Overview
AI is already inside government. The question for leaders is no longer “Should we use it?” — it is “How do we use it well, safely and in the public interest?”
For Victorian public sector leaders, that question is urgent. Victoria’s 2026 AI Mission Statement sets a clear direction for responsible and ethical AI adoption, with public sector adoption, workforce capability, ethical AI use and digital infrastructure named as key priorities. The Victorian Government has also highlighted AI’s potential to contribute up to A$30 billion to Victoria’s Gross State Product over the next decade.
Across Australia, the shift is already underway. Recent research suggests 70% of public sector workers now use AI in their daily work, up from 58% one year earlier. But rapid adoption brings real leadership challenges: setting guardrails, managing privacy and data risks, choosing the right use cases, building workforce confidence, and maintaining public trust.
The goal is not more AI, but better decisions about AI.
This practical leadership course helps Victorian public sector leaders cut through the hype and focus on what matters: strategy, governance, risk, people and practical application.
You will learn how to spot meaningful AI opportunities, ask sharper questions of vendors and teams, assess risk, support responsible experimentation, and lead AI adoption in a way that improves services while protecting trust, transparency and accountability.
By the end of the course, you will have a practical AI action plan and the confidence to make better decisions about what to back, what to pause, and what to stop before AI ideas become AI risks.
Who Should Attend?
Executives, Directors and Senior Managers
Policy, Program and Service Delivery Leaders
Transformation, Strategy and Innovation Leads
CIOs, CDOs and Digital/Data Leaders
HR, Workforce and Organisational Transformation Leaders
No technical background required — ideal for those responsible for strategy, risk, services or people.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this course, you will be able to:
Understand modern AI including LLMs, RAG and agentic AI well enough to lead strategic conversations and make informed decisions
Recognise the opportunities, limitations and risks of AI in Victorian public sector settings, from service delivery and policy to HR, ICT and procurement
Identify high-value AI use cases that support productivity, better services, workforce capability and public value
Assess AI initiatives through the lens of ethics, privacy, cyber security, accountability, transparency and community trust
Avoid common AI implementation traps, including unclear ownership, weak governance, poor data readiness, vendor hype and high-risk use cases
Collaborate more confidently with CIOs, data teams, procurement teams, legal, risk and vendors using a shared language and practical evaluation tools
Prepare teams for AI-enabled ways of working through clearer guardrails, capability uplift and responsible experimentation
Build a practical AI action plan tailored to your department, function or service area
In-person Training
AI for VIC Public Sector Leaders: Strategy, Governance & Practical Action
Session details
- Move beyond AI awareness and understand what responsible implementation looks like in the Victorian public sector
- Build confidence to make better decisions about where AI should and should not be used
- Strengthen your ability to lead AI conversations across executive, operational and technical teams
- Understand how Victoria’s AI ambitions translate into practical leadership, governance and workforce decisions
- Work through realistic government scenarios that reflect public sector constraints, risks and accountabilities
- Leave with clear next steps for turning AI interest into safe, governed and value-driven action
In Person | Melbourne CBD Venue TBD
26 November 2026 | 10:00am – 5:00pm AEDT
No technical background required – just responsibility for strategy, risk, services or people.
Key Sessions
The AI Era & Rise of Agentic AI
- Evolution: chatbots → copilots → AI that can act
- Implications for policy, HR, ICT, procurement, and service delivery
- Activity: Pain Points & Opportunities mapping (departmental focus)
- Plain-language explanation of LLMs, RAG, and agentic AI
- Risks of hallucination and mitigation via RAG and governance
- Activity: “Which Answer Would You Approve?”
- Balancing innovation with accountability and public value
- Understanding AI unknowns and emergent behaviour
- Activity: Public Value Check (mini-case review)
- Key AI cyber risks and mitigation strategies
- Threat → Control mapping activity to create a departmental checklist
- Aligning AI initiatives with ethical frameworks, legislation, and workforce obligations
- Activity: Framework Lens (evaluate AI use case against ethics, regulation, workforce impacts)
- AI steering/oversight models, roles, approvals, and use case lifecycle
- Activity: Design Your Governance Loop
- Identifying high-value, low-risk opportunities
- Activity: Use Case Canvas & Impact vs Risk prioritisation
- Exec ↔ tech collaboration role-play
- Personal and team commitments to adopting AI in daily workflows
Closing & Next Steps
- Complete 6–12 month AI roadmap & 90-day action plan
- Summary: leading AI-enabled departments in Victoria
Meet Your Facilitator
Waqas Khan
Data & AI Leader Driving Organisational Transformation | Expert in AI Governance, LLMs, Agentic AI, RAG, Data Engineering & Scalable Advanced Analytics
Waqas Khan is a data and AI leader with strong expertise in Large Language Models, agentic systems and Retrieval-Augmented Generation. Currently completing a PhD in Artificial Intelligence at RMIT University, he focuses on trustworthy and explainable AI, bringing cutting-edge research into real-world government and industry applications. He has led major analytics and modernisation initiatives, including a cloud-native procurement platform for the Department of Government Services that significantly improved visibility, governance and decision-making.
With a solid foundation in cloud data platforms, AI-enabled systems and data governance, he delivers scalable architectures that uplift operational performance and support strategic decision-making. He is known for building high-performing teams, advising senior executives on data and AI strategy and driving capability uplift across organisations. Passionate about responsible and future-focused AI, he is committed to helping organisations navigate an increasingly intelligent landscape
Register Today
Join this training for professionals working within the Public Sector
Extra Early Bird
Ends 11 Sep
$A 995
per person + tax $400 savingEarly Bird
Ends 9 Oct
$A 1195
per person + tax $200 savingRegular
Ends 25 Nov
$A 1395
per person + taxFor group or payment enquiries or custom training solutions, please contact [email protected]
Customised in-house options available for teams
Interested in any of our online trainings?
You can also choose to have them delivered in house. We will work closely with our inspiring session facilitators to tailor the content around the key development areas your team are prioritising, shape the learning outcomes around your core departmental challenges and make the most of your L&D and upskilling budget.
Can't see what you need?
Download our training catalogue to review all available topics