Public Policy Capability Development Courses

Public Policy Capability Development Courses

Develop practical policy capability for today's complex public sector environment

Governments are increasingly required to respond to complex policy problems, competing stakeholder expectations, rapid technological change, fiscal pressures and growing community expectations. In this environment successful policy makers need the ability to analyse the issues, interrogate the evidence,  engage stakeholders, design practical solutions and deliver measurable outcomes.

The UTS Institute for Public Policy and Governance (IPPG) delivers applied policy training for professionals working at all levels of government and in roles that advise or advocate to government.   
Our policy courses help you build the knowledge and confidence to design, implement and evaluate policy in complex real-world environments.

Whether you are developing policy, leading reform, managing programs or contributing to strategic decision-making, our courses provide practical skills that can be applied immediately in your workplace.

What you will learn 

Through our policy training programs, you will learn how to: 

• Define and frame policy challenges from a decision-makers perspective
• Apply evidence-based policy and analysis tools
• Develop and assess policy options
• Design practical and implementable policy options and solutions
• Navigate stakeholder interests and competing priorities
• Integrate systems thinking into policy design
• Manage policy implementation and delivery
• Incorporate implementation awareness and evaluation thinking
• throughout the process  
• Communicate clear and persuasive policy advice
• Work effectively in complex and uncertain environments

Why policy capability matters

Modern policy professionals operate in environments characterised by complexity, uncertainty and constant change.

Traditional policy training often focuses on policy processes and policy cycles. While these remain important, contemporary policy capability requires a broader set of skills including systems thinking, adaptive policymaking, implementation planning, stakeholder engagement, evidence use and evaluation. 

Our courses focus on how policy actually works in practice.

You will explore how policy is developed, negotiated, implemented and adapted within real organisational, political and community contexts. 

Why choose UTS IPPG?

UTS IPPG combines academic rigour with practical public sector experience.

Our policy training programs are:

• Practitioner-led and informed by contemporary policy practice
• Designed specifically for Australia, covering Federal, State  and local government contexts
• Focused on real-world application and workplace transfer
• Built around systems thinking, evidence use and implementation
• Delivered through practical exercises, simulations and Policy Labs
• Aligned with the latest research and contemporary policy capability frameworks
• Designed to support policy development, policy design, policy implementation and policy evaluation capability  

Who attends our policy courses? 

Our programs are designed for people new to policy seeking a basic grounding in methods, through to experienced offices dealing with complex and wicked problems.

In-house policy training option

Many organisations require targeted capability development focused on specific policy and workforce needs or strategic priorities.  

Our tailored policy training programs are designed around your agency's strategic priorities, capability frameworks and workforce development objectives.

You can select individual modules from our policy capability framework and combine them into a customised learning program aligned with your objectives.

Modules can be delivered as standalone workshops or integrated into broader capability development programs.