Case Study:

IPS is currently working with Services Australia delivering the Aspiring Program for the fourth consecutive year. Services Australia sought to strengthen its leadership pipeline for First Nations employees, addressing systemic barriers to progression and the need for culturally grounded development.

Across 2023–2025, IPS Management Consultants partnered with the Agency to co-design and deliver the Aspiring Program - an immersive, culturally informed leadership journey spanning eight cohorts and more than 150 participants.

The objective was to cultivate confident, future-ready First Nations leaders by deepening cultural identity, strengthening self- and team-leadership capability, and embedding culturally safe ways of working across the APS context. The program also aimed to lift retention, build networks and support participants to navigate the “third space” with confidence.
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IPS delivered a fully co-designed, four-module model each year - Cultural Immersion, Leading Self, Leading Others and Leading into the Future - supported by HBDI profiling, executive coaching, reflection sessions and an action-learning innovation project (IPS Wisdom Wayfinding™). The culturally anchored delivery approach, First Nations facilitators, storytelling methods, and Cultural Safety Charter created a consistent environment of psychological and cultural safety. Facilitators integrated Western leadership models through a First Nations lens, enabling participants to build capability while remaining grounded in identity.

Across three years, participant feedback consistently rated the program highly for cultural safety, facilitator quality, relevance and impact. Participants reported significant increases in confidence, leadership readiness, clarity of purpose, and ability to work and lead in the third space. Coaching and HBDI insights strengthened self-awareness and communication, while Wisdom Wayfinding enhanced strategic thinking and collaboration. Participants consistently described profound personal transformation, increased aspiration for advancement, stronger networks and a renewed commitment to cultural identity. The program is now recognised internally as a high-impact capability pipeline for emerging First Nations leaders. 

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First Nations Advisory

Leadership & Peak Performance

“I loved the safe space that was created for people to deeply explore their culture and the context of how that fits into their here and now. 
​My background in coaching came in handy as I was able to engage with each group to press in and better understand their thinking.”
Alana Kennedy, IPS Indigenous Advisory Senior Consultant

The Services Australia team pictured with IPS in 2024