Hindsight's a funny thing. What would the long-time departmental head do differently? And what have been the major forces of change in the public sector -- and reasons for optimism?

Bureaucrats must innovate and "discard the baggage of interagency turf wars". The Business Council of Australia chief offered lessons the public sector could learn from business.

Environmental Upgrade Agreements, a government-driven approach to financing emissions reductions, are helping to cut carbon in Melbourne and NSW.

Abandoned by the Abbott government, what are the lessons from the COAG reform council process? Former head Mary Ann O'Loughlin spoke at this week's ANZSOG conference.

In Victoria and Western Australia, the evidence is mounting on the merits of more autonomy for public schools. But it has to be done right.

As commercial firms respond to customers on social media around the clock, government bodies must play catch-up. Few departments are doing it well.

So where to now? In framing this week's ANZSOG conference, the school's dean and former Productivity Commission chair outlines the challenges for the public service.

Rushing to e-voting could "destroy community confidence in electronic voting for the future", Electoral Commission executives say. The reform agenda was outlined this week.

Australia's auditor-general offered his thoughts on public administration spending at the Australian Government Leadership Network annual conference in Brisbane.

With spending and regulation decreasing, ANZSOG’s Gary Banks argues the implications are significant. He says the public sector is at a pivot point.

When the ACT Ambulance Service needed a plan for serious reform, its Tasmanian counterpart's highly respected former CEO was just the man for the job.

Two reports have revealed the barriers women face returning to work after pregnancy, and how even in the public service, managers are breaching sex discrimination laws.

In times of crisis, remain calm and rely on your planning. That's the message for senior public servants in the wake of the federal government's handling of the MH17 disaster.

Just how close do the sitcoms come to the real-life relationship between the media, ministers and the public? Here's one experience on life in the public service.

The Reserve Bank governor spoke to the Anika Foundation Luncheon in Sydney on July 22 on the challenges still facing a recovering Australian economy.