Co-design, collaboration, engagement: don’t just throw trendy words around

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 […]

Image of Australian Senators crossing the floor for an energy vote

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 […]

A cherry and a blackberry signifying two different types of careers

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 […]