Delivering Strategic Policy shows you how the policy pieces fit together
Public sector policy makers work shapes every aspect of community lives, from education and health to justice, housing, infrastructure and the environment.
This makes working in policy both an honour and a responsibility, and it takes skilled and dedicated policy makers to make policy magic happen.
Policy expert Salli Cohen, lead faculty of ANZSOG’s upcoming Delivering Strategic Policy program, reflects that ‘for many of us working in policy, it feels like the work is becoming harder and harder’.
She says that today's public sector operates in a VUCA world characterised by Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity and Ambiguity, a concept originally applied to military leadership but becoming more relevant to the world of the public sector .
Increasingly, both public servants and the communities they serve are also experiencing what are described as ‘BANI’ Brittle, Anxious, Non-linear and Incomprehensible environments.
"In the past, we experienced periods of volatility and uncertainty before returning to normal. Today, there is no normal. This is the environment we live and work in," Ms Cohen said.
"It reminds us why we can't create policy in a vacuum. We are experiencing these pressures ourselves, while also designing policy for communities navigating increasingly complex realities. We need approaches that acknowledge this reality."
Delivering Strategic Policy was designed for exactly this challenge.
Drawing on more than 30 years of experience across government, Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations, for-purpose organisations and the private sector, Ms Cohen will guide participants through the practical realities of designing, implementing and evaluating policy in increasingly complex environments.
Effective policy starts long before the writing
For Ms Cohen, effective policy begins well before putting pen to paper and goes beyond written policy.
"Effective policy means listening to people with lived and living experience, engaging those who will ultimately implement and evaluate policy, and understanding the systems within which policy functions."
"Consultation should commence from the beginning of policy design and continues through implementation and evaluation."
"We need to be honest about what people can influence, and equally honest about what they can't. We also need to close the loop by showing people how their contributions informed decisions. Otherwise, communities will feel unheard and the trust that is critical to our profession will erode."
"Trust, however, is only one part of the equation. Effective policy is also a collective endeavour."
"Policy that will drive the desired change is never created by one expert or one policy team. We're not the experts in everything, and it's a risk if we think we are. Effective policy draws together different forms of expertise and experience to give us the best possible chance of creating positive change."
Showing how innovation begins with curiosity
Policy innovation is often seen as developing entirely new ideas, but Ms Cohen believes it starts somewhere much simpler.
"It begins by questioning the assumption that the way we currently think is the only way to think," she said.
"We're employed to exercise judgement, analyse evidence and make sense of complexity. Innovation agency gives us permission and encouragement to think differently, challenge assumptions and improve what already exists."
Practical tools that encourage this mindset, including approaches from outside the policy profession, can have value when applied to policy work.
One example is "solution deconstruction", a structured approach that deliberately invites others to challenge and strengthen developing ideas.
"It can be uncomfortable having people critique our work. But when we see feedback as a gift rather than criticism, we uncover policy gold."
Implementation isn't the final stage - it's part of the design
One of the central themes Ms Cohen will bring to Delivering Strategic Policy is challenging traditional thinking about the policy cycle.
"The idea that implementation comes after policy design is one of the biggest misconceptions in our profession," Ms Cohen said.
"A policy without implementation isn't a policy. It's an incomplete design. Like any designed product, whether it's a bridge, a medicine or a new piece of technology, policy only proves its value when it functions in the real world.”
"We can't retrofit implementation onto a finished policy. The reality of implementation is that it generates feedback and surfaces new information that should continually improve policy."
"For this reason, implementation and evaluation need to be considered from the very beginning, not treated as separate stages that happen later, if at all."
"The policy process is much less like a neat cycle than it is a rollercoaster. We are constantly learning, adapting and responding to new evidence, changing contexts and emerging challenges."
Balancing evidence and politics
Effective policy advice also requires understanding the broader environment in which governments operate.
Ms Cohen says that public servants have a responsibility to provide robust, evidence-informed advice while recognising that elected governments make the final decisions.
"Our role isn't to own policy or believe that we know best,” she said.
“We have a responsibility to provide governments with the strongest advice we can, informed by evidence, experience and engagement. Governments then make decisions within their broader political responsibilities."
"I won't sugar-coat it. This can be tough, but it's critical that we understand this and continue to do the best work we can, even when we don't agree with a chosen direction."
"Policies change. Sometimes they proceed exactly as planned. Sometimes they don't. That doesn't diminish the value of our work.”
Building confidence in the policy craft
Ultimately, Ms Cohen wants to help policy makers rediscover confidence and pride in their profession.
"Policy is one of the greatest opportunities we have to improve people's lives."
"Whether policy is implemented tomorrow, in ten years, or never, every piece of work contributes to our collective understanding. We're constantly enhancing our craft."
"My hope is that participants leave with practical tools, renewed confidence and a different way of thinking about policy."
"Because when we think differently, we design differently. And when we design differently, we create change that matters."
Delivering Strategic Policy at a Glance
Who it’s for: Delivering Strategic Policy is designed for mid-to-senior public sector leaders responsible for implementing or leading stages of the policy cycle, particularly those working in complex delivery environments.
Delivery: 4 x 2-hour online sessions complemented by 2-3 hours per week of offline learning
2026 Course Dates: 19 October – 13 November
What you will learn:
Delivering Strategic Policy equips policy professionals and leaders with practical skills and tools to design and deliver policy confidently and effectively in complex political and organisational environments.
Participants explore the importance of agenda setting, stakeholder engagement and cross-agency execution, building the capability needed to design for impact and manage complex implementation.
By the end of the program, participants are better prepared to lead across all aspects of policy design, foster a culture of continuous improvement, and support delivery that creates public value
Register Now for the 2026 program through the ANZSOG website. Early bird pricing is available for a limited time
For more information: We will be holding a free information session for Delivering Strategic Policy at 10am on 1 September to help you learn more about whether the program is right for you.
You can also visit the Delivering Strategic Policy page on our website or you can contact us at engage@anzsog.edu.au or 1300 ANZSOG for more information