face-to-face courses

machinery of government

The Insider’s guide to NZ government course is our most popular workshop. It provides a great introduction to New Zealand government. It’s ideal for people that are new to working in the public sector, as well as those seeking a refresher to help fill in some missing pieces.

Crucially, this course gives people context, i.e. how they fit into the machinery of government, what their relationship is with their minister, what Parliament does, and the role the courts play in scrutinising decisions made by ministers and officials.

For the online version of this course click here.

To book a space on the face-to-face version click here.

policy and law-making

The insider’s guide to policy and law-making takes people through the whole policy and law-making process. From beginning to end. Ambitious, but extremely useful.

The beauty of this course is that you’ll get a complete overview of the Cabinet and parliamentary processes in one day.

Too often people have to rely on bits of knowledge they pick up on an ad hoc basis, but they never get to see the ‘big picture’. This course will fast-track your learning and give you a springboard to further your knowledge in these key areas.

private secretary training

The nature of the media cycle, the complexities of MMP government, and the rise of the ‘no surprises’ principle, all mean that the expectations on private secretaries has increased significantly in recent years.

The private secretary training course helps people upskill to meet the challenges of the job.

This course gives people who have been recently seconded to a minister’s office, intending private secretaries, and people acting as ‘fill in’ cover, the knowledge and skills they need to be effective in the role from day one.

official information act

Managing OIA requests can be difficult and time-consuming, particularly when you’re juggling your business-as-usual.

Yet most people working in the public sector who deal with requests have never had proper training in the Act. 

Our Making friends with the OIA course allows you to get to grips with the Act’s key principles and processes. After the course you’ll find that you have more confidence when working with broad requests, understanding the withholding grounds, and managing timeframes.

To book a space on this face-to-face course click here.