Just the facts: Treasury and CSIRO put space between advice and how ministers use it Tuesday April 16, 2019 By Stephen Easton Federal Treasury and the CSIRO have both recently felt the need to clarify advice they have provided the government, after opposition complaints about what ministers did… Read more
What really bothers your secretary Friday March 23, 2018 By Harley Dennett Features Public service chiefs answer what is their greatest leadership challenge, and how to build a coalition for change. Read more
Blair Comley's 'NSW model' and the public sector's unsolved dilemmas Monday November 20, 2017 By The Mandarin Features In his valedictory address to the NSW public sector, the outgoing chief urges all public servants to get out and about to see the front… Read more
NSW chief Blair Comley leaves top job as Transport's Tim Reardon ascends Friday November 10, 2017 By Julian Bajkowski News There's changing of the guard in the New South Wales public service with head of the service, Blair Comley, leaving after three years. Read more
Verona Burgess: powerful friends matter in Australia's energy bureaucracy Wednesday March 22, 2017 By Verona Burgess Energy & Environment From little things, big things grow — sometimes. Take ARENA, a micro-agency on the verge of extinction under Tony Abbott, now plugged right into the… Read more
Beyond individual merit: reimagining the mandarins of the future Wednesday November 30, 2016 By Stephen Easton Features The individual merit principle has produced public service leaders that look and talk the same, think alike and mix in the same circles. Heads of… Read more
Unsolicited proposals: NSW on the right track a decade after AWH Thursday March 10, 2016 By Harley Dennett News Wracked by a highly public ICAC investigation that became a byword for unscrupulous lobbying in NSW, DPC set out to build a new unsolicited proposals… Read more
Events in February: UK cabinet lessons, WA policy talk, women and leadership Friday January 29, 2016 By The Mandarin Jurisdiction There's never much on in January but February offers a range of interesting events for people with an interest in the public sector including guests… Read more
Public sector leaders throwing open the doors Friday October 30, 2015 By Harley Dennett News PM&C boss Michael Thawley really has a problem with locked doors in public administration. He's not alone, with state leaders also wanting change. Read more
'I walk in with ten more facts than the minister, and I survive' Monday August 10, 2015 By David Donaldson Economy & Industry Ministers tend to see departmental heads as their principal advisers — but there's a whole lot more to it than that, argued Finance's Jane Halton… Read more
Challenge of our era: transparency, engagement and keeping public trust Wednesday July 29, 2015 By The Mandarin Jurisdiction Senior public servants, academics and corporate experts from Australia and New Zealand will come together next week to tackle what has been learnt and what… Read more
