Managing Public Communication

10 - 11 September 2012, Canberra

Program overview

This executive workshop examines the culture and ethos of the public communication role and explores strategies for proactively managing communication in a government context.

Managing Public Communication - Thompson Interview WATCH

The course includes advice on issues and crisis management and communication strategies for influencing public opinion and changing public behaviour as well as managing public engagement.

Three Australian case studies will be workshopped during the program and guest practitioners will talk about practical challenges of dealing strategically with today's communication environment, including new media.

Guest practitioners include:

Christine Nixon APM, former Victorian Police Commissioner, discussing the role of community engagement after the bushfires
Sandi Logan, National Communications Manager, Department of Immigration and Citizenship
Anni Rowland-Campbell, Co-founder of Digital Brand

Who should attend?

The course is ideally suited to public sector managers and officers who need to think strategically about how government policies and programs are communicated to the public. Generalists who have a communications responsibility would find the program useful, as would specialist senior communications officers.

Participant benefits

At the end of the program participants will be better equipped to:

• implement a set of conceptual and practical communication tools and techniques in their role as a public sector manager
• contribute in an informed way to assessing the likely communication impact of policies and programs
• be capable of briefing senior managers on handling communication
• anticipate likely stumbling blocks in communication
• understand the role of communication and other techniques in changing public behaviour
• appreciate effective means of public engagement during decision processes
• understand the role and needs of the media, including on-line
• exploit social media in support of programs and policies
• be more prepared for dealing with a crisis in the media
• apply issues management techniques.

Course leader - Peter Thompson

Peter Thompson is a broadcaster, educator and author.

He presented ABC TV’s Talking Heads – a program of intimate conversations about the lives of prominent Australians – for six seasons. Prior to switching to television – Peter was the voice of ABC Radio’s flagship current affairs programs – AM and Radio National Breakfast – for 14 years.

He is a Fellow of ANZSOG, where he teaches executive programs in communication strategy and adaptive change, risk and crisis communication and behavioural change.

Peter directs the Centre for Leadership which works with the public, private and not for-profit sectors on communication strategy and practice.

Peter is the author of various books, including Persuading Aristotle and The Secrets of the Great Communicators.

He was educated at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard, the Australian Graduate School of Management and the Australian National University. He is also an Adjunct Professor at Macquarie University’s Department of International Communication.

Delivery mode

Two days, non-residential

Fee

$AU2,000 (incl GST)