LDC Fellowships are annually selected research or study awards up to $45,000 for senior leaders. They aim to help senior leaders build on their personal leadership development goals and reflect topic areas that are highly relevant to their agency and the system, and make performance improvements to the public sector. The Fellowship may include formal and/or practical experience, and/or research and study on leadership or management development, in New Zealand or overseas.
Each Fellowship provides up to $45,000 for travel, accommodation and/or study fees. The Fellowship is sponsored by contributing public sector agencies.
Find out more in the Fellowship flyer (pdf).
LDC 2017 Fellowships winners
We’re pleased to announce the 2017 LDC Fellowships:
Kellie O'Sullivan, General Manager, People and Performance, Ministry of Justice - exploring the future of HR and large-scale transformational culture change.
Murray Young, Chief Information Officer, New Zealand Customs Service and Tracy Voice, Director, Business Technology and Information Services (CIO), Ministry for Primary Industries - jointly undertaking a joint study programme, looking at the use of emerging technologies to improve government interaction with citizens, focusing first on border control.
Peter Casey, Regional Manager Auckland Northland, National Manager Investment Development, Planning and Investment, New Zealand Transport Agency – investigating how the public sector (local and central government) can better ‘join up the dots’ with the private sector and non-government organisations, with a particular focus on our high-growth urban areas.
Blair McKenzie, Auckland Regional Commissioner, Ministry of Social Development - utilising education and experiential learning opportunities to understand existing best practice for leading diverse ethnic groups in a New Zealand context.
Read more about the new LDC Fellows and their study programmes.
2016 LDC Fellow - Jayne Russell
Jayne Russell, General Manager, Employer Services, Ministry of Social Development, is the 2016 LDC Fellow. Jayne will investigate businesses' corporate social responsibility (CSR) approaches. Maximising employment opportunities for clients is a priority objective. Jane will also apply her Fellowship learning to how relevant government agencies can better take a whole-of-government approach to working with the private sector in their provision of employment. Jayne's proposals was submitted under the 'Better Public Services' theme and she is looking at Leadership that builds sustainability, resilience and connections.
International stories of collaboration from LDC 2015 Fellows - enhancing system performance
LDC 2015 Fellows: Lis Cowey, Evelyn Wareham, Tania Warburton, Sally Washington
- Joint winners: Lis Cowey, Programme Director, Service Support and Design, Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment and Sally Washington, Programme Manager, The Policy Project, Improving the quality and performance of policy advice, Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
- Evelyn Wareham, General Manager, Customer Insights, Analytics and Research, Statistics New Zealand
- Tania Warburton, Deputy Chief Legal Counsel, Ministry of Justice
The LDC 2015 Fellows presented their insights into collaborative leadership practices across public sector systems, looking at public legal practice, information/data and policy in an LDC clinic in December 2015. They described some of the collaborative approaches they studied and observed overseas. Learn more about the keys to great collaboration for successful change.
“For me, the LDC Fellowship was an invaluable opportunity to reflect on my leadership path and on the New Zealand public sector’s dynamic development. It opened doors to thought leaders overseas. Going on this journey reinvigorated me with energy and ideas to tackle significant challenges.”
Evelyn Wareham
"The LDC fellowship provided me with an incredible opportunity to see how overseas organisations like us were grappling with the same leadership issues but dealing with them in different ways. Thank you LDC, I have been challenged in my thinking and approach and look forward to contributing to our on-going discourse in NZ".
Tania Warburton
"My LDC Fellowship gave me a unique opportunity to learn from people in other jurisdictions seeking to innovate public policy and public services. It gave me the chance to step out and reflect on my own practice, and gave me access to thought leaders and networks that I continue to draw on for inspiration. Such a great opportunity – very grateful”.
Sally Washington
More past LDC Fellows
Find out about more about the previous LDC Fellows and their studies and research topics. Check out their blogs, which include first-hand insights and learning.
Carolyn Risk, Ministry of Social Development
- Carolyn's blog
- What is good governance? Carolyn reported on her 2013 research on the principles of governance and their relevance to the public sector in an LDC clinic.
"The LDC Fellowship was the best learning opportunity I have ever had – the chance to mix targeted training with self-directed international research in a specific topic of interest to myself and the sector is simply gold."
Robert Brodnax, New Zealand Transport Agency
"The Fellowship gave me a period of time to reflect on my leadership and on the economic challenges and opportunities for New Zealand – with some great input from leadership courses and a wonderful economics library to feed that thinking."
Bryan Chapple, Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment
“The fellowship gave me the opportunity to learn alongside public and private sector leaders from around the world. I was taken way out of my comfort zone but the rewards in terms of personal growth were worth it.”
Janine Dowding, Ministry of Social Development
David Habershon, Ministry for Social Development and Craig Soutar, NZ Transport Agency
" …the best leadership development opportunity I have had … the most educational, enlightening and enriching development experience."
Craig Soutar
