Executive Certificate for Elected Members

This course will be held face-to-face over four days:
Block one: Friday 16 and Saturday 17 February 2024. 
Block two: Friday 22 and Saturday 23 March 2024.

Duration: Four days (32 hours in total)
Time: 9am-5pm each day of the course
Price: $3,500 (LGNSW members); $7,000 (Non-members)

Location: Hybrid format 

• Face-to-face option will be held in the LGNSW Boardroom in Sydney
• Online option will be held via Teams

Being a local councillor is a complex job. To do it well, councillors need a strong understanding of their role and responsibilities together with sound knowledge of local government planning and reporting processes. 

The Executive Certificate for Elected Members course is designed to equip you with the skills and knowledge needed to execute your role, enabling you to be a proactive and effective member of your council.

This elected member's course is designed and delivered in partnership with Local Government NSW (LGNSW) and draws on contemporary research, bringing together experts from a wide range of areas such as communication, financial reporting, and code of conduct.

In addition to covering the critical content that councillors need to know, the course also provides opportunity for discussion and exchange among participants and between participants and experts.

Course Content:
Councillor roles and responsibilities

• An overview of Local Government Act 1993 as it pertains to the role of the councillor. The code of conduct and meeting practice. Governance and informed decision-making.

Integrated planning and reporting

• Integrated Planning and reporting.
• Financial governance sustainability.
• Asset management.

Community engagement and land-use planning

• Community engagement and social media.
• Land use planning.
• Understanding development assessment.

Communication and capabilities

• Working collaboratively (communication skills).
• State and national perspectives.
• The councillor capability framework.

Learning Outcomes: 

• At the completion of the Executive Certificate for Elected Members course you will have:
• a strong understanding of your role and responsibilities within the local government system.
• a strong understanding of the councillors' code of conduct and how council meetings should be facilitated.
• the ability to be an effective contributor to your council’s land use and strategic planning processes.
• the ability to obtain the information you need to make informed decisions.
• confidence in your communication and community engagement skills.
• a good understanding of the development assessment process.
• a practical plan for your continued professional development.

Certification
All participants will receive a LGNSW Certificate of Attendance and will engage in a range of discussions, problem-solving tasks and activities throughout the course that will enable assessment of their achievement of course competencies and learning outcomes.

Optional Qualification
Participants on completion of a series of UTS assessment activities after the 4-day program.  On submission and successful completion of these assessments, UTS will issue a UTS Executive Certificate for Elected Members.  This can be to apply for one subject credit towards some UTS postgraduate qualifications.

Delivery Style 
This Executive Certificate for Elected Members course will be delivered as an interactive workshop consisting of an instructor-led lecture, group and individual activities. This training approach allows participants to work through concepts introduced by the trainer in an application-focused teaching environment. Participants will challenge their understanding of the concepts and consider their application once back in their individual workplace. 

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