participant will be new to management or identified as a future leader within their agency – an emerging public sector leader, with strong leadership aspirations and long-term career plans.
For example, Tier 3-4 leaders in Aotearoa-New Zealand, SES 1, EL 1-2 in the APS and VPS 5-6 and SES-1 will find the masterclass series particularly beneficial. You will be interested in big picture leadership, strategy and systems thinking, managing change, innovating, working with stakeholders, developing people and improving your emotional intelligence and resilience.
The series will also suit established leaders seeking to refresh their approach and engage in thought-provoking discussion on topics of immediate relevance as they work through the challenges of the constantly and rapidly changing environment. Established leaders looking to take their leadership to the next level, should also consider ANZSOG’s esteemed Executive Fellows Program, Towards Strategic Leadership, and Deputies Leadership Program.
We encourage registrations from Māori and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, people with disability and those from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
The series has been designed to provide you with the flexibility to choose to ensure you get the most out of your ANZSOG experience. Select a package, then choose the masterclasses which will help you strengthen the areas of most relevance to you. See the package and masterclass details below.
The masterclasses are online and limited to two hours to positively impact your work/life balance.
The masterclasses give you the opportunity to engage with leading thinkers from across Australia, Aotearoa-New Zealand and top international universities such as the Harvard Kennedy School, MIT and McGill University.
Masterclass numbers are strictly limited to foster an intimate and highly interactive environment, which focuses specifically on challenges of direct relevance to public servants in Australia and Aotearoa-New Zealand today and into the future.
ANZSOG is not just any education provider. We are owned by and work for the governments of Australia and Aotearoa-New Zealand and develop our programs in close consultation with our government owners and university partners. Everything we do is aimed at strengthening and enriching public sector leadership, and inspiring and connecting public sector leaders.
The Future public sector leaders' series, like all ANZSOG programs, will put you in the (virtual) room with other colleagues from across agencies and jurisdictions, strengthening your network and broadening your horizons. You can expect to learn as much from others as you will from our expert masterclass leads.
The Future public sector leaders' series begins in May 2022 and features 12 masterclasses which are two-hour classes. Many of these will feature Q&A, zoom breakout rooms and networking opportunities. You can pick any masterclass to complete a package. You can register for masterclasses even after the series begins in May.
To view the details of the masterclasses, please click on the sliders below:
Dates:
Thursday 19 May 2022
Tuesday 12 July 2022
Monday 29 August 2022
Details:
Skillful negotiation is essential for those seeking to lead and create value across the public and private sectors. Building support for important policy choices often required overcoming political, organisational and operational barriers via practiced negotiation.
This two-hour session is designed to help public sector leaders in Australia and New Zealand to sharpen their analytic and interpersonal negotiation skills. The course is designed to take differing skill levels into account to help participants influence internal and external stakeholders.
Alex Smith is an experienced strategic negotiator who has led high-stakes, multimillion dollar deals with governments and private parties while working in Silicon Valley and New York City. He currently works with governments and influencers across the Asia Pacific region on Google’s Government Affairs and Public Policy team. Alex has experience teaching negotiations courses at Harvard University, the United States Congress, and Google.'
Upon completion of this class, participants will be able to further understand how to:
Thursday 26 May 2022
Wednesday 27 July 2022
Policy implementation remains a stubborn problem for governments around the world. A litany of reviews and inquiries has revealed that too often, there is a gap: between promise and delivery, expectations and impact; and policy intent and practical realities. Policy failure can undermine public confidence and trust, as has been revealed during the COVID-19 crisis. In Australia and Aotearoa-New Zealand, the pandemic has highlighted the imperative to draw on information, expertise, skills and resources across government, industry and community networks, and to mobilise them towards a shared purpose. It has also exposed the interdependencies at the heart of the public service and the urgent need to strengthen the nexus between policy, implementation and delivery.
Professor Anne Tiernan - Managing Director of mission-led consultancy firm Constellation Impact Advisory and Adjunct Professor at Griffith University – will draw on concepts, cases and lessons learned through practical experience in different policy settings, to bridge the implementation gap. You will consider implementation and opportunities the pandemic presents to systemically reimagine the work of policy and to build sustained connections to knowledge and insights to inform policy design, at the local service system and place level.
On completion of this masterclass, participants will be able to:
Thursday 30 June 2022
Monday 22 August 2022 (This is in place of the session that was cancelled due to Lil being unwell)
Treaty based or not, it is becoming even more evident to public servants that the very communities that often suffer the worst social and economic statistics, are now becoming very clearly the most important stakeholders as Government attempts to solve problems differently. For years, decades even, we have based much of our policy responses on ‘data’ gathered across different age groups, decile levels, and communities. This has often been ‘instead of’ engagement with those communities themselves or late engagement in the policy process, often when solutions have already been created in response to the data. It is clear that this approach doesn’t work. Statistics continue to go the wrong way.
In Aotearoa-New Zealand, Māori very clearly look to exercise rangatiratanga, promised under Te Tiriti o Waitangi. In Australia, communities continue to seek engagement and involvement in addressing these issues. Both instances and the fact that approaches to date have not worked, encourage public servants to work differently. But where do you start? What might a new approach look like?
Lil Anderson, ANZSOG Leadership and Teaching Fellow and Chief Executive, Te Arawhiti - Office for Maori Crown Relations, will discuss what this engagement should look like, what changes are required within organisations and at public service system levels and the features of true partnership that are starting to emerge as we work differently with our communities. You will hear first-hand of Aotearoa-New Zealand’s journey from historical grievance to the glimmer of hope that partnership provides. They will hear about how to practically make system changes within organisations and across the public service to enable a more realistic chance of working in partnership with our Māori/indigenous communities.
This masterclass will benefit agency leaders, senior staff and anyone who has a public facing leadership role or working towards one, particularly if these roles involve Indigenous populations and/or the issues that face these communities, as well as those interested in learning about new engagement and partnership approaches and/or approaches to policy work or large reform processes.
On completion of this masterclass, you will be able to:
Wednesday 1 June 2022
Thursday 11 August 2022
We live in an increasingly interconnected world, and many of the problems that policymakers and managers face persist in spite of and in many cases directly because of their own past actions. How can managers think more systematically, not just as a catchphrase but as a concrete and actionable method to achieving better policy outcomes?
In this Masterclass we will introduce System Dynamics, a methodology for the modelling and analysis of complex systems and design of high-leverage interventions. Using tools including causal loop diagrams, simulation models and management flight simulators, participants will learn how to identify complex systems problems - characterized by factors such as behavioural decision-making, the presence of time delays, and the interactions of multiple stakeholders (e.g., regulation, markets, and the environment) - and gain a high-level understanding of how these problems can be managed more effectively using System Dynamics.
This masterclass is ideal for anyone who wants to design and implement structures, policies and strategies for greater success, whether they work in government agencies or non-profits.
David R. Keith is Assistant Professor of System Dynamics at the MIT Sloan School of Management where he teaches systems thinking and systems modelling tools to MBA and policy students, academic researchers, and executives. Drawing on his experience working in the automotive industry, David’s research focuses on consumer behaviour, firm strategy and the impact of new technologies on energy consumption and the environment.
The concepts covered in this masterclass will enable you to:
Friday 3 June 2022
Friday 26 August 2022
As a leader in the public sector, it is important to define your values and your ethical principles and recognise the significant role they play in driving your leadership style, particularly as you experience the pressures of leading during the COVID-19 crisis amongst the usual tension of work-life integration.
Harvard University’s Professor Dana Born will lead deep reflection on your life-story, personal values, work styles and workplace context, to help optimise your unique leadership strengths and identify opportunities for your personal and professional development and influence.
Wednesday 8 June 2022
Friday 4 August 2022
In these times of rapid change, growing complexity, and multiple uncertainties, governments need to prepare for the unexpected. COVID-19, the increase in forest fires in Australia, and Russia’s invasion of the Ukraine have stimulated more thinking in government about what challenges may come next. Strategic Foresight can help illustrate plausible long-term futures and major disruptions.
Foresight is a systematic, structured way of using ideas about the future to better anticipate and prepare for change. It is used by governments around the world to inform public policy, support economic and national security intelligence efforts, develop long-term strategies, make better decisions, identify opportunities, and manage risk. Foresight makes extensive use of descriptive alternative scenarios.
Foresight contributes to the development of knowledge and policy-relevant insights and supports innovation by exploring how problems might evolve. It does not predict the future, but rather assists in the elaboration of plans and strategies that are robust across a range of different eventualities. Foresight differs from traditional planning approaches which often build on models, historical data, and previous experience. Foresight is most useful when analysing a problem in an uncertain, unstable environment with a time frame of ten or more years.
New Zealand’s Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet recognizes the multiple uses for Foresight. These include the production of specific policy recommendations, and generation of insights that aid teams in shaping policies with consideration for the long term, or with more knowledge of potential impacts. The Department also notes that Foresight is commonly used to understand and frame an issue at the beginning of the process, and subsequently identify and test different policy options against a range of possible futures.
Ultimately, Foresight enables its users to think critically about how the future will be different, and to apply learning generated through Foresight exercises to strengthen organizational planning, resilience, and adaptability.
This Masterclass will introduce participants to key concepts used in Strategic Foresight, multiple international examples of its use in the public sector, and tools that can be applied to policy questions confronted by the participants’ organisations. It will also feature an insightful case study on the elaboration of a long-term strategy using scenarios developed through strategic foresight. The case study will be delivered by an experienced foresight practitioner and innovator with experience in different parts of the American federal government (Eric Popiel, Strategic Workforce Analyst - Foresight, U.S. Office of Personnel Management).
Friday 10 June 2022
Thursday 21 July 2022
First Peoples (and other marginalised populations) in Aotearoa (New Zealand) and Australia experience significant and sustained inequity across all measurable domains. Current dominant system approaches and responses are proving ineffective in addressing these social injustices, and often compound them. A disruption of dominant embedded ideologies, constructs and structural dynamics is required for fundamental system change. Social innovation approaches need to create compelling alternatives to the status quo, which encompass the social and economic complexities and recognise the ongoing impacts of colonisation. Mātauranga Māori (Māori knowledge systems) is a powerful indigenous innovation and learning system which provides cultural systems and concepts to indigenise social innovation for equity and social justice. This session will explore the application of mātauranga Māori for indigenised alternatives to the status quo, and ultimately mana motuhake (Māori autonomy) in Aotearoa. It will also offer concepts and frameworks to support leadership and public administration that enables system change through indigenous practices, and supports First Nations’ autonomy in place. Consequently, this masterclass will benefit public sector leaders who are interested in enabling spaces and relationships for indigenous knowledge to drive organisational and system shifts. Angie Tangaere was born in raised in South Auckland with a whakapapa to Ngāti Porou on her father’s side,and Pākehā lineage on her mother’s side. Angie is currently Kaitohu Tangata Whenua (Director Tangata Whenua) alongside Dr.Penny Hagen (Director Tangata Tiriti) at the Auckland Co-Deign Lab. Angie works with government agencies, community and whānau to develop and co-design whānau-led programmes, disrupting ineffective ‘business as usual’ systems. At the end of this masterclass, you will be able to:
Tuesday 19 July 2022
Wednesday 20 July 2022
In a world in which most organisations, communities, and societies face enormous adaptive pressures, the practice of leadership is critical – the practice of mobilising systems of people to thrive in changing and challenging times. To bring about change in this environment, public servants need to build the toolkit required to exercise leadership from any position within an organisation and survive while doing it.
This masterclass will explore the model of the adaptive leadership model and toolkit, and how individuals can exercise leadership in their roles. The session will examine the difference between technical and adaptive problems, outline diagnostic tools to analyse the complexity of change in social systems and propose practical strategies for leading change.
Farayi Chipungu is an Adjunct Professor at the Harvard Kennedy School where she teaches the famed course Exercising Leadership: the Politics of Change, and serves on faculty of several executive education programs at Harvard. In addition to this work, Farayi’s experience includes working as a strategy consultant and five years of practice as a corporate lawyer in Australia and England.
This masterclass will help you understand:
Date:
Monday 20 June 2022
Tuesday 5 July 2022
Systems leadership is often practiced, it is not yet widely supported by shared understandings, frames, tools and behaviours which are valuable for leaders addressing the complexity, dynamism and scale of the multi-dimensional challenges we face.
Adjunct Professor Michael Hogan (Queensland University of Technology) will provide useful insights on concepts, frames, tools and behaviours relating to systems leadership and systemic change, exploring the opportunities and challenges for leaders working collaboratively and dealing with complexity; and how to relate this to the foundational concepts of public purpose and public value, and to real world experiences.
This masterclass is for public sector leaders – from team leaders through to executives - working on complex public issues, in multi-agency and multi-sectoral contexts – pitched at those who want to be part of the new generation of leaders leading and facilitating effective systems as well as their teams and organisations.
Wednesday 22 June 2022
Monday 25 July 2022
Political astuteness is not just a core skill for Ministers and their staff. While it isn’t the role of public servants to manage the politics of any given issue, to be successful they are required to navigate issues, relationships and situations with sensitivity to the political context and government priorities.
Public servants operate in a dynamic and complex authorising environment, affecting the ways in which they deploy the human and financial resources which they have available to achieve policy outcomes. The COVID-19 pandemic has made this environment more complex than ever.
Navigating this context and supporting Ministers requires political astuteness – the application of skills and capabilities often involving numerous and sometimes competing interests in order to achieve the desired outcome. This masterclass, led by two former chiefs of staff to Prime Ministers of Australia and New Zealand, focuses on the intersection between politics and public management/administration. It will provide an opportunity to hear from former senior public servants who have previously been involved in managing crises and recovery, and undertaking major system reforms.
Ben Hubbard and Wayne Eagleson have both had extensive careers at the most senior levels of government. Ben has formerly been Chief of Staff to Australia’s twenty seventh Prime Minister, the Honourable Julia Gillard AC and CEO of the Victorian Bushfire Reconstruction and Recovery Authority. He is an independent adviser to governments and companies and is also the National President of the YMCA. Wayne Eagleson was Chief of Staff to two New Zealand Prime Ministers, the Right Honourable Sir John Key GNZM AC and The Right Honourable Sir Bill English KNZM. He is currently a partner at public affairs consulting firm Thompson Lewis.
At the conclusion of this session, participants will be able to
Tuesday 28 June 2022
Monday 8 August 2022
Policy advice needs to be based on rigorous analysis of evidence. But what does this mean in practice? What counts as evidence? How do you gather it, especially under stringent time pressure? What kinds of analytic techniques work best for different types of evidence? How can it all be assembled into a compelling piece of policy advice? This masterclass will help you answer these questions, as well as providing practical guidance for how you can improve your policy advice in your everyday practice. It is led by Dr Subho Banerjee, who is the head of ANZSOG’s research and advisory function, and formerly led the central strategic policy division in the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.
In this masterclass, you will learn to:
Wednesday 3 August 2022 (TBC)
Thursday 16 August 2022 (TBC)
Dr Michelle Evans is the inaugural Director of Dilin Duwa Centre for Indigenous Business Leadership, a centre of engagement, research and teaching focused on Indigenous economic empowerment.
Michelle Evans holds a joint appointment of Associate Professorship of Leadership and Associate Dean, Indigenous, at the University of Melbourne and the Melbourne Business School.
As Director of the Dilin Duwa Centre for Indigenous Business Leadership, Michelle also leads Indigenous initiatives at Melbourne Business School and the Faculty of Business and Economics.
Michelle is co-Founder of Australia’s number one Indigenous Business Master Class program, MURRA, based at Melbourne Business School, founder of the Wilin Centre for Indigenous Arts and Cultural Development at the Faculty of Victorian college of the Arts and Music, and founder of WALAN MAYINYGU Charles Sturt University’s Indigenous entrepreneurship Pop Up innovation hub program (2017/8).
A Fulbright scholar, Michelle has a unique combination of professional experience in management, community engagement and facilitation coupled with a strong track record in research. Michelle has attracted three highly competitive Australian Research Council grants, focused on investigating Australian Indigenous entrepreneurial leadership and the impact of the Indigenous preferential procurement policy.
The Future public sector leaders' series has been designed to build the skills that every 21st-century public sector leader needs but we understand that it might not be possible to commit to too much time away from your work and other personal commitments which is why we have designed the series as a ‘choose-your-own adventure’ style series which puts you in control of your online learning experience.
Choose from various packages which feature highly engaging masterclasses classes from the successful inaugural series in 2020/21 and new masterclasses led by domestic and international thinkers on public management and leadership.
To provide you with the choice you need, we’ve designed three packages:
Cost: $2,950 AUD incl. GST ($2,681.82 excl.)
What you get: 10 x masterclasses
Cost: $2,200 AUD incl. GST ($2,000 excl.)
What you get: 5 x masterclasses
Cost: $1,716 AUD incl. GST ($1,560 excl.)
What you get: 3 x masterclasses
Cost: $695 AUD incl. GST ($632 excl.)
What you get:1 x masterclass
Register here
Contact us if you are seeking help with a group booking. Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Apply for the 15% ANZSOG alumni discount. Every person that completes ANZSOG’s Executive Master of Public Administration, Executive Fellows Program, Towards Strategic Leadership, Deputies Leadership Program or an international program becomes part of our alumni. Find out more about our alumni community.
Registrations will open Wednesday 20 April.
Registration is simple. Just follow the five steps below.
Registrants will receive a confirmation email upon finalising their registration.
Registrants will receive a Zoom link one week prior to the masterclass.
Find out more about our Cancellation policy here.
The Future public sector leaders' series will be delivered via Zoom providing a platform for inspiring delivery, engaging breakout rooms and live polling. Participants are encouraged to utilise a personal device if Zoom is unable to be accessed via work servers.
Now more than ever communities are turning to government for advice and leadership, and ongoing investment in public sector leadership is vital. Public sector leaders have been thrust into the spotlight, working tirelessly to deal with a fast-changing global crisis and making difficult decisions. ANZSOG is owned by, and works for, the Commonwealth, state and territory governments of Australia and the central government of Aotearoa-New Zealand. The Future public sector leaders' series has been specifically designed to strengthen your current and future leaders’ abilities to make decisions under pressure, build confidence in their leadership style and provide them with the practical tools they need to succeed. The series has purposefully been limited to short and sharp delivery options to ensure the impact on day-to-day operations is minimised. See the section below if you would like more information.
Owned by and working for the governments of Australia and Aotearoa-New Zealand, ANZSOG creates and delivers education programs tailored to meet the needs of public sector leaders who are currently facing distinct challenges. Our programs are designed with significant government input, for government, and led by renowned academics and respected practitioners. For more information contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit the Future public sector leaders’ series Frequently Asked Questions webpage.
