Certificate IV in Leadership and Management
Readiness to Lead
Program purpose
The ABF has a strong commitment to leadership development and building capability that aligns with agency objectives yet remains consistent with leadership exercised across the broader Australian Public Service. Readiness to Lead (BSB40520 Certificate IV in Leadership and Management) is a fully integrated leadership program for APS 5/6 and EL1 staff transitioning into management and leadership roles in the ABF, primarily in an operational environment. Current and future leaders need to be able to respond and lead through disruption, change, and massive physical, economic, performance, and workplace cultural challenges. Readiness to Lead will equip emerging and future leaders within the ABF to meet not only these challenges but to anticipate and respond to emerging challenges, through the application of effective leadership.
The program is designed to develop capabilities in a range of key areas including contextual intelligence (working within government and the ABF), leading culture, leading and managing people, and the application of operational leadership. The ABF’s Readiness to Lead Program is consistent with the Department of Home Affairs Corporate Plan, the Home Affairs People Strategy 2025, the ABF Realising our Full Potential Strategy, the ABF’s Leadership Model and Competencies, the ABF Enforcement Doctrine, the APSC’s Integrated Leadership System (ILS), and existing Work Level Standards.
Participants will advance their knowledge of contemporary public sector leadership, and key skills including building high-performing teams, managing performance, communicating with influence, building strategic relationships, establishing productive working relationships with partner agencies, and operational decision-making. The program will develop your skills through high-quality learning that:
- Is relevant to you
- Where possible, is directly applicable in the workplace
- Improves performance and productivity in the workplace
- Supports identified organisational development needs.
- Enhances your knowledge of where and how you contribute to the strategic objectives of the ABF.
Qualification information
The qualification is comprised of the following twelve units of competency:
Core Units
BSBLDR411 Demonstrate leadership in the workplace
BSBLDR413 Lead effective workplace relationships
BSBOPS402 Coordinate business operational plans
BSBXCM401 Apply communication strategies in the workplace
BSBXTW401 Lead and facilitate a team
Elective Units
BSBCMM411 Make presentations
BSBCRT412 Articulate, present and debate ideas
BSBOPS403 Apply business risk management processes
BSBPEF402 Develop personal work priorities
BSBPEF502 Develop and use emotional intelligence
BSBTWK401 Build and maintain business relationships
BSBWHS411 Implement and monitor WHS policies, procedures and programs
Certification
Upon successful completion of the program by meeting the assessment requirements for the above competencies, Wisdom Learning will issue participants with a nationally recognised qualification for the BSB40520 Certificate IV in Leadership and Management.
Program Duration
The duration of the program is 18 months. You will be provided a schedule of the program in advance.
Delivery Mode
The program will be delivered virtually with digital resources available to support your learning and assessment via the myWisdom portal.
Delivery Model
The ABF Readiness to Lead Program (BSB40520 Certificate IV in Leadership and Management) will apply accelerated learning techniques using the Wisdom Way Learning Model, represented in the diagram below.
The Wisdom Way learning model includes:
Digital Workshops: Interactive facilitator led sessions (not e-learning) that enables structured learning of key program content. Digital workshops recreate the face-to-face Wisdom learning experience using a range of facilitation techniques and engagement tools. Digital platforms will also be used to engage participants at regular intervals throughout the program in informal and formal workshops.
All digital workshops will be conducted using Teams, which is available to all ABF employees. You can familiarise yourself with this platform using the tutorials provided on the Microsoft Team website. If you are new to Teams, we recommend you practice using the platform to learn about the functionality prior to the first workshop.
Learning Support Sessions: Facilitator led sessions throughout the program which can be tailored to the needs of the participants. These sessions can be used to support assessment tasks, clarify information covered during the workshops, introduce topical issues that arise between workshops or engage in discussion with the participants on topics of their choice relating to the program. Break-out rooms will provide an opportunity for participants to engage with a facilitator one on one if required or for small groups who want assistance to engage with the facilitator.
myWisdom: The myWisdom online learning space provides participants with the opportunity to access resources, complete/upload assessment tasks, undertake learning activities, collaborate and reflect throughout the duration of the program.
Networking & knowledge sharing: Participants in the program will enhance learning through sharing knowledge, experience and resources within and outside the workshops. Participants will be encouraged and supported to network outside of the classroom to augment learning and knowledge sharing and the development of sustainable
networks and collaborative professional relationships.
Readings & other resources: Participants will be provided with resources that underpin learning and provide the depth and breadth of the program’s content. Readings and resources will reflect contemporary theories, models, best practice guidelines and leading practice. Participants will also be provided with, and have the opportunity to discuss and debate, key policies, procedures and doctrinal documents from the Department of Home Affairs and the ABF throughout the program. Internal ABF documentation will be integrated into the learning and form part of the key resources that participants will draw from.
Workplace tasks & activities: Participants will undertake a range of practical tasks and activities relevant to the ABF and their own workplace. These tasks and activities will form the majority of the assessment requirements for the program.
Attendance information
This program includes assessment and learning activities built into all workshops and your contributions during workshops will directly impact on your assessment. This is because direct observation will be one kind of evidence gathered in support of your competencies. For this reason, non-attendance or partial attendance, may require that additional assessment activities be completed in order that competency requirements are met. Working with others and assisting them as a member of a group is one way of demonstrating some of the required skills and knowledge for this program. We urge you to take opportunities to demonstrate your competency; constructive communication and collaboration is part of what is being assessed in this program.
Participant collaboration
Most assessments in this program will be submitted individually. Where the assessment is to be completed in a group context, detailed instructions on the formation of the group, the number of participants in the group and the roles and responsibilities for group members will be recorded on the assessment task, where necessary, and/or according to the guidelines stipulated by the trainer/assessor.
Assessment of group work and participant collaboration will reflect an appropriate depth and breadth and be typically observed by an assessor and may be accompanied by a signed statement that all members of the group contributed to the completion of the assessment.
Learning resources
Wisdom will provide a range of learning resources for use during and between of the workshops. Resources typically include, but are not limited to:
- Pre-enrolment and commencement resources/materials and support as required
- Online information on program requirements, assessment guidelines, program schedule, appeals and complaints procedure and learning outcomes
- Access to myWisdom: Wisdom’s online learning portal for assessments, digital resources, copies of PowerPoint presentations, links to relevant websites, and workplace tools and templates
- Access to ICT support
- Availability of trainers to work one on one to identify additional learning needs and the provision of additional resources and/or activities to supplement learning
- Access to units of competency assessed in the course In class assessment and learning support materials
- Extra readings and resources from relevant publications and program fact sheets
- Self-assessment and observation tools.
Assessment information
This program will involve a range of assessment methods and approaches in response to your individual and organisational learning requirements, involving core assessments as part of the relevant units of competency; additional tasks and exercises that will be tailored to your specific learning needs. During this program, you will undertake assessment of some Units of Competency individually, and some will be clustered.
Your facilitator/s will provide you with detailed individual assessment tasks throughout the program. These tasks will contain detailed instructions and information on the assessment process and the range and conditions of the assessment. While this process can evolve in response to your achievements, assessment requirements will be transparent, and participants will be guided through activities in a manner that upholds the normal principles of assessment and evidence rules. Due dates will be determined in a transparent, supportive manner to ensure you are given the opportunity to complete the program work in the best possible and most constructive learning setting. Details of Assessment in this course will be provided in your myWisdom account. Each self-paced digital module has its own assessment activities. Each digital module takes about 2 hours to work through the module, but assessments (two per module) require you to undertake practical tasks, sometimes over a couple of weeks and receive feedback from your supervisor. You will require about 3 weeks to undertake the assessment.
Program Facilitators
This program will be facilitated by or co-facilitated by a team of Wisdom's trainers, facilitators and assessors to ensure the right blend of skills is achieved when delivering the qualification. Your facilitator details are provided along with the program schedule and enrolment information.
The ABF College, led by Inspector Andrew Hudson, will support the program also.
Please feel free to contact the Wisdom office on 6257 8588 if you require any further information.
