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About
Our Approach
Who we serve
The McKinnon Institute for Political Leadership is driven by a vision of Australia as a thriving and vibrant democracy. A key part of that vision is a political leadership that earns the trust of the public by consistently delivering better outcomes for the country.
In Australia, ministers possess the authority and the resources to make important decisions. We, therefore focus the bulk of our efforts on building the capabilities of ministers, helping them acquire the skill sets and mindsets they need to deliver better outcomes for Australia.
Our programs equip them to make sense of the complexity and uncertainty of the modern world, navigate turbulence, drive reform and implement change.
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how we support ministers
Ideally professional development for politicians should take place throughout their careers, just as it does with other professions.
However, the workload and the high-pressure environment that accompany a ministerial portfolio make the time and headspace for professional development difficult to find, if not impossible.
The best opportunity to improve ministerial performance is to target individuals before they become ministers. MKI therefore prioritises supporting politicians who have the greatest potential to become Ministers in the short to medium term.
Advanced Political Leadership (APL) is Australia’s first advanced leadership course for future ministers.
APL is grounded in a distinctive blend of applied research and contemporary insights and has been developed in collaboration with experienced political leaders.
Participants engage with a wide range of respected and influential politicians, scholars and global thought-leaders on vital policy and leadership topics.
APL cultivates meaningful discussions about current and future challenges. We focus on getting difficult policy reform done, the institutional and democratic stewardship roles of parliamentarians and Ministers, and the leadership traits and disciplines that these tasks require.
APL graduates (“scholars”) have the opportunity to engage in continuing professional development through the McKinnon Scholars Program.
Participants are paired with a coach for six one-on-one sessions over six months.
The McKinnon Scholars Program helps participants apply the tools and concepts from the APL program.
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"One of the most valuable aspects of participating in the McKinnon Institute was getting to know MPs from other states and other parties. The McKinnon Institute granted us the unique experience of engaging in deep thinking on where our country is, where it can go and what our role is to lead it there."
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"The APL program is a rare and completely unique opportunity for parliamentarians to step out of the day to day of political life and reflect on what we hope to achieve for our country during our time in office and how best to achieve it. I’m grateful for the insights gained from APL about how to navigate complex policy issues, achieve ambitious reform and deliver for our constituents."
