Medicare reveals its epic rebuild vision Editors' Picks The Department of Health has called for beauty pageant entries in its massive Medicare payments systems replacement that will now remain within government ownership after…
Centrelink's one weird trick to get unbelievably good call centre stats Friday March 3, 2017 By Stephen Easton Editors' Picks The truth behind Centrelink's unbelievably good call centre stats has come out in Senate Estimates, pressure is ramping up on the minister over his role…
Tom Burton: why I like paleo pear Thursday March 2, 2017 By Tom Burton Career Advice The Department of Finance "paleo" graduate recruitment video is part of a broader campaign by public agencies to attract high-performance millennials — and it's single-handedly…
Flexible work arrangements: easy for SES to say, harder for ELs to do Thursday February 23, 2017 By Stephen Easton Career Advice New research tracking the APS gender equality strategy confirms flexible work isn't as easy for mid-level managers to implement as it is for senior leaders…
Contracts and convicts: how perverse incentives created the death fleet Monday January 16, 2017 By David Donaldson Editors' Picks It might sound strange, but the tragic voyage of the second fleet, which killed 40% of the convicts on board, holds a lesson for contemporary…
Three public sector trends combine: enter the 'digital nudge' Wednesday December 21, 2016 By Stephen Easton Community & Social A new academic paper proposes that three public sector trends — behavioural science, predictive analytics and the investment approach to welfare — can combine powerfully…
Parkinson: stop flogging dead cats and take innovation seriously Wednesday December 7, 2016 By Martin Parkinson Editors' Picks Australian Public Service head Martin Parkinson celebrated some of the year's wins but also warned against complacency in the face of disruptive forces, in his…
Paul Shetler: my 16 months of digital transformation in Australia Saturday December 3, 2016 By Paul Shetler Editors' Picks After 16 months of leading Australia's digital transformation, I wanted to reflect on what we've learned and achieved to date. The DTO made the case…
Down one digital evangelist: Paul Shetler quits after DTA shake-up Wednesday November 30, 2016 By Tom Burton Communications & Technology The sneaker-wearing Paul Shetler played the role of disruptor, but the appointment of a long-serving public servant as DTA's Canberra-based interim CEO effectively pulled the…
Experimental trials: a BETA way of making policy Monday November 28, 2016 By Stephen Easton Editors' Picks From a scientific point of view, the standard way public policy is implemented at scale with little testing is extremely reckless. But human behaviour is…
Digital agenda's first revamp: welcome to government as a platform Friday October 14, 2016 By Tom Burton Editors' Picks EXCLUSIVE: In one of the biggest administrative shakeups of a generation, Digital Transformation Minister Angus Taylor is pushing through a new government-wide approach to…
Nothing but nudges: behavioural economics comes of age Tuesday October 11, 2016 By Stephen Easton Editors' Picks Nudges have taken the public sector by storm, expanding all over government. One of their chief promoters around the world is confident they aren't a…
Survive or thrive? Eccles' seven Cs for success as a new public servant Monday October 10, 2016 By David Donaldson Editors' Picks Public service newbies should seek out broad experience and build a culture of collaboration. Vic DPC secretary Chris Eccles and VPS commissioner Belinda Clark advise…
Parkinson: implementation is harder than policy, don't undervalue it Friday October 7, 2016 By David Donaldson Editors' Picks Implementation is "150 times harder" than policy, says Australia's most senior public servant. The "set and forget" approach must make way for adaptive feedback, with…
What makes a good EA? Canberra SES officers spill the beans Wednesday September 21, 2016 By Stephen Easton Career Advice Senior public servants know well the executive assistant plays a vital role, as an unofficial communication channel and guide to the bureaucratic labyrinth. But gauging…
