Emergency management comms specialist Natalie Staaks speaks about getting the right information out in a crisis: “if you wait until you’re 100% sure of the accuracy of the information, then you risk putting people at risk”. Natalie Staaks Crises have a habit of exacerbating the flaws in existing systems. Clearly…
Disaster recovery expert Anne Leadbeater discusses the four-part public communication strategy she used after the Kinglake fire. Be consistent in messaging, rely on trusted spokespeople — and be careful about using fear. Communicating in a crisis is difficult — some people panic, while others are too relaxed, and the job…
Moving from an executive role onto a board means shifting from asking ‘how’ to ‘why’. Victorian EPA Chair Cheryl Batagol and CFA Board Member Gillian Sparkes offer their advice. Dr Gillian Sparkes You’ve spent years building up experience and now you’re thinking about taking on a new challenge and sitting…
There are plenty of examples of excellence overseas but we’re often dismissive of other countries’ experiences, or just too busy to do the research, argues Andrew Wear, author of the new book Solved! Andrew Wear On each of the big challenges facing governments — education, health, gender equality, climate policy…
Most of us think of ourselves as good people. We set out to be ethical, and we hope that in pivotal moments we will rise to the occasion. But when it comes to building an ethical career, good intentions are insufficient. Maryam Kouchaki and Isaac H. Smith explain. Decades’ worth…
Victoria’s sustainability commissioner on why it’s important to measure the economic value of biodiversity, how she got where she is, and her approach to stakeholder engagement. Dr Gillian Sparkes was immensely proud — and a little surprised — to be named an IPAA national fellow late last year. As someone…
The government’s defence of Bridget McKenzie and the prime minister’s call for advice from the head of his department reveal a remarkable misunderstanding (or, less surprisingly, a remarkable misrepresentation) of the respective roles of ministers and administrators. In defending the actions of his deputy, Bridget McKenzie, National Party leader Michael…
For many the annual review is a big source of anxiety. Staff fear what their boss might say, while managers worry how the feedback will be received. Belinda Allen “In a lot of organisations it tends to turn into a tick-box exercise. You have this form from HR you need…
As we’ve reformed one area of our economy and society after another, we followed a formula. We presumed that the more a sector was made to look like a market, the better it would be. In academia, global competition has replaced a fusty, craft-based system. But without paying attention to…
Danielle Wood will take over as CEO of the Grattan Institute in July. She discusses the government’s response to the APS review, why reform isn’t occurring, and the big challenges governments will face in the next decade. If you could choose a time to be taking the reins of a…
A new generation entering the labour market and shaking up old habits is nothing unusual. But the fast pace of technological change, combined with the number of generations working together at the same time (baby boomers, generation X, millennials and generation Z) creates a new situation. The increase in life…
The 2020s are unfolding in a complex context, and they haven’t even begun in earnest. At the end of the last decade, our world witnessed the Amazon and much of Australia burning, a hardening of identities and resurgence of nationalism, and a crisis in tech governance, dangerously confusing fact with…
MND Australia’s Carol Birks, Ben O’Mara, and Morag Millington explain that with Australian governments looking at new ways of improving aged care, there is great potential for collaboration with the non-profit sector to make assistive technology easier to access, and in a way that is sustainable, and cost-effective. The federal…
What skills do different policy shops look for in staff? A public management expert, a think tanker, and a consultant-turned-public servant weigh in. Nailing down what makes for a successful policy team is difficult. A lack of consistency in performance across government, both in terms of policy process and quality…
If we know a great deal about something, we close our minds to alternative pathways, we share our knowledge with people who support our opinion (confirmation bias), and our creativity is constricted because we think we know what’s possible and dismiss anything that sounds unrealistic. Lyn Carson shows how to…