15616 Community Leadership Project

Description

Local government and community organisations have pivotal roles in shaping places and communities, and there is an increasing requirement for professionals in these sectors to develop the skills and capabilities to lead for "the common good" (Crosby and Bryson, 2005) and benefit projects that enhance "public value" (Moore, 2008).

This subject builds professional skills, capability and knowledge in the area of community leadership. It is a flexible, project-based subject that provides students with the opportunity to undertake a community leadership project that can make a real impact on their council and community. Being able to plan for and demonstrate community leadership is important for a range of areas including spatial planning, strategic planning, asset management, governance, community, service delivery, human resources, management and customer relations and the subject content is tailored to suit a variety of roles, whether externally or organisationally focused.

The conceptual foundations of the subject are in community and leadership theory and action research principles, as applied to the practice of a real-world community leadership project. As part of the subject, students are assisted to identify and work on a community-related project or initiative that is relevant to their role and organisation. Student learning is supported throughout the project with mentoring, online learning and guided action research.

The subject can be taken as a standalone subject, or as a core subject within the Graduate Certificate in Local Government Leadership (C11215) alongside 15618 Contemporary Local Government Leadership and 15610 Leading in Local Government subjects. Completion of the graduate certificate can also offer a pathway to further studies at UTS with the Graduate Diploma in Local Government Management (C06033), and the Master of Local Government (C04257).

Typical availability

Spring Session, City campus