Australia’s promised pro-disclosure culture is mostly smoke, not much light by Stephen Easton | 0 comments About half of government's FOI decisions don't stand up to scrutiny, a new audit reveals. Agencies are going through the motions but haven't developed the pro-disclosure mindset that was one of the key intentions of the federal Freedom of Information Act.
WA farewells the steward of its fire and emergency reforms by Stephen Easton | 0 comments The WA government has welcomed its new fire and emergency chief Darren Klemm and farewelled Wayne Gregson, the steward of cultural and technological reforms that built a more effective department in the aftermath of the Perth Hills bushfire inquiry.
Why do government agencies need so many consultants? by Stephen Easton | 1 comment A public service HR consultant explains his view on why government agencies increasingly need to rely on big firms like the one he works for. It's a controversial trend, and he sometimes finds himself questioning how his expertise is used.
Nerida O’Loughlin locked in to lead media and comms watchdog by Stephen Easton | 0 comments Minister for Communications Mitch Fifield has confirmed Nerida O’Loughlin will chair the Australian Media and Communications Authority, as widely expected, about 18 months after she delivered a blueprint for major administrative reform of the watchdog. The minister said O’Loughlin was appointed for a five-year term on the strength of “extensive policy and regulatory experience within the [...]
Can a public service press release contain ‘sensitive’ personal information? by Stephen Easton | 0 comments Just “correcting the record” is not always a good enough reason for the public service to release someone’s personal details, and although it can be in some circumstances, doing this still might be more trouble than it’s worth. The Australian Public Service Commission has published the advice it provided in response to an interesting question that was sent to [...]
Middle managers: the ‘engine room’ of the public service must be well-oiled by Stephen Easton | 0 comments Are middle managers the glue that holds the public service together, or the glue that gums up the translation of strategy into action? Much more the former, says a public sector workforce expert, but leaders need to invest in their capability.
Senate committee proposes a stronger integrity system, but no federal ICAC by Stephen Easton | 0 comments The Senate inquiry into whether the federal government needs its own independent commission against corruption has run its course, with the government and opposition senators agreeing on a weak set of recommendations and the cross-benchers all going their separate ways with stronger proposals.
DHS finally out of enterprise bargaining, but the ‘anger’ remains by Stephen Easton | 0 comments The Department of Human Services finally has a new enterprise bargaining agreement after more than three years of wrangling, but the long and acrimonious negotiations leave behind lasting tension within the huge department. Just over three quarters of the department voted in the ballot and of those, 71% accepted the new EBA, which will soon deliver a 3% [...]
Five teams face off in APS cyber war games next week by Stephen Easton | 0 comments Five teams from 10 federal agencies will face off in war games next week -- cyber war, that is. There's one battle every day and each team gets a chance to attack as well as defend.
Federal minister proposes crackdown on impersonating agencies, satire exempt by Stephen Easton | 0 comments The federal government wants to bring in stiff new criminal penalties for impersonating any Commonwealth entity, in addition to an existing prohibition on pretending to be a public official.
Construction commissioner shows you can’t rely on the minister’s best laid plans by Stephen Easton | 0 comments An embarrassing civil case against Australian Building and Construction Commissioner Nigel Hadgkiss shows that public servants must always go by what the law says, even when the minister is absolutely adamant that it will soon change. Governments will quite often announce their plans with complete confidence, as though they are a foregone conclusion, right up until they are blocked by a [...]
Water report provides the ‘systemic fix’ but damage to the public service lingers by Stephen Easton | 0 comments Water management failures have damaged the reputation of the New South Wales public service and exposed a culture of expediency. A "systemic fix" has been proposed but it is harder to rebuild trust than to lose it.
Frances Adamson urges APS to heed the calls for administrative reform by Stephen Easton | 0 comments The Foreign Affairs and Trade secretary took on a new mantle last week, as the new president of the ACT branch of the Institute for Public Administration, Australia.
Gordon de Brouwer: stop managing stakeholders and talk like normal people by Stephen Easton | 0 comments Rather than look back on a 30-year career in and out of government roles, Gordon de Brouwer used a parting address last night to give his thoughts on how to improve public administration: use plain English, devolved management, and multi-disciplinary approaches.
Beyond beta: DHS website revamp first project to meet Digital Service Standard by Stephen Easton | 0 comments The first project to fully meet the federal government's Digital Service Standard, by passing an assessment for "live" release, is a revamp of the Human Services website.
