How could government procurement be made easier? Pia Andrews shares some insights on how procurement reform in itself can be something of a red herring unless it occurs within a broader program of reform.
The next wave of dramatic service-channel change is happening right now, and again, people are largely seeing it as a future issue, not for now. What will be the impact and opportunities of personal AI helpers (Siri, Alexa, etc.) and changes to the infrastructure required right now if we want public services to be responsive to change and changing user needs?
Rather than sleep-walking towards yet another debt crisis, and the misery such nightmare reality would bring, the Commonwealth can open up pathways toward horizons of hope, with rich and poor walking in harmony towards a fairer, more secure, more sustainable and more prosperous future in which all can share, says the secretary-general of The Commonwealth.
Robodebt was not the first welfare algorithm to falsely accuse beneficiaries of fraud. Seeking to avoid these problems, New Mexico opted for a nudge-based system instead.
For everything we do in public sectors, it is when we collaborate and draw on broader expertise and experiences that we get better outcomes. So, if is it such a biological imperative, why does participatory public governance seem so alien or novel to so many?
“Many hands make light work” is an old adage both familiar and comforting. One feels that if things get out of hand we can just throw more resources at the problem and it will suffice. However, we have made it harder on ourselves in three distinct ways, all of which are relevant to planning and programs in the public sector.
Nearly 10 years since the launch of YourSAy, the platform now facilitates an average of 65 campaigns per year for an enviable 117k users — marking about 10% of South Australia’s adult population.
“Data sharing” has become a rather conflated discussion where all data is often assumed to be the same and the same solutions or frameworks that suit one need are assumed to suit everything. There is an overarching and growing myth that sharing more data will naturally lead to better outcomes and that we just need to get around these ‘pesky barriers’ to sharing data and things will be great. Although Pia Andrews still believes open data is important for democracy, economy and society, she knows that when it comes to sensitive data, especially unit record data with personal information, more sharing is simply not always the answer.
Governments seeking to implement public health policy often face intense lobbying from industries vying to protect commercial interests. Verity Firth, former Deputy Lord Mayor of Sydney and NSW Labor Minister provides her insights into how governments can strike the right balance in delivering better health and social outcomes, and how public health advocates can ensure their voices are heard.
How do you build responsiveness to ongoing developments into a work program? And what inputs do you need to understand and respond to change? Pia Andrews gives some suggestions.
While the case for joined-up-government and cross-sectoral partnerships appears to have been convincingly made, the question of how to make this happen effectively still looms large. Many articles and studies focus on the institutional barriers that make it hard for governments to work collaboratively. However, while that is certainly important, Thea Snow focuses on a piece of the puzzle that is often neglected: the role of individuals in supporting collaboration to succeed.
How often do you have a chance to think about the long-term impact of what you are doing right now? How often do you consider (or get supported to consider) how a long-term goal should change what you are doing right now?
A memo to the APS from Jason Lange, Executive Director of The Office of Best Practice Regulation in the Department of the Prime Minister & Cabinet.
Each year, more Victorians die from prescription medications than road accidents or illicit drugs. And yet until recently, there was no reliable way for doctors and pharmacists to know whether their patient was already seeing other practitioners to bump up their dosage. It's been described as a game of Russian roulette for doctors — they don't know where the potential bullets are for any particular patient. But that's changing.
Despite the sheer scalability, connectivity, and use as highways for political messaging and public debate, most social media platforms were not designed with the purpose of engagement on policy issues . The repercussions for governments are not to be taken lightly. So, where do governments begin? Audrey Lobo-Pulo shows the way.
