13 February 2001 Kellogg Rural Leadership Course

The Kellogg Rural Leaders Course

• It is the 17th Course presented by Lincoln University. Started 1979. Numerous rural interest group leaders, MP's and Cabinet Ministers are graduates of the course eg. Jenny Shipley, Jack Luxton, and from the last election, ACT MP Gerry Eckhoff who was on the 1997 Kellogg Course.
• The course, founded in 1979, is regarded as the country's top rural leadership training opportunity. The concept was developed at the then Lincoln College and initially funding was obtained from the Kellogg Foundation of the
• United States. Hence the name of the "Kellogg" name for the course. In recent years it has been backed by the Joint Producer Boards of New Zealand.
• The programme is structured around the two key leadership skills of policy analysis and communication.
• Phase I of the course is a 10-day residential programme at Lincoln University.
• Phase II involves each scholar undertaking a research project in their home district. This occupies the bulk of the year.
• Phase III brings them back to Lincoln University in October-November to present their research reports.
• Phase IV takes them to Wellington to meet business and political leaders and learn at first hand about decision-making  and policy implementation at the highest level.
• There are 22 participants on this year's course; 14 from the North Island, 8 from the South Island; 18 men, 4 women. Occupations cover farming, horticulture, agribusiness and banking.

There is a course summary and evaluation session tomorrow (Wednesday 14 February) from 10.45am -12.15 which rounds off the scholars' 10 days at Lincoln, then they return home in the afternoon.

Ian Collins, Journalist, Lincoln University, Canterbury, New Zealand