ARCHDALE LABS

LOCAL COUNCIL PROGRAMS

Developed for local government, relevant to your state & Council-specific tailoring available.

Risk management

This program provides an understanding of key terms, generic types of risk and the basic concepts that all staff need to fulfil their obligations and support good practice.

It gives a walk-through of simple approaches to risk assessment and examples of risk that are relevant to local government.

Staff are also provided with an overview of risk frameworks and tools, basic analysis techniques, and practical strategies to manage potential risks to any Council.

This program is aligned to the current Australian Standard for Risk Management (ISO 31000, 2018).

Content modules & coverage

  1. Understanding risk
  2. Managing risk
  3. Analysing risk
  4. Risk frameworks & supports
  5. Practical strategies

Fraud & corruption control

This program provides staff with an understanding of how fraud and corruption are defined and the way these behaviours could impact on a local Council.

It includes an overview of ‘red flags’, examples of the types of fraud and corruption that have been identified in local Government, and an overview of key frameworks and governance forums.

The final element of the program focuses on Public Interest Disclosures, including internal/external options to make a report and the protections this legislation may provide.

This program is tailored to the brand new Australian Standard for Fraud & Corruption Control (ISO 8001).

Module content & coverage

  1. Understanding fraud & corruption
  2. Identifying fraud & corruption
  3. Managing fraud & corruption
  4. Reporting fraud & corruption

Organizational health & safety

Organisational health and safety is an important area of compliance for Councils. Managing this carefully requires staff to be aware of the issues and how these should be addressed.

This training will initially set out the obligations for both Council and staff in your state. It will then cover common hazards, vulnerable groups and higher-risk situations.

Some simple techniques will be described to help staff identify and evaluate hazards; reduce common types of hazards; how to report concerns and prevent injuries.

On completion, staff will be equipped to play their role in caring for themselves, their colleagues and Council.

Module content & coverage

  1. Legal & policy obligations
  2. Common workplace hazards
  3. Hazard ID & evaluation
  4. Reducing specific hazards
  5. Reporting & prevention

Workplace conduct

Workplace misconduct can impact on staff engagement and increase staff turnover. Allegations of serious misconduct or insurance claims for injury can be particularly problematic.

This training initially focuses on the legislative obligations in your state and the policy obligations for your Council in relation to workplace conduct. This is supported by a clear description of consequences for breaches and the value of a collegiate and professional workplace.

On completion, staff will have a clear understanding of what constitutes acceptable conduct, the potential consequences of workplace misconduct, how to report concerns and where to obtain support.

Module content & coverage

  1. Bullying & harassment
  2. Equal opportunity & diversity
  3. Use of social media
  4. Reporting & support

Behavioural insights

Behavioural insights are an evidence-based approach to deliver better outcomes in compliance and risk, for both individuals and communities.

The focus of behavioural insights is on ‘making it easy’ and reducing barriers to doing ‘the right thing’. By understanding how people make decisions in the real world, we can ‘nudge’ them towards making better choices.

The simplicity, scalability and cost-effectiveness of these strategies has driven widespread adoption across Commonwealth and state government departments.

On completion, staff will understand how these strategies are applied and the fundamentals of how they work.

Staff will be equipped to identify new opportunities for Council.

Module content & coverage

  1. What are behavioural insights?
  2. Real world applications
  3. Perspectives & principles
  4. Practical application strategies

Building capability on a shoestring

In many organisations, the training budget is more or less zero. It’s one of the things that tends to go first when we need to tighten our belts.

The other problem is the lack of time to attend training. So how do we still build organisational capability and provide learning opportunities for our people?

​This program sets out a number of strategies to do just this. These options are cost-effective and time-effective, regardless of the context you work in. This is the missing piece of the 70:20:10 learning and development model.

These techniques generally require the involvement of a team leader or manager. But this small investment will be eclipsed by increased staff capability.

Module content & coverage

  1. What is capability?
  2. Key capability concepts
  3. Prepare for success
  4. Running 1:1 discussions
  5. Practical strategies

Document peer review

In many organisations, managers and team leaders spend a lot of time reviewing draft documents that are complex, technical or sensitive.

This program provides staff with the concepts and practical strategies to undertake peer review, whether they are an author or a reviewer.

If applied consistently, these techniques will (i) deliver better documents, (ii) lift staff capability in a sustainable manner & (iii) support a workplace culture focused on best outcomes for Council.

If your staff write documents, this is the best ‘bang for buck’ option to simultaneously lift quality and capability.

Module content & coverage

  1. What is peer review?
  2. The value of peer review
  3. Requesting a peer review
  4. Providing a peer review
  5. Finalising a peer review

Council series pricing

Each program in the Local Council Series is offered at $1,200.

As a new company in 2021, GST is not currently payable.

In addition to being developed by someone with two decades of relevant expertise, Archdale Labs programs cost less than having allocating an existing staff member to research and develop the material. (Or even update existing material.)

The purchase of four or more programs attracts significant additional discounts.

In July 2021, a Victorian Council that purchased four Archdale Labs programs observed that the offerings were simultaneously the best quality and the lowest cost options that he had ever come across.

​A short PowerPoint on the programs currently available is here.

Contact LJ on lj.young@optusnet.com.au or 0414 638 137 to discuss options.

Further information about delivery options and assessments for the Council series is available on the ‘Why Us?’ page.