Events

Workshops for non-profit organisations

Social Ventures Australia (SVA) is an independent non-profit organisation providing services to non-profit organisations in order to help strengthen the social sector. SVA workshops are short, sharp and focused and are for leaders and managers of non-profit organisations. At an SVA workshop you'll pick up tools and know-how that boost organisational outcomes. The workshops are a great chance to work with experienced non-profit leaders and peers in the field.

There are five workshops: strategic planning, organisational growth, financial management, funding strategy and board development. Most workshops are one day long with the exception of the board development workshop (2 hours) and the strategic planning workshop (2 days).

The next workshops will be running 8 – 12 September.

Find out more about the workshops for non-profit organisations.

In the Community

In the Community events promote and share ideas about how local groups, business and organisations can work in partnership with the Department to build and strengthen local communities. Find out more.

Partnerships for Social Inclusion

Participation in social, economic and civic life should be open to everybody. Increasing social inclusion requires a joined-up approach that cuts across policy departments. Effective action means that the public sector should re-think the way it operates, moving from a traditional hierarchical model to one characterised by multi-sectoral partnerships and flexibility in policy delivery.

The development and nature of these partnerships and the implications for public policy will be the central theme of the Partnerships for Social Inclusion conference from 15-16 October 2008 in Melbourne. This conference provides an opportunity for government, academics and practitioners from across Australia, New Zealand and the region to discuss current practice, as well as explore future directions.

The conference is a collaboration between the Centre for Public Policy at the University of Melbourne, the Victorian Department of Planning and Community Development and the OECD's Local Economic and Employment Development Programme.

More information is available at the University of Melbourne's Centre for Public Policy website.

The Agora Think Tank Lunch

The Minister for Victorian Communities, Peter Batchelor and 60 leaders in the government, not for profit and business communities attended a special luncheon at Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen restaurant on Thursday 8 February.

The luncheon was hosted by the Agora Think Tank, a forum that brings together business, government and the not-for-profit sectors to develop strategies to reduce disadvantage. The Agora Think Tank will host a conference later this year to encourage partnerships between business, government and community organisations to address social and economic disadvantage in Victoria.

Speaking at Fifteen Melbourne, Mr Batchelor said the restaurant was just one example of the excellent results that could be achieved through partnerships between community organisations, government and the private sector. He also confirmed the Victorian Government’s commitment to finding new ways of addressing the needs of people living with disadvantage. Read Minister Batchelor's speech (Word 73kb) from the lunch.

Policy Forum - Building Stronger Communities: New Learnings, Better Governance, Future Directions

The Policy Forum, held on Thursday 13 July 2006 examined and explored the successes, challenges and learnings generated by different models and initiatives to strengthen communities, with a particular emphasis on the role played by governance.

The forum enabled the exchange of policy experiences both here and abroad in key areas of interest including the emerging knowledge and links between community strengthening, governance and infrastructure in planning communities for the future.

The Department has received great feedback from participants to date, with interest in DVC leading future forums around these and similar themes. Papers from the day are available including the opening and keynote addresses, policy observations and presentations.

Web Site Updates

DPCD's websites are progressively being updated to reflect the changes following the establishment of the department. This means you will continue to see some references to the Department for Victorian Communities (DVC) as changes are being made.