Sam Jeffries from the Australian Public Service Commission, Julie Hansen from the Department of Defence, and Stella Renagi from the Australian Taxation Office join us on this episode to discuss the Collaboration Circle, a new model centering First Nations experiences in the APS. Effective engagement with First Nations peoples to ensure better recruitment, retention and advancement is a priority under the Australian Public Service Reform pillar ‘The APS as a model employer’. Collaboration...

On this episode, Colonel Jennifer Harris from the Australian Army gives us a masterclass in managing change in complex organisations, based on her experience with the Army’s Digital Twin. Change can be difficult – as individuals, we prefer stability and predictability. Particularly when working in large organisations, it can be both an opportunity and a great challenge to align everyone to achieve a common change goal. But the Australian Army’s ongoing Digital Twin project showcases how it...

Jim Betts, Secretary of the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts, talks about shaping his role as APS CALD Champion and why he wants leaders to take action to achieve equality. Our recent episode on CALD representation in the senior executive left many of us and our listeners humbled. Australia’s public service is diverse, yet there is still some way to go to achieve true equality for CALD employees in its senior ranks. This time, Jim...

Adam Fennessy PSM, Secretary of the Department of Agriculture, shares tips for having difficult conversations and an insight into the department’s recent Growing Australia Together strategy on this episode of Work with Purpose. Where is the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry headed under its recent Growing Australia Together strategy? And what are Secretary Adam Fennessy’s priorities based on the department’s capability review? Host David Pembroke and Adam discuss how ‘Growing...

On this episode, Dr Suzanne Akila, Jo Talbot, and Radi Kovacevic talk us through CALD representation in the public service, and what it will take for more culturally and linguistically diverse employees to succeed in the senior executive. Australia is a truly multicultural nation, with over 21 percent of the country's population born overseas. As this demographic has grown over the years, so has the number of culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) employees in the public service....

The Hon Dr Andrew Leigh MP joins us on the episode of Work with Purpose to highlight how evaluation can help create better policies and programs. On a recent episode of Work with Purpose on the art of policymaking, our experts agreed that evaluation should be baked into the development process from the get-go – but how do you make it work when the pressure is high? The Hon Dr Andrew Leigh MP, Assistant Minister for Competition, Charities and Treasury, and Assistant Minister for Employment,...

Lydia Milosavljevic from the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water and Zoe Scanlon from the Attorney-General’s Department give us a masterclass in executive support on this episode of Work with Purpose. What does it take to build a superstar executive support team? Hear from Lydia Milosavljevic, executive assistant to Deputy Secretary Simon Duggan at the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, and Zoe Scanlon, chief of staff to Katherine...

If your team is grappling with an increasingly busy workload, today’s episode of Work with Purpose with Martin Hehir PSM and Kathy Hilyard will give you some useful tips on how better collaboration can become part of the solution. With a busy work program following the pandemic, Martin Hehir PSM, deputy secretary, Governance and Corporate and chief operating officer, Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, and his team faced this exact challenge while working at the Attorney-General’s...

A stronger emphasis on merit now will be crucial to ensure a thriving public service in the future, former APS Commissioner Andrew Podger AO tells us on this episode of Work with Purpose. APS Reform is in full swing, but what else could be added to the agenda? On this episode, we hear the perspective of former senior public servant, now commentor and researcher, Andrew Podger AO on the value of merit, where stewardship is appropriate, and what has affected capability within Australia’s public...

Dr Wendy Craik AM FTSE joins us for this episode reflecting on a career of curiosity and collaboration in service of Australia’s marine environment. Dr Wendy Craik AM FTSE has had a long and distinguished career across science, not-for-profits and the public sector. What has she learned along the way, from her time as a PhD candidate in Canada researching fish to working on the first management plans for the Great Barrier Reef? Find out on this episode of Work with Purpose as David Pembroke...

In a first for Work with Purpose, we welcome The Hon Patrick Gorman MP to talk about his journey into politics, supporting the Prime Minister, and his vision for the use of artificial intelligence in the public service. From Assistant Minister to the Public Service, to Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister, to – more recently – Assistant Minister to the Attorney-General, the Hon Patrick Gorman MP covers an extensive portfolio of work. On this episode of Work with Purpose, he tells us how...

Dr Trish Mercer, Andrew Tongue PSM and Fiona Barbaro PSM return to complete your policy essentials class with a focus on the mystical policy window, the art of foresight, and the power of evaluation. In today’s complex and fast-moving environment, opportunities to introduce a policy can be tricky to identify. Dr Trish Mercer from the Australian National University, experienced former public servant Andrew Tongue PSM, and Fiona Barbaro PSM from the ACT Government tell us how to ensure you’re...

Dr Trish Mercer, Andrew Tongue PSM and Fiona Barbaro PSM take us back to the essentials of policy-making – from understanding the political environment to creating a convincing narrative. What do you need to know about the political environment to make good policy? And how do you create a narrative that gets people on board with your proposal? In this first Work with Purpose episode in our two-part series on policymaking, host David Pembroke gets back to the basics of policy development,...

Matt Yannopoulos PSM, Associate Secretary of the Department of Defence, maps out a unified approach for the public service to defend Australia’s interests. In a world with increasing geopolitical tension, collaboration across the public service remains key to protecting Australia’s security and prosperity. On this episode, David Pembroke sits down with Matt Yannopoulos PSM, Associate Secretary of Defence, to explore what it takes to do this well. They delve into the importance of a...

In celebration of NAIDOC Week, Corey Tutt OAM from DeadlyScience and artist Ben Williams share the spirit of pride in their heritage and work. They invite you to listen closely to create true connections with First Nations peoples. How can all Australians join in celebrating First Nations peoples’ contributions? And what will it take for the public sector to become a genuine partner for Indigenous-led organisations? On this Work with Purpose episode in celebration of NAIDOC Week, Corey Tutt...

Dr Amaly Khalaf and Dr Steven Munns from the Australian Public Service Commission explore psychological safety in public sector workplaces – from the desk to the frontlines. Creating workplaces which are both mentally and physically safe is a mission close to Dr Amaly Khalaf’s and Dr Steven Munn’s hearts. On this episode of Work with Purpose, they talk us through how the public sector is working towards this – from exemplary and trustful leadership to processes grounded in evidence. Amaly,...

Secretary of the Department of Health and Aged Care Blair Comley PSM tells the story of his public service career, and highlights how devolving leadership in the public sector can reduce risk, increase work quality and staff satisfaction. Blair Comley PSM looks back at an outstanding career across the public and private sectors, from designing the GST to driving the Department of Health and Aged Care’s recent capability review. On this episode of Work with Purpose, he revisits some of the...

As the UN Climate Change Conference wraps up in Bonn, our Work with Purpose guests Dr Mara Hammerle and Andrew Hudson discuss the link between climate change and wellbeing and share some innovative ideas for greening government procurement. Climate change remains one of the world’s most complex and systemic challenges. With a profound effect on human wellbeing, experts across the world are looking for ways to reduce its impact and embed better policy solutions. On this episode of Work with...

On today’s Work with Purpose episode, Director General of IP Australia, Michael Schwager tells IP Australia’s innovation success story, and how the broader public sector can follow in its steps.   Did you know that 57 per cent of IP Australia's staff rate their culture as positively supporting innovation, 18 per cent higher than the APS average? Today, we hear from with Michael Schwager, Director General of IP Australia, about pioneering innovation in the public sector in conversation with...

On today’s Work with Purpose episode, Dr Nina Terry, Bec Bodel and Professor Brenton Prosser help you learn the ropes of human-centred design. In today's complex world, how can the public sector effectively ensure that its policies and programs are centred on the needs of the people they serve? This episode explores human-centered design as one piece to solving this puzzle. Host David Pembroke convenes class with three leading experts in the design space: Bec Bodel from the Australian...

Today, we celebrate 100 episodes of Work with Purpose with a special conversation between two passionate public servants: Dr Gordon de Brouwer, Australian Public Service Commissioner and Thanuri Welaratne, education programs officer at Questacon. Together, they explore Gordon’s extensive career journey, covering the APS reform agenda and his report on bullying and harassment. Gordon highlights the critical role public servants play in maintaining democratic governance and upholding the...

Daniel Patterson has always been keen to do good for Canberra’s communities – and their backyards. On this episode of Public Sector Unearthed, the horticulture expert and passionate public servant tells us the story of Canberra’s innovative European Wasp program. Daniel shares how his team manages European wasps in the ACT, by focusing on eco-friendly, preventative measures. He talks us through how the program evolved through using new luring techniques and focusing on preventative, rather...

Whilst the ‘whole-of-nation’ approach is not new on the global stage, it is still a relatively new concept in Australian international policy circles. Amidst global challenges that demand more than just government action, it is also becoming increasingly vital. Unlike the familiar whole-of-government strategy, the ‘whole-of-nation’ approach includes a broader coalition, encompassing public sector agencies and actors from science, sports, arts, industry, civil society and more. But what are...

In this episode of the Public Sector Unearthed podcast, Matt Padovan and Noel Chan from the ACT public service walk us through the organisation’s innovative flexible work program. Having worked on this project well before the world had to grapple with more flexible work demands due to COVID-19, Matt, who is director of flexible work within the ACT Government’s Office of Industrial Relations and Workforce Strategy, reflects on the program’s development. He highlights that it is as much about...