Printer-friendly VersionIntercultural Awareness and Communication IAC Training Programme
Why intercultural awareness and communication training?
The IAC training programme is a practical initiative to help agencies and communities respond in a positive way to New Zealand’s increasing ethnic and cultural diversity ie focusing on the ‘how to’ of ethnic diversity.
Who should attend IAC training and presentations?
While IAC training is primarily designed and offered for public servants (ie central government), training can also be offered to local government agencies (city and regional councils), NGOs and communities.
Training sessions duration
The Office of Ethnic Affairs designs sessions according to agencies specific needs. Shorter workshops and presentations for not-for-profit organisations and community groups are available, dependent on availability of staff from the Intercultural team.
- Full day sessions (8.45am – 4.30pm)
- Half Day Sessions (eg 1pm - 4.30pm)
- Two hour mini-IAC workshops
- One hour presentations
Following an IAC session, participants should be able to:
- list and apply three core intercultural competencies (cultural self-awareness, culture-specific awareness and knowledge, building bridges)
- apply these competencies to workplace settings
- describe briefly ethnic diversity in New Zealand and implications for government service delivery, policy development and human resources practices
- Explain and apply a framework for understanding culture (eg. the iceberg of culture)
- Distinguish and compare between descriptions and interpretations of behaviours
- Demonstrate how personal experiences and cultural values influence our interpretations and evaluations
- Relate a diversity of values to ethnic and culture-specific behaviours
- Identify and demonstrate tools for overcoming stumbling blocks to effective intercultural communication(eg. language-accents)
- Prepare intercultural learning goals for inclusion in performance objective and personal goal setting.
- Understand a framework for developing intercultural relationships with confidence and competence
- Relate learnings from IAC sessions to their roles and communities
- Understand the influence of cultural differences in the workplace and society
For more information about the Intercultural Advisory Service please go to this link.
To contact the OEA Intercultural team members, please see below:
Auckland
- Berlinda Chin
- DDI: 09 362 7968
- Email: berlinda.chin@dia.govt.nz
Wellington
- Craig Nicholson
- DDI: 04 494 0609
- Email: craig.nicholson@dia.govt.nz