IAP2 Australasia Community Engagement Training Courses

Social Point is proud to offer official Engagement Institute (formerly IAP2 Australasia) training, delivered by licensed Engagement Institute trainer Leanne Robb.

With more than 25 years’ experience in community and stakeholder engagement, Leanne brings real-world insight, practical tools, and a strong ethical foundation to every course. These nationally recognised programs are designed to build confident, capable engagement practitioners who can deliver meaningful, inclusive, and impactful engagement outcomes.

Whether you’re new to community engagement, refreshing your skills, or working towards the IAP2 Australasia Certificate of Engagement, these courses provide a clear, practical pathway to best-practice engagement.

Explore the course sections below to learn more about each training offering, including learning outcomes, delivery format, prerequisites, and who each course is best suited to. When you’re ready, you can register your interest using the form on the right. Our team will follow up with course details, availability, and next steps.

Have questions or want to talk through the right training pathway? Contact Leanne Robb at leanne.robb@openpoint.com.

course 1: IAP2 Essentials of Engagement

The Essentials of Engagement course is a one-day program and the foundation for effective community and stakeholder engagement. It is a pre-requisite for all other IAP2 training and an ideal starting point for anyone involved in engagement — from newcomers to experienced practitioners seeking a refresher or formal recognition.

This interactive course introduces the core principles, values, and frameworks that underpin contemporary engagement practice, enabling participants to apply learning directly to real-world projects.

Participants will learn how to:

Identify the key elements of high-quality, contemporary engagement practice
Understand the role and responsibilities of an engagement professional
Apply ethical engagement practices using the Engagement Institute Core Values, Code of Ethics, and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion principles
Clarify leadership and decision-making roles using the Community Engagement Model (CEM)
Apply the Practice Framework to plan, design, implement, and review engagement projects
Understand and apply the Spectrum of Public Participation
Follow best-practice approaches for engaging with First Nations Peoples in Australasia

This course is ideal for:

Those new to community engagement
Experienced practitioners seeking a refresh or working towards an IAP2 Certificate of Engagement
Professionals who work alongside engagement teams or support engagement projects

Participants will gain:

A clear understanding of engagement practices and how to apply them
Insight into the different purposes and uses of engagement
Practical knowledge of the Community Engagement Model
An understanding of how engagement benefits communities and stakeholders
The five essential steps to planning engagement, with immediate application to your own projects

One-day online course
8.30am – 4.30pm (includes morning, lunch, and afternoon breaks)
No pre-requisites
Course materials provided, including templates and tools

course 2: IAP2 Design and Plan Engagement

Please note: Participants must complete IAP2 Essentials of Engagement before attending this course.

The Design and Plan Engagement course builds on the Essentials module and supports practitioners to move confidently from foundational knowledge to practical application.

Delivered over two immersive days, the course explores the Design and Plan stages of the Practice Framework, equipping participants with the tools and confidence to develop robust, effective engagement plans that stand up in real-world contexts.

Participants will learn how to:

Prepare and develop comprehensive engagement plans for a range of programs and projects
Apply the Design and Plan phases of the Practice Framework
Identify and influence the roles of communities, stakeholders, and organisations in decisions and actions
Design fit-for-purpose engagement approaches
Integrate monitoring and evaluation into engagement planning
Apply contemporary best-practice engagement principles

This course is ideal for:

Practitioners who design, plan, or implement engagement projects
Professionals who lead, create, or manage engagement activities
Participants completing this module as part of their IAP2 Certificate in Engagement journey

Participants will gain:

Enhanced skills in developing strong, practical engagement plans
A structured and adaptable approach to engagement planning and delivery
Tools to monitor, evaluate, and refine engagement activities
Opportunities to develop and expand your professional network

Two-day online course
8.30am – 4.30pm each day (includes morning, lunch, and afternoon breaks)
Pre-requisite: completion of IAP2 Essentials of Engagement
Course materials provided, including templates and tools

course 3: IAP2 Apply Engagement Methods

Please note: Participants must complete IAP2 Essentials of Engagement before attending this course.

The Apply Engagement Methods course is a two-day, practice-focused program designed to help engagement practitioners confidently select, design, and apply the right engagement methods for different contexts, audiences, and purposes.

This course moves beyond familiar or default techniques and supports participants to make intentional, defensible method choices that lead to more inclusive, effective, and credible engagement outcomes. Through hands-on learning and real-world scenarios, participants build the skills to match methods to intent, demonstrate impact, and lift engagement practice across their organisation.

Participants will learn how to:

Navigate the full spectrum of engagement tools and techniques using the Engagement Methods
Tool and Methods Matrix
Design engagement methods tailored to audience, context, and purpose
Apply engagement methods in real-world scenarios
Sequence and evaluate methods across an engagement process
Justify method choices to decision-makers and project sponsors
Ensure methods align with Diversity, Equity and Inclusion principles, and First Nations engagement considerations

This course is ideal for:

Engagement professionals who regularly design or facilitate engagement activities
Practitioners who support engagement delivery and want to move beyond a limited toolbox of familiar techniques
Professionals across sectors seeking to apply modern, inclusive engagement methods tailored to purpose and audience

Participants will gain:

Practical experience applying over 60 face-to-face and online engagement methods
A structured approach to selecting, designing, and evaluating engagement methods
Tools to improve the quality, credibility, and impact of engagement activities
Confidence to explain and defend method choices to internal and external stakeholders
A practical suite of templates, tools, and resources to use immediately in their work

Two-day online course
8.30am – 4.30pm each day (includes morning, lunch, and afternoon breaks)
Pre-requisite: completion of IAP2 Essentials of Engagement
Course materials provided, including tools, templates, and method design resources

Meet Leanne Robb, licensed Engagement Institute trainer

Leanne Robb has spent more than 25 years turning conversations into connections and ideas into action. A trusted voice across both the public and private sectors, she’s known for blending strategic thinking with a genuine passion for empowering communities.

From designing large-scale engagement strategies to mentoring emerging practitioners Leanne helps organisations move beyond consultation towards meaningful collaboration. Her goal is simple: build trust, strengthen relationships, and deliver engagement outcomes that matter.

When she’s not championing community voices, you’ll find Leanne facilitating lively workshops, sharing thought leadership, or dreaming up new ways to make engagement more inclusive, creative, and impactful.

Past Participant Feedback

“Leanne is such an engaging engagement practitioner! She works at such a steady, accessible pace. The content is so powerful and applicable.”

“I really felt the quality of the training was very high and the delivery is well paced and personal.”

“Great content, and wonderful to hear from and connect with others working in the space!”

“As someone who is new to this type of work, I found the whole course very useful. Everything is explained very well, and Leanne was happy to answer any questions.”

IAP2 Australasia | 2026 Community Engagement Training