Adapt or die: Peter Shergold's manifesto for transformation Editors' Picks Peter Shergold was asked to find lessons for public servants from failures under the previous government. He seized the opportunity to launch a manifesto for…
Keep ex-Defence out of public service, bureaucrats plead Wednesday January 13, 2016 By Harley Dennett Defence EXCLUSIVE: Military men and women can be a bad fit in the public service and might want to consider employment elsewhere, according to some…
Size matters: just how big is Australia's government? Friday December 18, 2015 By David Donaldson Editors' Picks Depending on who you ask, Australia is either at the top or the bottom of the list among rich countries for the size of its…
Chris Eccles: what is frank and fearless advice, and how to give it Thursday November 26, 2015 By Chris Eccles Career Advice Being a public servant is more than a job, says the head of the VPS, but an essential public function. In an address to Victoria's…
BETA testing: new behavioural economics team in PM&C Monday November 23, 2015 By Stephen Easton Editors' Picks The federal government is establishing its own nudge unit, while the Assistant Cabinet Secretary hits back at Laura Tingle's "imagined golden era" critique of public…
Richard Bolt on the road to mega-department secretary Friday November 13, 2015 By David Donaldson Economy & Industry INTERVIEW: The head of Victoria's DEDJTR came to the public service via a qualification in electrical engineering, political activism and a stint with the…
Border Force fiasco: how to create a public relations disaster Friday August 28, 2015 By David Donaldson Editors' Picks The Australian Border Force's announcement that it would be combing Melbourne's streets for visa fraud this morning has been a public relations disaster, ending in…
Rethinking a contemporary social justice in government Tuesday August 4, 2015 By Pradeep Philip & Vishaal Kishore Editors' Picks If the public sector is to achieve the task of innovation, integration and improvement in social services, we must learn from our social policy experience,…
Chris Eccles: leadership from the centre Wednesday June 24, 2015 By Chris Eccles Editors' Picks Let's do away with the term "central agency" argues the head of the Victorian Public Service during the state's first Public Sector Week. Chris Eccles…
Tom Burton: Why Dr Karl did Treasury a big favour Friday April 17, 2015 By Tom Burton Editors' Picks Dr Karl went rogue this week, upsetting Treasury's first big foray into digital engagement, but injecting some much needed real opinion into the Challenge of…
The minister, the job offer and the secretarial messenger Wednesday February 25, 2015 By Jason Whittaker Editors' Picks Labor wants police to investigate the pressure Attorney-General's Department secretary Chris Moraitis applied to human rights commissioner Gillian Triggs to stand down. Do they have…
Feathers ruffled: how hawks took over the Immigration nest Monday February 9, 2015 By Stephen Easton Editors' Picks There's disquiet in the Department of Immigration and Border Protection in Canberra since the latter part of the new name became its top priority. Is…
How Victoria is taking some responsibility for family violence Wednesday January 28, 2015 By David Donaldson Editors' Picks Victoria's new government is taking a proactive approach to family violence. But the successes of the past decade have shown just how difficult it is…
Commissioning public services: the definition and aims matter Thursday January 22, 2015 By Helen Dickinson Editors' Picks What does commissioning mean in the public service space? The definition is broader than many think — and the aim shouldn't always be to outsource…
Ben Rimmer on why he's leaving Canberra for council job Monday January 12, 2015 By Jason Whittaker Editors' Picks One of Canberra's brightest is moving south to lead the City of Melbourne. Ben Rimmer tells The Mandarin why he's leaving Human Services -- and…
