Tools to tackle the toughest engagement environments
Do you face:
- Hostile audiences or deeply divided stakeholders?
- “Wicked problems” with no clear solutions?
- Long-term engagements that test organisational patience?
This advanced one-day course is designed for experienced practitioners who want to sharpen their ability to respond to complexity and conflict in engagement practice. You’ll explore the underlying factors that make engagement challenging – from wicked problems to long-term complexity – and gain practical tools, frameworks, and insights to respond with confidence.
Take it as a standalone course to enhance your skillset or as a core course toward the Engagement Institute’s Advanced Certificate of Engagement, a widely recognised certificate for senior practitioners.
Please note: Courses run with limited frequency, and availability is highly competitive.
We recommend applying early to secure your place and avoid missing out on this transformative professional development opportunity.
prerequisites
- You have attained your Certificate of Engagement and
- You have a minimum of 5 years’ experience leading and managing engagement projects, and:
- Possess an in-depth understanding of engagement frameworks and practices.
- Are responsible for developing or implementing engagement strategies.
Don’t meet all the prerequisites?
Applicants with extensive experience (5+ years) but without a Certificate of Engagement may apply for special consideration. Applications will be evaluated based on demonstrated expertise in leading complex engagement initiatives.
Upcoming Course Dates
Course benefits
Make sense of complexity and uncertainty
Use the Cynefin Framework to assess types of complexity, surface assumptions, and uncover systemic factors that contribute to engagement challenges.
Plan and deliver adaptive strategies
You’ll learn to structure phased approaches for multi-year or shifting projects and how to align team roles and resources to meet evolving needs.
Lead with confidence in high-pressure situations
Influence internal decision-makers and foster organisational support for flexible, adaptive ways of working. And build contingency plans for hostile or unpredictable contexts.
The bigger picture: Attaining your Advanced Certificate of Engagement
While Strategies for Challenging Engagement is a powerful standalone course, many professionals take it as a core course toward their Advanced Certificate of Engagement.
This widely recognised certificate is the gold standard for senior Australasian engagement practitioners.
Who is this course for?
Engagement professionals with 5+ years’ experience
who design and lead high-stakes engagement in complex or contentious environments.
Organisational strategy, policy and transformation leaders
Who need to align stakeholder engagement with long-term strategic goals and systemic change.
Senior advisors and project managers
who oversee contentious projects requiring adaptive engagement approaches and crisis navigation.
learning outcomes
By the end of this interactive course, you will be able to:
- Identify factors that impact engagement outcomes including hidden assumptions, resistance points and systemic factors.
- Design adaptive strategies for contentious projects, matching tactics to context (e.g., crisis response vs. long-term relationship-building).
- Align teams and organisational resources to lead confidently through complexity and uncertainty.
- Facilitate transformative conversations that surface assumptions and reframe resistance in high-stakes environments.
- Develop contingency plans for hostile scenarios while maintaining organisational buy-in for iterative approaches.
- Structure phased engagements for multi-year projects, aligning team roles and resources with evolving challenges.
- Apply IAP2 models innovatively to navigate politically sensitive or emotionally charged stakeholder dynamics.
Hear from our engaged students
Experienced practitioners choose Engagement Institute training
As the peak body for community and stakeholder engagement in Australasia, the Engagement Institute ensures our training is practical, relevant, and industry leading.
- Hands-on learning with real-world case studies
- Inclusive training blending theory and practical knowledge
- Experienced trainers who are also seasoned practitioners
- Recognised as the engagement standard across Australia and New Zealand
- Contextualised training materials for local relevance
- Flexible learning pathways and pacing
- Invaluable resources, including a training manual and templates
