Policy Futures: A Reform Agenda is the flagship publication of the Policy Impact Program
A partnership between The University of Queensland and The Winston Churchill Memorial Trust.
Every year, talented Australians from all walks of life are awarded Churchill Fellowships to travel overseas and investigate inspiring and best practices that could benefit Australian communities. Through their travels, Churchill Fellows access and exchange knowledge and experiences with industry and community leaders from around the world who have insights to offer in relation to the Fellows’ areas of focus. Churchill Fellows also explore, first hand, international policy development and implementation, reviewing what has been successfully achieved in other countries and most importantly how it might be applied within Australia.
The Policy Impact Program was developed by The University of Queensland Centre for Policy Futures and The Winston Churchill Memorial Trust with the intent of helping Churchill Fellows draw upon their international knowledge to best inform policy reform in Australia. The Policy Impact Program and its flagship publication, Policy Futures: A Reform Agenda, combines some of the best of the Churchill Fellows’ ideas and insights with the policy and governance expertise of the Centre for Policy Futures.
For more information about Policy Impact Program, Policy Futures or future Churchill Policy Room events, please contact us.
Policy Futures: A Reform Agenda Issue no. 3 announced. We’re excited to introduce our 2023-24 Policy Impact program Fellows:
Kate Bjur (QLD, 2022) The Donald Mackay Churchill Fellowship to investigate effective responses to youth gangs for use in youth detention centres
Glen Blackwell (WA, 2020) The Churchill Fellows Association of Western Australia Churchill Fellowship to establish diversionary practices for mentally and intellectually disabled persons engaging police
John Chesterman (VIC, 2012) To investigate the abuse, exploitation, and neglect of at-risk adults
Victoria Cornell (SA, 2019) The AV Jennings Churchill Fellowship to investigate alternative, affordable models of housing that could help older Australians age-in-place
David Cowan (VIC, 2020) To investigate the development of evidence-based policing across police agencies worldwide
Margie Danchin (VIC, 2020) The Bob and June Prickett Churchill Fellowship to improve vaccine and risk communication to optimize COVID and routine vaccine acceptance and uptake
Leanne Mitchell (VIC, 2019) The Jack Brockhoff Foundation Churchill Fellowship to investigate how councils respond to rough sleeping while balancing responsibilities to the wider community
Matt Wilson (VIC, 2020) To investigate innovative court-based approaches to infants in care and protection proceedings
Policy Futures: A Reform Agenda Issue no. 2 features policy articles of the ten Churchill Fellow Policy Impact Program participants. Download the publication or read the individual articles on the University of Queensland website here.
On the back of a very successful inaugural Policy Impact Program, 10 Fellows were chosen to join the program and further develop their ideas into articles for the 2022 issue of Policy Futures: A Reform Agenda, which was launched in November 2022 at Australian Parliament House.
Opened by the Senator the Hon. Malarndirri McCarthy, Assistant Minister for Indigenous Australians, speakers also included Professor Tom Calma AO, Churchill Trust Patron, Mr David Trebeck, Churchill Trust Chair, Professor Cameron Parsell, Acting Director Centre for Policy Futures, The University of Queensland, and a select group of Churchill Fellows.
Policy Futures: A Reform Agenda Issue no. 1 features the policy articles of 11 Churchill Fellow Policy Impact Program participants. Download the publication or read the individual articles on the University of Queensland website here.
In 2020, 11 Churchill Fellows were selected to join the inaugural Policy Impact Program and develop their policy ideas into an article for the first issue of Policy Futures: A Reform Agenda. In March, 2021, these Churchill Fellows were invited to the inaugural Churchill Policy Room at Parliament House in Canberra to launch the publication, where they met with Parliamentary Ministers, policymakers and advisers to discuss their topics.
Opening remarks and policy insights were provided by The Hon. Ken Wyatt, Minister for Indigenous Australians, as well as Professor Heather Zwicker, Executive Dean, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences University of Queensland; The Hon. Margaret White AO, Patron of The Winston Churchill Memorial Trust; Mr David Trebeck, Chair of The Winston Churchill Memorial Trust Board; and select Churchill Fellows.
Churchill Policy Room events
Each publication has been launched in the Churchill Policy Room, enabling Churchill Fellows to gather at Australian Parliament House to speak with policy developers and regulators about international best practice and opportunities for Australia. The concept is modelled on the Churchill War Rooms in London where experts gathered at a time of need to resolve a path forward.
During the Churchill Policy Room event, a select group of Churchill Fellows share their international experiences, expertise, and policy ideas with Federal Government Ministers, members of the opposition parties, senior bureaucrats and department officials.
Annual Churchill Policy Room event
The Inaugural Churchill Policy Room event
Become a PIP Fellow
Policy Impact Program
The Policy Impact Program (PIP) identifies, curates and advocates a selection of ideas from Churchill Fellows that have the potential to shape best practice and policy reform on a variety of relevant and contemporary issues facing Australia.
PIP Fellows work alongside leading policy analysts to assess the policy implications of their work and develop their policy ideas into an article for the annual Policy Futures publication. PIP Fellows are also provided with opportunities to develop their skills in policy and governance, identify and engage with relevant government leaders, extend their networks, and learn how to improve the context-specificity of their findings.
We encourage all eligible Fellows with findings and ideas of relevance to Australian public policy to consider applying for this highly valuable opportunity. Applications for PIP 2023 are open May 17th – June 26th. For more information and to access the application form please log into the Fellows Portal.