The impacts of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic have stretched far beyond the immediate public health concerns. To explore these, the Sydney Policy Lab’s Strengthening Australian Civil Society research team engaged with leaders and practitioners from across the country in a series of reflective conversations between June 2020 and October 2021.

These conversations focussed on four broad and interconnected capability areas, essential considerations for those who build and support strong and resilient communities – developing leadership as a practice, continually renewing connections to community, working in networks across systems, and building the influence to advocate effectively. 

Through examining the barriers and enablers to working in each of these capability areas, as experienced through the COVID-19 pandemic, this report highlights core principles for civil society capability, identifies barriers and enablers in each capability area, and makes six core recommendations for nurturing and strengthening the links across civil society.