Developing strategic capacity in the public sector

2017Towards Strategic Leadership

The Australia and New Zealand School of Government (ANZSOG) is recognised globally as a leading provider of executive-level education for the public sector. ANZSOG was created by government for government, with the active collaboration of its partner universities.

ANZSOG delivers: ▶ Postgraduate education incorporating the core

disciplines that inform effective public administration.

▶ Executive education led by distinguished academics from the world’s leading education providers and senior officials from among ANZSOG’s ten member governments.

▶ Safe places for high performing senior practitioners to discuss and draw practical learnings from theory, research and case studies, to inform policy debates and service delivery reform.

▶ Supportive environments for senior practitioners across Australia and New Zealand to learn from one another and build lasting professional networks, benefiting governments, communities and citizens.

At the core of ANZSOG’s ethos is a deep and genuine commitment to good public administration, reflecting the aspirations of and our close relationship to our government owners.

Member governments

About ANZSOG

In a decade and a half, the Australia and New Zealand School of Government (ANZSOG) has established itself as a world-class institution for the provision of public sector executive education.

Management and leadership in the public sector present some distinct challenges relative to the private sector. ANZSOG programs are ‘fit for purpose’ and yield benefits for public sector executives beyond those obtainable elsewhere.

ANZSOG’s most distinctive feature is the collaboration between its academic and government partners. This has produced a blend of theory and practice, of rigour and relevance, that yields real benefits for course participants and organisations alike. It has also facilitated a vibrant research program attuned to the needs of governments.

Course participants are exposed to the best in contemporary thinking about public administration. ANZSOG’s academic faculty and practitioners are drawn from the best in Australia, New Zealand and internationally, including Harvard’s Kennedy School.

Participants also have an invaluable opportunity through our active Alumni Program to maintain lifelong connections with their course peers, a network of lasting professional value.

Towards Strategic Leadership (TSL) has been specifically designed for public sector managers to assist them make the transition into senior executive leadership roles. The learning approach is non-traditional, and has distinctive differences to other ANZSOG programs. TSL involves extensive group-based reflection, real-world case studies, experiential learning and access to exceptional leaders. Participants are encouraged to reflect on and further develop their approach to leadership.

I encourage you to consider the distinctive benefits of TSL and I hope that we may soon have the opportunity of welcoming you into the ANZSOG network.

Professor Gary Banks AO Chief Executive and Dean

Message from the Dean

Course participants are exposed to the best in contemporary thinking about public administration.‘ ’

Towards Strategic Leadership

The Towards Strategic Leadership (TSL) program is a two-week residential program for experienced public sector managers who have moved from an operational to a strategic leadership role in government.

Effective leaders have a defined sense of purpose, a strong sense of self and the ability to manage both urgent and important tasks.

TSL supports public sector leaders to develop the reflective habits that will enhance their effectiveness, agility and resilience. It creates the opportunity and space for strategic thinking and supports individuals to realise strengths that they can draw on to meet the many challenges they face.

TSL is co-directed by Professor Paul ‘t Hart (Associate Dean, Netherlands School of Public Administration) and Robbie Macpherson (Reos Partners). Combining the latest leadership and management theory with real-world experiences, they create a unique environment that encourages experimentation with new techniques and ways of exercising leadership.

The public sector benefits when its leaders can adapt their thinking and approach to challenging, and often seemingly intractable, issues. This in turn leads to better outcomes for stakeholders and citizens. Effective managers know how to manage programs and people. Effective leaders must know how to do much more.

The TSL program provides opportunities for leaders to examine innovative and adaptive approaches to problems and situations where existing methods have not improved outcomes for stakeholders. Participants work together to explore possible responses that combine strong theoretical foundations with lessons from real world experiences.

The program provides opportunities for participants to understand how they can influence situations, even when they are not ‘in charge’. The program focuses on helping public sector managers to better understand their leadership style, their role within their organisation, and in the wider public service economy.

The program helps senior executives become more adaptive, innovative and resilient, with the skills and the confidence to try new approaches and learn from their experiences. Participants also expand their peer support network across portfolios and jurisdictions, which delivers results for both governments and citizens.

Why the TSL program?

Our TSL graduates develop a well-rounded and balanced approach in tackling some of the more complex and challenging policy problems facing Victoria. Having a program that equips our new leaders to these situations has proved invaluable to public administration in Victoria and I know, other jurisdictions.Chris Eccles Secretary, Department of Premier and Cabinet, Victoria

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StructureThe program consists of two residential modules of five days each, usually held in June and September. The first module explores the triangle of self, role and system within which strategic leadership takes place. Participants examine—and then challenge—their assumptions about themselves, their organisation and the wider public sector.

The second module encourages participants to engage with change and increase the adaptive capacity of systems. In particular, the Live Case Study moves people from the abstract into the real world. Participants tackle a real issue, experiencing firsthand the passion, purpose, innovation, confusion and avoidance that comes with managing a complex adaptive challenge.

Live Case Study—Victoria’s family violence response system

In 2015, TSL participants worked with a range of stakeholders working within the family violence system. Their mission was to better understand the issue and to challenge their thoughts and perceptions about developing a public sector response that puts family at the centre.

The program

After 10 years in middle and senior management roles, I wanted to improve my knowledge of strategic leadership. I believe

my performance as a leader has improved – which in turn has generated better results

in the area I am responsible for. Alen Slijepcevic

Deputy Chief Officer, Fire and Emergency Management, Country Fire Authority, Victoria

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management roles, I wanted to improve my knowledge of strategic leadership. I believe

my performance as a leader has improved – which in turn has generated better results

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Content The TSL program has a set of clear objectives, to support participants as they develop their strategic leadership capacity.

The interconnected aspects of ‘self’, ‘role’ and ‘system’ are examined. Self-awareness, organisational culture and stakeholder demands interweave and impact on the job of a public sector leader. The program identifies these aspects and provides insight that can be applied in the workplace.

The TSL program provides a safe place to explore and test new and alternative approaches to the leadership challenges faced. Participants are supported to develop adaptive responses and to consider the impact that their own narrative plays when instigating change and supporting a collaborative environment of innovation.

At its core, the TSL program emphasises the need for leaders to step back from the operational and consider a more strategic approach. Developing reflective habits is the foundation for supporting effective and adaptive responses that deliver on the mission of their organisation.

I found the case study to be a useful way to put strategies into practice and work

more closely with colleagues. I particularly benefitted from the opportunity to enhance

my change management capabilities, and to focus on my personal resilience.

Jan Hyde Deputy Commissioner (Acting),

Department of Veterans’ Affairs, South Australia

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Participants as contributorsParticipant contribution is an integral element of TSL. The program harnesses the knowledge and experience of participants who, as professional peers, share a common language and a commitment to public service.

Participants share their experiences within the context of the themes and frameworks being examined. This collaborative learning environment allows participants to actively draw on the collective expertise in the room, challenge the thinking, and delve deeper into specific issues and ideas. Therefore, participants should arrive at the program expecting to be active co-contributors who will be called on to share their insights.

The program has improved my critical thinking and analytical ability. The focus on strategic leadership in the public sector will

provide a knowledge based framework to develop leadership skills into a broader Whole of Government and community based

context where power is increasingly having to be shared and where old ideas and management structures are contested.

Richard Cowling, APM Assistant Commissioner, Northern District,

Department of Police and Emergency Management, Tasmania

Outcomes At the end of the program, participants will have:

▶ explored their backgrounds and the influences that have shaped their appetite and potential for strategic leadership roles

▶ developed critical and reflective skills to clarify personal values and support their own and others’ development as leaders

▶ gained insight into the systemic dynamics underpinning strategic leadership, and in the process, become more resilient and adaptive in the face of pressure and conflict

▶ understood and critically evaluated theories and concepts of leading change and innovation in public sector settings, to build their capacity to tackle wicked problems.

MethodsThe learning environment is not the traditional classroom experience. Rather, this highly interactive program uses the following teaching and learning methods:

▶ reflection opportunities—participants explore significant personal leadership development work

▶ experiential learning—participants are introduced to concepts and ways of observing, intervening and experimenting with different approaches to leadership

▶ critical thinking—participants examine different ideas about leadership, which is not simply a set of skills to be learned.

The focus is on giving participants opportunities to articulate and receive feedback on their leadership style and objectives. They discuss and reflect on actual leadership dilemmas, including their own experiences.

Chatham House RuleTo foster open and productive discussions, all TSL sessions are run in accordance with the Chatham House Rule:

‘When a meeting, or part thereof, is held under the Chatham House Rule, participants are free to use the information received, but neither the identity nor the affiliation of the speaker(s), nor that of any other participant, may be revealed.’

The program has improved my critical thinking and analytical ability. The focus on strategic leadership in the public sector will

provide a knowledge based framework to develop leadership skills into a broader Whole of Government and community based

context where power is increasingly having to be shared and where old ideas and management structures are contested.

Richard Cowling, APM Assistant Commissioner, Northern District,

Department of Police and Emergency Management, Tasmania

‘’where old ideas and management structures are contested. ’where old ideas and management structures are contested.

Faculty

Towards Strategic Leadership offers a unique combination of current theory and practice of public sector administration and leadership. Professor Paul ‘t Hart and Robbie Macpherson create a dynamic forum that explores the latest ideas and thinking about leadership and public administration.

Program Co-director Professor Paul ‘t Hart

Paul ‘t Hart is a Professor of Public Administration at Utrecht University and Associate Dean of the Netherlands School of Public Administration (NSOB) in The Hague. He brings a wealth of theoretical and practical experience about leadership, based on his extensive training and consulting experience, in the Netherlands, Sweden and Australia. His work focuses on political and public sector leadership, policy evaluation, public accountability and crisis management.

Paul convenes the NSOB’s Learning Network, a three-year peer learning program for Dutch public sector CEOs. He has examined and recommended ways to improve the institutional reputation and corporate governance of the Dutch judiciary.

Most recently, Paul co-authored (along with Paul Strangio and James Walter) an analysis of Australian prime ministership from federation to post-World War II reconstruction. A second volume, covering the period from Robert Menzies to Tony Abbott, will be published in 2017. Paul is also currently writing a comparison of successful public agencies, policies and networks.

This program is an opportunity to step back, take stock of where you are in your

leadership development, decide how you can take up your role productively, and

how you can exercise strategic influence even in situations where you are not, or

not the only one, ‘in charge’. Professor Paul ‘t Hart, TSL Co-director

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’not the only one, ‘in charge’. ’not the only one, ‘in charge’.

Program Co-director Robbie Macpherson

As Director of Adaptable Leadership and Principal of Reos Partners, Robbie Macpherson is part of a global consultancy driving thinking and practice in solving tough, systemic problems. He has extensive experience in both the corporate world and the NGO sector. Robbie has worked in Scotland, Australia, the Netherlands, the United States and South Africa.

He is currently working with the Australian Institute of Police Management (AIPM) with Commissioner level police from around the country. In the past, he designed and facilitated leadership programs, such as the Sydney Leadership Program and the Queensland Leadership Program. Robbie has developed leaders at National Australia Bank, worked with senior international counter-terrorist agents, and delivered a program for emerging Indigenous leaders across Australia.

Robbie is a graduate of the Art of Practice of Leadership Development program at the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University; is an accredited facilitator of The Leadership Circle, Team Management Systems; and an accredited facilitator of the Deep Democracy process.

‘This program really benefits those who have to work in complex environments with multiple stakeholders. It gives fresh perspectives and supports leaders to approach challenges in innovative ways by providing an enhanced understanding of how to develop both capacity and resilience.Robbie Macpherson, TSL Co-director ’

TSL alumniThe ANZSOG experience reaches well beyond the classroom. Participants establish national and international networks during TSL. Our Alumni Program helps participants maintain and build on these peer-to-peer relationships.

Alumni are a resource participants can call on when facing challenging agendas. They offer cross-jurisdictional and inter-departmental perspectives that can help with identifying options and solutions to challenging situations.

Staying connectedANZSOG fosters a dynamic Alumni Program that sustains professional networks and learning. The School has active jurisdictional chapters that provide tailored professional development and networking opportunities. Alumni events host visiting academics and senior government alumni, who discuss current issues.

These events offer TSL alumni a unique opportunity to engage on contemporary challenges and build on their current knowledge as part of ANZSOG’s commitment to lifelong learning.

Lifelong learning

A key take away for me was that despite participants coming from different jurisdictions and from different portfolio areas, the commonality of leadership challenges facing us all was strong.Alex Tay Acting Deputy Secretary, Strategy and Policy Group, Department of State Growth, Tasmania

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ALUMNI BY JURISDICTION (DECEMBER 2015)

The program offers a maximum of 40 places each year. A selection committee, comprised of the program co-directors and ANZSOG management, meets after the closing date to discuss applications and confirm the final cohort. The committee assesses each applicant’s level and experience and aims to maintain balance across jurisdictions and departments.

The sponsoring government or agency pays the course fees, which include tuition, accommodation, materials and most meals.

Who should attend?The program is designed for senior executives from public service departments and agencies, and the not-for-profit sector. It targets people who have moved, or are about to move, from a tactical (or operational) role to a strategic role. For advice on suitability, please contact ANZSOG.

Find out more – speak with alumniWe have alumni based across Australia and New Zealand who can provide an insider’s perspective of what it is like to participate in the TSL program. Potential participants are invited to discuss the experience and seek the advice of one of our alumni.

To arrange this, please contact ANZSOG.

Further informationTo learn more or to apply, please contact the Programs Team:

T +61 3 8344 1990 E programs_team@anzsog.edu.au

or visit our website: anzsog.edu.au/tsl

Applications

Developing strategic leadership skills in public sector managers requires a different educational framework to those applying to private sector managers. While business schools teach how to create ‘shareholder value’, ANZSOG’s mission is to help public sector managers learn how to create ‘public value’.

Executive Master of Public Administration (EMPA)The EMPA is a two-year postgraduate qualification designed to give high potential, experienced mid-level managers and aspiring leaders a thorough grounding in the theory and practice of public administration. This accredited program is delivered to highly committed public sector managers from across Australian and New Zealand governments.

Executive Fellows Program (EFP)The EFP is an intensive, three-week residential program for senior public service executives. With an emphasis on enhancing strategic capabilities, the EFP focuses on leadership, relationship and management skills required to effectively lead in an increasingly complex public sector.

InternationalThe School delivers a suite of customised executive level leadership programs in partnership with foreign governments in the Indo-Pacific region, and consistent with the foreign policy objectives of the governments of Australia and New Zealand. These programs create valuable peer-to-peer networks and institutional linkages, and contribute to ongoing engagement with each country.

CEOs ForumThe CEOs Forum brings senior government leaders in New Zealand and Australia together to reflect on challenges in their work with the aim of improving practices and performance. The program centres on strategic management techniques and how to apply these in the world of government.

Executive EducationANZSOG delivers specialised executive workshops designed to meet the practical needs of middle to senior public sector managers across a range of disciplines. Workshops are offered ‘open to market’ and are available for specific jurisdictions or agencies on request.

Applied LearningCurrently operating in New Zealand, Victoria and WA, Applied Learning works in partnership with member governments to provide events that bring challenging and fresh ideas in public policy and public management to wide and diverse audiences of practitioners.

Case ProgramThe Case Program is an internationally acclaimed centre for the promotion of interactive teaching. It hosts one of the world’s largest libraries of public policy and management teaching cases with a special focus on current events and issues in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific.

ResearchANZSOG research draws on its network of scholars and practitioners in Australia, New Zealand and overseas to address issues of importance to member governments in the areas of public administration, policy development and management.

For more information about these programs and other ANZSOG activities, visit anzsog.edu.au

ANZSOG

Contact us

ANZSOG Level 4 204 Lygon Street, Carlton Victoria 3053 Australia

PO Box 230, Carlton South Victoria 3053 Australia

T +61 3 8344 1990 F +61 3 9650 8785 E anzsog@anzsog.edu.au anzsog.edu.au

ABN 69 102 908 118

07.2016

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