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Insights and analysis

Insights and analysis

Fake news and fact-checking: seven studies you should know about

Communications & Technology

Denise-Marie Ordway provides a sampling of seven journal articles published in 2019 that examine fake news from multiple angles, including what makes fact-checking most effective…

Insights and analysis

Out in the cold: Treasury’s losing policy influence over the 20-teens prime ministers

By Paul Tilley

Editors' Picks

Insights and analysis

Are we too worried about embarrassing the minister? Relaxing about ‘sensitive’ information can strengthen government

By Craig Dalton

Australian Capital Territory

Insights and analysis

‘Being smart is not enough’ — instead of searching for the perfect all-rounder, build a diverse team

By David Donaldson

Features

Insights and analysis

The Thodey report has an excessive amount of rhetoric and is not an easy read. And then there’s Morrison’s response. Where to from here?

By Andrew Podger

Editors' Picks

Insights and analysis

Improving cultural diversity in the public service: understand different leadership styles and be prepared to push back on resistance

By David Donaldson

Features

Insights and analysis

We can’t predict the future, but scenario planning can identify what it might look like

By Matt Finch

Editors' Picks

Insights and analysis

How to tell the difference between persuasion and manipulation (hint: intention is everything)

By Robert Noggle

Culture

Insights and analysis

Cross-government collaboration by civil servants, for civil servants. Tips and tricks from collaborators that will help you turn visions into reality

By Thea Snow

Features

Insights and analysis

Are we wise enough (smart enough) to survive our own success? If so, how can we all get along better? Practicing tolerance in the Age of Stupid

By Richard Hames

Culture

Insights and analysis

Australians don’t want to blow up their democracy, they want to save it. Commonwealth, state and local government working together is key to repairing the democratic vessel

By Terry Moran

Editors' Picks

Insights and analysis

Ancient perspectives, modern policy: why we need more Indigenous senior public servants, and how strong political leadership could make it happen

By Stephen Easton

Community & Social

Insights and analysis

Space Agency chief Dr Megan Clark on providing influential advice to government: tell them what the public really thinks

By Stephen Easton

Features

Insights and analysis

Are you ready for the challenge of a post-growth world? How overconsumption and low growth will impact future public policy and decide society’s well-being

By Martin Hensher

Editors' Picks

Insights and analysis

Taking the sting out of health infrastructure and reform. How investing in soft infrastructure supports front-line innovation into cost-effective, affordable healthcare

By Andrew Searles

Features

Insights and analysis

‘We’ve hollowed out policy advice’: Glyn Davis weighs in on pending Thodey report and planning for an unpredictable future in the public service

By Shannon Jenkins

Editors' Picks

Insights and analysis

Good money after bad: six reasons why governments ignore evidence of service failure — and how to do better

By David Donaldson

Features

Insights and analysis

If you can bridge the gap in government silos, you might be a boundary spanner. Here are the seven skills you need to collaborate in government

By Thea Snow

Features

Insights and analysis

Most social media platforms weren’t designed for public engagement on policy. How to create media platforms that can ride democracy’s digital highway

By Audrey Lobo-Pulo

Communications & Technology

Insights and analysis

Speaking truth to power: Shergold’s final speech touts importance of professional public servants in a world of weakened democracy

By Peter Shergold

Features

Insights and analysis

What’s the most effective way to motivate staff? Performance pay schemes are trending again, but Allan Hawke saw distorted results

By Allan Hawke

Australian Capital Territory

Insights and analysis

Public servants tell harrowing tales of harassment after a mention in an FOI release. Their leaders want to shield them from the trolls, but anonymity comes with a price

By Stephen Easton

Features

Insights and analysis

Transform support functions for the digital age. Capitalising on the potential for faster, leaner reporting means letting go of the old ways and welcoming the new

By Olaf Rehse

Communications & Technology

Insights and analysis

Learn to live with uncertainty, and other tips on public sector governance and leadership. Sometimes you have to push back and take a stand for due process, but it’s getting harder

By Stephen Easton

Features

Insights and analysis

Departmental media staff have an important job to do, but have been muzzled. Inside the public service, information spinners have stopped. Here’s how it happened

By Bernard Keane & Jennine Khalik

Engagement

Insights and analysis

Geoff Gallop on learning from how Australia advanced its thinking on First Peoples in the past, and can maybe learn how to do reform again

By Geoff Gallop

Editors' Picks

Insights and analysis

Data sharing reforms are taking shape and federal agencies need to get up to speed. Expect new powers, new responsibilities and cultural change

By Stephen Easton

Communications & Technology

Insights and analysis

We have a collective responsibility to build environments in which children thrive. Here are five ways to work differently with families to help keep kids safe

By Annette Michaux

Australian Capital Territory

Insights and analysis

How to navigate transformation and disruption in the public sector. Leave an enduring legacy of improvement by knowing your audience

By Shannon Jenkins

Features

Insights and analysis

Accountability in the age of the artificial: seven ways data analytics undermines it, and 10 ways to maintain it

By Fiona McLeod

Features

Insights and analysis

Accountability in the age of the artificial: how can we make sure AI is our saviour, and not the enemy of the people?

By Fiona McLeod

Features

Insights and analysis

What to do when your minister’s policy range is less than what’s demanded of the role. Engage with them at every opportunity to build trust and create an echo chamber

By Shannon Jenkins

Features

Insights and analysis

New in government, you are? Succeed and make an impact by mastering perspective before skill. Think, observe — only then, do

By Joseph Maltby

Editors' Picks

Insights and analysis

The tale of the bold Belgian bureaucrat: how to create preferred workplaces and a loyal workforce by rejecting old school management styles

By Stephen Easton

Features

Insights and analysis

The policy futurist’s reading list. How speculative fiction can inform better public policy as our society changes and grows in response to new tech

By Tim de Sousa

Communications & Technology

Insights and analysis

Ethical AI and government: how guiding machine learning projects with principles will help prevent tech solutions turning into unintended problems

By Harley Dennett

Features

Insights and analysis

For genuine collaboration with Indigenous communities on policy, government must change how it regards Indigenous public servants, representation, control and mutual learning

By Catherine Althaus

Culture

Insights and analysis

Grappling with customer-centricity, the energy sector is recalibrating how it consults with stakeholders. Regulators can facilitate choices efficiently by aligning conflicting interests

By Victoria Draudins

Economy & Industry

Columnists

Auditors take your seats! Old money becomes new money when it’s time to pay out election promises

By Verona Burgess

Economy & Industry

Insights and analysis

Peter Costello on the independence of the public service 'view', the future of policy advice, and when Treasury secretaries were treated harshly

By Peter Costello

Editors' Picks

Insights and analysis

The great Treasury juggle: providing the minister with fearless advice (even if it causes discomfort), while keeping the government's political strategists happy

By Paul Tilley

Features

Insights and analysis

Government-stored data can pose a threat to human rights. Educating the public about their own 'data hygiene' is a first step, while legislation catches up

By Shannon Jenkins

Communications & Technology

Insights and analysis

What’s wrong with best practice? How the quest for certainty affects the agility and innovation needed for organisations to thrive

By Daniel Thornton

Editors' Picks

Insights and analysis

What do we want our democracy to look like? Globalisation, means of income, and how we govern for the 21st Century

By Luca Belgiorno-Nettis

Editors' Picks

Insights and analysis

Trust makes the world go round. As a business asset, rebuild it with competence, care and 'a little bit of good each day'

By Bob McMullan & Sean Innis

Community & Social

Latest Articles

NSW digital chief off to Queensland

By Shannon Jenkins

Public sector union requests payment for firefighting members, Fair Work boss brought in to negotiate

By Shannon Jenkins

Deputy premier blames national parks agency for not doing enough on bushfire prevention, again

By Shannon Jenkins

‘What was feared and what was warned…is here.’ Australian filmmaker’s devastating message on climate change

By Samantha Sault

Why your 5G phone connection could mean lousy weather forecasts

By Marc Prosser

Insights and analysis

Fake news and fact-checking: seven studies you should know about

Categories Back

Out in the cold: Treasury’s losing policy influence over the 20-teens prime ministers

For public sector leaders who are informed, prepared and solution focused.

Are we too worried about embarrassing the minister? Relaxing about ‘sensitive’ information can strengthen government

‘Being smart is not enough’ — instead of searching for the perfect all-rounder, build a diverse team

The Thodey report has an excessive amount of rhetoric and is not an easy read. And then there’s Morrison’s response. Where to from here?

Improving cultural diversity in the public service: understand different leadership styles and be prepared to push back on resistance

We can’t predict the future, but scenario planning can identify what it might look like

How to tell the difference between persuasion and manipulation (hint: intention is everything)

Cross-government collaboration by civil servants, for civil servants. Tips and tricks from collaborators that will help you turn visions into reality

Are we wise enough (smart enough) to survive our own success? If so, how can we all get along better? Practicing tolerance in the Age of Stupid

Australians don’t want to blow up their democracy, they want to save it. Commonwealth, state and local government working together is key to repairing the democratic vessel

Ancient perspectives, modern policy: why we need more Indigenous senior public servants, and how strong political leadership could make it happen

Space Agency chief Dr Megan Clark on providing influential advice to government: tell them what the public really thinks

Are you ready for the challenge of a post-growth world? How overconsumption and low growth will impact future public policy and decide society’s well-being

Taking the sting out of health infrastructure and reform. How investing in soft infrastructure supports front-line innovation into cost-effective, affordable healthcare

‘We’ve hollowed out policy advice’: Glyn Davis weighs in on pending Thodey report and planning for an unpredictable future in the public service

Good money after bad: six reasons why governments ignore evidence of service failure — and how to do better

If you can bridge the gap in government silos, you might be a boundary spanner. Here are the seven skills you need to collaborate in government

Most social media platforms weren’t designed for public engagement on policy. How to create media platforms that can ride democracy’s digital highway

Speaking truth to power: Shergold’s final speech touts importance of professional public servants in a world of weakened democracy

What’s the most effective way to motivate staff? Performance pay schemes are trending again, but Allan Hawke saw distorted results

Public servants tell harrowing tales of harassment after a mention in an FOI release. Their leaders want to shield them from the trolls, but anonymity comes with a price

Transform support functions for the digital age. Capitalising on the potential for faster, leaner reporting means letting go of the old ways and welcoming the new

Learn to live with uncertainty, and other tips on public sector governance and leadership. Sometimes you have to push back and take a stand for due process, but it’s getting harder

Departmental media staff have an important job to do, but have been muzzled. Inside the public service, information spinners have stopped. Here’s how it happened

Geoff Gallop on learning from how Australia advanced its thinking on First Peoples in the past, and can maybe learn how to do reform again

Data sharing reforms are taking shape and federal agencies need to get up to speed. Expect new powers, new responsibilities and cultural change

We have a collective responsibility to build environments in which children thrive. Here are five ways to work differently with families to help keep kids safe

How to navigate transformation and disruption in the public sector. Leave an enduring legacy of improvement by knowing your audience

Accountability in the age of the artificial: seven ways data analytics undermines it, and 10 ways to maintain it

Accountability in the age of the artificial: how can we make sure AI is our saviour, and not the enemy of the people?

What to do when your minister’s policy range is less than what’s demanded of the role. Engage with them at every opportunity to build trust and create an echo chamber

New in government, you are? Succeed and make an impact by mastering perspective before skill. Think, observe — only then, do

The tale of the bold Belgian bureaucrat: how to create preferred workplaces and a loyal workforce by rejecting old school management styles

The policy futurist’s reading list. How speculative fiction can inform better public policy as our society changes and grows in response to new tech

Ethical AI and government: how guiding machine learning projects with principles will help prevent tech solutions turning into unintended problems

For genuine collaboration with Indigenous communities on policy, government must change how it regards Indigenous public servants, representation, control and mutual learning

Grappling with customer-centricity, the energy sector is recalibrating how it consults with stakeholders. Regulators can facilitate choices efficiently by aligning conflicting interests

Auditors take your seats! Old money becomes new money when it’s time to pay out election promises

Peter Costello on the independence of the public service 'view', the future of policy advice, and when Treasury secretaries were treated harshly

The great Treasury juggle: providing the minister with fearless advice (even if it causes discomfort), while keeping the government's political strategists happy

Government-stored data can pose a threat to human rights. Educating the public about their own 'data hygiene' is a first step, while legislation catches up

What’s wrong with best practice? How the quest for certainty affects the agility and innovation needed for organisations to thrive

What do we want our democracy to look like? Globalisation, means of income, and how we govern for the 21st Century

Trust makes the world go round. As a business asset, rebuild it with competence, care and 'a little bit of good each day'

Latest Articles

NSW digital chief off to Queensland

Public sector union requests payment for firefighting members, Fair Work boss brought in to negotiate

Deputy premier blames national parks agency for not doing enough on bushfire prevention, again

‘What was feared and what was warned…is here.’ Australian filmmaker’s devastating message on climate change

Why your 5G phone connection could mean lousy weather forecasts