Evaluating the impacts of the RRANZ programme

An independent evaluation of the RRANZ Leadership Development  Programme confirmed its significant positive impact on emergency management leadership capability while identifying opportunities for targeted enhancement and sector-wide development.

During 2024, Christine Owen from the University of Tasmania assessed the programme's effectiveness and impact using Kirkpatrick's four-level evaluation model, surveying 70 and interviewing 10 alumni.

Key findings

Download the full report
RRANZ_2024_Evaluation_Key_Findings
Programme impact
  • High participant satisfaction with course content and delivery, with satisfaction ratings consistently above 85%
  • Significant improvements reported in key leadership capabilities, particularly in:
    • Setting strategic direction
    • Managing relationships
    • Self-management
    • Managing work priorities
Capability development
  • Full-time emergency management staff reported greater gains in:
    • Strategic thinking and problem-solving
    • Achieving through others
    • Communication and influence
    • Emotional management under pressure
  • Part-time emergency management staff showed stronger improvements in:
    • Self-awareness and adaptability
    • The ability to make difficult decisions for community benefit
 Areas for development

Need for additional focus on:

  • Technical role-specific training
  • Negotiation skills
  • Political acumen
  • Stakeholder engagement
  • Team performance management
Implementation challenges

Participants identified several sector-wide challenges:

  • Maintaining competency and currency in roles
  • Managing transitions between routine and crisis operations
  • Balancing community expectations with resource constraints
  • Navigating political interfaces
Moving forward
  1. Course refinements
    1. Maintain current crisis leadership focus.
    2. Enhance guidance on reflective learning.
    3. Clarify course marketing and expectations.
  2. Future development
    1. Develop tactical emergency operations centre training
    2. Consider specialised modules for recovery and cultural engagement
    3. Create opportunities for extended practical exercises
    4. Review and streamline leadership capability framework
  3. Structural considerations
    1. Maintain focus on professional development rather than assessment
    2. Support sector-wide resource and capability gaps
    3. Develop support for ongoing skill maintenance
Scroll to Top