About the author Journalist David Donaldson is a journalist at The Mandarin based in Melbourne. Follow David Donaldson
Premium Interviews Coronavirus communications: crises offer the chance to try new things and ask for forgiveness later Wednesday March 25, 2020 By David Donaldson Features Emergency management comms specialist Natalie Staaks speaks about getting the right information out in a crisis: "if you wait until you’re 100% sure of the… Read more
Premium Interviews Coronavirus communications: four steps for effective public engagement Tuesday March 24, 2020 By David Donaldson Features Disaster recovery expert Anne Leadbeater discusses the four-part public communication strategy she used after the Kinglake fire. Be consistent in messaging, rely on trusted spokespeople… Read more
Premium Trends and research Extensive social distancing required: the paper that led to Britain’s U-turn on coronavirus policy Friday March 20, 2020 By David Donaldson Features Mild mitigation measures will not be enough to stop a spike in coronavirus cases overwhelming the health system, argues a paper released by researchers at… Read more
Premium Expert briefings Tick-box exercise: three policy advice checklists to test your brief against Monday March 16, 2020 By David Donaldson Features Does the minister have enough information to make a decision? Have you thought about how to motivate your target audience? Here are three policy advice… Read more
Premium Interviews Thinking about moving to a portfolio career? Here’s what two experienced board members say you need to know Monday March 9, 2020 By David Donaldson Features Moving from an executive role onto a board means shifting from asking 'how' to 'why'. Victorian EPA Chair Cheryl Batagol and CFA Board Member Gillian… Read more
Premium Interviews ‘We don’t do policy transfer well’: Andrew Wear wants public servants to travel more and learn from the best in the world Friday March 6, 2020 By David Donaldson Features There are plenty of examples of excellence overseas but we're often dismissive of other countries' experiences, or just too busy to do the research, argues… Read more
Premium Case studies ‘I never quite believed I would actually be employed’: Rise at DHHS is helping people with autism reach their potential — while improving agency performance Wednesday March 4, 2020 By David Donaldson Case studies An innovative recruitment program for people with autism opened up "life changing" new opportunities for employment and met a business need for accurate record keeping. Read more
Premium Insights and analysis Managers are often the barrier to flexible work. How can organisations overcome this problem for a happier, healthier workforce? Monday March 2, 2020 By David Donaldson Features Many organisations have flexible work policies in place, but see little uptake. Supporting middle management to do the complicated job of translating policy into practice… Read more
Overworking from home? Creating boundaries between work and downtime can save your health and sanity Friday February 28, 2020 By David Donaldson Features It can be tempting to catch up on work in the evening, but beware the risks. Creating boundaries between work and private life is the… Read more
Premium Expert briefings The art of negotiation: what you can do to break the deadlock Tuesday February 25, 2020 By David Donaldson Features Being a good negotiator is about more than just playing tough or nice. Know the other side, focus on underlying interests — and get creative. Read more
Premium Case studies Driving voluntary behaviour change in a rural community: lessons from the Wharekopae river rehabilitation project Friday February 21, 2020 By David Donaldson Case studies A community-centred project in NZ is helping rehabilitate a polluted but popular swimming river. Working collaboratively with farmers and addressing funding issues has seen widespread… Read more
Premium Trends and research Outsourcing: where it has worked, and how to avoid being caught out Thursday February 20, 2020 By David Donaldson Community & Social Some services have benefited from outsourcing, while others have caused harm to vulnerable people. A UK study examines what factors make failure more likely, and… Read more
Premium Interviews ‘I put myself in their shoes’: how working closely with diverse stakeholders helps Sustainability Commissioner Gillian Sparkes achieve impact Monday February 17, 2020 By David Donaldson Energy & Environment Victoria's sustainability commissioner on why it's important to measure the economic value of biodiversity, how she got where she is, and her approach to stakeholder… Read more
Premium Case studies Before the novel coronavirus, SARS killed 44 people in Ontario, but British Columbia immediately contained it. Here’s how. Friday February 14, 2020 By David Donaldson Case studies When diseases like the recent coronavirus emerge, public administration can make the difference between containment and major outbreak. The divergent experiences of two Canadian provinces… Read more
Premium Case studies How putting the community at the centre of the Dandenong Creek restoration project pushed Melbourne Water to new solutions Wednesday February 12, 2020 By David Donaldson Case studies Melbourne Water's award-winning makeover of Dandenong Creek not only broke with tradition in 'daylighting' a piped waterway, but made the community a core stakeholder in… Read more
