With topics selected by Policy Officers from federal and state government departments and presentations coming from experienced policy practitioners and experts in this space, this conference will leave those in attendance better placed to effectively manage their role and ultimately develop more successful and sustainable policy.

1. Policy Officers
Conference
A practical guide to becoming more effective in your role
23rd & 24th February 2011, National Convention Centre, Canberra
Hear presentations from:
Hear practical advice from:
Kerry Smith
Blair Comely Assistant Secretary, Water Policy Branch
Peter Bridgman Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water,
Deputy Secretary
Director Population and Communities
Dept of Climate
Change and Energy Decisive Consultants Penny Croser
Efficiency Pty Ltd Head of Policy and Business Services
Victorian Bushfire Reconstruction and Recovery
Alison McClelland Authority
Executive Director, Dr George Argyrous
Strategic Policy, Paul Dworjanyn Senior Lecturer, School of Social Sciences and
Research and Assistant Secretary, International Studies
Forecasting Budget Coordination The University of New South Wales Adjunct Faculty
Australia and New Zealand School of Government
Dept of Planning Budget Group
and Community Dept of Finance and Martin Graham
Development, VIC Deregulation General Manager, External Relations Policy
Department of Education and Training, NSW
Professor Scott Prasser
Executive Director, Public Policy Institute
Learn how to: Australian Catholic University
Dr Trish Mercer
Balance good policy process with political Consultant and Former Group Manager
realities Research, Analysis and Evaluation
Department of Education, Employment and Workplace
Relations
Effectively gather and utilise evidence
Cathy Taylor
Write effective briefings and give Executive Director, Policy and Performance
Child Safety, Youth and Families
Ministers what they want Department of Communities, QLD
Conduct successful consultations Ian Goss
General Manager, Business Development & Strategy Group
Develop implementable policy IP Australia
Associate Professor Geoffrey Hawker
Deputy Head of Modern History, Politics and International
Relations
Macquarie University
Pre & Post Conference Workshops
Associate Professor Jo Baulderstone
Director, Flinders Institute of Public Policy
Workshop A Workshop B Flinders University
Effectively managing your Developing implementable Jacki Steel
Policy Officer role policy Manager Regional Futures
Growth Management Queensland
Department of Infrastructure and Planning, QLD
Martina Nightingale, Managing Director
Clear Message Network
Senior Representative
Early Booking Discount: Indigenous Policy Branch
Department of Families, Housing, Community Services
Save up to $500 when you and Indigenous Affairs
Researched by:
register and pay by
17 December 2010
To Register ☎ 1300 316 882 1300 918 334 registration@criterionconferences.com www.effectivepolicyofficers.com

2. increase your effectiveness
To register
and ensure the development
of robust, sustainable policy fax back
the registration form to
1300 918 334
A ustralia’s policy problems are
becoming increasingly complex
and as a result, we need to boost policy
or call our customer
service department
on 1300 316 882
capability.
Policy Officers, and those in similar roles make up the bulk
of our policy professionals, consequently, it is crucial that This conference is designed for Federal, State and
they are as effective as possible in their roles. Local government representatives in the role of:
To survive and thrive, Policy Officers need to have an Policy Adivsor
excellent grasp of their role, of the processes demanded
Policy Officer
by government and the parliament, and be able to
develop high quality policies, built on evidence that will
Policy Analyst
deliver desired outcomes. The Policy Officers Conference
has been designed with this in mind.
With topics selected by Policy Officers from federal and
state government departments and presentations coming Who should
from experienced policy practitioners and experts in
this space, this conference will leave those in attendance
attend?
better placed to effectively manage their role and ultimately Policy Managers/
develop more successful and sustainable policy. Associate
Directors
Secretary Policy
If you’re a Policy Officer (or equivalent) and you want to
become more effective in your role then this conference is a
must for you. Group
Branch Manager Manager
Policy Policy
Delegates will learn how to:
• Effectively manage the various aspects of the policy SPonSoRSHiP oPPoRTuniTiES
development process
• Balance good policy process with political realities
Make Your Mark
• Write effective briefs
We work closely with corporate partners to create
• Develop policy that will survive the roll out unique and innovative tailored sponsorship packages
that best meet specific marketing, business
development and corporate entertainment objectives.
Contact Melik on Tel: 02 9239 5785
and find out how you can make your mark on this industry.
Team Discounts
Register a team of 3-4 – save 10% off the standard price
Register a team of 5-6 – save 12% off the standard price Endorsed by:
Register a team of 7-8 – save 15% off the standard price
If you want to register a group, please feel free to call us on
1300 316 882 and we will coordinate your registration to ensure
it’s as easy and as cheap as possible.
Media partner:
Only one discount can be used per booking.
To Register ☎ 1300 316 882 1300 918 334 registration@criterionconferences.com www.effectivepolicyofficers.com

3. Day one
Wednesday 23rd February, 2011
8.30 Registration, coffee & networking Overcoming challenges
9.00 Welcome remarks from the Chair 12:00 Advice on becoming more effective in your Policy Officer
role
From theory to practice • Explore the skills required to be an effective policy officer
• Advice on overcoming common challenges
9:15 Applying the policy cycle in the real word Cathy Taylor
• A recap of the policy cycle Executive Director, Policy and Performance, Child Safety,
• How the policy cycle fares in the current context – Youth and Families
strengths and weaknesses Department of Communities QLD
• Lessons for Policy Officers on how to balance the day-to-
day demands of the role, and the political context, with the 12:45 Networking lunch
theoretical basis of the policy cycle
Alison McClelland 1:45 Achieving a balance between good policy & good politics
Executive Director, Strategic Policy, Research and Professor Scott Prasser will provide an interactive session
Forecasting using key concepts and case studies to engage discussion
Department of Planning and Community Development, Professor Scott Prasser
Interactive
VIC Executive Director, Public Policy Institute
Australian Catholic University
Effective evidence-based policy development
10.00 Evidence-based policy development – from theory to
practice
Evaluation – an integral part of decision making
• The benefits and limitations of evidence 2:30 Understanding evaluation
• Building partnerships with researchers to ensure the
• Why evaluation should be an integral part of decision
effective translation of research into policy
making and not just an after thought
• Advice on effective analysis – sorting the wheat from the
• Understanding the evaluation process
chaff
• Accessing evaluation evidence and assessing its validity
Dr George Argyrous
Associate Professor Jo Baulderstone
Senior Lecturer, School of Social Sciences and
Director, Flinders Institute of Public Policy
International Studies
Flinders University
The University of New South Wales Adjunct Faculty
Australia and New Zealand School of Government
3:15 Afternoon tea & networking
10:45 Morning tea & networking
Conducting effective consultations
11:15 A practitioner’s guide to evidence-based policy
development 3:45 Conducting effective consultations with stakeholders for
sustainable policy
• Benefits and challenges of an evidence-based approach to
policy development • Identifying your stakeholders
• Building productive relationships with researchers and • Determining the most appropriate time for consultations
Keynote
academics – ensuring you’re ‘on the same page’ and • Selecting the most accurate method of consultation
‘speak the same language’ Jacki Steel
• Effectively utilising research Manager Regional Futures
• Balancing the need for evidence and good policy process Growth Management Queensland
within the political realities of your role Department of Infrastructure and Planning, QLD
Blair Comely
Deputy Secretary 4:30 Consultation for policy success
Department of Climate Change & Energy Efficiency • Knowing your stakeholders
• Consulting with them effectively
• Case studies
Ian Goss
General Manager, Business Development and Strategy
Group
IP Australia
5:15 Closing remarks from the chair & close of day one
Website: www.effectivepolicyofficers.com

4. Day Two
Thursday 24th February, 2011
8.30 Registration, networking and coffee Policy making in challenging environments
9.00 Chairs opening remarks & recap of Day One 12:45 Networking Lunch
Informing your policy writing 1:45 Developing policy in sensitive environments
• Policy development in the Indigenous space
9:15 Understanding the budget process • Developing policy in a highly sensitive environment and
• A recap of how the budget process works under public scrutiny
• What Policy Officers need to know about the budget • Consulting effectively with stakeholders
process Senior Representative
Paul Dworjanyn Indigenous Policy Branch
Assistant Secretary, Budget Coordination, Department of Families, Housing, Community Services
Budget Group and Indigenous Affairs
Department of Finance and Deregulation
2:30 Developing policy in a complex, challenging
10:00 What Ministers want environment
• What constitutes quality policy advice for Ministers – • Challenges in developing policy in complex and contested
findings from research areas
• What Ministers regard as value-added briefings to support • Balancing the desire for good policy and successful
decision making process with political realities
• Tools and techniques to improve briefings and evaluate • Knowing and engaging effectively with stakeholders
effectiveness • Building productive partnerships and working across
government
Trish Mercer
Consultant and Former Group Manager for Research Kerry Smith
Analysis and Evaluation Assistant Secretary, Water Policy
Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water,
Relations Population and Communities
10:45 Morning tea & networking Developing implementable policy
11:15 Advice on policy writing 3:15 Afternoon tea & networking
• How to write for multiple readers
• How to get your message across 3:45 Dilemmas & choices in policy implementation
• Tips for writing and editing your own work • Implementing the right answers to the right problems
Martina Nightingale • Bridging the gap between policy and implementation
Managing Director • Design features that turn sound policies into effective
Clear Message Network programs
Martin Graham
12:00 Laying the foundations for successful policy General Manager, External Relations Policy
• Knowing your stakeholders and selecting the right Department of Education and Training NSW
approaches to consultation
• Accessing the right evidence and utilising it effectively 4:30 Developing policy with implementation in mind
• Balancing evidence and ‘community good’ with political • Understanding implementation and the challenges that can
realities arise
Penny Croser • What Policy Officers can do during the development phase
Head of Policy and Business Services to ensure smooth implementation
Victorian Bushfire Reconstruction and Recovery • How to formally address implementation in the policy
Authority cycle
Associate Professor Geoffrey Hawker
Head of Department, Department of Politics and
International Relations
Macquarie University
5:15 Closing remarks from the chair and close of conference
Register by 17 December
and save up to $500
Early booking discounts apply – the earlier you book the more $$$ you save

5. Workshops
Tuesday 22nd February, 2011
Friday 25th February, 2011
Effectively managing your Policy officer
role ...and what the minority government
means for you Developing implementable policy
Pre-conference Workshop A Post-conference Workshop B
Tuesday 22nd February, 2011 Friday 25th February, 2011
9:00am – 5:00pm 9:00am – 4:00pm
With Australia’s policy problems becoming more complex and The policy environment is littered with policies that promised
with minority governments becoming increasingly common, the a lot but delivered little due to inadequate consideration of
expectations on Policy Officers are mounting. implementation.
To survive and thrive in this environment, Policy Officers Implementation is not the end of the policy process; it
must be as effective as possible. They must have an is something that should be at the forefront of policy
excellent grasp of their role, of the processes demanded by development.
government and the parliament, be able to develop high
quality policies built on evidence, and work effectively with This highly practical workshop, led by one of Australia’s
the realities of uncertain politics. leading public policy experts, will assist you in developing
implementable policy. Policy that will survive the roll out and
This practical workshop has been designed to assist Policy achieve its outcomes – after all, that’s the aim of the game.
Officers. Facilitated by Peter Bridgman, one of Australia’s
leading public policy experts and co-author of the widely Structured in a logical step-by-step format and informed by both
utilised The Australian Policy Handbook, it will unpack the most theory and real examples, this workshop will cover:
challenging aspects of the role and provide you with a guide to
managing them effectively. • Understanding the meaning of implementation and where it fits
into effective policy development
It will also explore what the minority government means for • Some of the challenges around implementation and lessons that
Policy Officers both in terms of challenges and opportunities. can be derived from this
• Effectively managing the policy development process to ensure
Attend the workshop and learn: successful implementation; defining the problem, reviewing the
options, gaining resources, allocating responsibilities, recruiting
• The patterns and rhythms of public policy, both in theory and staff to do the job
practice
• The keys to building strong and productive partnerships, both Expert Facilitator: Professor Scott Prasser is a
internally and externally professor of public policy at the Australian Catholic
• Rigorous analysis and the place of evidence University. Scott has worked in senior public service
• Understanding policy processes and decision making, advisory roles in State and Commonwealth Government
especially in minority governments departments as well as in Ministers offices. Scott has held branch
• Understanding the institutional and real world context of public director positions in the Departments of Premier and Cabinet,
policy State Development, Tourism, Small Business and Industry and
Welfare Services. In these roles Scott was responsible for
Expert Facilitator: Peter Bridgman is a consultant delivering programs to target groups that required properly
with expertise in public policy, governance and developed marketing strategies to ensure program take-up and
ethics and integrity issues. He has directed his own minimise resistance and political controversy. Scott has also
consulting business, Decisive Consultants Pty Ltd, reviewed government programs and developed new policy
since 2006. Before that, Peter was a senior public servant, with proposals based around their ability to be implemented.
appointments as head or deputy head of various government
agencies and departments including the Queensland Premier’s
Department; Education; and the Arts. He has been Cabinet
Secretary, Corporate Counsel of a major government department
and has experience across a range of policy areas including
corrections, child protection and justice administration.
Peter is author of leading text book, The Australian Policy Early booking discounts
Handbook, now in its 4th edition, with Prof Glyn Davis and
Dr Catherine Althaus. apply – the earlier you
book the more $ you save
Early booking discounts apply – the earlier you book the more $$$ you save

6. Registration Page Policy Officers’
Conference: 23rd & 24th February, 2011
Conference
Workshops: 22nd & 25th February, 2011 Event Prices
Register & pay by Register & pay by Standard price
Tick relevant box 17 Dec 2010 28 Jan 2011 after 28 Jan 2011
$1999+GST $2199+GST $2299+GST
2 Day Conference =$2198.90 =$2418.90 =$2528.90
SAVE $300 SAVE $100
$2899+GST $3099+GST $3299+GST
2 Day Conference + =$3188.90 =$3408.90 =$3628.90
Workshop A or B SAVE $400 SAVE $200
Brochure Code: $3799+GST $3999+GST $4299+GST
CC*WEB
2 Day Conference + =$4178.90 =$4398.90 =$4728.90
Workshop A & B SAVE $500 SAVE $300
Audio CD Please send me _____ set(s) $899 + GST
= $988.90
If there is a package you require that is not mentioned above, please contact us and we will be happy to provide
you with a quote. *GST is charged at 10%. Registration fee includes lunch, refreshments and conference
documentation. Full payment must be received prior to the conference to ensure admission.
How To Register Delegate Details
Please complete: (Please photocopy for additional delegates)
online:
www.effectivepolicyofficers.com Fax: 1300 918 334 DELEGATE ONE
Tel: 1300 316 882 Mail: Delegate Forename: _________________________________________________
Criterion Conferences Pty Ltd
Email: PO Box R1478 Delegate Surname: __________________________________________________
registration@criterionconferences.com Royal Exchange, NSW 1225
Job Title: ____________________________________________________________
Company/Organisation: _______________________________________________
Team Discounts
Email: ______________________________________________________________
Register a team of 3-4 – save 10% off the standard price Telephone: ___________________________ Fax: _________________________
Register a team of 5-6 – save 12% off the standard price
Postal Address: ______________________________________________________
Register a team of 7-8 – save 15% off the standard price
If you want to register a group, please feel free to call us on DELEGATE TWO
1300 316 882 and we will coordinate your registration. Delegate Forename: _________________________________________________
Only one discount can be used per booking. You Delegate Surname: __________________________________________________
can also
complete this Job Title: ____________________________________________________________
Venue application Company/Organisation: _______________________________________________
online
National Convention Centre, Canberra Email: ______________________________________________________________
31 Constitution Avenue
Canberra, ACT 2601 Telephone: ___________________________ Fax: _________________________
Ph: 02 6276 5200 Postal Address: ______________________________________________________
Cancellations: Signature:___________________________________________________________
Should you be unable to attend, a substitute delegate is welcome at no extra
charge. Approving Manager’s Name: __________________________________________
The company regrets that no cancellations will be refunded, course
documentation will, however, be sent to the delegate. For an event cancelled How To Pay
by Criterion Conferences registration fees are fully refundable.
Number of delegates:____________ Total amount (inc GST) $________________
Privacy Policy:
Any information provided by you in relation to this conference is collected Credit card: Visa Mastercard American Express
by Criterion Conferences and will be added to our database with the sole Bank Transfer (details below) Cheque
purpose of providing you with information about future conferences and
Please make payable to Criterion Conference Pty Ltd & mail to Criterion Conferences,
services. If you do not wish to be added, please tick here when you fax
PO Box R1478, Royal Exchange, NSW 1225 Quote 4541 on the remittance.
back your registration to 1300 918 334.
Please invoice me
Changes to Conference and Agenda: Cardholder’s name: _______________________________________________________
Criterion Conferences reserves the right to alter the programme without
notice and is not responsible for any loss or damage or costs incurred as a Card No.: Expiry:__________
result of substitution, alteration, postponement or cancellation of any event.
Criterion Conferences ABN number: 50 878 562 414 Signature:________________________________________________________________
Bank Transfers: Account Name - BSB Code: 032-249
Criterion Conferences Pty Ltd Account Number: 23-2532
Gi12816
Bank Name: Westpac Ref: 4541
Address: SHOP LG 4/5 THE BROADWAY S/C,
Broadway, NSW 2007
Website: www.effectivepolicyofficers.com