Participant Portal: First Nations Board Governance Program
Welcome to the First Nations Board Governance Training Program participant portal.
Congratulations on being selected to take part in this program.
Here you will find further information for the program, including:
- A program timeline
- How to access Certified Community Director, the seven-unit self-paced micro-credential
- Key details for the in-person event taking place in Melbourne on May 17
- Webinar details
- Mentoring circle details
- Supplementary reading.
Please click the buttons below to access different areas of this site.
Program timeline
Program kicks off. You now have access to this portal and can begin your studies for the First Nations Board Governance Training program.
As a program participant you will now have access to Certified Community Director.
Follow the prompts in your welcome email to access the program. If you're having any issues, please email training@communitydirectors.com.au.
The Certified Community Director program is self-paced, meaning you can study at their own pace and on their own time. The course takes approximately 10 hours to complete.
Please note: You must have completed Certified Community Director before the in-person workshop on May 17.
This program covers:
- Unit 1: Governance foundations
- Unit 2: Understand and cultivate culture through recruitment
- Unit 3: Strategic planning and change management
- Unit 4: Managing your funds
- Unit 5: Effective communication for board members
- Unit 6: Conflict resolution and negotiation techniques for boards
- Unit 7: Finding funds
This workshop explores the key roles and responsibilities of board members and is designed to support aspiring First Nations directors to understand legislative and regulatory requirements and unpack the principles that sit behind good governance.
It will also look at the unique challenges, opportunities and pressures of community representation and discuss tools and strategies to manage this effectively.
The workshop will predominantly be conversation, story and scenario-based and will draw on participants' life experience and cultural knowledge to work through and understand key concepts and ideas. Knowledge gained in this workshop (alongside the broader curriculum) will help participants have the confidence to apply for Victorian public sector board roles.
Please note: Participation in this workshop is mandatory.
Key details:
Time: 9.30am-4pm
Location: Our Community House, 552 Victoria Street, North Melbourne VIC 3056.
Being an effective board is not just about having good intentions - it’s about fostering the right culture, ensuring a healthy mix of skills, and using the right tools to help create impact. In this webinar, we’ll explore the key elements of board effectiveness, from decision-making dynamics to strategic alignment and board culture. We’ll also introduce practical tools and resources available through ICDA that support board development and continuous improvement.
Some of the topics covered will include:
- Renew, review, revitalise
- Culture, skills and strategic alignment
- Succession planning
- Tools and resources to support board effectiveness
Please note: Participation in this online workshop is mandatory.
Key details:
Time: 1pm-2pm AEST
Location: Online.
Watch session: Click here to watch the recording - Passcode: VPSC2025!
Download slides: Click here to access the presentation
Participants are invited to join ICDA for a free webinar exploring the latest trends in cyber safety and the evolving role of boards in protecting organisational assets. This session is designed to provide directors with critical insights into the current threat landscape and actionable steps to strengthen their organisation’s cyber resilience.
Please note: Participation in this online workshop is mandatory.
Key details:
Time: 1pm-2pm AEST
Location: Online
Watch session: Click here to watch the recording - Passcode: Festival25!
Download slides: Click here to access the presentation
In this interactive webinar, we'll explore the benefits of simple strategic planning and look specifically at:
- components of an effective strategic plan
- the interplay between board strategic planning and day-to-day operations
- strategic planning in the context of organisational effectiveness
- establishing SMART objectives with measurable metrics
- environment scanning for better strategic planning
Participation in this workshop is optional.
Key details:
Time: 1pm-4pm AEST
Location: Online. Click here to access the Zoom session.
Program participants are invited to participate in mentoring circles, designed to connect aspiring First Nations board members with each other for support post- program completion. The mentoring circles will be split into two sessions:
Session 1: Presented by Jahna Cedar, this session will focus on applying concepts from governance, leadership, and organisational culture and from the online Certified Community Director’s course.
Session 2: A conversation between Jon Staley and guest speaker Karen Milward, where Karen shares her leadership journey opn public sector boards and participants reflect on their learning via discussion of case studies that raise ethical, decision- making dilemmas.
Please note: Participation in your mentoring circle is mandatory.
Find out more information about the mentoring circles, including who is in what group, and the specific date and time you'll be required to attend by clicking here.
Certified Community Director
As a First Nations Board Governance Training Program participant you will now have access to Certified Community Director.
Follow the prompts in your welcome email to access the program. If you're having any issues, please email info@communitydirectors.com.au.
The Certified Community Director program is self-paced, meaning you can study at their own pace and on their own time. The course takes approximately 10 hours to complete.
Please note: You must have completed Certified Community Director before the in-person workshop on May 17.
This program covers:
- Course introduction
- Introduction to the not-for-profit sector
- What is governance?
- The difference between governance and management
- The roles and responsibilities of the board
- Ensuring legal and financial compliance and accountability
- NFP and community group legal structures
- The constitution
- Meetings and decision-making
- Further resources and conclusion
- Course introduction
- What is culture?
- Understanding culture
- Cultural diversity and safety
- Cultural influences
- Introduction to recruitment
- Do you need a CEO?
- Recruiting for culture
- Selection process and onboarding
- Board recruitment
- Further resources and conclusion
- Course introduction
- What is strategic planning?
- Involving stakeholders
- Role of the board in strategic planning
- Developing strategic objectives
- Implementation and monitoring
- Introduction to change management
- Types of organisational change
- Models of change
- Role of the board in managing change
- Further resources and conclusion
- Course introduction
- Financial responsibilities of the board
- Understanding key finance reports
- Financial planning and monitoring
- Accounting systems
- Avoiding insolvency
- Further resources and conclusion
- Course introduction
- Create an elevator pitch
- Communicate effectively as a board
- Who speaks when and why?
- Explore communication scenarios
- Stakeholder engagement
- Develop a communication strategy
- Further resources and conclusion
- Course introduction
- What is conflict and how can it impact groups
- Responses to conflict
- Managing conflict
- Understand when to negotiate
- Negotiation process
- Test your knowledge
- Further resources and conclusion
- Course introduction
- Plan to find funding
- Prepare your case for funding
- Develop a funding strategy
- Further resources and conclusion
Login required.
In-person workshop
This workshop explores the key roles and responsibilities of board members and is designed to support aspiring First Nations directors to understand legislative and regulatory requirements and unpack the principles that sit behind good governance.
It will also look at the unique challenges, opportunities and pressures of community representation and discuss tools and strategies to manage this effectively.
The workshop will predominantly be conversation, story and scenario-based and will draw on participants' life experience and cultural knowledge to work through and understand key concepts and ideas. Knowledge gained in this workshop (alongside the broader curriculum) will help participants have the confidence to apply for Victorian public sector board roles.
Please note: Participation in this workshop is mandatory.
Key details:
Time: 9.30am-4.00pm
Location: Our Community House, 552 Victoria Street, North Melbourne VIC 3056.
Session slides
Download the slides below.
Webinar details
First Nations Board Governance Training Program participants are invited to attend three webinars by ICDA:
- Board effectiveness (Mandatory attendance)
- Cyber safety trends and the board's role (Mandatory attendance)
- Strategic planning (Optional attendance)
More information, including the Zoom link for each of the sessions, can be found below.
Being an effective board is not just about having good intentions - it’s about fostering the right culture, ensuring a healthy mix of skills, and using the right tools to help create impact. In this webinar, we’ll explore the key elements of board effectiveness, from decision-making dynamics to strategic alignment and board culture. We’ll also introduce practical tools and resources available through ICDA that support board development and continuous improvement.
Some of the topics covered will include:
- Renew, review, revitalise
- Culture, skills and strategic alignment
- Succession planning
- Tools and resources to support board effectiveness.
Please note: Participation in this online workshop is mandatory.
Key details:
Time: 1pm-2pm AEST
Location: Online. Click here to access the Zoom session.
Participants are invited to join ICDA for a free webinar exploring the latest trends in cyber safety and the evolving role of boards in protecting organisational assets. This session is designed to provide directors with critical insights into the current threat landscape and actionable steps to strengthen their organisation’s cyber resilience.
Please note: Participation in this online workshop is mandatory.
Key details:
Time: 1pm-2pm AEST
Location: Online. Click here to access the Zoom session.
In this interactive webinar, we'll explore the benefits of simple strategic planning and look specifically at:
- components of an effective strategic plan
- the interplay between board strategic planning and day-to-day operations
- strategic planning in the context of organisational effectiveness
- establishing SMART objectives with measurable metrics
- environment scanning for better strategic planning
Participation in this workshop is optional.
Key details:
Time: 1pm-4pm AEST
Location: Online. Click here to access the Zoom session.
Mentoring circles
Program participants are invited to participate in mentoring circles, designed to connect aspiring First Nations board members with each other for support post- program completion.
Click below to reveal your group and the corresponding session times. Names for mentoring circle groups are in alphabetical order.
Anthony C
Brodi P
Cienan M
Corey H
Hope E
Imogen W
Janelle A
Kate C
Keeden G
Kristy B
Kylie B
Mark C
Monique G
Nakoma W
Nathaniel G
Sharney B
Thomas S
Your mentoring circle details:
Date: Monday, 2 June
Time: 5pm-7pm
Zoom link: Click here to access the event.
Anthony F
Elle R
Gina B
Glynis V
Helen K
John E
Joseph C
Kaylene W
Lauren F
Luke B
Marc G
Maree P
Rhiannon D
Samantha S
Samiel M
Tracy H
Your mentoring circle details:
Date: Tuesday, 3 June
Time: 5pm-7pm
Zoom link: Click here to access the event.
Aidan F
Andrew M
Bianca C
Crystal B
Daniel R
Gianetta W
Gordon R
Jarvis A
Kym M
Margaret P
Melina S
Narlinga M
Nicholas R
Olivia B
Shannon B
Troy W
Your mentoring circle details:
Date: Wednesday, 4 June
Time: 5pm-7pm
Zoom link: Click here to access the event.
Alannah L
Andrew C
Brett W
Carla S
Daniela D
Gail L
Hayden E
Jordan C
Karen B
Michelle C
Ray W
Rose DJ
Shane M
Shane F
Shonelle R
Ted J
Your mentoring circle details:
Date: Thursday, 5 June
Time: 5pm-7pm
Zoom link: Click here to access the event.
The agenda for the mentoring circle sessions can be found below:
Session 1: Presented by Jahna Cedar, this session will focus on applying concepts from governance, leadership, and organisational culture and from the online Certified Community Director’s course.
Session 2: A conversation between Jon Staley and guest speaker Karen Milward, where Karen shares her leadership journey opn public sector boards and participants reflect on their learning via discussion of case studies that raise ethical, decision- making dilemmas.
Supplementary reading
Some further (non-mandatory) reading and resources for the First Nations Board Governance Training Program
The following are some suggestions for further reading and enquiry for those who want to dig even deeper into aspects of leadership and governance.
This article is useful in highlighting that culture, strategy and purpose are all deeply interconnected in any company context.
This article highlights the important role that ethics plays in leadership and business.
This is a really interesting piece that encourages non profit boards to widen their scope, ensure they are being purpose led and seek to think about the whole ecosystem of which they are a part.
These websites have some excellent resources to support understanding and working with the interconnection of governance and culture.
This website has some fantastic resources underpinned by a cultural approach to and understanding of governance
This website has some great resources and stories related to two-way governance
The following are examples of free tools that have been developed by ICDA to support the sector.
ICDA created the governance wellbeing wheel to help boards understand the relationship between the actions and precedents set at board level and the effects these have in the broader organisation.
One of the most used and loved resources around for community organisations – free downloadable, customisable policy templates that are available for non-commercial use, providing essential governance tools.