Re-elected Prime Minister’s public message to department heads
Prime Minister Scott Morrison brought department heads out in front of the media cameras on Thursday and told them not to get in the way of his agenda. Read More
Kathryn Campbell
Frontline feedback is essential for policy, might have spared DHS from robodebt fury
In hindsight, Department of Social Services secretary Kathryn Campbell believes Centrelink’s robodebt letters would not have stirred so much public anger if there was more… Read More
Whistleblower’s tip-off sparks second Robodebt review
The Commonwealth Ombudsman Michael Manthorpe has agreed to investigate Centrelink's debt recovery program for a second time. Read More
Verona Burgess: changing of the guard
Nearly half the Australian Public Service get new bosses this month as Prime Minister and Cabinet secretary Martin Parkinson puts his stamp on the Secretaries Board. Read More
The top contenders to replace Dennis Richardson at Defence department
Who will replace Dennis Richardson as secretary of the Department of Defence? There's a lot of contenders being discussed and some earlier aspirants dropped out the running before the coveted role opened up. We've compiled the nine most likely candidates. Read More
Centrelink’s debt recovery system: automation without good public administration
The Commonwealth Ombudsman reports Centrelink's automated debt recovery drive is an example of digital transformation that failed to maintain good public administration, procedural fairness under administrative law, and risk management. Read More
Confidence v being the ‘ball-breaker’: female bosses speak up
Women are unfairly judged for their confidence and ambition — but that shouldn't discourage them from climbing the ladder. Some of Canberra's most powerful female leaders offer advice on negotiating the public service. Read More
Self-service not serving all at Centrelink
When DHS and Centrelink was hit with a series of critical reports about its customer handling, the department went to work on improvements. The Commonwealth Ombudsman says considerable progress has been made in the last year, but self-service still doesn't work for everyone. Read More
Kathryn Campbell: DHS service delivery reform a success, all things considered
The Department of Human Services is expected to please everyone. Secretary Kathryn Campbell opened up this week on the consolidated department's four-year service delivery reform project, the culture challenge of competing tribes, and dealing with technology on a massive scale. Read More