What does this course cover?
This practical course develops the skills to use AI effectively in local government report writing. The course is organised around the stages of developing a report, from problem definition to a paper that’s ready for committee or a workshop. AI tools are introduced at every stage, focusing on building the skills to use AI well without losing the human judgement that good reports depend on. This means participants learn by practical application, using AI for real report-writing tasks from the first session. This course introduces AI at every stage of a structured report-writing process.
What you will learn
By attending this course, you will learn how to:
- use AI tools safely and effectively when writing reports and papers for local government
- apply a structured prompting approach to get better outputs
- define problems, assemble evidence, and generate options, with human judgement guiding the work
- draft and refine reports in clear, plain language that land with senior leaders and elected members
- understand where AI adds value in report writing, and where human expertise must lead
Who should attend
The course is best suited for local government professionals who help produce reports and papers and are beginning their journey in effectively applying AI to this work. No prior AI experience is required. It is for professionals who want:
- practical skills they can apply immediately
- a common language for talking about AI use within their team
- a clear sense of where AI adds the most value in producing reports
Course format
The course consists of three two-hour facilitator-led modules. Bring your own device. You will need a subscription to an AI tool.
What is covered in the course
Module 1: Setting up for success
Using AI to define the problem and assemble evidence
- responsible AI use and risks of AI in the NZ local government sector
- prompting fundamentals
- using AI to help define the problem
- using AI to help assemble the evidence
Module 2: From analysis to recommendation
Using AI to analyse options and reach a defensible position
- advanced prompting
- using AI to help develop solution options
- using AI to help select criteria
- using AI to help project outcomes and confront trade-offs
- using AI to help draft a recommendation
Module 3: Writing, refining and iterating
Using AI to draft clear, plain English reports
- using AI to help understand your audience
- using AI to help tell your story
Your facilitators
Joanne Dow
Joanne Dow
Joanne spent 16 years working in the public sector prior to joining FrankGroup, at the Ministry for the Environment, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, New Zealand Police, and in Crown Research Institutes. Much of Joanne’s policy work had a focus on interagency collaboration and stakeholder engagement. With years of experience as a diplomat, she has a strong grounding in relationship management and interpersonal communication and enjoys teaching people from diverse career backgrounds. Joanne’s introduction to using AI came while working at Scion and Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research. She has been an active user of large language models for the last two years, in particular to help with research and analysis.
