Our training

Whether we are trying to create cultural, institutional or policy change, doing it together in a way that makes a real and lasting impact is not easy. Many of us – regardless of where we work or how far advanced we are in our careers – are working without the training we need to be most effective.

The Sydney Policy Lab aims to bridge that gap. We offer various training options for University staff and external partners to equip you with the tools and skills you need to be effective and collaborative.

Our training programs complement training available elsewhere in the University. We run a collaborative program that investigates research practices to enable co-design with non-academic partners, offer bespoke sessions and half-day workshops, and are available for meetings for specific advice. 

• Co-designing research program is a collaborative series of workshops to explore how co-design works in practice, how co-design differs when carried out by different disciplines or using alternative methodological approaches, and how we can best support powerful co-design practice in our faculties, centres and multi-disciplinary initiatives. If you are interested in these questions, we welcome you to join the program. Please contact lisa.fennis@sydney.edu.au

• Bespoke sessions and half-day workshops for groups are available on a range of topics, including relationship and coalition building, collaborative research, personal narrative, influencing policy, engaging decision-makers, community organising, speechwriting and public speaking, power analysis, leadership, effective messaging and campaign strategy. Find out more about bespoke training.

• Get in touch here to consult with an expert in the Sydney Policy Lab team about any aspect of your work that involves collaborative policy research or strategic advice. 

Meet our trainers

The Sydney Policy Lab has pioneered training with the very broadest range of communities, equipping people with the tools and mindsets that empower them to engage with people from all walks of life, including civil society, researchers, policymakers, people with lived experience, government, media and industry.

Our team includes trainers with world-class reputations such as Dr Amanda Tattersall, as well as unparalleled Australian and international trainers, advisors, coaches and practitioners. 

Dr Amanda Tattersall is a well-known community organiser, co-founder of GetUp, founder of the Sydney Alliance, Host of ChangeMakers podcast, and Post-Doctoral Fellow at the University of Sydney.