Alpine Community Recovery Leadership Program

The Alpine Community Recovery Leadership Program was an initiative designed to enhance community resilience and recovery capacity, funded by Alpine Shire Council and the Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal (FRRR), in partnership with HMS Trust and the Sidney Myer Fund.

The program aimed to support Alpine community members in developing leadership skills, strengthening capacity, and creating a network of community organisations capable of leading recovery efforts from future disasters within the Alpine Shire.

Facilitated by Susan Benedyka, the program was developed through a co-design process that incorporated local knowledge into its design. Running from May to December 2023, the program enabled 13 participants to build their leadership skills, enhance their capacity, and contribute to a network of community organisations prepared to lead future recovery efforts in the Alpine Shire.

Program outcomes:

• 48% increase in participants’ knowledge of the Planning, Preparation, Response, and Recovery (PPRR) cycle.
• 35% increase in understanding how to find and apply for grant funding.
• 24% increase in knowledge of community leadership and how to engage diverse community groups and government for project planning.
• 26% increase in understanding of community diversity and how to effectively work within it.
• Participants reported a 21% improvement in communication skills for leadership roles.
• The program facilitated deep network-building between community organizations, enhancing future collaboration during disaster recovery.
• Participants experienced a significant increase in their understanding of resilience, both personal and community-wide, and its importance in recovery efforts.
• Interactive and experiential learning, including a mock emergency relief scenario, provided participants with hands-on experience managing real-life disaster situations​.

The success of the program and the demand for its learnings have paved the way for future iterations to be activated in the region, with a grant submission enabling the expansion of these initiatives to further support community resilience and recovery.