The Australian Public Service was established at the Federation of Australia in 1901 as the Commonwealth Public Service. Its name may have changed but its role has not – to provide efficient, effective, professional and impartial support. In this episode of the Policy Shop podcast, the Secretary of the Department of the Prime Minister […]
Author Archives: Liz Pommer
Application not delegation: machine learning as a tool for better public policy
Machine learning, and the related but broader concept of ‘artificial intelligence’, sound magical on first encounter. David Diviny of Nous Group looks more closely and shows us there is no magic but a tool, when used well, that could form the basis of smart decisions. Machine learning uses sophisticated algorithms and computing power to detect patterns in […]
Regenerating political leadership in a populist age
If Australia’s main parties are to regain popular support they will need some radical thinking, a focus on consensus, and a willingness to listen By Professor Gareth Evans, Chancellor, Australian National University; University of Melbourne alumni There has been a notable decline in the quality of Australian politics and policymaking in recent times, with prime […]
The McKinnon Prize – recognising political leadership in Australia
The McKinnon Prize in Political Leadership aims to recognise political leaders who have driven positive change and encouraged a national discussion about the role of leadership By Michael Gordon, University of Melbourne It began with a chat over coffee in Carlton and culminated in a phone call 12 months ago that might be the catalyst for […]
Why you should have (at least) two careers
Current trends show that the future of work will see most people going through about five careers – not always at the same time but often with some overlap. However, having careers in multiple industries doesn’t mean you need to change employers – for those interested in curating a portfolio career, the public service is […]