There’s a lot of hope that more collaborative ways of developing public policy can vastly improve outcomes but these approaches are nothing without ministerial support. Public trust also requires authenticity, so don’t say it’s co-design if it isn’t. It was in the final minutes of this year’s IPAA national conference on “building public trust” that […]
Category Archives: 21st Century government
Human-centred design, co-design, agile government – they’re all terms that are being thrown around but what does they mean in the context of public service? 21C govt is sensible and simple – it just takes a little extra effort to put in place.
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 […]
What 21st century public servants must do to thrive in a volatile and complex environment
Working in the public sector has never been easy. But it almost certainly has never been as complex and challenging as it is now. The modern public service manager requires a new way of thinking to thrive in a political world characterised by volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity. A world where demands and scrutiny are […]