Who ever heard of an independent evaluation? Tuesday September 5, 2017 By Stephen Easton Features There is no elephant in any of the rooms at the convention centre where the Australasian Evaluation Society is staging its annual conference in Canberra…
Centrelink's debt recovery system: automation without good public administration Monday April 10, 2017 By Stephen Easton News The Commonwealth Ombudsman reports Centrelink's automated debt recovery drive is an example of digital transformation that failed to maintain good public administration, procedural fairness under…
ASIC probes Centrelink corporate welfare bludger Tuesday March 21, 2017 By Ashley Carolan News Financial exploitation of welfare recipients through the Department of Human Services’ Centrepay automatic deductions facility is again under the regulatory spotlight after ASIC confirmed it…
Welfare quarantining: positive evaluation for cashless debit card trial Thursday March 16, 2017 By David Donaldson News An initial evaluation of the cashless debit card trial in remote communities shows encouraging indicators for alcohol and drug use. But nearly half of participants…
Welfare compliance drive not working, says auditor — but DHS sticks to its guns Wednesday March 1, 2017 By David Donaldson News Are the welfare agencies failing to implement compliance and fraud prevention measures properly, or smashing their targets? It depends who you ask. DHS maintains it's…
DSS response: $10m welfare report helping to build actuarial valuations expertise in government Friday February 24, 2017 By The Mandarin Community & Social One of the examples in Michael West's story should be corrected, the Department of Social Services argues, as the full scope and originality of the work…
Refugee settlement governance has 'no centre of gravity' Monday February 20, 2017 By David Donaldson Features The weak link in Australia's refugee settlement program is getting new arrivals into work. Whittling down governance responsibility from three departments to one could help…
Beyond individual merit: reimagining the mandarins of the future Wednesday November 30, 2016 By Stephen Easton Career Advice The individual merit principle has produced public service leaders that look and talk the same, think alike and mix in the same circles. Heads of…
Search begins for the most valuable public datasets Monday November 21, 2016 By David Donaldson Engagement ALL THINGS P: The federal government wants to know which open data would be most useful to business, researchers and not-for-profits. It has launched…
Promoted Social benefit bonds and impact investing: a pathway to outcomes Friday November 18, 2016 By Ashley Carolan Community & Social Despite a market of keen investors, there are a lack of transactions in the embryonic social impact market. Solid evidence, which is where government has…
Welfare investment approach 'revolutionary' — or is it? Wednesday September 21, 2016 By David Donaldson Community & Social Social Services Minister Christian Porter hails his new welfare investment approach as "close to revolutionary". But how much is it a shift from the hardline…
New disability authority overwhelmed by NDIS MyPlace rollout Saturday September 3, 2016 By Tom Burton Features The NDIA is to get a major boost of resources and greater ministerial scrutiny, after being overwhelmed by the rollout of its new MyPlace portal…
MyPlace Portal Implementation Review – Final Report Saturday September 3, 2016 By Tom Burton Features PWC was commissioned to review the rollout of the National Disability Insurance Authority's MyPlace portal. The report calls for an upgrade of the NDIA operating…
WPIT good: DHS aims to prove public servants can do 'agile' Friday August 5, 2016 By Stephen Easton Career Advice The Department of Human Services WPIT program aims to completely rebuild the nuts and bolts side of the social safety net. If it goes to…
'Computer says no' not good enough, warns Ombudsman Wednesday February 3, 2016 By David Donaldson Community & Social Policy should dictate automated processes and not the other way around, the Commonwealth Ombudsman has warned Canberra, following a review of Centrelink's income management measure.
