New cross-disciplinary unit to track potential terrorists and intervene early
Victoria will establish a new cross-disciplinary office to track people at risk of carrying out terrorist attacks and intervene early. Read More
New Zealand
Expert panel to cast an eye over incoming federal whistleblowers legislation
The Turnbull government has quickly convened an advisory panel to make good on its commitment to strengthen protections for whistleblowers and create safer pathways for… Read More
Looking for the new intelligence czar
Canberra is looking for an intelligence chief to head up the new Office of National Intelligence. As the person who will get the first call from the Prime Minister, it is a critical new role. What makes a good intelligence czar? Read More
Gender tops diversity priorities in new APS champion awards
Government rarely lives up to the promising rhetoric of inclusion for all Australians, but those who walk the talk inside the public service can now be recognised. Read More
All 25 WA government agencies have permanent heads except one
Eight more of Western Australia's public service directors-general were officially approved by the state governor this week, leaving only the newly formed Department of Communities without a permanent head. Read More
ANZSOG triples research investment and recruits Glyn Davis
The Australia and New Zealand School of Government will expand its research program by threefold, which, with dollar matching by government and other partners, will take its annual research funding to at least $1.5 million. Read More
Actuarial modelling is not evidence of effective social welfare: NZ academic
Using actuarial modelling of future costs as the key measure of the welfare safety net's effectiveness is a "deeply flawed" idea imported from New Zealand, according to a former public servant turned academic. Read More
Citizenship saga: Turnbull decides everything’s fine because it has to be
The government is trying to appear unfazed by the dual-citizenship saga, on the basis of legal advice it refuses to release, but which appears to feature the argument that its embattled ministers didn't realise they had a foreign allegiance. Read More
Could dual-citizen Cabinet ministers’ decisions be challenged?
It’d be better for ministers like Barnaby Joyce to have any potentially contentious decisions made by an acting minister until their citizenship issues are resolved. Read More
‘Naive optimism’ driving uptake of one stop shops
"Administrative fashion" is influencing the spread of the one stop shop model, argues an ANZSOG review paper. Although service integration can be a public good, they're no cheaper and create significant disruption. Read More
Greg Moriarty to be new Defence mandarin
The PM has appointed his own chief of staff to the prized job of secretary of the Department of Defence. Read More
Aspire to Aboriginal secretary within five years, says commissioner
Victoria's new Aboriginal employment strategy will aim for culturally safe workplaces while strengthening the leadership pipeline. Read More
Better decisions: tips from NZ on putting evidence to work
To produce good policy public servants should engage diverse communities and ensure decision makers have enough time to examine the data, urges NZ's specialist policy evidence unit. Read More
APS ranks third on civil service effectiveness index, leads on evaluation
Australia ranks third in the world for the overall effectiveness of its national public service but the APS is the world leader in public sector evaluation, according to a new index produced by the UK Institute for Government and Oxford University's Blavatnik School of Government. Read More
NSW Treasury snatches state customer service czar Mike Pratt as its new secretary
The Treasury head role with the Western world's most envied surplus will go to the state's Customer Service Commissioner, continuing the trend of taxing bank executive ranks for key public sector jobs. Read More