Urban Transition Leaders Program
A training resource to help practitioners increase their urban change management and transition leadership skills.
Why transition leadership is important
Urban practitioners are often progressing significant urban and community change. Change objectives include climate and being carbon neutral by 2050, managing an increasing and changing population, supporting economic development, improving urban equity, housing choice and affordability. Generally, practitioners know the suite of solutions to these objectives. The challenge is the process and support for change.
Urban change takes place in a system that includes community, industry, elected officials and urban practitioners. Significantly the community provides the social licence for change. To change successfully, actors in the system need awareness and desire to address the challenge, they require knowledge and ability to progress successful change. In this context, it is often not enough to depend on consultation and information initiatives. It requires sustained change management and transition leadership that builds capacity of the system to change.
How we can help
Studio THI has developed an Urban Transition Leadership program. The overall aim of the program is to increase the capability of the system to progress major urban and community transitions.
Learning objectives include:
Understand and apply change management and transition leadership to urban planning and development.
Understand and apply indicators of a change-ready urban system.
Identify the change readiness of communities and system actors.
Identify individual, team and system transition strengths and areas for development.
Plan and implement a transition strategy for your community and stakeholders.
The program comprises a series of modules that are focussed on transition leadership capabilities including:
Self: Authentic, transparent communication; ability to read and respond appropriately to different reactions to change.
Systems: Knowledge of how change in the urban system works, the role and power of different actors and specific levers actors have influence over.
Strategy: Understanding of transition leadership and change management capabilities in an urban context. Ability to collaboratively develop and implement urban change strategies in often complex and contested operating environments.
Community Change: Ability to lead generative conversations and initiatives that help the community navigate changing local identity, challenges and benefits.
Place: Understand the principles of great urban outcomes and advocate for what needs to be in place to achieve them.
Politics: Ability to articulate the values of different stakeholders and work across sectoral and political interests to achieve solutions.
Is it for me?
The course is relevant for anybody involved in urban and community transition. This includes elected officials, Local and State Government managers, urban and community planners, private sector development directors, community engagement and urban policy-makers.
The workshops
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Introduction
Introduction to Urban and Community Transition Leadership: A 45-minute presentation that outlines the foundation principles of a transition leadership approach to urban and community change. This presentation will stimulate discussion about how urban and community change is currently being addressed and explores the relevance of a transition leadership approach for your community.
Delivery: Online or face-to-face.
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Taster
Transition Leadership Taster: A 2.5-hour interactive session providing an overview of a transition leadership approach and an introduction to the skills and knowledge required to lead urban and community change. It outlines the ingredients of an evidence-based change management strategy and stakeholder roles. This is suitable for testing individual or agency approaches to community and urban change, assessing at a high level, change-ready requirements and initiatives that will increase capability.
Delivery: Online or face-to-face.
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Fundamentals
Transition Leadership Fundamentals: This program explores urban and community transition leadership in depth. Activities support participants in developing change management strategies and initiatives relevant to their context. Participants identify what is required to understand and increase the capability of their agency and community to lead and navigate change.
Delivery: This is a 12-hour training module with flexible delivery options. It can be delivered online, face-to-face or a combination of both. It can be provided as an intensive two-day program or as a number of 2-hour workshops over a six-week period.