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Read the numbers. Defend your budget. Spend public money you can account for.
You didn’t join the public service to be an accountant. But your name now sits on the approvals, the spend reports and the end-of-year numbers. One practical online day with Lindsay Dewberry on reading, building and defending the numbers you’re accountable for.
Finance for Non-Finance Managers in Government is a one-day online masterclass from The Leadership Institute for public sector managers who hold a budget, a cost centre or a financial delegation. Led by Lindsay Dewberry, it runs live on Zoom on Thursday 18 March 2027 and earns 6 CPD hours. Every exercise runs on supplied public sector case-study material, so nothing confidential leaves your department.
A full, interactive day with Lindsay for Commonwealth, state, territory and local government managers.
Budget holders learn more together, and your agency gets one shared language for the numbers.
Download our Request to Attend template, including how the course supports your financial delegation.
Prices shown at First In rates, + GST. See all prices
We’ve written the email for you, including how the course supports your financial delegation. Pop in your name and email to download it as a Word doc, and we’ll send you a copy too.
Budget holders learn more together. Group discounts apply to every price. For ten or more, we run the training in-house for your agency.
You didn’t join the public service to be an accountant. But somewhere along the way you were given a budget, a cost centre and a financial delegation. Now your name sits on the approvals, the spend reports and the end-of-year numbers.
That comes with obligations most managers have never had explained. Under the PGPA Act, every Commonwealth official owes duties of care and diligence, honesty and proper purpose in how they use public resources. Approve a commitment of relevant money under your delegation and you must record that approval in writing. The states have their own versions, including the NSW Government Sector Finance Act 2018, Victoria’s Financial Management Act 1994 and Queensland’s Financial Accountability Act 2009.
Most managers get by. They roll last year’s budget forward, spend up in June and hope nobody asks why the forecast moved. That works until the budget bid gets knocked back, an underspend gets clawed back, or audit, your executive or a Senate Estimates brief asks a question you can’t answer.
This one-day masterclass closes that gap. Lindsay Dewberry has spent more than 25 years teaching managers to read financial statements and build budgets that hold up, including for the Attorney-General’s Department, the Department of Defence and NSW Health. You’ll leave able to read, build and defend the numbers you’re accountable for.
No agency documents required. All exercises run on supplied public sector case-study material, so nothing confidential leaves your department. Manage contracts too? Contract Management for Government runs in April 2027.
Members of CPA Australia, Chartered Accountants ANZ and the Governance Institute of Australia may claim it as verifiable or structured CPD. Every delegate receives a certificate of attendance.
Any public sector manager who holds a budget, a cost centre or a financial delegation but doesn’t come from a finance background.
Lindsay held senior accounting and management roles at several national banks and fund managers before founding Panache Training & Consulting in 2000. He has designed and delivered finance training ever since, in workplaces and in tertiary education, with particular expertise in performance measurement and external reporting.
His public sector clients include the Attorney-General’s Department, the Department of Defence, NSW Health, Melbourne Water, the Victorian Department of Human Services, Australian Catholic University and Deakin University. He has also worked with NAB, ANZ, MLC, Telstra, CSL Limited, Transurban and Colonial First State Global Asset Management.
“Best feature: activities engaging with each other on work areas. The understanding of some of our workplaces was great.”Queensland Health, Finance for Non-Finance Managers
“The trainer was very knowledgeable and helpful. He explained complex concepts in simple and easy to understand terms.”
“Best feature: the practical activities and the experienced, knowledgeable trainer.”
All prices exclude GST. Live online course. Pay by credit card, invoice or purchase order.
Need sign-off first? We’ve written the email for you, including how the course supports your financial delegation. Pop in your name and email to download it as a Word doc, and we’ll send you a copy too.
Get the manager approval templateBooking 3 to 9 people? Group discounts apply to every price above. Ten or more? We can run it in-house for your agency.
Request a group or in-house quoteEverything in one PDF — useful to read properly, or to attach when you ask for sign-off.
Fill in your details and the brochure opens straight away.
Log in from 8:30am. The day runs 9:00am to 5:00pm Canberra/Sydney time (AEDT) with morning tea at 10:30am, lunch at 12:30pm and afternoon tea at 3:00pm. Case study materials are emailed before the course — no agency documents or official figures are needed.
That’s 8:00am–4:00pm in Brisbane, 8:30am–4:30pm in Adelaide, 7:30am–3:30pm in Darwin and 6:00am–2:00pm in Perth. You take part in every discussion and exercise and receive a certificate of attendance and 6 CPD hours.
You’ll need a computer with a stable connection, a quiet room, a webcam (we ask everyone to join on camera), headphones with a microphone and Zoom access on your work device — check that your agency allows it.
No. The course starts from the basics and is built for public servants who don’t work in finance.
Examples draw on the Commonwealth PGPA framework, with the equivalent state legislation and local government practice covered alongside. The principles apply in every jurisdiction.
Not in 2027. This course runs live online only on Thursday 18 March 2027, so you can join from anywhere in Australia.
No. It’s a live, interactive day with exercises and questions, so please plan to attend on the day.
$899 + GST at First In rates (until 18 December 2026), $999 at Early Bird rates (until 12 February 2027) and $1,099 at Standard rates. Groups of 3–4 save 10% and 5–9 save 15%.
Yes. Choose invoice when you register, or call us on (02) 8294 2044.
Six CPD hours. Members of CPA Australia, Chartered Accountants ANZ and the Governance Institute of Australia may claim it as verifiable or structured CPD. Every delegate receives a certificate of attendance.
You can send a substitute at no cost, or transfer to another Leadership Institute event. Cancellations emailed to us receive a credit note valid for 12 months; within 14 days of the event the credit note is less a $300 service fee. We do not provide cash refunds.
Yes. Groups of 3–4 save 10% and 5–9 save 15%. For ten or more, we run the course in-house for your agency — at your office or online, on dates that suit you. Call (02) 8294 2044 or request a quote on this page.
Course dates, facilitator insights and behind-the-scenes moments from our masterclasses and summits.
One-day masterclass · April 2027
One-day online masterclass · 17 March 2027
Two-day masterclass · February 2027First In rates end 18 December.
(02) 8294 2044
info@theleadershipinstitute.com.au
Suite 205, 3 Hosking Place, Sydney, NSW, 2000
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