Foresight
NSW now requires that government contracts over $7.5m give preference to NSW based companies and that building work be done by teams including at least 20% apprentices...
Canada toughens approach to hybrid work
The Canadian Public Service now require staff to work in the office a minimum of three days a week. Executives are required to work in the office at least four days a week...
This index of one thousand cities shows the strengths and weaknesses of each. Melbourne is overall the highest ranked Australian city. Wellington is the top city in the world for governance. Canberra is the second city in the world for quality of life. It is also worth looking at the weaknesses of each city. This should be the focus of government action...
This website focuses on Asia pacific diplomacy and defence. It is worth reading this article to understand some of the carrots and sticks that Australia will be considering...
Taxpayers should be furious over public service’s ‘ghost’ offices
This article argues that taxpayers should be furious about underutilised offices and uncapped work from home arrangements for public servants. These issues will get more scrutiny in every jurisdiction...
Ethan Mollick is a Professor at the Wharton School. He gives very practical advice on how to use the latest AI products. His column on Substack is worth reading...
The new age for retirement in Australia
The age at which Australians retire continues to climb. You will all work longer than you think!..
Capability Review of the Department of Home Affairs
The APS has committed to Capability Reviews of Departments. In many ways the model is similar to the one used in New Zealand. The report is particularly critical of the command and control approach to leadership which has been in place. It is worthwhile skimming this report and thinking about what lessons you can learn about the area for which you are responsible...
Your staff are already using AI
Microsoft and LinkedIn have conducted a major study of knowledge workers. Workers are already using AI but often not telling their bosses that they are doing that...
USA mandates AI expertise and oversight in Federal Agencies
All USA government agencies are in the next 60 days, required to appoint a chief AI officer with significant expertise. Amongst other things these officers are required to correct all non-compliant uses of AI by the end of the year...
Less money in people’s pockets
There is less money in people’s pockets and it is driving discontent. Governments will need to respond to this discontent to stay in office...
This podcast series delves into the largest scandal in the history of the UK Public sector...
The Houthi attacks on shipping have caused the price of petrol and other goods to rise. It is worth reading this background to understand what is going on...
Why Australia should be celebrating Taiwan's free elections
An excellent article which explains why the results of the recent Taiwanese election are so important...
$4.6B GST fraud is the real price of robodebt
An article from the Mandarin which rightly draws the link between public trust and the willingness for the public to steal from the government...
Only an Absolute Bureaucracy Can Save Us
The West will only restore its stability when civil servants are again devoted to the public rather than themselves. The author argues that the neo-liberal shift to public servants competing against each other rather in their own self-interest rather than acting in the common good is a cause of instability...
Budget Paper Number 1: Budget Strategy and Outlook
This Australian budget paper includes a section on 'measuring what matters', which provides an outline of a move towards a 'well-being' budget. You should skim pages 119 - 142...
Shaping AI and edtech to tackle Australia’s learning divide
Can high-quality edtech be used to improve outcomes for disadvantaged students? This expert report finds that it can – but only if this edtech is well-designed, well-used and well-governed. It is worth looking at the three case studies...
Pay deal reached with striking Canadian public servants striking for two weeks
The dispute centred on demands for greater pay and concerns with the drive to get more people back to workplaces. The government has offered pay rises and more flexibility around remote work...
How Generative AI Changes Productivity
This podcast covers initial productivity gains for individuals from AI, how that will scale across a workforce, and the pressing challenges facing organisational leaders...
A very thoughtful blog post from Sean Innis. This is an overlooked policy issue. Flexible work, the four day week, government services that save time rather than make work and rules to allow workers to have undisrupted weekends. Who knows, the idea of the sabbath may return...
Published by Policy Horizons a strategic foresight organisation within the Canadian Government. This paper looks at how the life course is changing and what that means for future social and economic policy...
A podcast interview with James Plunkett about how policy and service design will have to be done differently in the future. He provides advice to public servants about how to take advantage of flux and uncertainty. He also reminds us that ethics is more important than economics. I strongly recommend this to you all...
Once every decade the Australian science organisation CSIRO publishes a major report on the megatrends that we can expect to shape Australia over the next decade...
If you must play Lotto, here is how to maximise your winnings
An interesting reminder about the difficulties that many people have in estimating probabilities...
New Zealand's first emissions reduction plan
Here is a link to the table of actions to be taken by each Department to help meet the New Zealand emissions reduction plan. Australians should scan this to see what is coming your way...
Politicisation of the Public Service: Issues Paper and Request for Submissions
The Victorian Ombudsman is seeking submissions on whether the Victorian Public service has been politicised. The background to the enquiry is this article in The Age. We are on a slippery slope here. There is great value in public servants getting experience in a Ministerial Office. There is also a problem with the tribal nature of some senior appointments...
UK Prime Minister wants to cut 91,000 public service jobs
The UK Prime Minister intends to cut 20% of public service jobs, noting that public service job numbers had grown strongly since the pandemic...
The consequences of the Ukrainian- Russian war
An excellent analysis of the consequences of this war and what needs to be done now...
Australians are living longer from lockdowns
There has been a remarkable increase in the longevity of Australians as a result of lockdowns during the recent pandemic...
Trade reimagined and Rethinking regulators
Each week Tom Burton from the Australian Financial review publishes a newsletter on the public sector. I recommend you subscribe to it. In this edition of the newsletter two very important issues are covered - the radical redesign of how imports and exports are processed and the debate about regulatory trends...
Speech by the Shadow Treasurer, Jim Chalmers
In late November the Shadow Treasurer, Jim Chalmers, gave a speech which included important proposals for the public sector. This article (paywall) and the speech which can be accessed through the link is of interest to those of you from the Australian Public Service...
UK civil servants ordered back to the office
The UK Government has asked civil servants to accelerate their return to the office 'to boost staff collaboration and help local businesses’...
How America Fractured Into Four Parts
People in the United States no longer agree on the nation’s purpose, values, history, or meaning. Is reconciliation possible?...
How Humanity Gave Itself an Extra Life
We have doubled the life expectancy of humans. Here is the story of how it was done. ...
Tech's Exponential Growth – and How to Solve the Problems It's Created
An excellent overview of what is happening with big tech and the importance of regulators and policymakers thinking about how to avoid the problems that are emerging. Listen through to the end...
Gridlock: Removing barriers to policy reform
Fewer policy reforms are being undertaken in Australia. This a deep analysis of what is stopping reform and what can be done about it. It should be compulsory reading for public servants...
A Quarter of Australian Employees Are Seeking a New Job
Gartner made this press release in April 2021. I have included it to remind you that we are in the middle of a war for talent. Good leaders who look after their people will do better at holding high quality staff...
Addressing climate change in a post-pandemic world
This article raises the 'tragedy of the horizon' as a challenge for us all. It is relevant to climate change, to pandemic planning, to Defence preparedness and to supply chain resilience amongst many other issues. The challenge for us all is to preserve the policy capacity to think and plan for the long rather than being consumed by the short. Our future depends upon it...
Renewing the Moral Foundations of a Post-COVID World
A video which explains why many people are angry and turning to populist leaders. It explains the downside of meritocracies, our failure to encourage the dignity of work and our propensity to blame those who are not as lucky as ourselves...
You can’t fix the economy if you can’t see it: how the ABS became our secret weapon
The ABS changed the way they operated during the Pandemic and the data they were able to provide the government made a very big impact. Comment: The Commonwealth government has increasingly realised the power of big data and is willing to invest to get access to more of it...
Queensland Public Service advice on supporting return to workplaces
The Queensland Public Service Commission and the Queensland Department of Health have issued advice on supporting return to workplaces. The Leadership Board have agreed that workplace presence is the default arrangement for employees, unless a flexible work agreement is in place. There are a number of resources linked to the fact sheet which will be helpful to staff and to managers...
Public service and the decline of capability
The Jim Carlton Annual Integrity Lecture was given by Glyn Davis who was a member of the recent Independent Review of the Australian Public Service. I encourage you to read this. One message that I take from reading the Lecture is that the recommendations of the recent review which have not been adopted as yet, will be adopted in time...
Victorian government urged to adopt wellbeing budget
New Zealand, Scotland, Iceland, Ireland and the ACT have introduced or are in the process of introducing wellbeing budgets. Victoria is being encouraged to do the same. I was interested to observe that one of the measures in the New Zealand and ACT frameworks is 'time'...
The Psychology Behind Unethical Behavior
It is very easy to slide unintentionally into unethical behaviour. This risk is greater the more powerful the role that you are in. This article explains what the risks are and how to avoid them...
Victorian Public Service Guidance on Remote Working
This guidance notes the role of public service workforce deployment in the social and economic recovery of Victoria. It sets out the default position for office based VPS staff of three days a week in the office subject to health requirements. Will other jurisdictions follow this lead?..
A foreign policy for the middle class
The declining middle class in the US and rising income inequality has led to a polarisation of politics. Effective foreign policy needs to have an eye to domestic distributional impacts because they impact on social stability. Expect a move in the US to a policy of supporting national competitiveness. A reminder about the importance of policy integration across international, economic and social policy...
Securing Australia in an age of disruption
A landmark interview with the Secretary of Defence, Greg Moriarty. No matter what Department you work in, this should be compulsory viewing. It will help you to understand our future. Highly recommended...
9 Trends That Will Shape Work in 2021 and Beyond
Worth reading. Many of these apply to public sector workplaces. One trend that caught my attention was increased pressure on widening the gender based pay gap. I think that this is likely and we will need to watch this very carefully...
Semiconductors: The Ultimate Bargaining Chip
Anyone who is interested in technology, supply chains or geopolitics should listen to this. It is fascinating and thought provoking...
Class & Inequality - The World Henry Ford Made
A new history charts the global legacy of Fordist mass production, tracing its appeal to political formations on both the left and the right. It is interesting to see the rise of national industrial policy re-emerge in this context...
Stockdale Paradox: A Message for Uncertain Times
A short video explaining why we need to be realistic about the challenges that we face and determined to prevail. It will help you and your staff to navigate the next year. Highly recommended...
Common Probability Errors to Avoid
If you’re trying to gain a rapid understanding of a new area, one of the most important things you can do is to identify common mistakes people make, then avoid them. Here are some of the most predictable errors we tend to make when thinking about statistics...
Malcolm Turnbull argues in this podcast that the only reason for the public service to use consultants is when they are doing something exotic. He notes that the deskilling of the public service is ongoing and damage is being done...
The resignation of Chris Eccles has ramifications for public administration
We don’t know exactly why Chris Eccles resigned, and perhaps never will. There is, though, an important lesson in it for public servants everywhere: even in the middle of a crisis, too much record keeping is hardly enough...
Why the civil service is in mortal danger
An analysis of the undermining of the UK civil service due to the short term nature of politics, the rise of advisers and the personalisation of senior appointments...
Come back to the Office says Google
Google want staff to return to working in the office because it is in the office that relationships, collaboration, and culture are established. There is a price to working virtually...
A Norwegian Startup Is Turning Dry Deserts Into Fertile Cropland
I will be adding an occasional article about innovation that is emerging in different sectors. Singularity University is a great source of information about innovation...
“The privilege of public service” given as the Ditchley Annual Lecture
A thoughtful lecture from the UK Cabinet Secretary about the loss of trust in elites and the arrogance of many in prominent roles. He argues for changes to the public service including greater specialisation, more diversity in recruitment and moving more public servants to the Regions. Highly recommended...
COVID-19 and public-sector capacity
An excellent article about the implications of COVID-19 for the public-sector. ‘In sum, decades of a misplaced focus on privatisation, outsourcing, and static efficiency have left many governments with reduced options and capacities in the face of the crisis. Governments require choices, and the capacity to manoeuvre flexibly and with competence.’..
Summary of the first week of witnesses before the Hotel Quarantine Inquiry in Victoria
Follow this link and scroll down to the Day 14 - 08 September 2020 hearing. Listen to the first 12 minutes for an overview of what evidence had been presented to that point. A lot to learn here about the consequences of fast decisions and ambiguous accountability. We all have to make fast decisions and we all have to make sure that we revisit these decisions to ensure that what we think is happening does happen...
Moore’s Law ‘that the number of integrated circuits in a resistor doubles every two years’ has underpinned the rise of computing and automation. Intel has announced chips that will contain 50 times more resistors than the current generation...
Thomas Friedman writes in The New York Times (paywall) that greed and globalisation set us up for disaster and that ultimately what matters the most is the ‘Golden Rule’ - do unto others as you wish them to do unto you...
Sensemaking, the core skill for the 21st Century
A thought provoking article about the importance of 'sense-making', a core skill as uncertainty increases. What does it mean? With increasing uncertainty, there is value in getting a wider range of input, in having shared values and a shared understanding of events and the preferred way forward...
How to deal with reverse culture shock
When COVID-19 restrictions ease what is the best way of reintegrating with friends, your extended family and workmates. There are lessons here from what happens to those returning from a period in Antarctica...
ANAO guidance on Rapid implementation of Australian Government initiatives
The Audit Office has provided nine key lessons learnt from their audits of Government initiatives with rapid implementation. Expect them to use this checklist when they audit COVID-19 related implementations...
From the service paradigm to the enablement paradigm: reimagining government post crisis
This article offers a vision of how we could reimagine government after the COVID-19 disruption...
Why government will never be the same again
Power has been centralised, governance arrangements radically reworked and silos disrupted...
Lead Your Business Through the Coronavirus Crisis
A useful article from the Harvard Business Review about leading through this crisis. There are some very useful principles about designing future policies with resilience principles embedded. They also look at preparing for a different future...
The UK is facing a Me Too moment for the Civil service
Escalating pressure to deliver post Brexit; the sacking of Secretaries and troubling relations between Ministers and the Public Service - the temperature is rising in the UK...
2020 Edelman Trust Barometer - global report
The 20th annual report is now available. There are three key findings for me - inequality is an increasing factor in the decline of trust; people no longer believe that working hard will lead to a better life and in Australia trust in institutions amongst the informed public is 68% while it is 45% among the mass population. It is time for more work on inequality!..
Two mental models that many of us use are ‘opportunity cost’ and ‘trade offs’. These are both part of how people make decisions which allow them to play the long game. The compounding impact of playing the long game is very large...
Dominic Cummings is Boris Johnson's new Chief of Staff. In 2014 he write a very long blog article about everything that is wrong with the UK public service. Now that he has power he will be a major disruptor and the UK can expect merged Departments, fewer Cabinet ministers, an increase in the number of Ministerial staffers (special advisers or Spad's) and a push to politicise appointments to the public service. How much of this will be copied in Australia and New Zealand? Highly recommended...
Jeremy Grantham is a legendary investor. This series of videos/podcasts gives his detailed analysis of the threats to humanity from climate change, the loss of topsoil, the overuse of chemicals and overpopulation. He also has suggestions about what we should do about each. Compelling viewing...
Thomas Friedman talks about The World In 2019
Thomas Friedman has a column in the New York Times. This hour long podcast provides an excellent analysis of the challenges that we face and what we can do about it. I strongly recommend that you make the time to listen to it...
A long read - Do not rely on social media to drive the next revolution
A very thoughtful article about the lack of power in social media...
Your Professional Decline Is Coming (Much) Sooner Than You Think
A very good article about careers, life satisfaction, the inevitable decline and how to pivot to use different strengths in your later career. I particularly like the references to leaving while you are doing well and the importance of serving others...
Party Man Xi Jinping's Quest to Dominate China
An insightful analysis of the history that has shaped Xi Jinping’s thinking...
Can Australian Treasury Regain Its Economic Policy Influence?
Paul Tilley, a former Treasury official, has written a book on the history of Treasury. Here is a brief summary including the comment that ‘A challenge for Treasury (and other public service agencies) is how to maintain its capabilities. With Treasury’s economic policy advising capacities being less called upon, they are in danger of withering on the vine'...
New Zealand is giving a priority to 'a spirit of service', to serving the people of New Zealand, to the importance of leadership at the front line. "It took a lot of very charismatic people, a lot of big disappointments against the dark satanic mills of the New Public Management, to get us back into an area where we can refocus on the human person again"...
Party Man Xi Jinping's Quest to Dominate China
An insightful analysis of the history that has shaped Xi Jinping’s thinking...
Time And Policy: A Thought Provoker
This is a great article from the ANU - they argue that public policy does not place a value on time and that this needs to change. They are right and I expect that this is going to become a significant policy issue...
You Are The Average Of The Five People You Spend The Most Time With
The people we spend the most time with shape our thoughts. Are you spending time with people that you admire? If not, why not?..
Victoria starts to wind back from 'Peak Consulting'
The Victorian Public Service have introduced mandatory guidelines to reduce expenditure on consultants, to stop consultants being used for core public service work and to increase skill transfer. This is the beginning of the swing back from 'Peak Consulting'...
New Zealand's Wellbeing Budget
Here is a link to the NZ Treasury website. It is worth a scan. The first page breaks down the investments across the 5 National priorities and an additional priority "Investing in New Zealand'. Under the heading 'Wellbeing Budget' they explain how the process differed from previous Budgets...
Another cracker of an article from Thomas Friedman that gives an excellent explanation of what has been and is now going on between China and the US in relation to trade. Recommended...
Thomas Friedman talks about The World In 2019
Thomas Friedman has a column in the New York Times. This hour long podcast provides an excellent analysis of the challenges that we face and what we can do about it. I strongly recommend that you make the time to listen to it...
NZ Minister for Finance Press Release announcing the date of the first Well-being Budget
This provides some more details about the five national priorities and makes it clear that Ministers are collectively responsible for delivering on the five priorities...
New Zealand's well-being approach to budget is not new, but could shift major issues
On the 30th May New Zealand will bring down its first Well-Being Budget. They have identified five national priorities and shaped the Budget around these. ACT has already announced that they will follow. Watch this space...
Radical overhaul of the NSW public service is the Premier's legacy
The creation of the Department of Customer Service is a fundamental change to way that the Government operates. It is a new Central Department with whole of government powers...
Your apps are reporting your location all day, every day
App companies sell data on your movements. You should delete apps that you do not use and restrict the ability of apps to track your movements. Here is how...
Reaching Financial Independence
Everyone grapples with how much will they need in retirement. Everyone's circumstances are different. But, one question is almost universal 'how much can I safely withdraw from my investments each year?' This article concentrates on answering that question...
An expanded role for the Department of Finance
Oped article by Jim Chalmers the Shadow Minister for Finance about what he sees as the future role of the Department of Finance...
Rethinking the Department of Finance – speech by Jim Chalmers
Jim Chalmers is a rising star in the Federal Opposition. In this speech from November last year he outlines a new role for a Department of Finance and a range of suggested new priorities, including reforms to the Australian Public Service. Worth a read...
Farewell speech by Simon Smith, former Secretary of the NSW Department of Industry
In this speech Simon recommends that up and coming public servants develop their skills in 'commissioning' and gives a range of very good advice, including about good, practical economic policy and managing your career and your life...
Amazon CEO latest letter to shareholders - lessons for the Public Service
Jeff Bezos is a visionary and this newsletter is well worth reading. Especially the first half which outlines his philosophy on customer expectations and standards of excellence at work. Also read the last paragraph about how he is investing in his staff (the person, not the employee)...
Australians views - surprising results from the latest Lowy Poll
There has been a sharp spike in anti-immigration sentiment with 54% of Australians saying that the total number of Immigrants coming to Australia is too high. Almost all Australians (84%) believe that the government should focus on renewables even if this means that we may need to invest more in infrastructure to make the system more reliable. 72% of Australians say the government is allowing too much investment from China...
NZ shifts the way in which future Budgets are framed
In a remarkable announcement, the NZ Prime Minister has committed that the next Budget will be based on a ‘wellbeing‘ framework. It is a move from the ‘financial’ focus of economics to a broader perspective taking account of social capital; natural capital and environmental capital. Watch this space...
The 10 professions with the most psychopaths
A British psychologist who specialises in this area has released a list of the professions with the most psychopaths. Public Servants are the 10th on the list. CEO’s are top of the list...
Singapore to train 20,000 public servants in data science
Singapore is moving with determination to make almost all government services digital by 2023. To enable this to happen they are training one in seven public servants in data science, including in data visualisation and predictive analytics. Are you preparing for the future?..
Australians support universal health care, so why not a universal basic income?
A thought provoking article by Brian Howe, former Deputy Prime Minister and one of our greatest social policy architects. The Opposition will look at this very closely. Recommended...
Public Servants being taught how to be consultants
The ANU has designed a course targeting post-MBA public servants to teach them consulting skills. This is a major gap in the public sector. Smart Departments will build their own internal consultancy function...
Employee-Led Mutual to Deliver NDIS Services in SA
The UK created a large number of employee led Mutuals and spun them out of the public sector. I had expected more of these to appear in Australia. Here is one emerging in South Australia to serve customers of the NDIS...
Quarterly Essay - Without America. Australia in the New Asia
Hugh White's article about the decline of America, the rise of China and what does this mean for Australia...
Machinery of Government changes in the Queensland Public Service
The new Queensland government has announced new machinery of government changes. See what departments disappeared, and what new ones emerged...
NSW, new Premier with new priorities. What are the priorities for the NSW government
NSW has 30 priorities. Of these, 12 are the Premier’s priorities. What are they? Have you briefed on this?..
The Australian Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet digital briefing system
Want a look at your future arrangements for briefing Ministers - look at this video - this is coming your way!..
Improving service sector productivity in Australia
CEDA have done an excellent report on services sector productivity. Here is a link to a video by Phil Ruthven which gives a summary of this report...
The Political Life is no Life at All
This article has gone viral amongst those who work in the Australian parliament. It is an insider’s view of the impact of the toxic work environment in Parliament House...
The nature of work and how jobs are changing
Podcast by former Australian Minister Amanda Vanstone what jobs will disappear and what jobs will increase. She notes that many public service jobs are ripe for disruption and this is a reminder for you to think ahead about your future and the future workforce needs of your organisation...
The science of listening - recent developments
All the latest in the application of new breakthroughs in the science of listening – including how 20 companies already use the recording of speech to screen candidates for interviews – because they can determine personality types from speech patterns...
VPS decentralisation: agencies relocating jobs to Ballarat and Latrobe Valley revealed
The recent Victorian budget announced the relocation of 600 public servant jobs to the Latrobe Valley and Ballarat. There is a delayed start and the plan is that there be no forced relocation and that as far as possible, existing staff move roles and new staff are recruited. Is this the next step in a larger trend?..
Anywheres vs Somewheres: the split that made Brexit inevitable
A very good analysis of the split in western democracies between the ‘Anywheres’ – those who are university educated, have moved away from where they grew up and see themselves as citizens of the world and the ‘Somewheres’ who have not been to university and for whom place matters deeply. Reading this book will help you to better understand your broader family and their attitudes...
The state of the nation starts in your street
Hugh Mackay argues that we have fallen into the trap of disengaging and relying on others to solve the problems that face our communities. He reminds us that the real solution includes how individuals engage with their neighbours. What are you doing?..
Digital transformation in the fourth age of public administration
Terry Moran considers the capability of the public sector in this new age – what he calls Public Administration 4 – and whether we’ve learned the lessons of the earlier three. Five principles to take the sector forward...
The future of the public service - imagination and disruption
This article compares two recent articles which forecast the future disruption facing the public sector and the skills that will be needed for public servants to thrive in the future. One study is of the Canadian public sector, the other of the Australian public sector...
A recent decision by NSW will blur the lines between Commonwealth and State service delivery and is a great step forward for NSW residents...
World's first self-driving taxis debut in Singapore
The future arrives. This service is limited to the city centre and to defined pick up and drop off areas...
Borges Map - the future is here
A fascinating article about Digital disruption and the impact it will have on all of us. The last section outlines the implications for Executives - including for regulators...
Ending the Great Australian Complacency of the Early Twenty First Century
Lecture by Ross Garnaut in which he highlights the leadership challenges of adjusting to the end of ‘the longest period of economic expansion unbroken by recession of any developed country ever’. He says that there is a stark choice for governments - keep going as we are or to restore public interest based policy making...