Join the ACE Leadership Program: Empower Your Civic Voice

Applications open on April 6, 2026. But you are welcome to register your early interest now:

Building Australia’s Civic Capability Infrastructure

The Australian Civic Excellence (ACE) Leadership Program is COMPELL’s flagship initiative establishing Australia’s first national civic capability infrastructure: a standards-based system that develops, assesses, and certifies civic competency while providing structured pathways into governance roles, politics, and public service.

This is not simply a training program. It is civic infrastructure—a systematic framework that:

Establishes national standards for civic capability
Certifies civic competency through rigorous assessment
Creates verified pathways into governance, public service, and political leadership
Meets 7 of 16 UN Sustainable Development Goals
Builds lasting national capacity for democratic participation

The program welcomes Australians from all cultural backgrounds—permanent residents, newly arrived migrants, international students, long-term community members, and citizens.

Advisory Council for the ACE Leadership Program

Smiling woman with curly hair wearing glasses and a blue scarf. — **Professor Kim Rubenstein** – A Professor of Law and constitutional expert, she is Australia’s leading authority on citizenship law and a prominent scholar on gender and public law.

A man with a beard and mustache smiling at the camera, wearing a light beige shirt, with green trees and foliage blurred in the background. — **Dr Jasbeer Musthafa Mamalipurath** – A media & communications scholar specialised in mis/disinformation studies and currently a lecturer at Queen’s University Belfast

Black and white portrait of a man with short hair and a serious expression, standing outside near a modern building. — **Dr Mario Peucker** – An Associate Professor at Victoria University, he is a researcher specialising in far-right movements, anti-racism, and the dynamics of socio-cultural inclusion.

Man smiling in a pink blazer and patterned shirt, seated in a bright, plant-filled environment. — **Tāne Hunter** – Systems scientist and founder of Future Crunch—a thought-leadership and research organization that explores the frontiers of science and technology to foster intelligent optimism about the future. A former cancer researcher and bioinformatician, he traded the lab bench for a broader canvas, spending 15 years helping individuals and organizations navigate exponential change.

A smiling woman with curly hair, wearing a teal shirt, set against a dark background. — **Paula Kruger** – Veteran media leader and broadcaster with over 30 years of experience championing inclusion and diverse storytelling.

Close-up portrait of a man wearing glasses and a black shirt against a light gray background. — **Dr Tobias Andreasson** – Currently Director at QLD Treasury’s Office of Social Impact, past Associate Director of Social Innovation at CQ University, PWC, and an educator and consultant who specialises in embedding social innovation and design methodologies into systemic problem-solving.

A woman with short black hair wearing a red top and earrings, smiling warmly. — **Menaka Cooke OAM** – Clinical psychotherapist and advocate for women’s rights and multicultural communities, she was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia in 2025 for her extensive social justice work.

A professional portrait of a woman with long dark hair, smiling confidently. She is wearing a black blazer and has a blurred blue background. — **Fiorenza Provenzano** – A legal professional at Deloitte Australia, she is co-Lead of the Deloitte Foundation Brisbane, Vice-President of UNAA Young Professionals (and President of the QLD chapter), and co-founder of the charity Serve the City Australia.

A man with glasses and a beard looking thoughtfully off to the side, captured in black and white. — **Adam Jacoby** – A serial entrepreneur and innovation expert, he is the founder of the global democracy movement MiVote and currently serves as a strategic advisor to several leadership and innovation initiatives, including COMPELL

Why This Infrastructure Matters

Australia lacks formal civic capability infrastructure. While we invest heavily in professional development, technical skills, and economic capacity, there is no systematic framework for developing the civic competencies required for effective participation in our democratic institutions.

This creates critical gaps:

Confidence gaps: Many Australians, especially those from migrant and multicultural backgrounds, feel uncertain about how government works or how to engage with public institutions
Capability gaps: Limited access to structured civic education leaves talent untapped and communities underrepresented
Pipeline gaps: No clear pathways from civic interest to governance roles, creating barriers to diverse leadership
Standards gaps: No national benchmark for civic competency or formal recognition of civic capability

The ACE Infrastructure addresses these gaps systematically by providing:

Standardized civic education aligned with a national capability framework
Formal assessment and certification that verifies civic competency
Structured talent pipelines connecting certified participants to governance opportunities
A national network of civically capable Australians ready to contribute to public life

When people have verified civic capability and clear pathways to participation, they can contribute meaningfully to strengthening Australia’s democratic institutions and shared future.

Who This Infrastructure Serves

The ACE Infrastructure welcomes people from diverse backgrounds who want to develop formal civic capability, including:

Permanent residents and citizens seeking governance pathways
Newly arrived migrants building civic confidence
International students understanding Australian civic systems
Refugees navigating public institutions
Community volunteers and organisers seeking formal recognition
Emerging community leaders preparing for governance roles
Young people interested in public service careers
Professionals transitioning into civic and political leadership

This is a rigorous, standards-based program that provides participants with nationally recognized civic credentials.

The Civic Capability Standard

The ACE program delivers against a comprehensive civic capability standard developed in consultation with leading constitutional experts, democracy scholars, media literacy specialists, and civic innovation leaders.

Participants are assessed across key civic competency domains.

Assessment Framework

Participants who complete the program undergo formal assessment based on the civic capability standard. Assessment includes:

Successful participants receive:

Formal pathways into governance, public service, and political opportunities

Certificate of Civic Capability verifying competency against national standards

Structured Pathways & Talent Pipeline

Governance Pathways

Board appointments: Local council committees, community organization boards, advisory bodies
Committee positions: Government advisory committees, community panels, consultation groups

Public Service Pathways

Australian Public Service (APS) roles: Direct pathways into federal, state, and local government agencies
Policy positions: Entry points into policy development, program delivery, and public administration

Political Pathways

COMPELL’s Road to Parliament Academy: Advanced political leadership development (no PR/citizenship requirements)
Party engagement: Connections with political parties seeking diverse candidates
Campaign roles: Pathways into campaign management, political advisory, and advocacy

Specialised Pathways

Multicultural WHIP: Women-only networking and leadership development programs
Research & Innovation: Opportunities in civic research, policy analysis, and democratic innovation
Community Leadership: Pathways into community organizing, advocacy, and civic education roles

Meeting UN Sustainable Development Goals

The ACE Infrastructure directly contributes to 7 of 16 UN Sustainable Development Goals:

SDG 4: Quality Education – Providing accessible, inclusive civic education
SDG 5: Gender Equality – Supporting women’s pathways into governance and leadership
SDG 8: Decent Work & Economic Growth – Creating employment pathways into public service
SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities – Building capability for underrepresented communities
SDG 11: Sustainable Cities & Communities – Strengthening community participation in civic life
SDG 13: Climate Action – Building climate action awareness and capability
SDG 16: Peace, Justice & Strong Institutions – Building institutional knowledge and democratic capability

Register Interest Now!

Program Timeline

Apr 6, 2026

Application Open

Jun 2026

Information session

COMPELL will conduct an information session to help successful applicants prepare for the program and answer any questions they may have.

July 2026

Program starts

Aug/Sep 2026

Program Ends and Certificates are issued

Oct 2026

Australian Civic Excellence Gala event

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Program Format & Structure

Duration: 5–6 weeks (intensive online format)

Delivery:

Weekly live workshops with expert facilitators
Guest speakers from government, public service, academia, and community leadership
Practical case studies and real-world civic scenarios
Interactive discussions and peer learning
Self-paced resources and optional readings
Assessment activities throughout the program

Certification:

Formal assessment against the civic capability standard
Certificate of Civic Capability upon successful completion
Recognition gala event celebrating cohort achievements

Why ACE Infrastructure is Unique

Standards-based & Nationally Focused

First national civic capability standard in Australia
Rigorous assessment framework ensuring quality outcomes
Nationally portable certification recognized across sectors

Inclusive & Accessible

No citizenship or permanent residency requirements
Open to all genders, races, religions, and backgrounds
Culturally responsive design and delivery

Evidence-backed & Expert-led

Developed in consultation with constitutional experts, democracy scholars, and civic leaders
Grounded in research on civic participation and democratic engagement
Advisory Council of nationally recognized experts

Infrastructure, Not Just Programming

Creates lasting pathways and systems, not one-off training
Builds national networks and ongoing capability
Scalable model for long-term civic capacity building

Connected to Real Opportunities

Pathways into governance, politics, and public service
Partnerships with institutions seeking diverse civic talent
Alumni network supporting ongoing civic engagement

Why COMPELL?

COMPELL is Australia’s leading organization for multicultural civic capability development and democratic engagement.

We specialize in creating inclusive civic infrastructure where people from all backgrounds can build the knowledge, skills, and confidence needed to participate meaningfully in Australian democratic life.

Our work is grounded in:

Research excellence: Evidence-based approaches to civic education and democratic participation
Cultural responsiveness: Deep understanding of barriers facing multicultural communities
Systems thinking: Building lasting infrastructure, not temporary programs
Empowerment focus: Centering dignity, respect, and genuine capability development
Impact orientation: Creating real pathways and measurable outcomes

The ACE Infrastructure represents our commitment to building a more inclusive, capable, and participatory Australian democracy.

Australian Civic Excellence Leadership Program 2026