Premium Interviews Steve Hodgkinson is banning 'stupid digital stuff'. Relentless incrementalism, empowered staff and reusable platforms allow for cheap, fast 'micro services' that users love Friday July 19, 2019 By David Donaldson Communications & Technology Steve Hodgkinson has been chief information officer at Victoria's Department of Health and Human Services since late 2014. He has spent plenty of time thinking… Read more
Vic opposition tries to put the public service on trial over government advertising Tuesday April 16, 2019 By Stephen Easton Federal The Victorian opposition wants four department heads, including the head of the public service, investigated by the state corruption watchdog over their roles in authorising… Read more
'I regularly work 80 hours a week': child protection's unreasonable workloads Friday May 11, 2018 By David Donaldson News Stressed and overworked child protection staff are at risk of making poor decisions and are costing the department in WorkCover claims, says the Victorian Auditor… Read more
Ethics in policy: facing trade-offs to help citizens live a life they value Wednesday December 13, 2017 By Kym Peake Features A clear idea of governmental purpose helps policy makers overcome the inevitable trade-offs and quandaries they face, argues DHHS boss Kym Peake. Victoria's approach to… Read more
Flex talk, more than action Thursday November 30, 2017 By David Donaldson Features Agencies have the language around flexible work down pat, but many aren't walking the talk. A recent panel looked at how individuals are making flex… Read more
DHHS public housing debt management 'unconscionable': ombudsman Tuesday October 31, 2017 By David Donaldson News Disadvantaged Victorians are being charged thousands of dollars to repair damaged public housing, even when there is no evidence they caused the damage. "It’s time… Read more
How high-pressure health and human services workplaces turn toxic Friday July 21, 2017 By Stephen Easton Features Bullying and harassment can get out of control in any workplace but it seems particularly common in health and human services where physically, mentally and… Read more
How can public sector executives get back their 'ICT mojo'? Wednesday June 21, 2017 By David Donaldson Communications & Technology It's rational that executives avoid big IT projects given their propensity to go wrong, says a government CIO. The solution is to focus on incremental… Read more
Waiting for TRIM and training, concerns as child protection files get lost in transit Wednesday March 15, 2017 By David Donaldson Features It's been a bumpy ride for Victorian departments as they upgrade and strengthen records management. A new report warns of risk of fraud and child… Read more
Share success stories to avoid preventable harm, says Health secretary Friday October 14, 2016 By David Donaldson Health A cluster of potentially avoidable newborn and stillborn deaths has sparked a suite of changes to the Health system in Victoria. Health and Human Services… Read more
Sharing control: four strategic priorities for the public value pivot Tuesday July 26, 2016 By David Donaldson Health Victoria's DHHS will become known for successful examples of at-scale joined up working and focusing on prevention, hopes its secretary. First it must build consensus… Read more
Kym Peake: leading reform in the health and human services sector Tuesday July 26, 2016 By Kym Peake Editors' Picks SPEECH: What will it take for government to meet the needs of a much higher population? A consensus on outcomes, partnerships across sectors, and… Read more
Vishaal Kishore: in praise of the 'deep' government generalist Tuesday May 10, 2016 By David Donaldson Features INTERVIEW: Generalists will play a vital role in reimagining government as the world changes ever more quickly, argues the head strategist at LaunchVic. Flatter… Read more
Why don't governments use shared services more? Friday April 8, 2016 By David Donaldson Features Legacy systems and specific needs hold back the standardisation and centralisation of government corporate services — but departments should be looking at using more shared… Read more
Victoria promises Australia-first Family Violence Agency Thursday March 31, 2016 By David Donaldson News Victoria will create an independent family violence agency, as recommended by the Royal Commission into Family Violence. Silos have obstructed responses in the past, advocates… Read more
