Practical Project Management

Envisage an overcast and damp Port Fairy, beyond our window the Port Fairy Folk Festival infrastructure is being dismantled!

This apt scene got me thinking about the project management skills required to run a four day event, involving hundreds of acts, thousands of visitors and volunteers.

Kevin Bennett from KB Business Solutions defined a project as “A temporary endeavor undertaken to create a product or service”.

Kevin then launched into a fast paced day covered the key phases of project management – initiating, planning, executing, monitoring and closing and the importance of reflecting, analysing and evaluating each new piece of information.

A range of tools, methods and tips were provided throughout the day including the 80/20 rule, work structure breakdown, responsibility matrix’s, critical paths, risk management etc. By the end of the day we had covered five project management processes, seven tools, three behaviours and thirteen concepts!

As the project management day unfolded we gained new skills and importantly it allowed the participants the opportunity to interact with one another and helped us to analyse our own strengths and weaknesses, and each teams unique dynamics and the varying leadership roles

Jason Cay, 2019 Program Particpant 19/03/19

The Future is a Quantum Leap Away

Today’s technology developments are moving forward at a fast pace. 3D printing has revolutionised the world and the challenge to introduce these new technologies is very real, and how do we manage these new developments ethically and with so many complexities?

We’re told, it’s been proven that we can print a house at a fraction of the cost. We can print food with the same nutritional value. There will be less waste, safer jobs, better quality products available and it will help grow regional areas of Australia. How will this impact current industries like farming and construction and what future industries will it create?

Dubai alone have set a target that 25% of buildings will be printed by 2030. So where does Australia fit into all this? Is Australia falling behind in this technology mainly due to strict regulations? We know the technology is coming, we just don’t know when. We need to prepare for it now, however how do we do this? Educating people for jobs that don’t exist yet is a difficult task. Preparing for something when we have no idea when it’s coming is a huge challenge that exists today.

This technology is coming whether we like it or not. Standards and regulations will be challenging and we need to embrace the change with a strong focus on Ethics, people and communities.

Together we can implement and support these changes to improve our region and for the benefit of our future generations.

Adam Kent, 2018 Program Participant, 06/03/19

Good People Own Courage

Although people have a different words to describe ethical leadership and ethical behaviour, each of them are centered on doing what’s right. At the first Program Day each presenter had a slightly different perspective on the topic which made for a really well rounded overview and showed just how important having a good ethical position is.

The sunlight test is something we can all think about and apply to the decisions we make day to day. How would we feel if our actions were out there for the world to see? Examples during the day demonstrated that not only people of a high profile can get found out, but those who may see themselves too small and insignificant can and will be held to account.

One of the strongest messages from the day was that the ethical decisions are the ones that require the most courage. It takes real guts to stand up for what’s right and it can be very hard. Good people own courage and quite often, if it doesn’t feel right – chances are it’s not.

All in all, ethical leadership and behavior is the right thing to do. A little bit of unethical behaviour here and there can soon lead to something much larger and before too long it may not be apparent just how bad it has become.

Making ethical decisions can be hard, but if it’s a good night’s sleep you’re chasing, then the right decision – the ethical decision – will be the best.

Jason Eats, 2019 Program Participant, 19/02/19

2019 Aspiring Leaders

Please join us in welcoming our aspiring leaders for 2019

Adam Kent, Returned Services League, Sponsor: Warrnambool City Council

Jason Eats, Yambuk and Codrington Wind Farms

Ben Fraser, Portland Observer Sponsor: Committee for Portland

Andrew Povey, Wannon Water

Brendan Donahoo, Emmanuel College Sponsor: Hugh Williamson Foundation

Anthony Dufty, Corangamite Shire

Kate Roache, Country Education Partnership

Kelly Barnes, Western Ag Sponsor: Agriculture Victoria

Ashlee Scott, Warrnambool Racing Club

Bradley Collins, Self Employed Dairy Farmer, Sponsor: Gardiner Foundation

Jan Mackenzie, Lyndoch Living

Tafadzwa Chitava, Gunditjmara Aboriginal Cooperative Sponsor: Wannon Water

Jason Cay, Southern Grampians Shire

Nikki Edwards, Portland District Health Sponsor: South West Community Foundation

Juan Donis, Warrnambool City Council

Amy Silvester, South West TAFE

Rachael James, Westpac Bank, Sponsor: Gardiner Foundation

Sophie Baulch, Wannon Water