Would you accept that there is no such thing as a perfect public policy — or, if not, would you agree with the contention that the perfect can sometimes be the enemy of the good?
Know your customer, have a clear idea of what 'good service' means, and engage meaningfully. Department of Customer Service Deputy Secretary William Murphy discusses what NSW is doing to improve services for citizens.
Regulators need to be independent, but what does this mean in practice? Peter Shergold and Graeme Samuel recently offered their thoughts to the ANZSOG regulators' community of practice.
This article is part of the COVID-19 in Australia infograms collection.
We're more likely to support a policy knowing it's endorsed by experts. Even US Republicans will support action on climate change when told the Pentagon is worried about it.
Public engagement is a great way to access expertise held by the community, but is often frustrating for participants — especially those from diverse communities. Consider whether you're really empowering people, says Maria Katsonis.
What went wrong? And where does the fault lie — the science, the science advisers, or the politicians?
For as long as we continue to characterise what we’re trying to achieve with a name as amorphous as an ‘innovation agenda’, it’s hard to imagine it rising above anything more than being an add-on to business-as-usual.
In this second installment of his three-part series, economist and forward thinker Nicholas Gruen explains more of why it is so important to understand the ‘how’ of getting things done. From the commanding heights to everyday routines The big public sector careers are built in the land of ‘what’ – that is in designing and […]
In the past year we've published over 400 stories on life in the public sector, so to celebrate we're looking back over a selection of our most-read articles and favourite quotes.
Government leaders understanding what they need to do when faced with impending issues is one thing. But here, in the first of a three-part series, Nicholas Gruen gets into the nitty gritty of coming to terms with the 'how' of what needs to be done.
Which management type are you: the robot? The superhuman? Consultant Mark LeBusque on the importance of really knowing your colleagues — and yourself.
Robyn Lawrence is deputy chief health officer and incident controller, State Health Incident Coordination Centre.
Established while the state was burning in January, social distancing has forced the community-focused Bushfire Recovery Victoria to rethink how it works, says CEO Lee Miezis, who still hasn't met some of his staff.
Disinformation is often presented in easily accessible formats designed to spread quickly and broadly across social media. Choose Your Own Fake News, by adopting the format of a game, is designed to fight fire with fire. It’s designed to target those most vulnerable to disinformation – the people who perhaps wouldn’t read reports put out by think tanks and governments – distilling the information in the most digestible way for them.
