Do you work in policy, procurement, regulation, service delivery or program design where problems are rarely straightforward?

This course is ideal if you:

• need to make decisions when information is incomplete or changing
• work across teams, agencies, stakeholders or systems with competing priorities
• want practical tools to better understand complexity and adapt your approach
• are looking for ways to move work forward without oversimplifying the challenge

If your work involves uncertainty, ambiguity, interdependencies or shifting stakeholder expectations, this course will help you think, decide and act more effectively.

You’ll build practical capability in adaptive and complex thinking, with a focus on real public sector challenges. Using applied case studies, group exercises and structured reflection, you’ll explore how to diagnose complex problems, identify system drivers and respond with flexible, safe-to-test strategies.

• Distinguish between simple, complicated and complex problems in a public sector context.
• Apply adaptive thinking principles to respond effectively to uncertainty and change.
• Diagnose complex systems by identifying interdependencies, stakeholders and underlying drivers.
• Use structured approaches to decision-making where information is incomplete or evolving.
• Design and implement safe-to-test strategies to manage risk while enabling progress.
• Navigate competing priorities and influence stakeholders in complex environments.
• Apply adaptive thinking tools to real-world public sector challenges.
• Develop practical strategies to embed adaptive thinking into your everyday work.

Planning to book for a team? A bulk booking discount is available when you register three or more participants or courses.

Many of our courses can also be delivered exclusively for your organisation, either virtually or in person, and tailored to suit your team’s needs. Contact us to discuss your booking and available options.

If you would like to learn more about this course or our other offerings, please contact the IPAA ACT team on 02 6154 9800 or capability@act.ipaa.org.au.