Premium Insights and analysis APS issues not so popular: Election campaign to focus on issues beyond public service Community & Social Former DPM&C secretary Terry Moran speaks to The Mandarin about the impact of the federal election on Australia’s bureaucrats. Indifferent voter sentiment about the state
Premium The Select Committee Empathy training for public sector leaders — is it a good idea? September 14, 2021 By Chris Johnson Australian Capital Territory The topic of empathy training has been in the news for some weeks now, mostly with respect to politicians and how they treat staff, the
Moran: Public service’s management of social policy ‘damaging’ respect for government August 9, 2021 By Shannon Jenkins Federal Former Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet secretary Terry Moran has called for a royal commission into the bureaucracy and a shift in responsibilities
Premium Columnists How many royal commissions are necessary? July 28, 2021 By Stephen Bartos Editors' Picks Another day, another royal commission. For every major problem facing Australia it seems someone, somewhere, will call for a royal commission. The Australian government is
Governing not by conventions, but by what you can get away with July 28, 2021 By John Daley Culture Conventions lie between the black-letter rules of a constitution and legislation, and the realities of politics and administration. You cannot understand how government really works
APS Academy up and running July 22, 2021 By Chris Johnson Federal The Australian Public Service now has its own academy. Designed to usher in a new era of learning and development for the entire sector, its
Premium The Select Committee When a promotion is given but doesn’t seem warranted – The Select Committee July 15, 2021 By Chris Johnson Editors' Picks If a leader makes a big mistake – disastrous even – and subsequently gets further promoted, what impact can that have on the wider organisation?
Premium The Select Committee When your minister is under a cloud – The Select Committee March 25, 2021 By Chris Johnson Australian Capital Territory When a government minister is under a cloud — for whatever reason — a different focus is placed on the portfolio department/s the minister holds.
Premium The Select Committee The first meeting – The Select Committee October 21, 2020 By Chris Johnson Editors' Picks You have a new minister and the minister wants to meet. Sounds daunting. Intimidating even. It doesn’t have to be. Meetings between departmental bosses and
Premium The Select Committee Define the public interest – The Select Committee September 1, 2020 By Chris Johnson Editors' Picks Exactly what is the public interest and what is in the public interest? Easy questions to ask, but not so easy to answer. So, we
PM&C citizen survey results delayed, heavily redacted version released August 20, 2020 By Shannon Jenkins Community & Social The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet has deferred the release of its 2019 Citizen Experience Survey. The department surveyed 5103 Australians in March
Premium Expert briefings If the SES is your goal, here’s some advice August 11, 2020 By Chris Johnson Career Matters Joining the ranks of the Senior Executive Service in the APS (or comparable levels in state and territory public services) is an ambition of many
Premium The Select Committee Consultants being public servants – The Select Committee August 4, 2020 By Chris Johnson Career Advice Malcolm Turnbull has bemoaned it. Our own Bernard Keane has criticised it. The Thodey Review has raised concerns about it. The ‘cult of the consultant’
How should public servants respond if a minister asks them to do party political work? June 29, 2020 By The Mandarin Editors' Picks Where should senior public servants and political staffers draw the line between their public duty and the expectation by some ministers for public funds to