FOI laws: fixing the chilling effect on frank advice Features While freedom of information laws are designed to promote transparency and accountability, they also turn full and accurate record-keeping from a standard responsibility into a
APS commissioner subscribes to regular communication June 4, 2015 By Stephen Easton News The Australian Public Service Commission has launched a new monthly online newsletter, sensibly named APSC NEWS. In its first rather sombre edition, APS commissioner John
The rise of 'public service professions': information managers to lead the way May 28, 2015 By Stephen Easton Features Specific public service professions could begin to emerge in coming years as organisations raise professional standards in areas like digital information management and human resources
Expand FOI logs to include rejected requests, new bill proposes May 19, 2015 By The Mandarin News The Australian Public Service Commission boss has rankled the Labor opposition with his comments about freedom of information laws having gone further they were intended. In
'Public servants are doing political work, staffers are doing policy work' May 18, 2015 By David Donaldson Features Australia’s public service is “a hell of a good asset there that is not used to its potential” thanks to poor management and interference, says
End of the staffing cuts, public sector freeze lifted May 12, 2015 By Tom Burton News From July 1 new control rules will allow agency heads to manage their own recruitment, including graduate recruitment, without need for external approval. The government
ComSuper staff fail in bid to keep APS rights May 12, 2015 By Stephen Easton News How much value is there in the employment mobility benefits that make it easier for public servants to move from job to job within the
Public sector must lead fight against disability, age discrimination April 23, 2015 By Stephen Easton Features Discrimination and unfair treatment in employment on the basis of age or ability is a social ill that unfortunately can only be cured slowly, much
Nebulous APS values and skyrocketing breaches a worrying slippery slope April 22, 2015 By John Wilson Features According to the Australian Public Service Commission’s latest State of the Service Report, the most common form of suspected misconduct by Commonwealth public servants was
Lloyd's law: commissioner's tough talk on productivity March 11, 2015 By Stephen Easton News New Australian public service commissioner John Lloyd wants to see authority pushed back down to lower levels and more engagement with the private sector, where
Social media black hole as Commonwealth soaks up 'likes' December 9, 2014 By Harley Dennett News The competition between states and the Commonwealth to improve services and engagement through the use of social media has been never stronger. But is anyone
Lack of APS workforce planning: Sedgwick's final push December 8, 2014 By Harley Dennett News The Australian public service’s capability and capacity have fallen behind the United Kingdom and worldwide benchmarks after failing to heed 10 years of warnings about inadequate
State of the Commonwealth: push for more capability reviews December 1, 2014 By Harley Dennett News Outgoing Commonwealth public service commissioner Stephen Sedgwick is pushing for a second round of agency capability reviews and a re-think of accountability frameworks that discourage
APS annual report: a busy year, with expectations rising October 17, 2014 By Stephen Easton News Australian Public Service commissioner Stephen Sedgwick looks back over an “eventful year” which saw the new Coalition government rebuild the machinery of government, put the
