Thursday 20 June to Friday 21 June

This workshop, led by Ross Monaghan from Deakin University, covered strategies and tactics for local government to take their social media presence to the next level. With an optional second day video and audio storytelling masterclass, participants can attend the workshop or masterclass, or both.

Tuesday 18 June

A half-day training course on how to use the BESS tool to assess the sustainability performance of single residential and townhouse developments of up to 10 dwellings.

Friday 7 June

The program was highly interactive, with participants sharing their techniques and being engaged in-group discussions, simulations, analysis of You tube clips of great presenters, group exercises and competitions.

At the completion of this program, participants were able to deliver a powerful presentation, which was engaging and memorable.

Thursday 6 June to Friday 7 June

The 16th National Local Government Infrastructure and Asset Management Conference continued the tradition of: inspiring speakers from around Australia and overseas, 'good practice' knowledge-sharing to improve council sustainability, actions you can implement at your council, case studies on responsive and integrated service, asset and financial planning, and credible reporting to stakeholders, in a challenging and rapidly changing environment.

Tuesday 4 June

The course took attendees through the core functions of category management, processes, and tools to develop a category management plan and methods and tools for management of categories. It was a general course and did not focus on any particular category.

Friday 31 May

The one day workshop assisted participants in preparing and planning for negotiations and challenges, understanding their own behaviours in these circumstances. Participants explored human behaviours and emotions and how these informed communication techniques. They developed confidence in, and strategies for, communicating in challenging situations.

Thursday 30 May to Friday 31 May

The 2019 conference centred around the theme of population, a topic directly relevant to all of Victoria and providing many talking points around the time of the federal election.

Thursday 23 May to Friday 24 May

The 2019 Future Of Local Government National Summit (summit #15) featured inspiring speakers, presentations and inclusive discussions from around Australia and the world.

Wednesday 22 May

Understanding Council Finances was ideal for councillors wishing to understand or refresh existing knowledge of their responsibilities in finances, to including recent changes to legislative arrangements. As a councillor in local government, navigating through and understanding the complex financial documents and reports is a challenging task.

This training outlined how councils can address these challenges and build opportunities.

Tuesday 14 May

A full day training course on how to use the BESS tool to assess the sustainability performance of buildings, including large and small residential, non-residential and mixed use developments.

Thursday 9 May

This training provided a thorough grounding in writing content for publication online. It includes techniques for making content easier to find, use and read. Participants will consider the ways content is viewed on multiple devices, by a wide range of audiences, including people with disabilities.

The approach was consistent with two standards endorsed by the Victorian Government:

• Australian Government Content Guide and Content Strategy Guide
• Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.

Wednesday 8 May

The Arts & Creative Industries Forum for Local Government officers examined the critical and growing role local government plays in public investment in culture.

Wednesday 8 May

The course was designed to demystify collaborative procurement, clarify many of the issues and myths that exist, and provide a structured approach to managing collaborative opportunity identification and competing council requirements.

Thursday 2 May

This full day interactive workshop introduced the fundamentals of placemaking as the process of creating self-activating and successful places that are part of people’s daily lives. The workshop also introduced the concept, tools and value of place measurement for evidence-based planning and return on investment.

Tuesday 30 April

The course addressed the growing need for enhanced social procurement capability within councils by providing attendees with the tools and knowledge to empower them to lead, implement and advance social procurement within their organisations.

Tuesday 2 April

This course examined and addressed the administration of AS4000 contracts in a local government environment, and provided better understanding under local government conditions.

Monday 25 March to Thursday 28 March

The MAV Technology Annual Conference was on in March 2019 – and it was huge!

The theme: Transforming local government to serve and support communities in the digital era.

Tuesday 26 March

The course looked at the theory of contract management, organisational aspects, how it links to the tender, mobilising and administering contracts, establishing performance management regimes, supplier and dispute management and closing a contract.

Tuesday 19 March & Tuesday 26 March

In this two-day workshop participants learnt how to develop a strategic plan to raise awareness and understanding of their service, program or project, and inspire support and collaboration for better community, economic and environmental outcomes.

Thursday 21 March to Friday 22 March

How can we build communities that will be successful and resilient in a changing world, where everyone has a chance to participate and thrive? This conference provided both inspirational and practical pathways for delivering smart urban futures, no matter how large or small the community.

Wednesday 20 March

Reoriented for pedestrians, suburban neighbourhoods can thrive and diversify to better support local economies, raise quality of life indicators and improve local and regional environmental conditions. Even deteriorating suburbs have the potential to generate new housing infrastructure, transit access, open space, and local retail. Lynn Richards provided concrete examples of suburban transformation and lessons for Australia.

Wednesday 20 March

Dongho Chang, the City Traffic Engineer for Seattle, will shared his experience in implementing practical, innovative approaches to road safety and explain the application of Seattle’s leading-edge pedestrian/bicycle safety assessment tool at this one-off workshop.

Friday 15 March

This one day workshop was designed to equip councillors and council staff with an understanding of the practice and procedure involved in planning and building matters which are relevant to the exercise of functions by councils. Specifically, this program will assist councillors to understand their role in the planning and building approvals process.

Tuesday 5 March

A half-day training course on how to use the BESS tool to assess the sustainability performance of single residential and townhouse developments of up to 10 dwellings.

Friday 1 March

This conference provided an opportunity for the MCH workforce to come together and learn about a range of subjects and areas that impact on the Maternal and Child Health Service.

This conference assisted participants in understanding key strategic drivers directing their work and current developments from within and outside their professional field. Importantly it provided an opportunity to network across the profession, the tiers of government and academia.

Wednesday 6 February to Thursday 28 February

Eight consultation sessions were held across the state to provide an important opportunity for members to influence the MAV’s work priorities and inform the development of our 2019-20 Strategic Work Plan.

Input and feedback from Councillors, Chief Executive Officers and relevant Officers is essential to ensure that the MAV remains focused on meeting our members’ needs.

Tuesday 26 February

This training focused on demystifying RFQ/RFT scoring and evaluation so attendees understood how these work in a logical and simple manner. It took attendees through the correct way to establish questions and scoring then the correct way to evaluate responses. It demonstrated a simple and efficient method of developing specification response sheets, establishing scoring for them then managing responses.

Friday 22 February

Nora Bateson is an award-winning filmmaker, writer and educator, as well as President of the International Bateson Institute, based in Sweden.

Her work asks the question “How we can improve our perception of the complexity we live within, so we may improve our interaction with the world?”.

Monday 11 February to Friday 15 February

The Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD) Company Directors Course is essential for the professional development of anyone who wants to further their directorship skills and knowledge. Participants included executive and non-executive directors, CEOs and senior executives who report to boards.

Tuesday 5 February

A full day training course on how to use the BESS tool to assess the sustainability performance of buildings, including large and small residential, non-residential and mixed use developments.

Tuesday 5 February

An inspiring and timely Masterclass with Michael Shuman USA, attorney, economist, author, and one of the world’s leaders in the re-localisation and local finance movement. Michael and his colleague, Gilbert Rochecouste, will help participants formulate a plan for community revitalization by introducing the latest tools of economy building, community capital, and placemaking.

Monday 17 December

This full-day program for new and returning mayors is designed to draw out the real world challenges and experiences of mayors and provided a rich opportunity to learn, debate, challenge and understand the complexities of being mayor.

Thursday 29 November to Wednesday 5 December

LinkedIn hosted a series of webinars for Victorian councils to review the overall key outcomes and metrics of the 'Talent Accelerator Program' in 2018, and cover the enrolment process for 2019, including key dates and next steps for councils wishing to participate.

Monday 20 August to Thursday 29 November

Bring your procurement and contract management skills up-to-date with MAV’s 2018 Procurement & Contract Management Excellence Series. This training series has been designed specifically for local government staff with contract management and procurement functions.

Monday 26 November

This workshop focused on council meeting procedures and legislative requirements, and examined meeting logistics, procedures and protocols.

Friday 16 November

This one-day workshop was designed to help anyone who deals with people, either on the phone or face-to-face, to improve their communication with peers, colleagues and clients at all levels. Through constructive role plays, continual opportunities for discussion, individual work, small group work and case studies this workshop showed participants how to improve their communicatation skills both professionally and personally.

Tuesday 13 November

An Equal Future offers an opportunity to come together for a day of thought provoking and inspirational insights to help build a future of gender equality. Running throughout the day, the themes of backlash and resistance will be explored, with attendees hearing from experts in this field, and given the opportunity to build their skills in responding to resistance when undertaking work focused on gender equality.

Tuesday 13 November

A half-day training course on how to use the BESS tool to assess the sustainability performance of single residential and townhouse developments of up to 10 dwellings.

Monday 12 November

Understanding Council Finances was ideal for councillors wishing to understand or refresh existing knowledge of their responsibilities in finances, to including recent changes to legislative arrangements. As a councillor in local government, navigating through and understanding the complex financial documents and reports is a challenging task.

This training outlined how councils can address these challenges and build opportunities.

Thursday 1 November

This half-day workshop was designed to give participants an understanding of how to tackle the media, what to do and say, and how to say it. The course concentrated on turning negatives into positives and effective message delivery. After initial instruction on the different kinds of journalists and the dos and don’ts, attention turned to a series of practical, one-on-one interviews on topical issues.

Thursday 1 November

This full-day workshop provided a thorough grounding in accessibility issues associated with producing content for publication online. It was based on the recently updated Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1.

Monday 23 October & Monday 30 October

In this two-day workshop participants learnt how to develop a strategic plan to raise awareness and understanding of their service, program or project, and inspire support and collaboration for better community, economic and environmental outcomes.

Friday 26 October

This one-day workshop was designed to equip councillors and council staff with an understanding of the practice and procedure involved in planning and building matters which are relevant to the exercise of functions by councils. Specifically, this program assisted councillors to understand their role in the planning and building approvals process.

Friday 26 October

This conference provided an opportunity for the MCH workforce to come together and learn about a range of subjects and areas that impact on the Maternal and Child Health Service. The conference assisted participants in understanding key strategic drivers directing their work and current developments from within and outside their professional field. Importantly it provided an opportunity to network across the profession, the tiers of government and academia.

Thursday 25 October and Friday 26 October

Victorians councils are now using social media on a daily basis. They’re connecting with friends, collaborating with workmates, seeking and sharing news easily via the web and mobile apps. When emergencies hit, communities are turning to these platforms for information and assistance. Participants learnt when and how their councils should communicate via social media.

Thursday 18 October

This conference provided key insights, discussions and solutions for the sector on areas that will benefit councils to shape the future sustainability, health and wellbeing of their communities.

Tuesday 16 October

A full day training course on how to use the BESS tool to assess the sustainability performance of buildings, including large and small residential, non-residential and mixed use developments.

Friday 12 October

This program provided councillors and executives with the fundamental skills and knowledge to more effectively present and speak publicly.

Thursday 11 October

The 2018 VLGMIN Forum explored ways to strengthen council’s engagement practices in support of the civic participation of our new arrivals whether they are humanitarian entrants, those seeking asylum or skilled migrants. We found ways to increase civic participation through exploring current research, examining local government approaches to engagement and by highlighting examples of good practice.

Thursday 4 October to Friday 5 October

The 2018 MAV Insurance and Risk Conference in Tasmania discussed risks associated with insurance in local government.

Thursday 4 October

This workshop focused on council meeting procedures and legislative requirements, examining meeting logistics, procedures and protocols.

Monday 17 September to Friday 21 September

The Company Directors Course is a five-day program that enhances councillors’ and senior local government officers’ ability to contribute at a higher level and create opportunities for themselves.

Thursday 20 September

Thought leaders Michel Bauwens, Gilbert Rochecouste and Dominique Hes explored the future of the Commons. How will we create cities and places that are affordable, connected and meaningful? How will collaboration with the private sector and stakeholders play a role?

Thursday 20 September

“We can’t continue with a system that creates wealth, but that’s also destroying the planet and creating so much social inequality. I think that after 400 years of this, we know it doesn’t work. We need a new system to reclaim all these communal values.”

Tuesday 18 September to Wednesday 19 September

It’s time to explore a new model of governance, one based on a re-energised civil society that draws on the strength and resourcefulness of people working together in diverse local and regional communities – a localist response.

Tuesday 18 September

The Department of Justice and Regulation hosted an annual summer preparedness briefing day for council communications and emergency management officers.

Tuesday 18 September

A half-day training course on how to use the BESS tool to assess the sustainability performance of single residential and townhouse developments of up to 10 dwellings.

Friday 14 September

Councillors and Executive staff operate in positions requiring significant leadership capacity, managing numerous staff and layers of bureaucracy in order to deliver on the operational and strategic priorities of their local governments.

This workshop provided a one-day summary of essential and advanced leadership skills, combining theory and practical exercises with local government case studies in order to maximise value for participants of all levels of skill and experience.

Thursday 6 September and/or Friday 7 September (Optional Workshop)

A one day workshop was led by Ross Monaghan from Deakin University. The program covered strategies and tactics for local government to take their social media presence to the next level.

There was an optional second day video storytelling masterclass with experienced television producer Declan Eames. Participants could choose to do the workshop or the masterclass, or both.

Thursday 6 September

Effective meetings and meeting procedures (Refresher) was a half day workshop. This workshop provided the opportunity to refresh and/or update skills learned in the Meeting Procedures Workshop and focused on council meeting procedures and legislative requirements, examining meeting logistics, procedures and protocols.

Wednesday 5 September

MAVHACK subject matter experts focused on transport and how we might use technology to optimise road infrastructure, reduce maintenance costs and improve citizen experience. The second focus was jobs and business creation and how might we use technology to create economic opportunities for Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal citizens who want to live and work locally.

Wednesday 5 September

MAVHACK subject matter experts focused on transport and how we might use technology to optimise road infrastructure, reduce maintenance costs and improve citizen experience. The second focus was jobs and business creation and how might we use technology to create economic opportunities for Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal citizens who want to live and work locally.

Friday 24 August

Through completion of this workshop, participants developed a deeper understanding of the role of communications and presenting your key message, strengthening communication within council and with external stakeholders, and improving presentation style across all platforms of communication.

Friday 24 August

The MAV Technology Local Government Forum “The Award Winners” showcased the award-winning digital innovation achievements of local government teams.

Wednesday 22 August to Thursday 23 August

The inaugural MAV Local Government Arts and Culture Forum featured local and international panellists and speakers who shared their expertise and demonstrated the practical application of arts and culture programs and strategies that brought economic, cultural and social benefit to communities.

Wednesday 22 August

This half-day workshop for senior council managers in procurement, economic and community development introduced the MAV’s Social Procurement Framework, provided details about Federal and State Government social procurement policies and targets, and introduced some Aboriginal business owners and provided techniques to help councils realise the benefits social procurement can generate for local communities.

Friday 17 August

Understanding council finances is ideal for councillors wishing to understand or refresh their existing knowledge of responsibilities in finances, including recent changes to legislative arrangements.

Tuesday 14 August

A full day training course on how to use the BESS tool to assess the sustainability performance of buildings, including large and small residential, non-residential and mixed use developments.

Friday 3 August

By utilising a collaborative approach to address problems, parties were able to develop solutions and opportunities to achieve a wise outcome. Participants developed skills to look for solutions to a problem whilst allowing the negotiating parties to come to a meaningful agreement.

Friday 27 July to Sunday 29 July

The MAV Councillor Development Weekend is the principal training, development and networking event for Victorian councillors.

Wednesday 18 July

Collective Impact was born out of Stanford University as a multi-agency response to addressing complex social issues circa 2011. In Marlborough Council, New Zealand, this has been adapted to guide a leading edge economic development program designed to foster leadership and collective action within the region’s communities and industries.

Tuesday 19 June

This interactive workshop introduced participants to the concepts, tools and value of place measurement.

Monday 7 May to Monday 18 June

Bring your procurement and contract management skills up-to-date with MAV’s 2018 Procurement & Contract Management Excellence Series. This training series has been designed specifically for local government staff with contract management and procurement functions.

Thursday 7 June to Friday 8 June

This conference provided insights into how to ensure the financial sustainability of councils.

Friday 1 June

The Masterclass assisted participants in learning more about how AARP is working in partnership with States and councils on this ‘age-friendly’ direction which will help create more liveable, sustainable and ultimately resilient communities.

Thursday 31 to Friday 1 June

This conference covered planning topics including sustainable housing, planning assessment for renewable energy, and infrastructure contributions.

Friday 9 February to Friday 1 June

The Mayoral Training Program provided a series of professional development training events designed for mayors and deputy mayors.

Wednesday 30 May to Thursday 31 May

We are in the midst of a crisis of confidence in government and governance. These issues were discussed by an array of Australian and international presenters supported by co-design input from attendees.

Tuesday 29 May

This workshop discussed international developments in building connected and resilient communities. Facilitated by Andrew Walker, Policy Researcher for the UK Local Government Information Unit (LGIU).

Friday 16 February to Friday 25 May

The MAV councillor professional development training program offers a range of training pathways for councillors and council officers.

Tuesday 1 May

Getting older can mean feeling both invisible and under surveillance. For older lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) Victorians, this can pose a particular set of problems, especially in the aged care system.

This free training for council aged care providers aimed to ensure they are resourced to incorporate LGBTI inclusive practices.

Thursday 26 April

Steven Burgess, an Engineer and Urban Strategist, discussed the real and imaginary issues with parking in our villages, towns and cities.

Wednesday 18 April to Thursday 19 April

Reinvent.LGov was a skills development event where participants found out about innovations and community-first initiatives from councils from around Australia.

Wednesday 18 April

Andrew Reese, Vice President of Amec Foster Wheeler and a leading international expert on stormwater management, discussed the ten stormwater management best practices leading cities and towns have employed to mature their stormwater programs.

Friday 23 March

This conference provided an opportunity for the MCH workforce to come together and learn about a range of subjects and areas that impact on the Maternal and Child Health Service.

Wednesday 21 March to Thursday 22 March

This conference provided both inspiration and practical pathways for delivering smart urban futures, no matter how large or small your community.

Sunday 18 March to Wednesday 21 March

The MAV Technology Annual Conference was huge! We welcomed delegates from the local government ICT associations of the UK, USA, Canada, New Zealand, Belgium, the Netherlands and Sweden, in addition to delegates from interstate LG ICT associations.

Tuesday 13 March & Tuesday 20 March

In this two-day workshop, participants will learn how to develop a strategic plan to raise awareness and understanding of their service, program or project, and inspire support and collaboration for better community, economic and environmental outcomes.

Wednesday 28 February

This one-day workshop, presented by Dr David Mepham, looked at parking from an urban planning and design perspective with a focus on place quality, local social, economic and environmental outcomes.

Tuesday 27 February

This workshop explored the role and implications for councillors and council officers in moving from being experts to stewards and facilitators of empowered communities.

Wednesday 21 February to Thursday 22 February

This conference had a strong focus on data and information management in the new digital workplace and included: significant transformative case studies from around Australia, international learnings and Federal Government policies.

Wednesday 24 January

The MAV hosted a consultation session for senior council officers to inform the development of Victorian gender equality legislation.

Monday 11 December

A full day training course on how to use the BESS tool to assess the sustainability performance of buildings, including large and small residential, non-residential and mixed use developments.

Thursday 7 December

This full-day program for new and returning mayors was designed to draw out the real world challenges and experiences of mayors and provided a rich opportunity to learn, debate, challenge and understand the complexities of being mayor.

Tuesday 5 December to Wednesday 6 December

Australia’s only national community engagement conference: highlighting innovative ways to create vibrant communities led by active, caring and engaged citizens.

Monday 27 November to Friday 1 December

These workshops, facilitated by Cormac Russell, are designed to facilitate a strategic conversation regarding the process of an authentic and effective shift from government-centric top-down approaches to citizen-centred bottom-up approaches to democracy.

Monday 27 November

This workshop, facilitated by David Hammond, explored a successful new approach to re-engaging communities in decision-making, projects and community priorities through a new community-led governance structure, called a ‘Community Advisory Board’ in New Zealand.

Wednesday 22 November

A half-day training course on how to use the BESS tool to assess the sustainability performance of single residential and townhouse developments of up to 10 dwellings.