New online tool strengthens senior leadership capabilities

A new online toolkit providing development options for senior leaders and managers in local government has launched, and is now freely available to all councils in New South Wales.

The resource has been developed by the UTS Institute of Public Policy and Governance (UTS IPPG) on behalf of Local Government NSW (LGNSW), and has been designed to support senior staff engagement with LGNSW’s Local Government Capability Framework, a sector-wide framework for strengthening knowledge, skills and behaviours for those elected and working in local government.

“The resource is based on the 70:20:10 model which captures three types of learning – experiential, social and formal – and gives practical guidance to support the development and performance of senior staff within the local government sector,” says Sarah Artist, Senior Manager – Innovation and Capacity, at Local Government NSW. 

The resource has been developed after consultation with 200 managers, directors, elected members and learning and development professionals from a range of rural, regional and metropolitan councils in NSW who identified strong support for an online development tool. 

The consultation revealed:

• A strong desire for leadership development programs with more sector-specific resources that specifically relate to the role of  senior staff in local government 
• An increased requirement for senior staff to be able to respond to the challenges of leading and managing change, including addressing the rapid changes in online and social spaces and agile ways of working 
• A need for senior local government professional development options that provide the practical skills and knowledge required for day-to-day operational and technical decisions as well as emotional intelligence and interpersonal skills 
• Opportunities for partnerships of councils, Joint Organisations (JO’s) and Regional Organisations of Councils (ROCs) to collaborate on training and development, particularly in regional and rural areas.

Read the full report
Strengthening Leaders: Learning and Development Options for Senior Staff in Local Government (PDF, 0.3 MB)

“We are grateful to all of the individuals in the local government sector and all the members of the NSW Workforce Development Reference Group for their time and contribution to this project, and look forward to promoting its continued use in developing highly advanced capabilities for councils in NSW,” says Artist.

The new toolkit can be accessed online at https://ssdevelop.lgnsw.org.au, and is designed as an open resource covering core capabilities including resilience and adaptability, working collaboratively, fostering community and customer focus, negotiation, innovation, as well as practical skills in finance, technology, procurement and contracts. The toolkit also provides leadership resources such as managing and developing people, workforce planning, and leading and managing change.

UTS IPPG’s Senior Specialist, Leadership Programs, Sophi Bruce is the lead researcher of the online toolkit and report. “Senior local government professionals have wide and varied remits and strive to deliver best possible outcomes for their council organisations and communities,” she says. 

“We have listened to the sector and this resource provides practical ideas and guidance that can be incorporated into everyday learning to help build resilience and effectiveness of NSW local government leaders.”

While the toolkit is designed to assist senior leaders develop personalised, tailored learning and development pathways, it is anticipated that it will also provide a useful resource for human resources and learning and development professionals working in the sector to assist in identifying training needs for senior staff, as well as having potential applications in staff appraisals.

Download the full report
Strengthening Leaders: Learning and Development Options for Senior Staff in Local Government (PDF, 0.3 MB)

Access the online resource 
LGNSW Development Options for Senior Staff in Local Government (external website)

For more information, please contact:

Sarah Artist
Senior Manager, Innovation and Capacity Unit
Local Government NSW
sarah.artist@lgnsw.org.au

Sophi Bruce
Senior Specialist, Leadership
UTS Institute for Public Policy and Governance
sophi.bruce@uts.edu.au