Drought Resilience Leaders Development Program

Drive positive change in your community. Join a network of forward-thinkers and work with others to shape a resilient rural community.

The Drought Resilience Leaders Development Program will challenge you to develop the skills, networks, knowledge and mindset you need to lead your community into a resilient future.

Funded under the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund.

Delivered in three sessions over six to eight weeks, you will begin by exploring concepts of adaptive leadership, change theory, self-awareness, personal and community resilience. From there, your group will move on to discuss climate science, problem-solving and creativity. And finally, scenario planning, influence and network leadership.

Community

Understand your community and region at a deeper level.

Leadership

Build leadership skills and networks.

Resilience

Learn how to embed and apply resilience thinking.

Networks

Join the national network of Australian Rural Leadership Foundation alumni.

Connection

Gather, collaborate and learn with others.

Impact

Go back to your community equipped to grow its capacity to adapt to challenges like drought and changing climate.

On completion of the program, you can support resilience action in your community through Community Extension Grants. If successful, you will receive a $4,000 grant for community projects that focus on at least one of these outcomes:

Building long-term drought resilience and enhanced public good in agriculture dependent communities.
Benefitting a large number of people from a diverse range of social groups.
Encouraging inclusion and participation of under-represented or marginalised groups.

All applications must demonstrate co-contributions, either in-kind or from other funding sources, and broad community support.

Apply now

The Drought Resilience Leaders Development Program is available in 12 regions across Australia. It is open to people from all industries and backgrounds that are 18 years and older.

View map

Western Australia

Northern Wheatbelt

Apply now

Images of a rock formation in the Gascoyne by Liz Brennan

Western Australia

Gascoyne-Murchison

Apply now

Tasmania

North East

Learn more

New South Wales

North West Slopes and Plains

Apply now

New South Wales

Western

Apply now

Victoria

Goulburn Valley

Program underway.

Queensland

Central West

Program underway.

Learn more

Queensland

South West

Learn more

Northern Territory

Katherine region

Learn more

South Australia

Eyre Peninsula

Apply now

South Australia

Murraylands

Apply now

Victoria

Mallee

Apply now

What participants are saying

The first session was two days on zoom, (it was) just really inspiring to be honest. Just coming together and talking about what do we mean by resilience, what do we mean by leadership and how can we network in the Goulburn Valley area and make sure we do position ourselves as thought leaders and change agents to become more resilient when we talk to one another about natural disasters?

Werner Vogels

Neuropsychologist, Goulburn Valley

All people in all sorts of ways are impacted by the lack of water. We all need water, it’s the one common theme through all beings, all people, everyone, everywhere. So I think the benefits of learning about how different people at different levels are impacted can only be advantageous and have a ripply effect.

Donna Taggart

Social Worker, Goulburn Valley

KNOW SOMEONE WHO MIGHT BE INTERESTED?

If you have a colleague, friend or family member that might benefit from this program, let them know with our shoulder tap.

Yes, I know someone

Or download our stakeholder kit to share the Drought Resilient Leaders Mentoring Program with your organisation’s audience. This kit includes social media tiles, key messages and content to share in your newsletters.

Go to the stakeholder kit

Frequently asked questions

What are the program objectives?

1. To contribute to the objectives of the Future Drought Fund; to enhance the public good by building drought resilience.
2. To create a network of resilient, courageous and influential leaders committed to the prosperity and sustainability of rural, regional and remote Australia.
3. To bring together groups of people in each region to develop evidence-based leadership and resilience skills and improve their drought and environmental literacy.
4. To build the awareness of participants about the benefits of collaboration when working to address the complex and wicked problems facing leaders.
5. To encourage participants to be part of collaborative networks in order to create and lead social change.

Who can apply for this program?

This program is open for anyone aged 18 and over in the participating regions.

When are the programs happening?

The programs are happenings between August 2021 and June 2022. Visit the individual region’s page to find out when the program is on in your area.

Where does the program take place?

The program is available in 12 regions, including:

Victoria: Goulburn Valley and Mallee
Queensland: Central West and South West
Western Australia: Gascoyne-Murchison and Northern Wheatbelt
South Australia: Eyre Peninsula and Murraylands
Tasmania: North East
Northern Territory: Katherine region
New South Wales: Western and North West Slopes and Plains

The regions are loosely defined. To find out what local government areas each region covers, visit the individual region’s pages.

How many places are available?

There are 40 places in each of the 12 regions, making it a total of 480 places.

How were these regions selected?

Regions were selected based on an analysis by a team of experts from the consortia and delivery partners. The team analysed data for 61 regions.

How long is this program?

The program takes eight days in total. It is split into three sessions spread over six to eight weeks with approximately two to three weeks between each session. The first and third sessions are delivered in person over three days* and the second session is delivered over two days online.
*Sessions may be delivered online if pandemic restrictions don’t allow for in-person meetings.

How are candidates selected?

Places on the program are awarded based on the information provided in the application. A selection panel will assess each application based on the following selection criteria:

1. Committed to initiating and leading significant change in their sector, community and/or region
2. Open to new ideas and demonstrate a willingness to learn, grow, adapt and change
3. Willing to complete an intensive leadership development program with a focus on experiential learning
4. Able to demonstrate previous experience, and/or future capability in leadership
5. Ready to work collaboratively in their region on initiatives and plans for the future benefit of the region

How is the program funded?

The Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund covers this program. As a participant, you will only need to fund your own travel and meals. An allowance of up to $500 is available to cover up to 50 % of your travel, meal and additional accommodation costs.

What happens after the program?

On completion, you will join the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation’s alumni network. It’s a group of people connected by a shared vision for rural, regional and remote Australia. In joining this growing group, you will have access to peer support, learning and development resources, and the opportunity to collaborate on issues and opportunities important important to you and the network.

How does the application process work?

When the program opens in your region select the ‘apply now’ button on the program page. You will be taken to a Survey Monkey Apply page. If you don’t have a Survey Monkey Apply account, you will need to register for one with your email address.

Before filling out the application form, check your email inbox for a verification email from Survey Monkey Apply. You will need to verify your email address before submitting your application.

After filling out the application form, make sure that you click submit. You will receive a confirmation email if your application has been submitted correctly.

Please allow at least one hour to complete your application.

If you haven’t received a confirmation email, or need help with your application, call us on 02 6281 0680 or email us at droughtresilience@rural-leaders.org.au. One of our team members will happily assist.

What will I be asked in the application?

Aside from standard questions about yourself, we will be asking you to list any community and/ or volunteer positions that you currently hold or have held in the past. You will also need to explain what you have learned from the position.

An example may be: Tuckshop Assistant, Gumtree School, 2 years, I have learnt to ensure high quality of food standards and to work with different personalities and think on my feet.

We will also be asking if you have completed any other leadership programs or qualifications.
Lastly, we will want to know what impact you want to have on rural, regional and remote Australia as a result of your participation in this program.