Developmental leadership for women in the Pacific: Cultivating networks for change in Australia Award WLI alumni

This case study adds to a growing body of GTF (Global Tracer Facility) research using social network analysis (SNA) to map Australia Award alumni networks. Specifically, it examined connections between alumni that were part of Cohorts 1–3 of the Women Leading and Influencing program (WLI), an on-award leadership course aimed at building developmental leadership skills. Women from these three cohorts participated in the intensive leadership and mentoring components of the program in 2018 and 2019. The long-term impact of the program on their leadership confidence and skills was measured along with evaluating whether new connections were formed during participation and maintained in the present. SNA was also used as an innovative approach to distinguish key alumni among these cohorts that were using their skills, knowledge and networks in alignment with developmental leadership objectives. This case study was conducted as a research partnership between the GTF and the WLI program team and formed the first part of a two-phase research project.