Local Government

This programme is aimed at developing within individuals the capacity to understand and change organisational systems and to understand and change oneself.

A key objective is to build capacity in individuals to operate outside of their functional responsibilities and to broaden their understanding of organisational and system issues, enhancing their ability to operate at a strategic level. The programme therefore challenges individuals to move beyond their current functional roles and behaviour; to open up to approaches when working with others to achieve goals and to generate more efficient and innovative outcomes.

The A – Z of Irish Local Government is designed to give an overview of each of the key services, and the principal pieces of legislation underpinning the services currently being provided by Local Authorities in Ireland. The A - Z of Irish Local Government is ideal for anyone (either from a Local Authority or from an organisation associated with the Local Government sector) who wants to develop a more wide-ranging knowledge of the sector.  This programme is currently available as a series of pre-recorded videos.

The modular Legislative Training Programme is available for delivery online.  It addresses legislation pertaining to the areas of Housing, Planning, Environment, Water and Roads & Transportation Services in Irish Local Authorities. There are two sessions allocated to each of the five Service areas.  This programme is currently available as a series of pre-recorded videos.

The responsibility for budget management and control is being cascaded down to individual Departments and Centres within Irish Local Government.  This creates a need for those with the responsibility for these areas and Elected Members to understand the financial processes, reports and documents that they are being asked to comment upon.

This half day Budget Management and Control for Local Government course is designed to provide the support needed by detailing the system of preparing budgets, the process by which actual expenditure is calculated and the control system used whereby actual and budgetary figures are compared to produce ‘variances’.  The process of analysing variances, for the purpose of explaining under or over spending is a key aspect of this course, in the same way that is the main means of effecting budgetary control in Local Government.

Understanding Local Government Finance is a specialist-led online one-day course that is designed to provide participants with a basic understanding of how an Irish Local Authority sources their income to fund day to day expenditure and capital expenditure. The course will also provide participants with an appreciation of how the budget process works in a Local Authority and an understanding of the Income and Expenditure Account and Balance Sheet of a Local Authority. Finally, the course will examine the role of internal and external audit in a local government context.

A new Code of Practice for Employers and Employees on the Prevention and Resolution of Bullying at Work, written by the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) and the Health and Safety Authority (HSA), has been in place since December 2020 (S.I. 674 of 2020, Industrial Relations Act 1990). 

The Local Authority Sector, through the work of the Local Government Management Agency (LGMA), has revised their Dignity at Work Policy to incorporate the changes required to implement the new Code of Practice.      

The aim of this workshop: The Role of the Secondary Resolution Process in the Local Authority Sector,  is to focus specifically on the new informal resolution process of the Dignity at Work process, namely the ‘Secondary Resolution Process’ and how this should be undertaken on behalf of the Local Authority and what the expected outcome should be.  

Standards for Rented Houses is a training programme for all staff, both professional/technical and administrative, who have responsibilities related to enforcement of the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2019. The IPA, working in close collaboration with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, present this four-day training progamme. 

The programme seeks to bring about a common understanding among Inspectorate Staff, and thereby a standardisation, in interpretation and implementation of the Regulations and Guidelines both within individual local authorities and across the sector generally.

Scenarios and Roleplay Training for Housing Practitioners is a one day programme for Official Visitors to a person/s in the person/s home. This includes Local Authority Officers, Officials and Inspectors that must have access to the persons home for official reasons.

Anti-social behaviour has become an all too real issue in recent years with many local authorities and their staff having to learn how to deal effectively with difficult problems arising within their housing stock; this in addition to their daily duties.

Anti-social problems can range from neighbour disputes to drug dealing - highlight the myriad of issues presenting themselves at the local authorities throughout the country.  It is imperative that they are dealt with effectively to prevent difficulties escalating.

The Social Housing Fundamentals course is designed for newly appointed (technical and non-technical) staff in Local Authorities (Grades 3-6) and Approved Housing Bodies who provide social housing services.  It will provide participants with an overview of key elements of housing policy, the social housing market and housing services.  This is a one day online course and can also be delivered as bespoke course within an Irish Local Authority.