Global Intelligence Briefing March 3, 2020: Coronavirus management Australian Capital Territory Welcome to Mandarin Premium’s latest newsletter, Intelligence Briefing, your guide to the most important developments from public sectors across the globe. The COVID-19 coronavirus has…
Premium Trends and research Better digital services could boost public trust — but where to start? Monday February 24, 2020 By Shannon Jenkins Australian Capital Territory Boston Consulting Group senior partner and managing director Miguel Carrasco says a lack of trust is preventing departments and agencies across governments in Australia and…
Premium Case studies Driving voluntary behaviour change in a rural community: lessons from the Wharekopae river rehabilitation project Friday February 21, 2020 By David Donaldson Case studies A community-centred project in NZ is helping rehabilitate a polluted but popular swimming river. Working collaboratively with farmers and addressing funding issues has seen widespread…
Double-down, iterate or abandon? How do you know when it’s time to kill off an underperforming idea, policy, or product? Monday February 17, 2020 By SmartCompany Editors' Picks Killing off an underperforming product or policy can sometimes feel like sending a beloved pet away ‘to the farm’. It’s tough, sometimes it’s necessary. But…
NZ sets up hub for public servants in the Pacific Tuesday January 28, 2020 By Shannon Jenkins Careers The New Zealand government will create a hub to support and collaborate with public servants from the Pacific region. The Pacific Public Service Fale will…
Premium Insights and analysis ‘Being smart is not enough’ — instead of searching for the perfect all-rounder, build a diverse team Friday December 20, 2019 By David Donaldson Career Advice What skills do different policy shops look for in staff? A public management expert, a think tanker, and a consultant-turned-public servant weigh in.
NZ launches Climate Change Commission Thursday December 19, 2019 By James Shaw Energy & Environment Expert, trusted and independent advice will be essential to ensuring New Zealand plays its part in solving the challenge of climate change. This week, the…
Statistics New Zealand to start the new year with a new chief Tuesday December 17, 2019 By Stephen Easton Community & Social The New Zealand government has chosen senior public servant Mark Sowden to take over the post of Government Statistician from Liz MacPherson, who announced she…
Why were tourists allowed on White Island? Wednesday December 11, 2019 By Michael Lueck Editors' Picks The tragic events of White Island reiterate that we must be vigilant, and have excellent risk management strategies in place. Perhaps it is time for…
NZ public service trials flexible work policy, on the rise in APS Friday November 29, 2019 By Shannon Jenkins Community & Social Almost half of the New Zealand Public Service has signed up to a flexible work program designed to reduce the gender pay gap, while flexible…
Premium Insights and analysis Ancient perspectives, modern policy: why we need more Indigenous senior public servants, and how strong political leadership could make it happen Monday November 25, 2019 By Stephen Easton Community & Social Public services should have at least the same proportion of people from Indigenous backgrounds as the populations they serve, at all levels, argue 78 senior…
New Public Management: the practical challenges, remedies and alternatives Thursday November 21, 2019 By Pia Andrews Career Advice Treating the public service like a business has become the norm, with the structures, language, practices and incentives inherited from private sector managerialism. We know…
Veterans have poorer mental health than Australians overall. We could be serving them better Thursday November 21, 2019 By Nicole Sadler Defence It’s not surprising we see higher rates of mental illness among veterans compared to the overall Australian population. We should be targeting veterans with a…
Biggest NZ public service shakeup in 30 years closer with scrapped legislation, says minister Wednesday November 20, 2019 By Shannon Jenkins New Zealand The New Zealand public service will soon be equipped to better address the biggest challenges facing governments and the people it serves, according to State…
Premium Interviews Are ministerial staff untamable? Peter Hughes’ creative solution allowing political advisers to do their politics while respecting neutrality of public servants Friday November 8, 2019 By Peter Debus Features New Zealand's State Services Commissioner Peter Hughes sat down with The Mandarin’s Peter Debus to talk the evolution of public sector reform, how it will…