Centre for Communications Excellence

Delivery Method: Online

Workshop

Communications

Federal Government IS 4/5 Communications Competencies

March 22–25, 2027• 9:00 am - 12:30 pm • Check for more dates available
Online
Cost: $1500
Have questions about cancellations, rescheduling, or substitutions? View our workshop policies.

Why should you attend?

This workshop is specifically designed for communicators and others interested in competing for IS-4/5 positions or those who are newly promoted communications advisors. The two-day program offers a comprehensive and practical overview of the IS-4/5 competencies and of the communications advisor’s roles and expectations. The emphasis of this highly interactive workshop is on the knowledge, skills and approaches that communications advisors must possess in order to succeed. The competencies profiles developed by the Privy Council Office and the Communications Community Office serve as the reference for the required skills and abilities.

The workshop combines a mix of formal instruction with a generous dose of group discussion and practical exercises in order to provide participants with immediately actionable new skills and knowledge.

What will you learn?

This workshop will focus on:

  • What are the competencies expected of mid-level communications advisors
  • What Government of Canada policies and procedures govern the provision of communications advice and services
  • What are the roles of communications advisors and what makes for successful delivery of their services
  • How does Government work: Structure, operations, central agencies, Parliament and its committees
  • What is strategic communications thinking and planning
  • Performance measurement and reporting for communications projects
  • Basic notions of issues and crisis management and media relations
  • What are “citizen-centered” communications and consultations and how to keep that focus
  • What do advisors need to know about the Web and social media
  • Basic approaches to government marketing, positioning and branding
  • What is the “Challenge Function” and how to exercise it effectively

What will you take away?

  • Workbook
  • Exercises and handouts

Professional Competencies

  • Values and Ethics: Serving through integrity and respect
  • Thinking Things Through: Innovating through analysis and ideas
  • Engagement: Working effectively with people, organizations and partners
  • Excellence: Delivering results
Photo of Tim Weil

Tim Weil

Tim Weil is a former Director General in the federal government with 30 years experience developing and managing a wide range of communications plans and activities. He began his career on Parliament Hill, where he developed a strong passion for… Read full bio

Sample Agenda

Day 1

Activity
Introductions and Workshop Overview
Competencies Profile for IS-4/5
What is the CCO Professional Development? What am I expected to know and be able to do? Why and how to use the Roadmap to develop my learning plan? Behavioural competencies for communicators.
Government of Canada Policies and Processes related to Communications
What Government of Canada policies (communications, contracting, public opinion research, access to information, publications, etc.) are relevant to me and what do they mandate me to do? What rules and regulations must I know about? How does this relate to my current and future competencies?
Exercise: Frequently encountered challenges.
BREAK
Roles of the Communications Account Managers
What roles am I expected to play, as an IS-4/5 (e.g. strategic/operational planner, advisor, context provider, technical expert, project manager, challenger, etc.)? How do I go about doing this in an increasingly complex context? Importance of verbal and written communications skills.
Exericise: Based on a case study scenario, participants will identify the specific tasks to be undertaken by Account Managers in the initial phase of planning and developing the communications strategy.
LUNCH
Exercising the Challenge Function
What is the “challenge function” in the context of the Account Manager role? What are the keys to exercising this function effectively? What is my supervisor’s role in supporting me in this function? How do I challenge my clients’ assumptions without compromising our working relationship? How does this link to the IS-4/5 Competencies?
Performance Measurement and Reporting
Why are measurement and reporting so critical for my clients and for me? How do I ensure this is done consistently and credibly? Essentials of Performance Measurement Frameworks. How does this link to the Competencies profiles for IS-4/5
Issue and Reputation Management
What is an “issue” from an operational and communications perspective? How does it emerge and evolve? How is it different from a crisis? Who are the key players? Why worry about perception? What about reputation? What are my roles in issues management? What do I need to know about media relations? What are the key principles for preparing media lines and House of Commons Question Period Cards? How does this link to the Competencies profile for IS-4/5?
BREAK
Exercise: Working in small groups, participants will develop a series of media lines, based on the case study scenario.

Day 2

Activity
Re-cap of Day One and Overview of Day Two
Strategic Communications Thinking
What is meant by “being strategic”? What does this mean in the context of the communications function? Where do I find the inside information and “intelligence” that underpins strategic thinking? What knowledge and skills must I consistently demonstrate to be and be seen as strategic? Who should be part of my own “strategic advisory circle”? How does this link to the IS-4/5 Competencies?

Mini-Exercise
Strategic Communications Planning
What are the key elements of strategic communications planning? How does strategic communications planning relate to overall corporate planning, to operational planning, etc.? How do I differentiate between actions, results and outcomes? What are “horizontal” communications? What is the fit with internal communications? How does this link to the Competencies profile for IS-4/5?
BREAK
Exercise: Based on a case study scenario for a communications strategy, participants will identify key communications challenges and determine results to be achieved.
Citizen-centred Communications, Public Consultations and Citizen Engagement
What does “citizen-centred” mean? How do polling, research, plain-language, targeted messaging, etc. support citizen-centred communications? How does the citizen-centred imperative influence strategic communications planning and execution? What are the linkages to government policies and programs? How does this link to the IS-4/5 Competencies?
LUNCH
The Web and Social Media
What are Social Media? How are they relevant to government communications? How influential is the Web in today’s media universe? How can Social Media be used to achieve my clients’ communications objectives? How does this link to the IS-4/5 Competencies?
Understanding Government Positioning and Messaging
Understanding Government Positioning and Messaging What do we need to know and understand about Government branding and positioning? How can integrate specific elements of Government positioning into departmental communications? What is the Government’s brand? Using the communications “Message Pyramid”, how does this link to the IS 4/5 Competencies?
Exercise: Options for a communication strategy.
BREAK
Structures and Operation of Government, Parliament and the Communications Function
What government bodies must I be aware of (Prime Minister’s Office, Privy Council Office and other Central Agencies, etc.)? Where does the communications function fit in relation to the roles of the federal government and Parliament (Parliamentary Committees, etc.)
Exercise: Working in small groups, participants will develop intersection points between the scenario-based communications strategy and diverse portfolio partners and discuss the impact of those linkages on the strategy.
Wrap-up and Evaluation
Participants will complete a short evaluation.
Register

The moderator was excellent – very natural, pleasant, and engaging throughout the session. She created a comfortable environment, encouraged questions, and made participation feel easy and welcome. Her delivery was a real highlight of the course.

Participant – Internal Communications

Workshop

Communications

Best Practices for Internal Communications and Employee Engagement

March 10–11, 2027• 9:00 am - 12:30 pm • Check for more dates available
In-House, Online
Cost: $750
Have questions about cancellations, rescheduling, or substitutions? View our workshop policies.

Why should you attend?

The current environment is dominated by management efforts to ensure that all levels of employees respond to significant changes in their internal and external environments. In this context, the ability to harness internal communications and engage employees is a pre-requisite of successful organizational transformation, that is, transformation that reflects and effectively deals with the complex impacts of shifting economic, social and demographic realities.

This workshop is designed to tune up and strengthen participants’ understanding of, and skills in, various aspects of internal communications and employee engagement, as well as to bring examples of best practices from diverse organizations.

What will you learn?

The workshop will focus on:

  • What is internal communications – principles, linkages and definitions
  • Relationship between internal communications and employee engagement
  • Key issues and drivers of internal communications
  • Diverse approaches to internal communications
  • What others do and do not do and why
  • What works and what doesn’t – sine qua non of best internal communications practices
  • Impact of social media on internal communications and employee engagement
  • Importance of research, monitoring and evaluation
  • Linkages to external communication
  • An integrated strategic approach to planning, developing and implementing internal communications and employee engagement

Included in this workshop

  • Participant notebook consisting of presentation slides
  • A link to post-workshop resources available for download
  • Certificate of completion

Leah Jurkovic, President CEC

Leah has over 25 years of experience working at the intersection of communications, organizational change, and cultural transformation. As a former executive at Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan), Leah led both the communications and human… Read full bio

Sample Agenda

Activity
Introductions and Workshop Overview
Participants will introduce themselves and outline their expectations for the workshop.
What is Internal Communications and Employee Engagement

• Definitions, principles and linkages
• Issues and drivers of public sector internal communications and employee engagement
• Understanding and using “impact mapping” to drive internal communications
• Key issues and challenges in internal communications and employee engagement

Exercise: Internal Communications and Employee Engagement Organizational Health Quiz
BREAK
Approaches to Internal Communications and Employee Engagement

• Addressing diverse internal communications and engagement needs
• From “corporate” to “HR” to “change” to “crisis communications”
• Different communications flows and applications
• What approaches to use and when

Small Group Exercise
LUNCH
Tools and Techniques for Effective
Internal Communications and Employee Engagement

• What works
• What doesn’t work
• How do we find out
• Integrating internal communications and employee engagement
• Internal social media engagement
• Do’s and don’ts of internal communications research, monitoring and evaluation

Small Group Exercise
BREAK
Integrated Strategic Approach to
Internal Communications and Employee Engagement

• Linkages to organizational strategies and business plans
• Internal versus external communications
• Building an internal communications strategy and action plan

Small Group Exercise
Wrap-up and Workshop Evaluation
Participants will complete a short evaluation.

A relaxed space where everybody felt free to talk.

Research Scientist, Health Canada

Workshop

Communications

Generative AI for Communications Professionals 

March 9–10, 2027• 9:00 am - 12:30 pm • Check for more dates available
Online
Cost: $750
Have questions about cancellations, rescheduling, or substitutions? View our workshop policies.

Why should you attend?

Generative AI is rapidly transforming the field of communications. As AI tools become increasingly capable of handling core tasks like writing, editing, and analysis, the nature of our work is shifting. This course is designed to help communicators not just keep up—but get ahead—by understanding how to use AI effectively, ethically, and strategically. You will explore how AI can enhance creativity, boost efficiency, and provide deeper insights into audience engagement. 

Whether you are a communications professional new to using generative AI and looking to incorporate it into your toolkit, or you have been using it for a while and are looking to expand how you use it, this is your opportunity to build skills, awareness, and confidence to lead in the next era of public communication. 

What will you learn?

  • Understand the fundamentals of generative AI: what it is, how it works, and why it matters for communicators 
  • Use AI tools to quickly generate drafts of internal, external or crisis communication products 
  • Use generative AI tools to spark creativity and new approaches to storytelling and messaging 
  • Tailor AI-generated content for different audiences, channels, and objectives. 
  • Analyze data and identify patterns in audience behavior, and tailor messaging and tactics accordingly  
  • The importance of human oversight in AI-generated content, including techniques for reviewing, editing, and refining AI outputs to ensure quality and accuracy. 
  • Examine the ethical considerations and risks of using AI in public sector communications, 
  • Incorporate policy, privacy, and legal guidelines relevant to AI use in the public sector. 
  • Emerging trends and developments in AI technology, and how the role of the communicator is evolving and what new opportunities are emerging in an AI-integrated environment. 

What will you take away?

  • Guidebook including concrete examples of how to use generative AI in each step of the communications workflow, from planning to campaign execution to evaluation.  
  • Increased confidence in blending human judgment, empathy, and ethics with AI-generated outputs 

Dan Hebert

Dan Hebert is the special advisor to the Director General of Communications at the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). He is also currently leading the CRA’s efforts to adopt of generative AI as a communication tool and leads the government-wide community… Read full bio

Sample Agenda

Day 1

Activity
Introductions and Workshop Overview 
 
The generative AI imperative 
Overview of the pressures pushing public sector organizations, and communications professionals, towards adopting generative AI. 
Session I – Why AI, Why Now? 
The Evolving Role of Communicators 

• What is generative AI and why it matters, 
• What AI can and can’t do. 
• The enduring importance of human judgment, ethics, and empathy. 
Your Place in the Future Organization
 
• Overview of Government of Canada guidelines for using generative AI 
• What support is available to help you incorporate generative AI in your work or within your organization 
• How AI shifts the value of your contributions 
 
Discussion: Small groups discuss a future where 70% of writing and editing is handled by AI. What role do you play? What new skills are essential? What skills become less important?  
BREAK
Session II – Prompting with Purpose 
How to write effective prompts and understand the principles of communicating with AI tools 

• Anatomy of a good prompt 
• Refining outputs, adjusting tone, breaking down tasks 
• Working with limitations and maintaining quality 
 
Exercise: Participants given a communication scenario and asked to develop prompts to generate information / documents. Communication scenario will continue to be used in Session III 
LUNCH
End of Day 1 

• Overview of the day’s main points 
• Preview of next day 

Day 2

Activity
Welcome 
Recap of the previous day 
Session III – Applying AI from Strategy to Evaluation
Explore how to use AI tools across every stage of the communications workflow 

Learn how to use generative AI to identify stakeholder groups, potential risks, and media landscape, recommended tactics and channels, draft products, suggest potential KPIs and evaluate feedback. 
 
Exercise: This section will be framed around a fictitious public sector issue. Participants work in small teams to use generative AI at each step, documenting their prompts and results. Share back what worked, what didn’t, and why. 
BREAK
Session IV – The Path Forward
Reinforce the need for ethical, human-centered oversight and prepare participants to begin integrating AI into their work responsibly.

• Techniques for reviewing, verifying, and humanizing AI-generated content
• Review of risks: misinformation, bias, privacy, transparency
• How to introduce AI in your workplace

Discussion: Pros and cons of using generative AI in your work?
Register

The information provided in this course made me think about briefings in a new context. It caused me to reflect on my own strengths and weaknesses. I was already able to apply the lessons learned in a briefing with my manager.

Communications Advisor, Canadian Food Inspection Agency

Workshop

Communications

Communication Skills for Today’s Leaders

January 20–21, 2027• 9:00 am - 12:30 pm • Check for more dates available
In-House, Online
Cost: $750
Have questions about cancellations, rescheduling, or substitutions? View our workshop policies.

Why should you attend?

This interactive workshop has been designed for individuals who would like to master their communication skills and be great leaders: the skills used every day to communicate and interact, lead and support. This workshop will focus on improving communication skills in strategic listening, assertiveness, negotiation, problem-solving, transparency, and decision-making. These are the key interpersonal communication skills of all great leaders, no matter the context.

Individuals with strong communication skills are much more likely to succeed and thrive in periods of change. Employers, whether in the public, private or voluntary sectors, are always on the lookout to hire and advance the careers of individuals with well-honed communication skills. To succeed in today’s challenging environment, interpersonal communication skills are paramount. Leaders from every seat need the skills necessary to deal with difficult issues in a straightforward manner, listen well to the contend with the ideas and concerns of others, problem-solve to support employees and colleagues, and demonstrate a calm respectful assertiveness when engaging others.

What will you learn?

This workshop will concentrate on the communications skills today’s professionals require for success. Specifically, this professional development workshop will focus on the communication skill sets that employers’ value most:

  • Strategic listening skills;
  • Assertive communications;
  • Negotiation;
  • Problem-solving; and
  • Decision-making.

During this workshop, participants will acquire the following learning outcomes:

  • Listen actively to others and, thereby, provide candid feedback to employers, colleagues and reports;
  • Express ideas and views in a positive, respectful but assertive manner;
  • Know how to problem solve and, thereby, facilitate conversations to better manage organizational and inter-personal difficulties;
  • Communicate assertively and effectively, able to manage difficult conversations with ease;
  • Understand the fundamentals of negotiations and know how to avoid common pitfalls; and
  • Take decisions that matter, know how to stand by the decisions taken over the long-term and know when a decision requires revision.

Who should attend?

This workshop is intended for today’s highly motivated professionals who want to advance their communication skills and careers.

Included with this workshop

  • Notebook consisting of presentation slides
  • Exercises, case study and handouts

Sample Agenda

Activity
Introductions and Workshop Overview
• The workshop participants will introduce themselves and outline their expectations and learning objectives
• The instructor will outline the workshop learning opportunities and planned processes
Active Listening: The Most Powerful of all Non-Verbal Communication Skills
• Participants will learn how active listening is essential to communication otherwise critical information will be missed or misunderstood
• Participant discussions will focus on how to listen actively to another person and how the act of ‘listening’ and ‘hearing’ differ
HEALTH BREAK
Assertive Communications: Make Interventions that are Assertive and Respectful
• Participants will learn how to express their thoughts, ideas and suggestions in a honest and appropriate manner
• In particular, participants will learn how to be assertive while remaining respectful of the thoughts, feelings and beliefs of others
• Participants will discuss and clearly differentiate assertive communications from aggressive communications
• Participant conversations will conclude on techniques designed to influence others through embedded suggestions
Case Study Exercise
LUNCH
Negotiation: Being Skillful While Avoiding the Manipulation of Others
• Participants will discuss the art of negotiation and why more employers regard strong negotiation skills as an important component of an employee’s communications tool kit
• Discussions will focus on understanding manipulation techniques — put-downs, bulldozing and spurious logic — often used in negotiations and how to resist and counter them
Problem Solving: The Stages and Techniques of Problem Solving
• Participants will learn why employers and organizational colleagues value problem solvers
• The participants will discuss the specific stages of problem solving and learn how problem solving techniques can be employed to resolve conflicts and disagreements
HEALTH BREAK
Decision-Making: Taking Decisions That Matter
• Participants will learn how to improve and further refine their decision-making skills
• Participant conversations will focus on the importance of decision-making and the meaningful role for decision-makers in today’s fast moving and evolving organizations
Case Study Exercise
Wrap-up and Workshop Evaluation
• Participants will have an opportunity to ask final questions and discuss remaining issues and/or concerns
• The participants will be asked to complete a short evaluation of the workshop
Register

Leah Jurkovic, President CEC

Leah has over 25 years of experience working at the intersection of communications, organizational change, and cultural transformation. As a former executive at Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan), Leah led both the communications and human… Read full bio

I … found the sessions not only engaging, but also extremely valuable for my career. Honestly, it was a fantastic learning experience over the past couple of days, and I walked away with practical insights and tools that I’m going to apply in my work going forward.

Participant – Stakeholder Engagement

Workshop

Communications

Advising Clients: Influencing Tactfully and Fearlessly

January 6–7, 2027• 9:00 am - 12:30 pm • Check for more dates available
In-House, Online
Cost: $750
Have questions about cancellations, rescheduling, or substitutions? View our workshop policies.

Why should you attend?

This workshop is intended for anyone wanting to hone the skills and techniques required to be a great advisor. Account Executives, Internal Consultants and Strategic Advisors are required to provide solution-oriented advice on a wide range of complex and highly-charged issues that require a mix of skills: strategy, diplomacy, assertiveness and more. This professional development workshop will provide participants with the insights, techniques, and tools necessary to become a sought after and trusted advisor, able to handle any challenge that may arise and earn the trust of challenging clients.

What will you learn?

This workshop will help those working in an advisory capacity to acquire skills and techniques in the following areas:

  • Determine how to build trust and create reputational capital with clients
  • Acquire the communications skills necessary to successfully advise diverse clients and client groups
  • Establish the trust and reputational capital necessary to successfully influence the decisions of tough clients
  • Successfully engage in the process of relationship building
  • Secure sustained client buy-in and support
  • Learn how to challenge clients with tact and diplomacy

Who should attend?

This workshop will be beneficial to all of those individuals who are required to advise and brief upwards in the public, private and/or voluntary sector.

What will you take away?

  • Workbook deck
  • Exercises and handouts

Sample Agenda

Day ONE
Introductions and workshop overview
 
Participants will introduce themselves and share one challenge they face working with clients
Role of the advisor and why good advice can be hard to take
 
The roles and responsibilities of the advisory function and the reasons why good advice is sometimes rejected
BREAK
The road to trust and reputation
 
Proven approaches for building trust, creating reputational capital, and establishing a client-focused relationship
The tools of the skillful advisor
 
Techniques for securing client buy-in and appreciation: influence, persuasion, and diplomacy
Exercise
Working in small groups,
Day TWO
Navigating organizational politics and negotiation

Positive negotiating approaches and strategies to navigate organizational politics
Being assertive and managing difficult discussions
 
How to be a more assertive communicator and better prepare for and manage difficult discussions
BREAK
The road to consensus and the challenge function
 
How to reach consensus and employ the challenge function successfully
Exercise Session

Working in small groups
Recap and Wrap-up

The participants will have an opportunity to ask final questions and discuss any remaining concerns
Register

Leah Jurkovic, President CEC

Leah has over 25 years of experience working at the intersection of communications, organizational change, and cultural transformation. As a former executive at Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan), Leah led both the communications and human… Read full bio

The moderator was excellent – very natural, pleasant, and engaging throughout the session. She created a comfortable environment, encouraged questions, and made participation feel easy and welcome. Her delivery was a real highlight of the course.

Participant – Internal Communications

Workshop

Communications

Effective Stakeholder Communications and Engagement

November 4–5, 2026• 9:00 am - 12:30 pm • Check for more dates available
In-House, Online
Cost: $750
Have questions about cancellations, rescheduling, or substitutions? View our workshop policies.

Why should you attend?

Imagine you’re about to launch a new policy, regulations, program or a project that can have a wide-ranging impact on your work and on your internal and external stakeholders. You need the collaboration and support of a variety of people. To get things done at work and to sustain continued successes, one must rely on the goodwill and support of others. Securing support from well-informed, influential, and powerful stakeholders can help win the much needed resources (human, financial, physical and other) for the successful completion of a program or a project. In order to gain stakeholders’ active and sustained support, it is essential to communicate with them early, frequently, regularly about what you are doing and the benefits of your project for them.

The ability to build effective rapport and relationship with stakeholders provides managers with a distinct advantage in managing expectations, dealing with difficult situations and negotiating their way to a positive end result. Understanding the stakeholders’ communication and decision-making styles and personal preferences as well as what motivates them, creates an effective pathway for a committed and results-driven business relationship. Stakeholder communication and engagement is a valuable strategy that successful people use to win others’ support. The workshop outlined below will help you learn how to identify the key stakeholders who have to be won over and kept informed and involved in a way they like, prefer and appreciate so that your efforts lead to success.

What will you learn?

Successful completion of this workshop will enable participants to:

  • Identify influential stakeholders for a project or program
  • Gather critical information about stakeholders’ communication needs
  • Determine stakeholders’ communication and decision-making styles
  • Establish rapport and develop mutual understanding with stakeholders
  • Create persuasive stakeholder presentations
  • Apply best practices in stakeholder engagement and communication
  • Understand the importance of moving from “transactions” to “relationship” mode

What will you take away?

  • Participant notebook consisting of presentation slides
  • Exercises and handouts
  • A link to post-workshop resources available for download

Leah Jurkovic, President CEC

Leah has over 25 years of experience working at the intersection of communications, organizational change, and cultural transformation. As a former executive at Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan), Leah led both the communications and human… Read full bio

Sample Agenda

Activity
Introductions and Workshop Overview
Stakeholders: Definitions and Roles

• Stakeholders defined
• Internal vs. external stakeholders
• Vertical, horizontal and other stakeholders and implications
• Distinguishing stakeholders as “political”, non-political, others
• Factors influencing stakeholder relations
• Stakeholder roles and influences
BREAK
Stakeholder Identification and Analysis

• Profiling stakeholders — characteristics, power, interests, postures
• Groups as stakeholders — opportunities and challenges
• Prioritizing stakeholders
• Stakeholder analysis and mapping

Case Study Exercise: Prioritizing stakeholders based on established criteria.
Communicating with Stakeholders: Building Relationships

• Engaging the stakeholders
• Determining their communications and decision-making style
• Using appropriate communications approaches
• Ascertaining the appropriateness of different communications and stakeholder engagement models, tools and techniques
• Determining stakeholders interests

Case Study Exercise: Assessing Risks and Impacts.
Day 2
Stakeholder Engagement Strategies

• Understanding and planning stakeholder communications
• Communications tools and methods
• Managing stakeholder expectations

Case Study Exercise: Responding to Senior Management Needs.
BREAK
Moving Stakeholders from Supporters to Advocates

• Guiding principles
• Moving stakeholders along the change continuum
• Influencing and persuasion skills
• Building Trust
• Tips for effective stakeholder communications

Case Study Exercise: Stakeholder Communications Strategy
Wrap-up and Evaluation
Register

I had a really good experience. I heard good things about your training before, and I wasn’t disappointed.

Manager, Transport Canada

Workshop

Communications

Communication Skills for Today’s Leaders

March 23–24, 2027• 9:00 am - 12:30 pm • Check for more dates available
In-House, Online
Cost: $750
Have questions about cancellations, rescheduling, or substitutions? View our workshop policies.

Why should you attend?

This interactive workshop has been designed for individuals who would like to master their communication skills and be great leaders: the skills used every day to communicate and interact, lead and support. This workshop will focus on improving communication skills in strategic listening, assertiveness, negotiation, problem-solving, transparency, and decision-making. These are the key interpersonal communication skills of all great leaders, no matter the context.

Individuals with strong communication skills are much more likely to succeed and thrive in periods of change. Employers, whether in the public, private or voluntary sectors, are always on the lookout to hire and advance the careers of individuals with well-honed communication skills. To succeed in today’s challenging environment, interpersonal communication skills are paramount. Leaders from every seat need the skills necessary to deal with difficult issues in a straightforward manner, listen well to the contend with the ideas and concerns of others, problem-solve to support employees and colleagues, and demonstrate a calm respectful assertiveness when engaging others.

What will you learn?

This workshop will concentrate on the communications skills today’s professionals require for success. Specifically, this professional development workshop will focus on the communication skill sets that employers’ value most:

  • Strategic listening skills;
  • Assertive communications;
  • Negotiation;
  • Problem-solving; and
  • Decision-making.

During this workshop, participants will acquire the following learning outcomes:

  • Listen actively to others and, thereby, provide candid feedback to employers, colleagues and reports;
  • Express ideas and views in a positive, respectful but assertive manner;
  • Know how to problem solve and, thereby, facilitate conversations to better manage organizational and inter-personal difficulties;
  • Communicate assertively and effectively, able to manage difficult conversations with ease;
  • Understand the fundamentals of negotiations and know how to avoid common pitfalls; and
  • Take decisions that matter, know how to stand by the decisions taken over the long-term and know when a decision requires revision.

Who should attend?

This workshop is intended for today’s highly motivated professionals who want to advance their communication skills and careers.

Included with this workshop

  • Notebook consisting of presentation slides
  • Exercises, case study and handouts

Sample Agenda

Activity
Introductions and Workshop Overview
• The workshop participants will introduce themselves and outline their expectations and learning objectives
• The instructor will outline the workshop learning opportunities and planned processes
Active Listening: The Most Powerful of all Non-Verbal Communication Skills
• Participants will learn how active listening is essential to communication otherwise critical information will be missed or misunderstood
• Participant discussions will focus on how to listen actively to another person and how the act of ‘listening’ and ‘hearing’ differ
HEALTH BREAK
Assertive Communications: Make Interventions that are Assertive and Respectful
• Participants will learn how to express their thoughts, ideas and suggestions in a honest and appropriate manner
• In particular, participants will learn how to be assertive while remaining respectful of the thoughts, feelings and beliefs of others
• Participants will discuss and clearly differentiate assertive communications from aggressive communications
• Participant conversations will conclude on techniques designed to influence others through embedded suggestions
Case Study Exercise
LUNCH
Negotiation: Being Skillful While Avoiding the Manipulation of Others
• Participants will discuss the art of negotiation and why more employers regard strong negotiation skills as an important component of an employee’s communications tool kit
• Discussions will focus on understanding manipulation techniques — put-downs, bulldozing and spurious logic — often used in negotiations and how to resist and counter them
Problem Solving: The Stages and Techniques of Problem Solving
• Participants will learn why employers and organizational colleagues value problem solvers
• The participants will discuss the specific stages of problem solving and learn how problem solving techniques can be employed to resolve conflicts and disagreements
HEALTH BREAK
Decision-Making: Taking Decisions That Matter
• Participants will learn how to improve and further refine their decision-making skills
• Participant conversations will focus on the importance of decision-making and the meaningful role for decision-makers in today’s fast moving and evolving organizations
Case Study Exercise
Wrap-up and Workshop Evaluation
• Participants will have an opportunity to ask final questions and discuss remaining issues and/or concerns
• The participants will be asked to complete a short evaluation of the workshop
Register

Leah Jurkovic, President CEC

Leah has over 25 years of experience working at the intersection of communications, organizational change, and cultural transformation. As a former executive at Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan), Leah led both the communications and human… Read full bio

The moderator was excellent – very natural, pleasant, and engaging throughout the session. She created a comfortable environment, encouraged questions, and made participation feel easy and welcome. Her delivery was a real highlight of the course.

Participant – Internal Communications

Workshop

Writing

Writing Effective Briefing Notes

June 17–18, 2026• 9:00 am - 12:30 pm • Check for more dates available
Online
Cost: $750
Have questions about cancellations, rescheduling, or substitutions? View our workshop policies.

Why should you attend?

The briefing note is an essential communication and decision-making tool in government and other organizations. It is written to present emerging issues, explore plans of action and inform decisions.

Today’s senior managers are overloaded with ever-increasing information, and they need to know what is important as they make decisions. The ability to provide concise, clear and relevant analysis in writing is a key skill.

What will you learn?

  • The purpose and structure of a briefing note
  • How to approach and organize a briefing note
  • How to write in a clear and concise manner
  • How to express the issue succinctly and summarize information
  • How to produce briefing notes that meet departmental requirements

What will you take away?

  • Presentation slides in the form of a participant notebook
  • Useful templates, exercises and checklists

Sample Agenda

Activity
Introductions and Workshop Overview
Why We Write Briefing Notes
Participants consider the fast-paced environment and discuss why senior decision-makers require timely, accurate, concise information and advice.
Writing Clearly
Participants review tips for writing clearly, and practice in a series of exercises.
BREAK
The Writing Process
Participants discuss the steps to take as they prepare to write a briefing note. Participants study how to write in plain language.
What is the Context of your Briefing Note?
Participants discuss how to address the Who, What, Why, and When of any briefing note they are asked to prepare.
LUNCH
Structure of the Briefing Note
Participants examine the main sections of a briefing note (Issue, Key Considerations, Options, Recommendation). Using a scenario, the class discusses the possible content for each section.
Writing the Briefing Note
Recap of principles and practices in crafting the briefing note. Participants read a case study and discuss the issue. Participants work in groups to prepare a briefing note.
BREAK
Briefing Note Group Presentations
Each group presents its completed briefing note. Participants discuss the notes and lessons learned.
Wrap-up and Workshop Evaluation
Instructor sums up the key points and participants complete a short evaluation.
Register

You folks have the best materials! I thank you and your colleagues for your continued support. It’s one of the reasons we continue to come back!

Manager, The Canadian Medical Protective Association

Claude Panneton

Claude Panneton is a former public service executive with over 20 years of communications experience including risk and crisis communications, issues management, strategic communications and oversight of departmental public environment analysis,… Read full bio

Workshop

Communications

Using Generative AI to Evaluate Communications Activities

March 11–12, 2026• 9:00 am - 12:30 pm • Check for more dates available
Online
Cost: $750
Have questions about cancellations, rescheduling, or substitutions? View our workshop policies.

Why should you attend?

Evaluation is a critical step in the communications cycle, ensuring that activities are aligned with priorities, deliver value to Canadians, and demonstrate measurable results. Yet, many communications professionals find evaluation to be one of the most challenging parts of their work. Identifying clear goals, selecting meaningful indicators, and turning data into actionable insights can feel overwhelming—especially for those without a strong background in research or analytics, or those lacking the time to focus on what has been done. 

Generative AI now offers new ways to support this essential work. From helping refine objectives into SMART goals, to quickly analyzing feedback data, to drafting evaluation reports tailored to senior decision-makers, these tools can make the evaluation process more efficient, more insightful, and more accessible. 

Using Generative AI to Evaluate Communications Activities has been designed to equip communications professionals with the knowledge and practical skills needed to set measurable goals, monitor outcomes, and evaluate impact—using generative AI as a powerful support tool. 

What will you learn?

  • Understand the role of evaluation in the communications cycle and why it matters; 
  • Use generative AI to refine campaign objectives into SMART goals and generate meaningful metrics and indicators; 
  • Explore how generative AI can analyze both qualitative and quantitative data, including surveys, media coverage, and social media feedback; 
  • Draft evaluation summaries and reports tailored to different audiences (e.g., senior executives, internal teams, or the public); 
  • Recognize the limitations, risks, and ethical considerations of applying generative AI in evaluation work, including data privacy, bias, and accuracy; 
  • Apply prompt engineering techniques to generate more reliable and actionable outputs from generative AI; 

What will you take away?

  • Notebook consisting of presentation slides 
  • Case study materials and exercises 
  • Sample AI prompts and evaluation  
  • Practical resources for ongoing learning 

Dan Hebert

Dan Hebert is the special advisor to the Director General of Communications at the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). He is also currently leading the CRA’s efforts to adopt of generative AI as a communication tool and leads the government-wide community… Read full bio

Sample Agenda

Day 1

Activity
Introductions and Workshop Overview 
 
Why evaluation matters 
Overview of the reasons that communications evaluations matters to government priorities, why the government is prioritizing generative AI, and how the two relate. 
Session I – SMART Goals & Evaluation Challenges 
The current state of communications evaluations 

• Review the communications planning cycle (focusing on evaluation)  
• SMART goals: what they are, why they matter  
• Introduce case study 
 
Discussion: common barriers communicators face when evaluating impact?  
How generative AI fits in 

How GenAI can assist with: 

• Goal setting  
• KPI development  
• Data analysis and reporting 
 
BREAK
Session II – Using AI in Evaluations
Review best practices for working with generative AI 
• AI-specific challenges (e.g., hallucinations, data privacy)  
• Prompt engineering tips for more reliable results 
Turning objectives into SMART goals 

Using generative AI to:  
• suggest meaningful metrics and indicators 
• identify appropriate data collection methods 
 
Exercise: Participants practice using case study data 
 
End of Day 1 
• Overview of the day’s main points 
• Preview of next day 

Day 2

Activity
Welcome 
Recap of the previous day 
Session II – Using AI in Evaluations – continued 
Using AI for Monitoring & Evaluation 

How to ask the right questions of AI to:
• Analyze survey and social media data  
• Summarize qualitative feedback  
• Monitor the public environment 
 
Exercise: AI-supported analysis of mock campaign data 
BREAK
Session III – Telling the Story of Impact with AI 
Explore how to use AI tools across every stage of the communications workflow 

Using AI to:  
• Draft evaluation summaries  
• Visualize findings for different audiences (e.g., executives, public)  
• Make recommendations for improvement 
 
Exercise: create a 1-page evaluation report with AI assistance 
End of Course 

• Recap of key learnings 
• What will you try first? 
• Final Q&A and feedback 
Register

You continue to offer exactly what government workers need to learn – at the right time!

Workshop Participant, Health Canada

Workshop

Communications

Using Generative AI to Evaluate Communications Activities

February 24–25, 2027• 9:00 am - 12:30 pm • Check for more dates available
Online
Cost: $750
Have questions about cancellations, rescheduling, or substitutions? View our workshop policies.

Why should you attend?

Evaluation is a critical step in the communications cycle, ensuring that activities are aligned with priorities, deliver value to Canadians, and demonstrate measurable results. Yet, many communications professionals find evaluation to be one of the most challenging parts of their work. Identifying clear goals, selecting meaningful indicators, and turning data into actionable insights can feel overwhelming—especially for those without a strong background in research or analytics, or those lacking the time to focus on what has been done. 

Generative AI now offers new ways to support this essential work. From helping refine objectives into SMART goals, to quickly analyzing feedback data, to drafting evaluation reports tailored to senior decision-makers, these tools can make the evaluation process more efficient, more insightful, and more accessible. 

Using Generative AI to Evaluate Communications Activities has been designed to equip communications professionals with the knowledge and practical skills needed to set measurable goals, monitor outcomes, and evaluate impact—using generative AI as a powerful support tool. 

What will you learn?

  • Understand the role of evaluation in the communications cycle and why it matters; 
  • Use generative AI to refine campaign objectives into SMART goals and generate meaningful metrics and indicators; 
  • Explore how generative AI can analyze both qualitative and quantitative data, including surveys, media coverage, and social media feedback; 
  • Draft evaluation summaries and reports tailored to different audiences (e.g., senior executives, internal teams, or the public); 
  • Recognize the limitations, risks, and ethical considerations of applying generative AI in evaluation work, including data privacy, bias, and accuracy; 
  • Apply prompt engineering techniques to generate more reliable and actionable outputs from generative AI; 

What will you take away?

  • Notebook consisting of presentation slides 
  • Case study materials and exercises 
  • Sample AI prompts and evaluation  
  • Practical resources for ongoing learning 

Dan Hebert

Dan Hebert is the special advisor to the Director General of Communications at the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). He is also currently leading the CRA’s efforts to adopt of generative AI as a communication tool and leads the government-wide community… Read full bio

Sample Agenda

Day 1

Activity
Introductions and Workshop Overview 
 
Why evaluation matters 
Overview of the reasons that communications evaluations matters to government priorities, why the government is prioritizing generative AI, and how the two relate. 
Session I – SMART Goals & Evaluation Challenges 
The current state of communications evaluations 

• Review the communications planning cycle (focusing on evaluation)  
• SMART goals: what they are, why they matter  
• Introduce case study 
 
Discussion: common barriers communicators face when evaluating impact?  
How generative AI fits in 

How GenAI can assist with: 

• Goal setting  
• KPI development  
• Data analysis and reporting 
 
BREAK
Session II – Using AI in Evaluations
Review best practices for working with generative AI 
• AI-specific challenges (e.g., hallucinations, data privacy)  
• Prompt engineering tips for more reliable results 
Turning objectives into SMART goals 

Using generative AI to:  
• suggest meaningful metrics and indicators 
• identify appropriate data collection methods 
 
Exercise: Participants practice using case study data 
 
End of Day 1 
• Overview of the day’s main points 
• Preview of next day 

Day 2

Activity
Welcome 
Recap of the previous day 
Session II – Using AI in Evaluations – continued 
Using AI for Monitoring & Evaluation 

How to ask the right questions of AI to:
• Analyze survey and social media data  
• Summarize qualitative feedback  
• Monitor the public environment 
 
Exercise: AI-supported analysis of mock campaign data 
BREAK
Session III – Telling the Story of Impact with AI 
Explore how to use AI tools across every stage of the communications workflow 

Using AI to:  
• Draft evaluation summaries  
• Visualize findings for different audiences (e.g., executives, public)  
• Make recommendations for improvement 
 
Exercise: create a 1-page evaluation report with AI assistance 
End of Course 

• Recap of key learnings 
• What will you try first? 
• Final Q&A and feedback 
Register

The instructor is outstanding. He created a very welcoming, supportive and engaging learning environment and provided very thorough responses to our questions. I really appreciated the amount of information that the instructor covered in this workshop.

Participant – Communications Competencies