New Zealand

Almost half of the New Zealand Public Service has signed up to a flexible work program designed to reduce the gender pay gap, while flexible work is on the rise in the Australian Public Service. The pilot scheme was announced by Minister for Women Julie Anne Genter in December, and is currently being trialled by […]

Treating the public service like a business has become the norm, with the structures, language, practices and incentives inherited from private sector managerialism. We know that citizens don’t expect public sectors to act the same way — which is evident in the feedback, discussions, user research and myriad public engagements — yet when we adopt the mindset of a business we create pressure to act more like a business in everything we do.

It’s not surprising we see higher rates of mental illness among veterans compared to the overall Australian population. We should be targeting veterans with a high level of care that better reflects their unique set of needs.

The New Zealand public service will soon be equipped to better address the biggest challenges facing governments and the people it serves, according to State Services Minister Chris Hipkins. The outdated State Sector Act 1988 will be scrapped and replaced with a new Public Service Act, which will signal the “most significant change in the public service in 30 years”, Hipkins said, after a bill was brought to NZ Parliament on Monday.

Commonwealth government agencies will soon be expected to pay e-Invoices to suppliers within five days, or else pay interest on late payments. Starting from January 1, the new payment policy will apply to agencies that deliver and receive invoices electronically with suppliers, for contracts worth up to $1 million.

Pia Andrews looks at some of the systemic challenges that come with working in public sectors, including intrinsic ones — like capability issues, and directive leadership styles — rather than extrinsic — like changing pressures from social, technological, and global economic change.

Six public servants have been recognised for their work in the second year that New Zealand’s Public Service Medals have been awarded.  The work of public servants is rarely acknowledged, according to State Services Minister Chris Hipkins. The medals and commendations are awarded as part of Public Service Day on November 7. “Some of the […]

The NSW Government committed $38 million to four large air tankers in preparation for one of the state’s most dangerous fire seasons. Available for service this November, the aircraft can unleash 11,300 litres of water or fire retardant in a single flight. The effects of bushfires are devastating, so it’s important to invest in disaster […]

The next wave of dramatic service-channel change is happening right now, and again, people are largely seeing it as a future issue, not for now. What will be the impact and opportunities of personal AI helpers (Siri, Alexa, etc.) and changes to the infrastructure required right now if we want public services to be responsive to change and changing user needs?

New Zealand’s government has published a draft “algorithm charter for government agencies” that promises citizens fairness, transparency and accountability around how the government uses data analytics.

For everything we do in public sectors, it is when we collaborate and draw on broader expertise and experiences that we get better outcomes. So, if is it such a biological imperative, why does participatory public governance seem so alien or novel to so many?