Census boycott would hurt public policymaking across government Editors' Picks Privacy concerns around next Tuesday's Census have led to calls for a boycott. Partial or false data risks interrupting records on everything from inequality to…
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…
The many hurdles of new DFAT boss Frances Adamson Friday July 22, 2016 By Michael Sainsbury Editors' Picks Can a woman reach the top ranks of the public service without her gender being used against her? Frances Adamson's key strength is unparalleled in…
Shergold's four principles to transform cross-sector work Tuesday July 19, 2016 By David Donaldson Editors' Picks Cross-sector collaboration often results in failure, argues former PM&C boss Peter Shergold. He suggests four principles to transform the way the public service works with…
Chris Eccles: what will the public sector look like in ten years? Thursday June 30, 2016 By Chris Eccles Editors' Picks SPEECH: Victoria's top public servant finds lessons for the future in one of our greatest public policy achievements. Success starts with a moral purpose…
'Name blind' recruiting to undo unconscious bias in Victoria Friday May 20, 2016 By David Donaldson Career Advice A Victorian pilot program will scrub job applications of name and gender to combat unconscious bias. Two key departments, DPC and DTF, Victoria Police and…
Another hidden bias in leadership selection (especially for women) Friday May 13, 2016 By Katherine Street Career Advice The public sector needs to stop expecting leaders to be technical experts and start expecting them to be leadership experts. The bias is particularly damaging…
Nicholas Gruen: why Australia needs an evaluator-general Monday May 9, 2016 By Nicholas Gruen Editors' Picks PART TWO: Make evaluation a formal function of a new office, akin to the auditor-general, argues economist Nicholas Gruen. It furthers the principles of…
Why we accept travesties of ‘evidence-based’ policymaking Monday May 9, 2016 By Nicholas Gruen Editors' Picks Evidence-based policy ... if everyone claims to want it, and practice it, why do so many 'announceables' get glowing report cards without the slightest tinkering?…
Are government behavioural insights trials ethical? Thursday May 5, 2016 By David Donaldson Editors' Picks Simply rolling out an untested idea often has fewer roadblocks than researching whether it works, but that doesn't make it ethical. Behavioural insights experts in…
Chris Eccles: getting buy-in for family violence 'moral duty' Friday April 29, 2016 By Chris Eccles Editors' Picks SPEECH: There's a "moral duty" to reform public services to tackle family violence, Victoria's top bureaucrat says. Government needs buy-in from a range of…
No more ‘job for life’: radical workforce reform for modern APS Thursday April 28, 2016 By Harley Dennett Career Advice The APS will rapidly find itself not fit for purpose if it doesn't modernise workforce practices, a new review says. Mandarins have committed to adopt…
Turnbull: 'look to other jurisdictions' and plagiarise the best ideas Wednesday April 20, 2016 By Stephen Easton Editors' Picks The Prime Minister wants public servants to swallow their pride and seek best practice wherever it is found ... even from Wellington. We must be…
'Adviserous horribilis': MP unloads on political staffers Friday April 15, 2016 By David Donaldson Editors' Picks Fat, lazy Arts dropouts ... advisers — or "snouts" — have spread like myxomatosis, says bureaucrat-turned-MP David Speirs. Beyond the hyperbole, he tells The Mandarin…
Ben Rimmer: leadership is still the bureaucracy's Achilles' heel Thursday April 7, 2016 By David Donaldson Community & Social INTERVIEW: The public sector lags business in executive leadership, with too many secretaries persevering with a dictator model. Ben Rimmer tells The Mandarin that's…
