Education Strategy project

About the project

We develop and provides a wide variety of education and training to our staff as well as to participants in the mixed model of legal assistance services, including community legal centres and private practitioners on our Section 29A panels.

Education, learning and training resources are currently developed and provided by different areas within Victoria Legal Aid. While there is some coordination of training and education, it has been identified that improvements can be made to manage these more broadly at an organisational and strategic level.

To improve and set the direction for the provision of education and learning, we are laying the groundwork for the development of an education strategy. Determining our role in providing legal and non-legal education and learning to our staff and practice partners through the development of an education strategy would assist us to focus our resources on the efficient and effective delivery of considered, quality education products. An education strategy would also allow us to apply a more considered and strategic approach to developing and delivering education and learning by operating as a tool to prioritise the efficient provision of quality learning and education across the state.

The development of an education strategy supports the theme of ‘togetherness’ in Strategy 22 by contributing towards our goal of ensuring that staff and practice partners are equally supported with practice resources and learning.

Nous has been appointed to lead this work. Nathan Jones, who worked on Strategy22, is directing this project. He is supported by senior consultant Julia Bunjevac, who is a learning expert with experience interpreting capability development needs, and knowledge of best practice learning approaches.

Our plan

There are three key phases of this project:

1. Discovery – Nous will engage with Victoria Legal Aid staff and our practice partners to understand needs, expectations and experiences.
2. Define – Nous will synthesise the findings from the discovery phase by further consulting with Victoria Legal Aid staff and our practice partners, analysing the information gathered and exploring leading practice models and opportunities.
3. Design – Nous will develop a draft Education Strategy.

We want your feedback

There will be additional opportunity to become involved by attending one of our strategic improvement workshops in June 2019.

More information

For queries about the Education Strategy project, please email professional_legal_education@vla.vic.gov.au