Executive Education Fundamentals of intergovernmental management

Officials play a vital role in supporting the federal system and its functions. But there’s no how-to manual for this important role; the rules, whether formal or informal, have to be learned ‘on the job’.

This course focuses on the daily workplace challenges of interjurisdictional problem solving under conditions of high uncertainty and complexity. The course gives Commonwealth, state and territory public servants an understanding of the craft of intergovernmental management, including its formal and informal settings and routines, the interests and strategies that must be negotiated and how public servants contribute to the federal system’s stability and resilience, on the one hand, and adjustment and change on the other.

Key topics include:

What is federalism, and why does it matter?
Characteristics of Australia’s federation and their implications for intergovernmental management
Commonwealth and state government roles and objectives
Why and how intergovernmental relations and intergovernmental management are different
‘Wearing Four Hats’: the role of the public service in the federal context
Intergovernmental management and the formal structures of the federation
Rules and tools in multilateral bargaining and negotiating
Informal intergovernmental routines: committee work; agendas and minutes; policy work
Managing networks
Building trust
Implications of the changing context for the craft of intergovernmental management: the new governance, digital governance, information age federalism

At a glance

Format: Online

Duration: 4 weeks (excluding orientation)

Commitment: 3-5 hours per week

Cost: $1,495 (or $1,195 for early bird registrations by 9 September)

Start/end date: 9 - 30 October 2025 with a course orientation / meet and greet on 2 October

Group discounts available.

Testimonials

My role requires a lot of interaction with the other agencies within the Portfolio and also agencies outside the Portfolio. I now have the formal frameworks for the importance of networking (which I was doing as an extension of my usual work) and the modes of practice.

Real-world Application

This course covers practical matters such the best way to organise an effective interjurisdictional meeting, designing the agenda and the best mechanisms to surface complex issues, chairing arrangements, building networks, and the best way to handle more challenging issues such as when one jurisdiction is standing apart from an otherwise ‘national’ settlement.

Course curriculum

Module 1 The control dials of the federal system
Module 2 ‘Swimming between the flags’: navigating formal structures and routines in intergovernmental management
Module 3 ‘From l-a-w to l-o-r-e’: the informal craft of intergovernmental management
Module 4 The practice modes of intergovernmental management

Session schedule

This course will run as an online and distance program in 2025. It is scheduled to run across four weeks, 9 - 30 October 2025 with a course orientation / meet and greet on 2 October. Specific dates and times to note in your diary are as follows:

10:00-11:00am Thursday 2 October 2025 - course introduction, meet and greet
10:00-11:30am Thursday 9 October 2025
10:00-11:30am Thursday 16 October 2025
10:00-11:30am Thursday 23 October 2025
10:00-11:30am Thursday 30 October 2025
optional individual post-course mentoring session to be scheduled separately

Note: Dates and times are in Canberra time (AEST before 5 October, and AEDT after). The calendar invite for each session should automatically adjust to your timezone when you add it to your calendar. You can check at a site like this to be sure.

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Learning outcomes

consider the range of interests, strategies and views they are likely to encounter in their intergovernmental work; how and why these other perspectives have emerged
consider a range of policy instruments and approaches

Who is this course for?

The course would be of primary benefit for middle managers (APS6 – EL2/SES1) embarking on, or already working on policy development and implementation in an interjurisdictional setting. The content is relevant to public servants in the Commonwealth, state and territory governments, and officials in statutory authorities who are developing or implementing policies that involve their counterparts in central and line departments.

Presenter

Dr Isi Unikowski

Isi has 30 years of experience in the Australian Public Service, in a range of central, policy and service delivery organisations including the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, the Australian Public Service Commission, the Departments of Climate Change, Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs; and work in Centrelink and Human Services.

Isi’s PhD thesis was on the subject of intergovernmental management. The extensive consultations he conducted with Commonwealth and state senior officials for his research have widely informed this course, with a view to ensuring its relevance to the day to day experience of public servants.

Online training: How it works

This is a real-time, date-specific course, in which you will join live classes, engage and connect with experts, other course participants and the Executive Education team. Here’s how it works:

Pre-course live session. This is an opportunity for you to grab a cuppa and join our meet and greet before the course commences.
Practice + Study. Set aside up to 2 hours per day – this time commitment will vary depending on how deeply you choose to engage with the material. It is up to you.
Course pack. Each participant will receive a carefully curated workbook, which includes everything you need to guide you through the course.
Live sessions with presenter. This is a specified date and time for you to come together with the presenter and other participants to consolidate your learning.
Post-course. On completion of the course, you will receive your post-course resources for your reference and further learning.

Why choose online training?

No time off work – study and practice when you can.
Busy schedule? No problem, you can go at your own pace, join just the live classes, and do the course work whenever suits you best. We know that work and family obligations can be overwhelming. Mix and match the schedule to fit your life.
No travel. This is a course right at your fingertips. With no travel expenses, this is a very affordable option for high-level training with world-leading experts.
Live interaction with world-leading experts. You’ll have direct access to all the best resources and trainers.
Working remotely? With the online and distance format, we welcome participants from around the world to join us.

FAQs

What if I can’t make a live session? No problem, we understand you are busy. Live sessions are recorded for you to catch up in your own time.

What if I’m in a different time zone? All advertised course times from 6th October 2024 to 6th April 2025 are scheduled in Australian Eastern Daylight Time (AEDT) otherwise known as GMT+11. From 6th April 2025 scheduled times are Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST) or GMT+10. Convert for your time zone here.

What if I am not tech savvy? As long as you have access to a phone or computer, you will have no problems. Our online courses require a working laptop, desktop or smart device with good internet connection. Bring your headset. Join the tech-check session for support and insider tips.

I would like to purchase multiple courses, are there any discounts available? Yes, discount offers are available if you would like to book multiple courses throughout the year. You may contact us to discuss further options.

I work for a company or organisation that would like to enrol multiple employees in the same time. Is it possible? Yes, discounted rates are available for groups attending from the same organisation. Get in touch with us if you want to register as a group.

Can’t find the answers are you looking for? Contact our team for support at csee@anu.edu.au.

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