Public Interest - December 2008

QUARTERLY • INTERVIEWS • OPINIONS • IDEAS

DECEMBER 2008 - ISSN 1327-9149

Magazine of the Institute of Public Administration Australia - Queensland

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PRIORITIES & PITFALLS The Queensland Public Sector >> page 16

FACILITATING ORGANISATIONAL CHANGE

THE FUTURE OF MANAGEMENT

The Role of Communication

>> page 12

>> page 6

Gary Hamel

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, 2008 - ISSN 1327-9149

Magazine of the Institute of Public Administration Australia - Queensland

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CONTENTS

CONTENTS Welcome to the December issue of Public Interest *, ", / -ÊEÊ * / The Queensland Public Sector >> page 15

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The Role of Communication

>> page 12

/

Gary Hamel

>> page 6

From the President

3

Tucker’s Box

24

From the CEO

4

YP Update

26

IPAA Queensland Update

27

IPAA Queensland Annual General Meeting 2008

5

Meet Your Council

5

A YOUNG PROFESSIONAL IN

The Role of Communications in Organisational Change

6

Getting Engaged: Stakeholders and Queensland Government Agencies

10

2009 IPAA National Conference Update

11

The Future of Management

12

Welcome New Members

13

Over the Horizon

14

Priorities and Pitfalls of the Queensland Public Sector

16

Hawkes’ Eye View

21

‘The Public Interest’ is published by the Institute of Public Administration Australia (Queensland Division)

PO Box 15624, City East, Brisbane Q 4002 Phone: (07) 3228 2800 Fax: (07) 3228 2888 Email: publicinterest@qld.ipaa.org.au Print Post 444 840\0021

Cover story: A Young Professional in New York (pg22)

National Conference Cath Healy Research Naomi Puchala Membership & External Relations Eden Platell, Simone Lee Long, Chani Murphy, Kerri-Ann Thiele

Institute Contacts

Email correspondance to publicinterest@qld.ipaa.org.au

President Margaret Allison

Layout

Chief Executive Officer Peter Rumph

Phone (07) 3265 4445

Training & Regional Services Siobhan McCarville, Lauren Just, Shelley Kenny, Ilona Sipowicz-Lysiak, Lorren Greaver

The Buckner Group

Finance & Corporate Support Nick Jovanovich, Caroline Brudell, Nickie Westacott, Monica Jovanovich

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Public Interest - December 2008

Effigy Creative (www.effigy.com.au) Printers Phone: (07) 3865 9677 Publication Dates The ‘Public Interest’ is published quarterly.

Advertisers Note Your attention is drawn to the Trade Practices Act of 1974 and the provisions of the Act which apply to advertising. It is not possible for the ‘Public Interest’ to ensure that advertisements which are published in the journal comply in all respects with the Act. The responsibility must therefore be on the person, company or advertising agency submitting the advertisement for publication. IPAA reserves the right to refuse any advertisement without a statement of reasons.

Advertising All advertising should be directed to: Eden Platell Phone: (07) 3228 2825, Fax: (07) 3228 2888 Email: publicinterest@qld.ipaa.org.au Website: www.qld.ipaa.org.au Editorial Deadline December 08 edition: 30 Janurary 2009 Articles, opinions, research, reviews all welcome.

Email: publicinterest@qld.ipaa.org.au

from the president

from the president Welcome to the December edition of the Public Interest.

Annual Public Sector Conference

Annual President’s Address

This year’s Annual Public Sector Conference was a resounding success with a sellout crowd and great presentations from speakers like Ken Smith, Ann Sherry, Helen Silver and Carmel McGregor.

By the time this edition goes to print the 2008 Annual President’s Address will have taken place. This year we were lucky enough to have Hon Dr Geoff Gallop AC accept our invitation to share his thoughts on ‘putting the public back into the public sector’.

Concurrent sessions on topics such as infrastructure, social inclusion and attraction and retention were also very popular while the final panel session with participants from the Prime Minister’s 2020 panel received rave reviews. Many of the presentations are available to watch on our website, along with presentation notes so head to www.qld.ipaa.org.au to check them out.

Council Elections & AGM September saw our AGM introduce some new faces to the IPAA Queensland Council – congratulations to Frank Prostamo and Fiona Krause who have joined our Council for the first time. I certainly look forward to working with you both over the coming years.

We also welcomed back some familiar faces and sadly said goodbye to one of our dedicated Councillors, Anita Hicks, who has decided to take a break from Council this term.

My thanks go to Anita for all of her hard work over the last few years. Also leaving Council was Jude Munro as Jim Varghese stepped into the role of Immediate Past President.

Having worked with Jude for some time now I know the commitment and hard work she put into the Council and thank her for her outstanding dedication and contribution.

A full list of your current Councillors can be found in this edition.

An exciting addition to the AGM program was a presentation from one of our young professionals, Chandni Gupta. Chandni told of her experiences completing an internship at the UN in New York, a story she shares with us in this edition. Her fascinating journey is a fantastic reminder of the flexibility on offer in the public sector.

Another highlight of the 2008 President’s Address is the presentation of a $10,000 cheque to the Hannah’s Chance Foundation.

All year we have been raising money through our events, and together with a contribution from IPAA Queensland we have hit the $10,000 mark. This is a fantastic effort which I’m sure will make a big difference to the foundation. My thanks go to all of you who have contributed across the year!

Bring on 2009!

Already there is an exciting array of projects in the pipeline for 2009. Final touches are currently being made to our 2009 program of events with an exciting new event being introduced to recognise and reward the best and brightest the public sector has to offer.

Planning is also underway for our suite of training programs and for our research initiatives like the Principles of Good Practice guidelines. We have some exciting changes to membership being planned and of course we have the 2009 National Conference being held in Brisbane in November – what a year!

I would like to thank you - our members, partners and stakeholders for your support in 2008 and wish you all the very best for a safe and happy Christmas and New Years.

I look forward to seeing you all again in 2009!

Best wishes,

Margaret Allison President

Public Interest - December 2008

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FROM THE CEO

FROM THE CEO How time is flying!

Well, we are all a year older and hopefully we are also a lot wiser.

In earlier articles I have talked about the things we have introduced and the changes IPAA Queensland has undergone. While none of these have been “earth shattering”, it has meant we now have a slightly different focus to the way we operate and the priority we give to activities.

2009 promises to be an even bigger and brighter year for the Institute. In fact, there will be several great new initiatives that will not only test our internal capabilities, but also position the Institute as the pre-eminent professional association for Public Sector Professionals in Queensland.

Firstly we plan to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Queensland as a state with two significant projects. 2009 will see the introduction of the annual IPAA Queensland Public Sector Excellence Awards for individuals working in all three tiers of the Public Sector.

Nominated by peers and judged by an independent panel, these awards will recognise excellence across several criteria and will be the only such awards recognising the contribution of individuals in the profession of public administration.

MEMBER Snapshot

To coincide with these awards, IPAA Queensland will recognise the outstanding contributions to the public sector

by Queenslanders over the past 150 years.

The first inductees into our “Hall of Fame” will be announced at the 2009 Excellence Awards event. Further details will be announced shortly.

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Usha Adams

Position Nursing Officer (Psychiatry Services) Agency Queensland Health Location Gold Coast

Public Interest - December 2008

If you were PM for a day, what would you do?

I would outline my leadership policies on new innovations in organisational outcomes and encourage reforms, and attempt to encourage public participation and engagement in finding solutions to pressing problems the country faces.

Who do you admire and why?

I admire Premier Bligh as she is the first female Premier in Qld and Australia. Premier Bligh has grasped politics quickly and is doing an honourable job.

While there are many more initiatives planned for 2009, perhaps the largest will be the 2009 IPAA National Conference, being hosted by the Queensland Division in November 2009 at the Brisbane Convention and Entertainment Centre.

Well over 600 attendees are anticipated from across Australia and internationally.

Speakers covering a range of topics will present on the most stunning array of topics, which are all aimed at improving the quality of public administration both locally and nationally. While it is hoped to include the Prime Minister as a principal speaker, internationally renowned researchers, practitioners and commentators will ensure the two-day event is unforgettable.

Quite simply, IPAA Queensland plans to make the 2009 conference the very best ever hosted by a Division of the Institute.

All-in-all 2009 looks to be challenging, enriching, full of promise and likely to be the best year yet for the Institute. I can only hope the year holds as much promise for you and your families.

Best wishes for the holiday season!

Warm regards,

Peter Rumph - Chief Executive Officer

What do you like most about the Public Sector?

I love the team I work with, the current developments in reforms, innovations, research, in providing better client outcomes in the context of current challenges. I feel that the Public Sector provides support and opportunities for career development.

Would you recommend the Public Sector to work in?

Absolutely.

2008 annual GENERAL MEETING

IPAA Queensland 2008 AGM Tales about shopping and meeting the ever-tempting George Clooney in New York are not usually considered AGM business, but that’s how we kicked off the 2008 Annual General Meeting at IPAA Queensland this year.

Young professional member Chandni Gupta shared her experiences completing an internship at the United Nations in New York, providing an insightful and entertaining opening to this year’s AGM. The night also provided an opportunity to celebrate the achievements of two of our members who were awarded the prestigious title of National Fellow. IPAA Queensland President Margaret Allison and Dept of Employment & Industrial Relations DirectorGeneral Peter Henneken were announced as 2008 recipients at the National Conference in Sydney in June and received their awards at the AGM. Congratulations Margaret and Peter!

The night also saw the presentation of the 2007/08 Annual Report and Financial Statements. The report highlighted the progress IPAA Queensland has made in consolidating its systems, processes and services to make the organisation more efficient and effective.

Once the report and other motions were passed it was back to business with some serious networking.

MEET YOUR COUNCIL...

Here’s a list of your Councillors following the 2008 AGM. PRESIDENT Ms Margaret Allison Brisbane City Council IMMEDIATE PAST Mr Jim Varghese PRESIDENT Springfield Land Corporation VICE PRESIDENT Mr Ray Lane Queensland Transport VICE PRESIDENT Dr Patty Renfrow Public Service Commission SECRETARY Mr Don Bletchly Dept of Main Roads ASSIST SECRETARY M s Sandy Beach QUT TREASURER Mr Stewart Saini Disability Services Qld COUNCILLOR Ms Karen Anstis Australian Taxation Office COUNCILLOR Mr Tony Gibson Spirit 3H COUNCILLOR Ms Tanya Hornick Aust Bureau of Statistics COUNCILLOR Mr Dan Keating Queensland Police COUNCILLOR NEW Ms Fiona Krause Shared Services Agency

ats with

mo ch Frank Prosta New Councillor bson Gi ny To Councillor

COUNCILLOR Mr Paul Martyn Dept of Tourism, Regional Development & Industry COUNCILLOR Mr David Mills Queensland Audit Office COUNCILLOR NEW Mr Frank Prostamo The Public Trustee of Qld (L to R Mike ) Paul W il Burn heim let, Chris tin caug ht up e Flynn & at th e AG M

COUNCILLOR Ms Glenda Richards Queensland Health COUNCILLOR Mr Noel Rumble Qld Transport Nth Region COUNCILLOR Mr. Greg Tosh Logan City Council

Vice-president Patty Renfrow talked with visiting international member Kennedy Otach i

COUNCILLOR Dr Jennifer Waterhouse QUT

Public Interest - December 2008

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THE ROLE OF COMMUNICATIONS

The Role of Communications in Facilitating Large-Scale Organisational Change

By Andrew Metcalfe, DIAC

Type the word “communications” into a Google search and you will come up with about 400 million references!

The reason that there is so much discussion about the subject of communications is because of its paradoxical nature: it is at once, both easy and difficult.

I would like to share with you some of my own experiences as the Secretary, communicating to staff and external stakeholders about all of the issues surrounding what I believe to be one of the largest business and cultural transformations undertaken by a government department in Australia in recent decades.

I will talk to you about how I have been conveying the message about this important task, so that all 7000 DIAC staff in some 100 locations throughout the world, have a shared understanding of where we are going and what we want to achieve.

Three years into this major change program, it is no understatement to say that without a clear and explicit commitment to communications throughout the entire organisation, such a transformation could not have occurred.

The catalyst for change Let me begin by putting this story into a historical context.

There were clearly serious failures in the Department of Immigration, Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs as it was then known, affecting Cornelia Rau, Vivian Alvarez and other people held unlawfully. These failures were documented in the Palmer and Comrie reports released in July and September 2005, and subsequent reports by the Ombudsman.

In his report at the time, Mr Palmer noted a ‘culture that is overly self–protective and defensive, a culture largely unwilling to challenge organisational norms or to engage in genuine self–criticism or analysis’.

More broadly, the Palmer and Comrie reports focused on leadership, governance, training systems support, the relationship between policy development and implementation, client service delivery and records management.

These issues required an urgent response.

It is clear to me as Secretary, appointed immediately following the Palmer report,

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Public Interest - December 2008

that the department had to acknowledge failures had occurred. We had to develop an organisation–wide understanding of why the department as a whole had to change and improve. This had to start immediately, but could not be achieved overnight.

We also had to recognise the considerable experience and insights of people who had worked in the pre–Palmer environment, while being clear that nearly every aspect of the organisation needed fundamental reform. We also had to bring in new people to bring new ideas and energy. We had to engage people at all levels across the department, to ensure ownership of the new approach and the new ways of doing business.

We had to acknowledge that major failures had occurred, with tragic results. But we also had to recognise that in some areas, the department is a world leader – for example, in planned migration programs, in refugee resettlement and in border technology.

And we had to recognise that some staff had been directly and personally affected by working for long periods in difficult and sensitive areas of administration.

These were complex issues and we had very little time to resolve them — we were under significant pressure to show quick results that the culture of the department was changing for the better.

Importance of communication There is no use in trying to engineer major cultural transformation if the message goes no further than the senior leadership team.

We had to communicate effectively with all staff and stakeholders so that we had buy–in at all levels. Change and reform can only occur if everyone is involved – staff need to hear the message, understand it, own it – otherwise nothing can change. And the fact that the department has 7000 staff in around 100 locations throughout the world, often working in difficult and sensitive circumstances, meant that we had to be clear and consistent in our messaging.

THE ROLE OF COMMUNICATIONS

There is no use in trying to engineer major cultural transformation if the message goes no further than the senior leadership team. We had to communicate effectively with all staff and stakeholders so that we had buy–in at all levels.

When I began as Secretary of the department in July 2005, the government and many stakeholders were eager for change to occur and many staff recognised that the status quo was not working. Staff at all levels needed to understand we all needed to embrace our new ways of working.

We developed a small, high–level team – the Change Management Taskforce – which met with myself and the deputy secretaries every morning for four months, to craft the messages that would be communicated to staff, cut through any road blocks and calibrate all the different streams of activity underway. We needed to make it clear what was important and where we were going. In some ways, this was the easiest and yet the hardest part of the whole process.

It was easy because it wasn’t difficult to define the key elements of our vision. The hard part of creating a new vision was to develop ownership among the staff for these goals and the cultural change required. This is where communication became absolutely crucial.

Since the Palmer report, we have worked very carefully to clearly communicate the appropriate behaviours and values for the organisation as a whole. At the same time, the magnitude and nature of the culture change required, meant that all staff had to be participants in the process. It was essential that each staff member felt ownership of the department’s new direction. As I mentioned earlier, we had to develop a collective understanding across the organisation, of who we were and where we were going.

We started by developing a very clear statement of what we do, through our motto – people our business. Our motto was developed after asking for staff input, so there was ownership and pride taken in this fundamental statement of what our work is about.

We added another level of detail by developing three strategic themes for the organisation to guide every aspect of our work.

These are to: •

be an open and accountable organisation

•

have fair and reasonable dealings with clients, and

•

ensure well–trained and supported staff

We have now reinforced this with comprehensive business plans and individual performance discussions.

As I mentioned earlier, from the very first day that I started as Secretary, I was determined that all staff should understand the need for change and how the changes were occurring.

In addition to many face–to–face meetings, I now speak to all my staff twice a week, through an all–staff email, and all Senior Executive Service staff once a week, also by email. Messages have been sent out twice a week, from the very first week I started at the department, in July 2005. As at this morning I am up to around 400 messages sent! Each message is crafted not only to inform staff about important developments and issues, but they can all be mapped back to our three strategic themes, which I mentioned earlier.

But communication needs to be more than frequent, it has to be meaningful – and it has to be two–way, to involve listening as well as talking. Staff are encouraged to provide feedback through my Secretary’s email box. And let me tell you, I know for certain through the emails I receive from staff, there are many frank and fearless public servants in my department! However, it is important that they have a channel to speak directly to the Secretary, if they so choose.

And it gives me the opportunity to learn on a daily basis, the issues that are important to staff.

Another key communication/feedback tool has been our Staff Surveys. We have held one survey for each of the years I have been Secretary, and the surveys have been invaluable in assisting the executive to

shape the department into the sort of place where staff are happy to work. The 2008 DIAC Staff Survey participation rate was 85.2 per cent which is a very good response rate for an electronic survey (an increase of nearly 5 per cent on last year). We have also encouraged staff input and incorporated their suggestions into the DIAC Strategic Plan 2008–11, the department’s key document for the future.

I have held regular “town hall” addresses to staff, recognising their work through events such as our own Australia Day celebrations and awards, announcing major new changes following federal Budgets, or highlighting the work of particular business areas.

Communicating in a way people will listen Immediately post–Comrie and Palmer, we recognised we had to build up the department’s communications branch capability because it would provide the skills and equipment needed to get many of the messages across.

We did this, and apart from our monthly DIAC People on–line magazine, we now have our own highly professional monthly TV style news program, highlighting the work being done by staff, created at a surprisingly modest cost to the department. Staff access the program through our intranet site.

Our departmental cameramen have followed Immigration officers working for Seaports, processing the papers of sea crew entering Australia. They have filmed compliance training operations, gone out on the road with regional outreach officers and filmed citizenship ceremonies around Australia.

Web analysis shows that more than 4000 staff view the Our People video program within 24 hours of it being posted on the intranet.

I am able to communicate with staff through podcasts and vodcasts on a regular basis, when important announcements have to be made. We have also filmed training

Public Interest - December 2008

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THE ROLE OF COMMUNICATIONS

The Role of Communications in Facilitating Large-Scale Organisational Change

By Andrew Metcalfe, DIAC programs, that help staff to communicate better with each other which are placed on the intranet for all to use. For example, we recently launched a program showing staff real–life role plays on how to conduct their twice–yearly performance interviews. It showed staff how to prepare for their interviews, and it showed supervisors how they should conduct the interview, and the sorts of discussions they should have with team members.

Another old–fashioned communications tool I insist on is that both I and all of our Senior Executive Service officers must spend some time on a DIAC front counter or with operational staff at some point, each year.

I have done this so our senior leaders truly understand what it is like for our staff operating at the coal–face of what can often be demanding and complex work.

This expanded communications capacity has been particularly important, given that a large proportion of our staff are under 30 years of age and are very busy.

Research has indicated that this age group is more likely to retain information presented to them through contemporary, high–tech methods such as podcasts as opposed to the traditional presentation methods.

This communication method has, in my view, been key to engendering the type of long term, cultural change required in my department.

One of the major issues identified in the Palmer and Comrie reports was that the department knew little about its stakeholders, let alone engaged or communicated with them. As a result, we set up a strategic priority for ourselves as an organisation of significantly improving our relationships with our stakeholders.

Good communication doesn’t mean not having fun But in addition to all these “serious” messages, we have also introduced some plain old–fashioned morale–boosters, to improve communications between staff. Simply said, our social clubs do great work for staff and the communities we live in. The DIAC National Office Social Club raised a total of $64, 000 last year for local Canberra charities through events such as our annual Ball; Christmas Party; Shave for a Cure; Red Nose Day, Salvos Red Shield Appeal, and so on.

And we have raised just over $54,000 so far this year. I have to make a sheepish confession here. There are not many Secretaries who have been coerced by their Social Club into wearing a very tight, white lycra Elvis suit, resplendent with a black latex wig – all in the name of charity, of course. Our staff are also enthusiastic contributors to the Red Cross blood service – winning the competition amongst Canberra public sector agencies in recent years, including some much bigger departments.

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Stakeholder Engagement

We hold annual forums in capital cities around Australia, where our stakeholders can talk directly to senior staff and policymakers, and provide valuable insights and viewpoints into the policy process. At the same time, our staff can explain to stakeholders the challenges and complexities of developing government policy. This has established a robust and mutually beneficial relationship between us and our stakeholders.

Communication through improving client service We have also taken steps to raise our levels of client service – to aspire to excellence in client service – a lot of which is based on better communications with our clients.

One simple step was to ask all our staff to wear a name badge, to present an open and welcoming image.

In a 2008 survey carried out by the University of Queensand Social Research Centre, just over 82 per cent of clients were ‘satisfied’ to ‘very satisfied’ with services provided by DIAC. This is up from 79 per cent in 2007. Less than 8 per cent were ‘dissatisfied’ to ‘very dissatisfied’, down from 15 per cent in 2007. Levels of “courtesy” by DIAC staff also jumped from 72 per cent in 2007 to 82 per cent in 2008.

So you can see that our external clients and stakeholders are definitely registering the change in DIAC’s culture and the way we do business. For instance, Peter Gillson, the Vice President of the Society of Consumer Affairs Professionals noted that he had been looking closely at what DIAC had been doing with our Client Service Charter, and our Service Standards, and has described it as “leading edge”.

I must add however, that our minister quite rightly continues to request improvements in the way we deal with clients, so we are continuing to focus on further improving our customer service. We can always do better.

Media As I mentioned earlier, we built up our National Communications Branch in recognition of the need to communicate all that we were doing. This included communicating to external audiences through the media.

Prior to the development of the branch, we were literally deluged daily with an avalanche of negative media. It is fair to say that the department was not media–friendly — understandably so. But it had to change.

We had to be able to communicate to the community and our stakeholders about the massive changes that were going on within the department. We tore down the bunker and put up a sign that said: “Media Section: now open 24 hours per day, 365 days a year.” The media now knows they can call our media team (most of whom are ex–journalists) at any time, and will get a response. On a normal working day, the aim is to have a response to the media enquiry within 60 minutes of receiving the call.

THE ROLE OF COMMUNICATIONS

I am able to communicate with staff through podcasts and vodcasts on a regular basis, when important announcements have to be made.

We are also developing an on–line newsroom, which will be a large repository of broadcast and press quality audio files and visual files, which can be used by the media.

It means we are able to highlight the great work being done in many areas of the department — not just simply responding to media enquiries.

We’re making it easy for the media to use the film footage and audio files that would otherwise be only used internally.

Departmental business In the midst of all of this, the department is getting on with the daily business of immigration, settlement and citizenship.

We are working at a fast pace, reflecting the engagement of Australia and Australians in the wider global economy.

For example, last financial year, we: •

processed more than 24 million passenger and crew arrivals and departures

•

answered 1.7 million phone calls at our Sydney and Melbourne contact centres

•

granted nearly 3.6 million visitor visas offshore

•

processed 13,000 refugee and humanitarian visas

•

granted over 158,000 migrant visas and 110,000 subclass 457 (temporary skilled work) visas and

•

granted citizenship to nearly 170,000 people.

The government has announced a range of reforms in the area of compliance, detention and asylum seeker processing, while maintaining a strong focus on our border integrity. Earlier in the year, the government ended the ‘Pacific Strategy’ with the closure of the Nauru Offshore Processing Centre.

The Temporary Protection visas for asylum seekers have been abolished, resolving the status of some 1,000 refugees in Australia, and of course, the recent landmark speech by the minister on our new directions in detention.

The government has also firmly established in the public arena that migration is a central

pillar of nation building and the key to our national prosperity. In my speech at the L21 Public Sector Leadership Conference I outlined some of the announcements by the minister in the 2008–09 Budget. This speech is available on the department’s website if you are interested. In summary, they include increases to the Migration and Humanitarian Programs; strengthening measures to help migrants develop their English language skills; the reform of the Subclass 457 visa, and the recently announced Pacific Seasonal Worker Pilot Scheme.

Conclusion Much has been done over the past three years to change the Department of Immigration and Citizenship into the organisation it is today. It is fair to say that not one single area of the department has remained untouched by the massive cultural and business transformation that is currently occurring.

This has happened while the organisation continued with “business as usual” – and a record migration program.

I firmly believe that without a serious commitment to strong and effective communication at all levels, we would not be where we are today – a department that is committed to our motto of: people our business, and working to our three strategic themes of: •

being an open organisation

and

accountable

•

having fair and reasonable dealings with clients

•

having well–trained and supported staff.

I have no doubt that as an organisation, we will continue to develop in our goals of excellence in all areas of business, because the foundations are now firmly in place, and we are well and truly on our way.

And good communication will remain crucial.

Andrew Metcalfe, Secretary, Department of Immigration and Citizenship presented this paper at the Public Sector Change Communications Conference in Canberra in September.

QLD Health & IPAA QLd PRAISE HR Practitioners IPAA Queensland supported Queensland Health’s recent People Forum by sponsoring the IPAA Queensland Project Award as part of the Inaugural PRAISE Awards dinner, held during the forum.

PRAISE stands for the new Human Resources (HR) Program Recognising Achievement, Innovation and Service Excellence (PRAISE). Awards were given to high performing HR practitioners and HR Leaders, recognising the positive impacts of HR projects.

Congratulations to the team members involved in the following projects who won the IPAA Queensland Project Award: • Transition to Retirement • Recruitment Improvement Initiative • Untapped Labour Market • HR Graduate Program • Improving Workplace Culture IPAA Queensland also had a booth at the conference (with the ever popular massage chairs!) and a book stall with a range of HR focused books from the IPAA Queensland Online Bookstore.

The forum brought together HR practitioners from across Queensland Health, allowing practitioners to further develop their skills, to build their professional networks and to share thoughts and experiences about how they have turned HR challenges into innovative ideas with strong business outcomes.

Taking place at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre in November, one of the forum highlights was the ‘Great HR Debate’ featuring the 2008 Queensland Health HR graduates.

Public Interest - December 2008

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GETTING ENGAGED

getting engaged Stakeholders and Queensland Government Agencies

By Sandra Beach

During 2008, the Public Interest has featured articles from authors who presented at International Research Society for Public Management conference convened

by QUT earlier in the year.

The following paper, reviewing stakeholder engagement, is the third and final article in the series.

Background As a result of diminished trust in government and the recognition that public policy development is ineffective without public participation (King, Feltey, & Susel, 1998), more recently, public organisations have actively sought to create opportunities for involvement on a range of stakeholder groups. Engaging different stakeholders has been seen as a means of improving the quality of policy development by harnessing different ideas and perspectives, and improving service delivery by exerting pressure on bureaucracies and creating more robust communities through direct engagement in the planning and delivery of services (Martin, 2003).

Given the potential benefits, the meaningful and effective engagement of citizens and other actors, including stakeholders, in public decision-making processes is one of the key issues facing public organisations (Stern & Fineberg, 1996). Determining ways of engaging those who could or should have input into public decision making and action is particularly relevant as governments struggle to resolve complex social problems within an environment of labour shortages, increasing demand for services and reducing budgets.

The Stakeholder Approach A recent study (Beach, 2008) of nine government agencies operating at federal, state and local jurisdictions in Queensland, considered how these agencies undertook the complex task of engaging with and managing stakeholders. The top four issues that emerged from this research were that: 1. Agencies have difficulty in identifying and classifying stakeholders 2. The scale of the stakeholder task is massive for large agencies 3. There is a lack of clarity about the costs and benefits of stakeholder engagement initiatives and 4. Agency/stakeholder relationships are changing and new stakeholders are being added to the mix.

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Public Interest - December 2008

The study also developed a comprehensive framework of stakeholder engagement techniques that may be employed by agencies to connect with stakeholders.

Discussion Stakeholder identification and classification was difficult for agencies due to a lack of agreement about who constitutes a stakeholder, the breadth and complexity of the potential stakeholder pool and the existence of stakeholders at many different levels within the agencies.

Effectively classifying stakeholders is particularly problematic for large agencies with multiple service delivery objectives, strong industry ties and regulatory roles because the stakeholder pool is potentially very large. One agency reported that it had “at least 1,500 groups of stakeholders…”, excluding project stakeholders.

While the agencies reported using a wide range of initiatives to engage with stakeholders, they were unable to identify the implementation costs associated with these initiatives or the benefits created.

Nevertheless, the agencies perceived that the benefits associated with stakeholder engagement outweighed the costs, with one agency indicating that “the costs of not doing it would probably be far greater than the investment it takes to do it…”.

As relationships with stakeholders evolve and adapt to environmental changes, it is apparent that public agencies are seeking to interact with stakeholders in ways that are more open and relationship based.

Diagram One outlines some of the initiatives identified and their purpose The agencies in this study also reported perceived changes in organisational/ stakeholder relationships which resulted in stakeholders being more actively involved in development of solutions. However it is not clear what factors drive agencies in making choices about the types of stakeholder

GETTING ENGAGED

Engaging different stakeholders has been seen as a means of improving the quality of policy development

engagement activities required in different policy and service delivery situations. Future research is required to uncover and understand the impact of these factors.

Conclusion Government agencies are beginning to come to terms with the complexities of engaging with stakeholders. For large agencies, the vast scale of the stakeholder task is quite daunting.

This study also showed that Queensland government agencies are seeking to build more collaborative relationships with stakeholders as a means of improving public outcomes.

To foster these relationships, stakeholder engagement activities need to be fit for purpose, open and transparent and create value for the parties involved.

The next step however, is for agencies to more effectively classify stakeholders so that engagement strategies can be specifically tailored for different stakeholder groupings.

This approach will determine the relative effort and type of engagement required, resulting in improved outcomes.

If you would like to discuss the ideas in this article further, please contact the author Sandra Beach sandra.beach@qut.edu.au References Beach, S. (2008). Together Now: Stakeholders in Government Agencies. Paper presented at the International Research Society for Public Management Conference 2008. Retrieved 21 April 2008, from http://www.irspm2008.bus.qut.edu.au/papers/ byauthor-a-d.jsp.

King, C., Feltey, K., & Susel, B. (1998). The Question of Participation: Toward Authentic Public Participation in Public Administration. Public Administration Review, 58(4), 317-326.

Martin, S. (2003). Engaging with citizens and other stakeholders.

In T. Bovaird & E. Löffler (Eds.), Public Management and Governance (pp. 189-202). London Routledge.

Stern, P. C., & Fineberg, H. (1996). Understanding Risk: Informing Decisions in a Democratic Society. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.

2009 IPAA NATIONAL CONFERENCE UPDATE I hope by now you’ve heard that we’re hosting the 2009 IPAA National Conference right here in Brisbane next November. We’re delighted to have the opportunity to bring together the public sector community from around Australia and overseas for to address significant contemporary issues and challenges facing the sector.

To ensure the conference is highly topical and relevant we have formed an Organising Committee made up of Councillors, members and stakeholders. Our thanks go to: Patty Renfrow – Committee Chair Public Service Commission Cath Healy – National Conference Project Manager Peter Rumph – CEO IPAA Qld Margaret Allison – Brisbane City Council & IPAA Qld President Ray Lane – Qld Transport Karen Anstis – Australian Tax Office Sandy Beach – QUT Christine Flynn – Advanced Dynamics

Tony Gibson – Spirit3H Dianne Jeans – Smart Service Qld Anita Hicks – Dept of Tourism, Regional Development & Industry Gary Kellar – Reinforcements Consulting Pty Ltd Gary Mahon – Dept of Emergency Services Scott Prasser – USC Rebecca Roebuck – Kellogg, Brown & Root Pty Ltd

Plans are well and truly underway and the conference is taking shape with a theme and sub-themes now confirmed, along with the date and venue.

THEME: THE CHANGING Public Sector CLIMATE SUBTHEMES: • Rising ‘C’ Levels (e.g. issues of capability, collaboration, etc) • Survival of the Fittest (e.g. public sector strengths and weaknesses) • Warming to Global Trends (e.g. international influences) • Sustainable Practice (e.g. innovative and creative solutions) DATE: 19/20 November 2009 VENUE: Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre, Southbank Brisbane We’ve also established a dedicated website where you can currently register your details to receive regular Conference updates and make suggestions regarding speakers and/or topics that you’d like to see included in the conference program.

The website will also contain full conference information as it comes to hand, www.ipaanationalconference.org.au I look forward to updating you regularly with further developments as the conference program develops.

Patty Renfrow – Organising Committee Chair

Public Interest - December 2008

11

THE FUTURE OF MANAGEMENT

the future of management

with Gar y Hamel

By Vi-Mar y Har tridge

On August 20 2008, Gary Hamel presented his vision on the Future of Management at the IPAA Queensland International Speaker series.

As one of the world’s leading experts on business strategy, Hamel challenged the traditional management roles that have been part of the manager’s DNA during the 20th Century and sought to push the boundaries of today’s accepted best practice. As we move into uncertain economic times, we can take guidance from Hamel’s quest for adaptability of management practices.

At the core of Gary Hamel’s presentation, was the need for the nurturing and development of management innovation.

History has shown that management innovation is the true driver behind many operational and product innovations. However, with the speed of change in the 21st Century, these innovations need to be happening at an accelerated pace.

The first challenge in the 21st Century identified by Hamel was how to create an organisation that is as nimble as change itself. The solution lies in the creation of highly adaptable organisations. The public sector provides both an ideal yet challenging environment for sustaining adaptability.

As a sector where Machinery of Government changes are common, it needs to become more strategic in the three drivers that Hamel identifies for adaptability to be effective.

These are foresight, options and flexibility.

The second challenge Hamel addressed was the integration of innovation as part of everyone’s job, every day.

The additional challenge for the public sector is the supporting of radical and not risky, innovators. The focus is therefore to build on the capabilities that already exist. The analogy used by Hamel, to assist in bolstering human imagination was an analysis of the history of art. Throughout different art movements, from post impressionism to cubism and abstract to post modernism, the core basics of a canvas, paints and brushes has stayed the same but artists started to see new and innovative ideas and ways that others didn’t. In other words, they built on their capabilities through their imagination and radical new ideas.

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It is through these new ideas that others borrow and build on to create innovation in their field. In the public sector, there is a need to deconstruct what you believe, as many benchmarks have been developed as part of unwittingly thinking like other government agencies masked by the premise that the public service is risk averse. Through developing a culture of openness and persistence and by being open to both internal and external innovative ideas, the public sector has the potential to become the driver of innovation in the 21st Century.

It is the challenge of fully engaging the talents of every individual that Hamel identifies as the third challenge. Hamel estimates that organisations generate around 45% of people’s capabilities everyday. The challenge is in developing capabilities that will lead to management innovation and this can only be done through engagement. In order to have staff fully engaged, organisations need to develop their passion, creativity and initiative.

If they only come to work with their intellect, diligence and obedience, then we have no point of difference in a creative economy.

The challenge for the public sector is therefore to re-write the DNA of organisations as we move into the 21st Century.

Another key differentiator important for engagement is the development of a sense of community where individuals work together to create value for other people. This, combined with a sense of purpose, is where managers need to re-connect. What can they be doing to bring these values to the fore? The public sector provides an ideal environment for nurturing this engagement, as long as it is based in the principles of Aspiration, Recognition, Transparency and Accountability.

THE FUTURE OF MANAGEMENT

The public sector provides both an ideal yet challenging environment for sustaining adaptability. As a sector where Machinery of Government changes are common, it needs to become more strategic in the three drivers The final challenge Hamel addresses is that of reinventing management for the 21st century. Take on a challenge, perhaps even having the courage to take on something bigger than best practice and do it with passion. As Hamel says, “life is too short for inconsequential problems”. But in order to do this effectively, we must first challenge our management dogmas. As with any change, it usually takes a crisis for us to develop a clear change agenda. It is the fear of change, which drives the inertia of innovative management and without change whole organisations are held hostage to the past.

There comes a point where new issues cannot be solved with old principles. New management principles need to be developed. Therefore, experimentation needs to become part of the culture as, if innovation is treated as a project, it will run out of steam, as opposed to integrating it as part of the culture.

The challenge for the public sector is therefore to re-write the DNA of organisations as we move into the 21st Century. The key to this is building resilience through a sense of purpose and meaning for managers and increasing their skills in developing their people. IPAA Queensland plays a key role in the development of managers in the 21st century.

The Practical People Management Program (PPMP) is a five day program that focuses on building the confidence and capabilities of managers so that organisations can get a head start on the future by building tomorrow’s best practices today.

Vi-Mary Hartridge specialises in individual, team and organisational development. Her extensive experience and expertise in developing leaders for the future makes her one of Queensland’s most sought after facilitators. She is one of the principal facilitators with the IPAA Queensland PPMP program which can be tailored to suit individual agency requirements.

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS The latest to join the IPAA Queensland family Usha Adams Queensland Health Gwen Baskerville Queensland Transport

Miranda Simpson Dept of Tourism, Regional Development & Industry Lee Spano

Bron Ferguson Legal Aid Queensland

Yvette Teoh Queensland Police Service

George Fletcher Piper Alderman

Ken Wilkinson Dept of Communities

Michael Fritschi Astute Management Consulting Pty Ltd

Stephanie Wood Godwin Wood Consulting P/L

Wendy Gilbert Dept of Education, Training & the Arts

John Woolnough Dept Of Education, Training & The Arts

Damian Green PricewaterhouseCoopers Diane Henderson Dept of Education, Training & the Arts Mary Iwanko Queensland Rail Ltd Ross Konowalenko Queensland Police Service Andrew Kriedemann Queensland Health Ross McLeish Optus Andrew McMicking Queensland Competition Authority Christopher Morrison Brisbane City Council Selena O’Neill Hudson Global Resources Chris Parminter Queensland Studies Authority Andrew Reid Banana Shire Council Derrick Sillence

Public Interest - December 2008

13

OVER THE HORIZON

OVER THE HORIZON A Perspective on the Annual Public Sector Conference 2008

By Tony Gibson

It was a full house at the Brisbane Hilton for the Annual Public Sector Conference on Thursday, 23 October 2008 with the theme Over the Horizon – Creating a More Modern, Efficient and Effective Public Service.

unro, Jude M offered rnan, ll ie a T s e nn panel ggin e, Dr A r Jackie Hu 20 Summit rghes 0 Jim Va areham & D ar t of the 2 MC Lis p W a Back Owen tive as ho Cabine erspec t Directo use with Dept their p of r-Genera l Ken S Premier & mith

There was an atmosphere of high energy and optimism from the conference start with the welcome by President Margaret Allison and Auntie Valda Coolwell from the Brisbane Council of Elders.

The Queensland Government responded to the conference theme with the government’s blueprint for the future through Ken Smith, Director-General, Dept. of Premier and Cabinet and Ann Sherry, Chair of the Public Service Commission. Ann discussed the significant challenges of recruiting 130,000 new people to the QPS over the next ten years.

The new Public Service Commission priorities that resonated with me were the need to build a policy capability for innovation, provide excellence in leadership,

wd ener gised

ms got the cro

Human Rhyth after lunch

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Public Interest - December 2008

partnering for outcomes and engagement with the public.

Helen Silver, Secretary of the Department of the Premier and Cabinet, Victoria provided excellent frameworks for open, innovative and collaborative policy reform. Helen discussed a third wave of national reform around developing human capital.

A valuable case study of improved service delivery was provided by Carmel McGregor, Deputy Secretary of Department of Immigration and Citizenship.

Carmel described significant culture change and collaboration. Positive changes in DIAC for clients and the workforce were backed by rigour, analysis, innovation, inclusion and a client-centric approach.

An interactive session led by Naomi Puchala highlighted the reasons for attracting and

OVER THE HORIZON Ray Lan e the con , Cath Healy, P ference aul Ma rtyn ca

ught up

at

retaining people to the public sector workforce.

Coaching, mentoring and developing career pathways were seen as essential to ensure the best people in the public sector.

The new Public Service Commission priorities that resonated with me were the need to build capability for innovation, provide excellence in leadership, partnering for outcomes and engagement with the public Dr Anne Tiernan facilitated the 2020 Summit reflections with representatives Dr Jackie Huggins, Jude Munro, Jim Varghese

& igration ry of Imm e e Dept service deliv th m o ved gor fr ut impro l McGre Carme ip spoke abo h s n e iz Cit

Helen Lawrence & Elissa Greer enjoyed the networking drinks

and Owen Wareham. This continued the optimism with so many solutions to complex problems. Owen, representing the youth of Australia, provided confidence that problems over the horizon will be addressed by the next generation.

Whilst my interests are focused around people in organisations, I believe a multitude of interests were provided for conference participants by all the themes and presenters assembled.

Innovation, collaboration, leadership, coaching and developing human capital are some of the key words for me in meeting the challenges over the horizon.

Tony Gibson is former Manager Human Resources, Queensland Building Services Authority and is now Director SPIRIT.3H Learning and Development.

IPAA Queensland President Margaret Allison

Public Interest - December 2008

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PRIORITIES AND PITFALLS

Priorities and Pitfalls for the Queensland Public Sector

By Ann Sherr y

It is an exciting time to be working in the public service in Queensland and Australia.

Public services deliver those daily and vital services in our society we all use in our lives: our schools, hospitals, emergency services, and law and justice system.

And when working together and with business and community they have an important role in helping create a better, fairer and more cohesive society.

That is one reason why thinking about public services in a holistic and strategic manner is so important.

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I have worked in both State and Federal Government as well as the private sector and I have an enduring interest in politics and government. When the Premier announced in March this year that there would be significant reforms to the Queensland public service, including the establishment of a new Public Service Commission, the invitation for me to become the Chair of the new Board of Commissioners was an irresistible opportunity.

The Premier has tackled the reform agenda with vision and vigour. I was struck by her passion to revitalise the Queensland public service to be responsive, innovative and efficient … to think strategically about the way we do business and how we can continuously improve on the capability of our workforce to deliver on the elected Government of the day’s priorities.

I believe there are great opportunities in the public sector and I am excited by the contribution I can make. I’m also delighted to have an excellent team of experts from business, government and academia on the Commission Board and together we will play a central role in helping prepare the public service for the future.

Challenges For Queensland I want to talk about the challenges that lie ahead. In a much quoted speech in Cape Town in 1966, Robert F Kennedy said: There is a Chinese curse which says ‘May he live in interesting times’. Like it or not, we live in interesting times…’.

As the future is looking more uncertain, and perhaps just a little too interesting, building a public service now that is ready and able to meet the challenges of the 21st century is more important than ever.

But sometimes the most difficult times are the most rewarding. They challenge us to think differently, and create circumstances that bring out the best in us all.

These challenges are: •

Building a strong and diverse economy.

•

Protecting lifestyles and environment.

•

Delivering world class education and training.

•

Ensuring the health of all Queenslanders.

•

Supporting a safe and caring community.

As you all know, Toward Q2: Tomorrow’s Queensland is the plan to deliver outcomes that will address each of these challenges.

Q2 has set a total of 10 targets – 2 for each of the 5 areas of challenge – that Government, the community and industry will need to work together collaboratively to achieve.

Queensland is well-placed to weather the global economic storm. It has a relatively strong economy that has been growing uninterrupted since the early 1990s and Queensland is the second fastest growing state in Australia.

In addition, Queensland’s expanding population - predicted to increase by 1.5 million people to 5.6 million over the next 20 years presents both challenges and opportunities.

To meet the challenges of Q2, the public service needs to position itself to respond flexibly to meet changing – and emerging – community needs and service delivery demands. The work of the new Public Service Commission will align closely with Q2 priorities, to support the Government, community and industry working collaboratively to achieve them.

Challenges for the Queensland Public Service So what are the challenges that lie ahead for Queensland and its public service?

When it was established in 1800 the Queensland civil service had three departments and 200 staff. Today’s public service has 188,000 staff across 24 departments, providing services state-wide - yet some of what we do and how we do it has not kept pace with this scale of change. We have some clear challenges

PRIORITIES AND PITFALLS

Queensland is well-placed to weather the global economic storm. It has a relatively strong economy that has been growing uninterrupted since the early 1990s and Queensland is the second fastest growing state in Australia.

– some of which many of you will already be aware of and may even have experienced first-hand.

One of the biggest challenges is our ageing workforce. Around 46% of the Queensland permanent public sector workforce is currently aged 45 years and over. The average age of permanent employees has increased from 1.5 years in 2000 to 43.6 years in 2006. Half the current workforce will be retiring in the next 15 years. That’s almost 80,000 employees to replace within the next 15 years.

When you add to this other turnover and the growth in demand for public services, the Commission has estimated that to maintain the current service levels about 129,000 people will need to be recruited over the next 10 years. Either that or we will need to bring innovative and sustained reform to the models we use to deliver our public services. In replacing the people we are losing, and in attracting others to ensure we have the workforce we need, the Queensland public service is operating in a highly competitive labour market. Characteristics of this market include low unemployment, and labour and skills shortages, particularly for some specialist occupational groups. As such, the public service faces very real challenges in attracting and retaining talented staff to meet the service delivery needs of the state.

Another challenge for the Queensland public service is meeting the growing demands of Queensland’s expanding population.

Future population growth is expected to be distributed unevenly around the state.

75% of population growth is predicted to occur in South-East Queensland. Coastal areas, particularly Wide Bay-Burnett, will also see significant increases in population.

One thing this will mean is building more infrastructure. Queensland has two major commercial Public Private Partnerships currently underway - the Airport Link and South Bank TAFE - which together are worth almost $4bn. Many governments, here in

Australia, and internationally, are increasingly using PPPs and Queensland should look to continue to develop and harness these commercial approaches in the future.

As a geographically large and diversely populated state, we also need to think about how we will deliver Government services equitably, efficiently and effectively to all clients in all parts of the state.

A final challenge arises from the range of functions that the Queensland Government undertakes to deliver across a large state.

For example, around 4 in every 5 of Queensland’s public service officers are working out there in the ‘front-line’ – as teachers, nurses, police officers. The Queensland Police Service employs 13,000 staff and provides services 24 hours a day across a land mass of 1.7 million square kilometres. But front line staff can’t do it all - there are many people working behind the scenes in policy, administration and corporate support. All of these people help deliver services that are vital for Queenslanders.

We have a solid foundation and strengths that we can build on to start to meet these challenges. I’m impressed by the commitment and identity that people have for Queensland; the ethos that public servants here have to delivering outcomes for Queenslanders; and how over many years the public service here has proven itself adept at dealing with new challenges when they arise.

But, despite our strengths, we also have a range of issues we need to address. The first of these is related to our policy capability – particularly the sector’s capability in strategic policy and public policy. To achieve policy leadership we need excellent, and at times, innovative, policy capability. The public sector is increasingly being called on to deliver policy advice in a complex and changing environment. In response, cross-agency policy development and collaboration will be needed. This is evident in the approach to Q2 which emphasises the importance of shared

priorities, shared objectives, clear lead-agency accountability and partnerships to achieve outcomes.

Secondly, we need to get past agency silos.

Agencies need to make a concerted effort to work more closely together. Collaboration and coordination across government is required.

This is clear when we think about the challenges we face: for example, chronic disease cannot be solved alone by even the best health agency in the world. Agencies that continue to work in silos will provide fragmented services to clients through duplicated processes.

This will result in increased costs.

A third, related issue that we need to address is a shift to focus on outcomes rather than process. The Queensland Government has recently placed an increased emphasis on outcome-focused performance management in the public sector.

Under these new arrangements, Chief Executive Officers will be accountable for outcomes.

These outcomes will be reported in key corporate documents, and agency performance will be monitored by central agencies.

The Public Service Commission has a key role to play in implementing this new approach to performance management. It will work with Queensland Treasury and the Department of the Premier and Cabinet, to ensure agencies have the capability and systems to implement these new arrangements.

Fourthly, Ken Smith has talked about leadership as one clear priority for the next stage of public sector reform. In particular, he focused on the importance of identifying and investing in the next group of public service leaders, and the criticality of succession planning and rewarding talent. As the public sector moves toward a more outcome-focused approach to performance, leadership skills will become increasingly important. In the words of the leading management writer Margaret Wheatley: I believe that the capacity that any organisation needs is for leadership to appear anywhere it is needed, when it is needed.

Public Interest - December 2008

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PRIORITIES AND PITFALLS

Priorities and Pitfalls for the Queensland Public Sector by Ann Sherr y Finally, to provide a diversity of services to the community, the Queensland public sector is increasingly engaging the commercial and non-government sectors in service delivery.

Public-private partnerships can achieve value for money in public infrastructure and service delivery by sharing project risks across public and private sector parties. Partnerships have been effectively used in Queensland to deliver housing in sustainable communities – for example, the Kelvin Grove Urban Village.

Kelvin Grove is the result of an awardwinning partnership between the Queensland Government and the Queensland University of Technology. It links learning with enterprise, creative industry with community, and is a great example of innovative mixed-use and sustainable urban development. To effectively manage these partnerships, thought needs to be given to the governance arrangements and skill sets required – both now and in the future – to deliver future projects of this nature.

PRIORITIES FOR THE QUEENSLAND PUBLIC SERVICE So, in this context, what should the priorities be for the Queensland Public Service?

In my view, the top 5 priorities for getting us to the 2020 vision are: •

Building and nurturing high-performing organisations.

•

Creating a cadre of excellent leaders.

•

Motivating and up skilling the workforce.

•

Partnering for outcomes: government and outside.

•

Involving and engaging the public throughout.

across

First, we know we can only get there if we have high performing organisations.

To realise a high-performing public service that achieves results for the community, both central agency and individual agency business models must be aligned. Central agencies will have a critical role at the strategic centre of reform delivery. The Commission forms part of this strategic centre along with the Department of the Premier and Cabinet and the Queensland Treasury.

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Public Interest - December 2008

The role of the Public Service Commission is about working with agencies to build their capability and capacity to deliver services.

It’s about spreading best practice, particularly in relation to ‘people’ issues. All while working collaboratively with the Department of the Premier and Cabinet and the Queensland Treasury to meet the challenges we face.

This means combining the Commission’s strengths in human resource policy and organisational management with the Department of Premier and Cabinet and Treasury’s respective strengths in strategic policy, performance monitoring, and budget management so that together, we can become more than just the sum of our parts.

All agencies, CEO’s, and public servants must get serious about performance. This means setting clear expectations and holding CEOs, their agencies and public servants to account.

But it’s not just about sticks: we also need to reward those doing well, for example linking performance to pay and career development, and ensuring high performing agencies have the autonomy to continue their excellent work and spread this to others. Innovation in public service delivery is vital. Innovation can mean finding new ways of delivering services, finding new ways to reach the community, or finding new ways to manage and organise the public service itself. The Commission will have an important role here: to find and champion these innovations in best practice.

We must aspire to become world-class in this regard – and of course look not only at Queensland but also to innovations occurring in public service elsewhere in Australia and internationally.

Second, we can only get to the 2020 vision with excellent leaders working together with all public servants on the journey. As you would know - and may have experienced during your working careers - great leaders are the agents of effective and lasting cultural change.

In Jesse Jackson’s words: ‘Time is neutral and does not change things. With courage and initiative, leaders change things.’ But, while

we know that this is the case, the question remains - how do we create the leaders of tomorrow? I was struck by some recent data looking at the age profile of managers in the Queensland Public Service. The average age of our managers at the three main levels are in their late 40s. Indeed it’s striking how similar the profiles are – raising important questions for us about succession planning.

Of course leadership is not about age.

But there are two things that we should note here.

The role of the Public Service Commission is about working with agencies to build their capability and capacity to deliver services.

First, how can we encourage more young and dynamic leaders into the public service?

I don’t think it’s just about money – if anything, young people today seem to place an even greater emphasis on ‘making a difference’ than in the past. So we need to find the ways to attract, motivate and develop young talent. Second, there are many good reasons to keep public servants with valuable experience - so how can we continually motivate and challenge those in the later phases of their careers to be leaders?

Clearly it would be of benefit to bring talent in at an early age. Given our ageing workforce, this approach would help provide the sector with the lead-in time to develop any critical skills sets it needs for future service delivery.

As we know, organisational performance and individual performance go hand in hand.

The Queensland Public Service should aspire to be world class in how it creates rapid trajectories that stretch and challenge

Best Practice Advice Project

Quality of leadership, recognition, training and development, and career opportunities are usually high on the list of reasons why people go looking for work elsewhere.

the best. This approach should be combined with more effective management of our talent pool at mid-career levels to support and mentor the development of these high performers. According to John C Maxwell, an American leadership scholar and author, The single biggest way to impact an organisation is to focus on leadership development. There is almost no limit to the potential of an organisation that recruits good people, raises them up as leaders and continually develops them. ’ Given the importance of leadership, the Public Service Commission has recently developed a Capability and Leadership Framework to assess and develop leadership skills at all levels of the public service.

The Commission will actively work with agencies to build leadership skills in the Queensland public service. Ad hoc development will no longer be sufficient in ensuring the public service executive is equipped to deal with the complexities and challenges of the future. We will raise our game here. In addition to bringing in, developing and rewarding talent, we also need to open up the public service so that people from all walks of life can make their unique contributions to the community. I’m struck that less than 1 in 20 of our senior public service leaders in Queensland are drawn from outside the public service.

This is interesting food for thought given the vital role that senior management plays in the creation of quality public service workplaces.

I also won’t let this opportunity pass without mentioning that women make up only 26.3% of the Queensland Senior Executive Service, a figure which has remained fairly static since 2003 and indicates that women are not in leadership roles in the numbers or proportion that we would have hoped for, or expected.

The leadership approaches I’ve just discussed require thinking more clearly about our pitch and proposition – in particular, what is it that makes the Queensland public service an attractive place to work? Why would people choose to work in the Queensland

public service rather than somewhere else?

Finding answers to these questions is critical if we are to effectively compete in the tight labour market we have at the moment.

It is going to mean targeting our ‘offer’ to different groups: becoming more agile and responsive to different people’s aspirations because we know people want more than just a 40-year career in just one area these days.

Third, we need a motivated and skilled workforce ready to meet the modern challenges of public service. Many of the services provided by government to the community require expert skills and judgement. Approximately half the Queensland public service workforce requires a tertiary qualification to do their job. Given this reliance on skilled workers, planning for and investing in the future supply of staff is essential. High-performance organisations ensure an ongoing commitment to the training and professional development of all employees, regardless of their level, occupation or role. Paying attention to the needs of individual employees, including what motivates them, has never been more important than in the current labour market.

The public service needs to continue to closely examine issues such as quality of working life, job and career satisfaction and look at ways to overcome cultural or attitudinal barriers to change. Through retaining current staff we will be able to ease some of the skills supply issues we are facing now. To do this we need to pay more attention to who is leaving the Queensland public service, and the reasons why they are going. People often leave organisations as a result of ‘people’ issues.

Quality of leadership, recognition, training and development, and career opportunities are usually high on the list of reasons why people go looking for work elsewhere.

To keep our people in Queensland we should build on the existing professional ethos of the public service. Clearer alignment between public sector values and daily behaviour so that all public servants, including leaders, are ‘walking the talk’, might also be encouraged.

Finally, we need to be able to deliver on our promises to applicants that the public service offers a wide range of challenging and rewarding jobs. I support the Commission’s view that public service Chief Executive Officers continue to be accountable for the outcomes and services to be delivered by their individual agencies. They will also continue to lead their agency’s response to their unique workforce challenges. However, in some cases, responses to these workforce challenges might involve a collaborative approach across agencies.

Agencies with common occupations in demand could be encouraged to conduct cross-agency workforce planning, offering coordinated career opportunities and education pathways that span all stages of public service careers.

As a result, these agencies might offer coordinated career opportunities and education pathways that span all stages of public service careers.

blic

08 Annual Pu

20 eaking at the Ann Sher ry sp e nc re nfe Co r Secto

In addition to accountability for CEOs, the way of the future must be for increased accountability and clarity about purpose for all public servants at all levels in all agencies.

The fourth priority I would like to talk about is partnering for outcomes. It is clear to me, and to many others, that the complex and intractable problems, like closing the gap on Indigenous health, the challenges of obesity, chronic disease, life chances and

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PRIORITEIS AND PITFALLS

Priorities and Pitfalls for the Queensland Public Sector by Ann Sherr y infrastructure cannot be met by single agencies acting alone.

Let me give you a few examples from the Toward Q2 work: •

The environment target to Queenslanders’ carbon footprint.

cut

•

The health target to cut obesity, smoking and drinking.

•

The communities target to increase volunteering.

Clearly these involve each and every one of us – not relying on single agencies but working across government and with the community. I talked before about the need to break down silos. There is also a need to build a partnership model between agencies.

The focus needs to be on the delivery of clientcentred services. We also need to be prepared to develop mutually beneficial partnerships with the community, with stakeholders, with businesses and with voluntary groups to achieve outcomes. We all have an important role in reaching the outcomes we want, particularly as Government may not always be the best placed provider of some services. How can we partner for outcomes?

I believe it is incumbent on our leaders to drive this approach and ‘walk the talk’.

But we also need new and innovative thinking – like how we can bring together the respective roles different groups can play, and how we use incentives and rewards for collaboration and partnership. New governance arrangements can also be part of supporting new service delivery strategies.

My fifth point is that we need to continue to engage and involve the public in the design of services. By this I mean the what, when, where, and how services are delivered to each and every one of us. Exciting work has been done in engaging the Queensland community in the work on Q2. I’m sure you will have seen the television adverts and may also have participated in one of the many community events going on across the state. So far we have had over two thousand ideas come

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Public Interest - December 2008

back to us from Queenslanders. These will be important for the next stage of the work to develop the strategies and community plans to deliver. We can take these lessons further.

We need public services that are outward looking and involving. The client’s perspective is a key aspect to be considered in the design of future services. We need to be alert to the experiences of users as they journey through public services. What we do know is that government clients expect services that are easily accessible. They want quick and simple transactions and readily available responses to more complex issues.

We need to find new ways to increase the control and ownership clients have over services. So as people now have more choice and control in the private sector, so too people are beginning to demand it from public services. This is about coproduction: government providing excellent services with users taking control and ownership to together produce the positive outcomes we all want.

Government needs to be in a position to ‘instil a sense of shared responsibility with the community’. Government cannot solve problems alone and will need the participation and effort of individuals. I think there’s an important deal here. Public services earning client trust by resolving service issues quickly and effectively, and providing excellent and personal services. In return asking the community to make changes too and take personal responsibility for behaviour and how they use services.

The challenge now is not to fall at the hurdle for change. The first pitfall would be being pessimistic about whether we can create change. The public service has a broad range of staff and departments providing a diversity of services to the community on a daily basis.

Some would say that public services are too complex to change. I don’t share that view.

There are important lessons we can distil and share across different areas of public service.

And we should take a long-term view - as Geoff Mulgan says: governments often overestimate

what can be achieved in the short-run, but critically underestimate what they can change in the long-run. Big companies can and do change – government is a big company.

In my view, our second pitfall would be failing to prioritise. I think we all know that we cannot change the public service overnight.

It will take time and a concerted effort. So this means prioritising around some key themes.

I have talked about some of those key themes today. Over the next year I want to see the Public Service Commission developing ideas that will address these key themes. The Premier and the Commissioners want to see a smaller number of ideas that will work well and make a real difference – let’s not try to implement fifty ideas and have them work patchily, or not at all. I know this will be an important test for the Public Service Commission: to establish ourselves as a world-class organisation we will need credibility, focus, and attention on results. The test, to again quote the Premier, is that we all ‘feel the winds of change’.

Conclusion For me, it is an exciting time to be chairing the Board of the Public Service Commission and being part of the reform of the Queensland public service. We have an ambitious vision ahead of us. I’m optimistic about the sector’s capacity to respond having now seen the work that is being undertaken in the Queensland public service, and the valued contributions that all officers are making. This journey to the future has begun. We now all need to play our part so the challenges can be managed and the outcomes achieved.

Ann Sherry is Chair of the Public Service Commission and CEO of Carnival Australia.

Footnotes The Hon Anna Bligh, Premier, Public Service Bill Second Reading Speech to the Parliament of Queensland, 6 May 2008 Robert F Kennedy, Day of Affirmation Speech, Cape Town, South Africa, 1966 Notes from Ken Smith’s presentation are available at www. qld.ipaa.org.au For further detail see: www.towardq2.qld.gov.au Office of the Public Service Commissioner, Service Delivery Challenges - Research Papers: Workforce Sustainability, November 2007

HAWKES’ EYE VIEW

Hawkes’ Eye View

By David Hawkes

Aboriginal Education: A Comparative Perspective

During October I had the privilege of attending a Conference in Hyderabad, India, sponsored by the Commonwealth Secretariat and the Commonwealth Association of Public Administration and Management (CAPAM) on the topic “Innovations and Good Practices in New Public Management”.

The attendees, who were at the Permanent Secretary and Deputy levels represented India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Brunei, Malaysia and the Maldives.

A large part of the program was devoted to case studies on public-private partnerships as a major mechanism for improving delivery of government services, with a particular emphasis on poverty alleviation and community improvement.

All these presentations demonstrated innovative solutions in areas previously seen as the sole responsibility of governments and all of them reflected successful outcomes in difficult environments.

The case study that interested me most was that presented by Aisha Ghaus-Pasha, Director of Research at the Institute of Public Policy in Lahore, Pakistan. She described in detail the engagement of private sector schools as partners in a number of poor and backward districts in her country in an effort to raise the level of participation in education among children (particularly girls) in rural areas and urban slums.

The scheme is managed by the Punjab Education Foundation, and involves the provision by the state of a subsidy of around 300 Rupees (approximately $AUS10) per pupil per month to the private sector schools.

The curriculum is entirely in English, in contrast to the government schools where English is but one subject in the curriculum. The Government schools are not capable of delivering a full English curriculum at this cost.

The education vision is to: •

achieve universal primary education by 2015;

•

achieve gender equality at all levels by 2015;

•

create economic opportunities for the poor with the help of education;

•

empower communities through education;

•

increase access to all communities to physical and social assets.

If these objectives sound familiar, you have no reason to go any further than the long standing debate on the issue of Aboriginal education in Australia, particularly in the Northern Territory. These issues have

been highlighted during the Commonwealth Intervention and have been the subject of earnest debate and substantial expenditure for decades without any discernible improvement.

The Pakistan initiative has been in operation since 2004.

While issues and challenges remain, including coverage in particular, the scheme is being extended and the relative simplicity of the arrangements are seen as a major reason for success. The extraordinary level of participation and attendance is seen to be directly related to the fact that the curriculum is in English. Both students and parents see literacy and numeracy in English as the key to “Babu” – future prosperity of themselves and their community.

This naturally led me to question the validity of maintaining teaching in Aboriginal languages to the extent currently observed and mandated. While most people would see the preservation of Aboriginal language as an inherent part of the maintenance of the Aboriginal culture and endorse the sentiments expressed in David Malouf’s classic story “The Only Speaker of his Tongue”, there is a growing body of thought among Aboriginal leaders, such as Tracker Tilmouth, Warren Mundine and Noel Pearson, that the curriculum in Aboriginal schools should be in English if people in remote communities are to have any real prospect of achieving economic development and independence.

While the circumstances within Pakistan are different to Australia, the issues are the same. While we may not be capable, at least in the short term, of develop effective public-private partnerships for the delivery of educational services to remote communities, we could challenge the current language of the curriculum and the belief that it is the one of the keys to the preservation of traditional culture. As Pakistan has found, there are other methods of preserving local language in conjunction with an educational regime focused on English.

Public Interest - December 2008

21

A YOUNG PROFESSIONAL IN NEW YORK

A young professional in new york

By Chandni Gupta

Imagining how it would be to work on world issues is one thing; having the opportunity to experience it is a whole other world in itself.

From George Clooney to SecretaryGeneral’s campaign on violence against women, it was all an unforgettable experience.

In January this year I packed my bags and with a huge grin on my face, I headed over to the United States for a two-month public relations internship at the United Nations headquarters.

When preparing for my trip, there was so much anticipation. I was excited about working in a new place, meeting new people, being part of new projects and experiencing it all in the beautiful city of New York.

What is even more exciting is that the experience surpassed my anticipation.

The Work During my time at the UN, I was based in the Department of Public Information and worked on two global media campaigns – launch of the Secretary-General’s UNite to End Violence Against Women campaign and International Women’s Day 2009.

My work ranged from pitching the campaigns to celebrities’ agents and to editors and journalists of various global media outlets like New York Times, CNN, BBC and Guardian to working with UN agencies like UNICEF and UNIFEM to shape their role in the campaigns.

MEMBER Snapshot

Dealing with international media, spokespersons and staff really made me appreciate the effort of making a global campaign work. It was amazing to experience first-hand how the focus of one campaign could be delivered in so many different ways.

Most importantly, it was a great feeling to know that the work I was doing would in some

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Public Interest - December 2008

Jen Rossiter

Position A/Director, WorkforUs Agency Queensland Health Location Brisbane

way positively contribute towards shaping the lives of so many women around the world.

The City Working on such projects was incredible but working on them in the middle of Manhattan, New York was just wonderful.

The city, the crowd, the snow, the lights, the shopping… there was nothing that wasn’t in New York. The atmosphere was always buzzing be it seven in the morning or one at night. It was overwhelming yet beautiful, strong yet dreamy, grand yet intricate.

The People People of New York were so welcoming and are a huge factor of what makes New York so special. And when it came to people at the UN, the place had so much to offer.

During my internship, I had the opportunity to meet George Clooney when he was appointed as the UN Messenger of Peace.

Through my role, I also attended press conferences featuring Reese Witherspoon, Richard Branson and Daryl Hannah.

Apart from the celebrities, it was actually my UN colleagues who were the real stars.

The experience I had wouldn’t have been possible if it wasn’t for the wonderful colleagues that I got to work with. They were so supportive and were willing to put a lot of faith in me and the other interns, giving us the opportunity to show what we could offer.

If you could change one thing – what would it be?

The current economic environment as many people are concerned about what this means for their ability to retire, own their home, employment, career opportunities etc.

If you were PM for a day, what would you do?

Fund the health agreements appropriately so as there is some chance in addressing the public health issues in the future.

A YOUNG PROFESSIONAL IN NEW YORK

Working on such projects was incredible but working on them in the middle of Manhattan, New York was just wonderful.

Chandni did

have time for

ping

a spot of shop

The Support As riveting as it was being amongst so many new people, my time there showed me just how supportive Government here is in ensuring that a staff member can take the time off to experience something so left-field.

My director and manager were so supportive of my internship and rearranged and managed so much to make sure that I could go.

It was lovely to know that as good as it was in New York, I had a fabulous team to come back to.

The Memories

A view of the Manhattan Skyline from the UN

Chandni Gu

pta with ot

her UN inte

rns

The work, the perks, the celebrities – that’s all fun but it’s the people you meet that make the experience what it is. And if for nothing else, but just to meet new people, to build your network of support and strength, it’s worth pushing yourself out of your comfort zone in a whole other world because before you know it you’ll realise that’s exactly what your world needed.

UN internships are available for postgraduate students across the world. For more information visit www.un.org/Depts/ OHRM/sds/internsh/index.htm

o the UN

y dropped int

Geor ge Cloone

The experience has given me so much.

It has instilled confidence in me that earlier I could have only dreamt of. Most importantly, the people I met, be it my UN colleagues, the other interns or local New Yorkers, it was them that shaped my time there and made my experience exceptional.

What’s your favourite read?

Autobiographies as I like to read about people’s life experience and journey – am currently reading one on Dawn French, the English comedian.

What do you like most about the Public Sector?

Delivering programs that benefit the community directly and the spirit in which most public sector people have to ensure this occurs. I am from North Queensland and saw this spirit openly when Cyclone Larry devastated the Innisfail area where many of my family members live.

Who do you admire and why?

I admire people who learn from their mistakes and are humble enough to recognise their errors in the first place. There are many people in my life who do this and they all continue to grow and develop in front of my eyes.

Who would you choose as a coach and why?

Without naming names I would choose a number of women who have balanced family, work, community, self throughout their career and are genuinely happy with their achievements and situation. There are a few of these amazing

women in my life so I would keep on asking them questions and seeking advice as I too try to balance it all myself.

Would you recommend the Public Sector to work in?

Absolutely, to people who are driven by their desire to make a difference to the community.

Public Interest - December 2008

23

TUCKER’S BOX

tucker’s box

By Doug Tucker

The Rise and Decline of Queensland Local Government

For students and practitioners of public policy formulation, the treatment by Australian state governments of local governments around Australia furnishes plenty of examples of how public policy should not be conceived and implemented.

There are also examples of enlightened and effective policy formulation, and all in all, Queensland can probably boast the best record, thanks largely to the vision and understanding of some exceptionally far-sighted political leaders, senior public servants, and jurists during the first half of the 20th century.

Naturally, Parliament could now entrust greater responsibilities to local councils elected on the same basis as Parliament itself.

The problem was to do this without cluttering the enabling legislation with a huge but inevitably incomplete list of specific powers and functions.

I refer here to the sophistication and intellectual grasp of such luminaries as Labor Premier T.J. Ryan, Home Secretaries “Big Bill” McCormack, James Stopford and Ned Hanlon, Assistant Under Secretary Charlie Chuter, and the youthful but distinguished Solicitor-General William Flood Webb.

The brilliant Charlie Chuter soon hit upon the solution: as democratic local councils were now fully legitimate local governments, they should be granted a general power to govern, or “general competence power”.

Of course, these men had the advantage of standing on the shoulders of giants like Samuel Griffith and Thomas McIlwraith, who played a pivotal role in establishing Queensland local government.

All these people understood that local self-government, like universities and locally owned and operated media, are vital diversifying institutions in society: they help to maximise freedom of choice, and thus help express and accommodate the diverse needs and aspirations of local communities.

And so Ryan, McCormack and the others between them democratised local councils in 1920, transforming them from being mere property-owners’ associations with limited community legitimacy to fully legitimate, democratic assemblies based on the adult citizen (not ratepayer) franchise exercised triennially.

According to one long-serving, senior state public servant, these developments, “together with the election of the Mayor or Chairman, raised the status of these local personages and the Aldermen and Councillors to such an extent [that they] created jealousies of no mean order.”

It took New South Wales another 20 years to democratise local government, with other states taking even longer.

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Public Interest - December 2008

This power authorises local government, in essence, to undertake for the community’s benefit, any function not in conflict with any Commonwealth or State law (or settled policy).

Parliamentary Draftsman John Woolcock opposed the idea but Solicitor-General Webb firmly endorsed it.

Parliament thereupon initially bestowed the general competence power on the new Greater Brisbane City Council in s.36 of the City of Brisbane Act 1924.

At that council’s inaugural meeting on 3rd March 1925, Home Secretary James Stopford explained what this power amounted to.

He told the council: “You have a simple Charter conferred upon you by Parliament – it does not lay down any hard and fast rules – you will take your authority for the work that you will carry out by Ordinances [now “local laws”] which you will consider at your Council table, and which will have legislative effect immediately it is assented to by the Order-in-Council...

“Contrast that with the powers of the old authority [i.e. the former Brisbane city Council] and you will realise the great power that is placed in your hands as rulers of the destiny in local government matters of the great area that will be brought under your control.”

TUCKER’S BOX

Democratic advantages aside, these arrangements not only offered the benefits of scale economies through horizontal integration, but also scale economies through vertical and circular integration.

Indeed, the legislation not only defined a greatly expanded City of Brisbane, but transferred to the newly elected council an impressive range of new powers and functions. These included electricity supply, water supply and sewerage, tramways, pest control and others previously vested in unelected special-purpose bodies.

Democratic advantages aside, these arrangements not only offered the benefits of scale economies through horizontal integration, but also scale economies through vertical and circular integration.

In 1936 the general competence power, having proven successful in Brisbane, was extended to all other Queensland local governments in the completely revised and much admired Local Government Act brought down by Health and Home Affairs Secretary Hanlon.

In the House, Hanlon explained that the ultra vires rule was so restrictive that, for instance, local councils’ existing power to regulate dogs evidently did not authorise them to regulate specific breeds (e.g. Alsatians).

Hence an amending statute was needed to remedy the problem.

However, under his new statute, councils would have “the widest powers. I doubt if there is anything in the world so wide delegated to the local authorities. They can make by-laws on any question whatever...”

Mr Moore (interjecting): “Even Alsatian dogs?” Mr Hanlon: “Anything at all, even members of parliament. Anything that is not illegal under some other Act of parliament is now to be a function of local government.

That is as it should be.”

The Forgan-Smith Labor government had clearly recognised that democratically elected local councils, with their potential for maximum responsiveness to their local communities, entitled them to exercise a general competence power: the constraints imposed by local public opinion and the ballot box were a more than adequate substitute for the ultra vires rule.

By mid-century, then, these unique developments had helped local government cope with the Great Depression and two world wars, marking the zenith of their fortunes.

Subsequently, a steady decline begins.

State governments on both sides of politics either fail to bring certain services outside Brisbane under full democratic control; or transfer important powers and functions from elected councils to unelected special-purpose statutory bodies; or both.

By the 1980s and 90s, the growing influence of managerial ideology in national, state and local government (at the expense of local leadership) was obvious. This tendency was an aspect, in turn, of the growth of “rationalisation” in many countries that sociologist Max Weber described, analysed, and deplored.

Hence the Goss government’s new and unwieldy Local Government Act 1993 clearly showed the influence of ongoing rationalisation. As recounted elsewhere, the Act for example transferred the chief executive role from elected mayors to appointed town clerks, who now formally became CEOs. Other significant rationalising requirements, such as the mandatory adoption of accrual instead of cash accounting for even the tiniest (in population and revenue) shires, were likewise included.

Subsequently, Queensland local government experienced a substantial instalment of regionalisation and a corresponding loss of local community autonomy under the state’s Local Government Reform Program in April 2007. Furthermore, the government’s takeover of significant aspects of water supply further detracted from local government’s importance and local democracy generally.

At present, the State government’s Local Government Bill, if enacted, strengthens CEO powers; and weakens elected leaders still more by, for instance, empowering the Minister to suspend individual mayors and/or councillors, and to recommend their dismissal to the government – probably without debate in the House.

The Bill will likely be enacted, perhaps with minor changes. Meanwhile, some rural communities continue their long decline into social and economic non-viability.

Yet vigorously led local councils and supportive state governments might do much to counter this trend.

Meanwhile the south-east’s force-fed growth and less reliable rainfall threaten soaring water prices, loss of agricultural land, infrastructure backlogs, more traffic congestion, and more pollution.

Priorities and Pitfalls for the Queensland Public Sector by Ann Sherr y

Footnotes continued from page 20 Public Service Commission, 2008 Public Service Commission, 2008 Office of the Public Service Commissioner, Service Delivery Challenge - Research Paper 5: Workforce Sustainability, November 2007 Public Service Commission, 2008 Office of the Public Service Commissioner, Occasional Paper 05/08, Sustaining the Queensland public service workforce in a tight labour environment, 2008 Margaret Wheatley, Is the pace of life hindering our ability to manage? Management Today, March 2004 www.treasury.qld.gov.au Jesse Jackson, Democratic National Convention Address, 18 July 1984 Public Service Commission, 2008 John C Maxwell, The 17th Irrefutable Laws of Teamwork, 2001 Office of the Public Service Commissioner, Executive capability development in the Queensland public service, June 2006 Public Service Commission, 2008 Office of the Public Service Commissioner, Draft Queensland Government Workforce Sustainability Strategy 2007-2017, Unpublished Office of the Public Service Commissioner, Draft Queensland Government Workforce Sustainability Strategy 2007-2017, Unpublished Office of the Public Service Commissioner, Draft Queensland Government Workforce Sustainability Strategy, 2007-2017, Unpublished More details on the Target 140 Campaign can be found at: www.target140.com.au Office of the Public Service Commissioner, Occasional Paper 05/08, Sustaining the Queensland public service workforce in a tight labour environment; 2008; Office of the Public Service Commissioner, Occasional Paper 06/08, Our service delivery challenge, 2008 Office of the Public Service Commissioner, Occasional Paper 05/08, Sustaining the Queensland public service workforce in a tight labour environment, 2008, p4 Office of the Public Service Commissioner, Occasional Paper 05/08, Sustaining the Queensland public service workforce in a tight labour environment, 2008 Geoff Mulgan, Prospect Magazine, issue 110, May 2005 www.prospect-magazine.co.uk/article_details.php?id=6888

Public Interest - December 2008

25

yp update

YP Update

By Tanya Hornick

Young Professionals busy planning for 2009

Have you ever wondered what the Young Professionals Committee do?

The goal of the Young Professionals Committee is to support the interests, involvement and development of young professionals in the pursuit of excellence in public administration through the exchange of ideas, discussion of trends, and promotion of best practice.

The Young Professionals Committee encourages young professionals to be more involved in IPAA Queensland.

As such we are an advocate for young professionals, provide an understanding of young professionals, needs and issues, and influence IPAA Queensland directions, services and products.

The Young Professionals Committee has a strategic focus, including understanding and informing IPAA Queensland of YP needs and views and encouraging young professionals to be more involved with IPAA Queensland.

The Young Professionals Committee recently welcomed a new committee member, Chris Morrison. Chris is from the Brisbane City Council where he is the Principal Officer Built Environment and Land Use in the Family and Community Services Division.

Chris is actively involved in the Brisbane City Council Youth Forum. The committee is always looking for new committee members, so if you would like to be involved please contact us at yps@qld.ipaa.org.au The committee has been busy planning for 2009, including planning for the CEO Breakfast to be held during Youth Week.

We are keen to hear your thoughts and ideas and will be sending out a short survey in the near future. If you have any ideas for the committee you can always email us at yps@qld.ipaa.org.au The big event next year will be the 2009 IPAA National Conference to be held in Brisbane on 19 and 20 November 2009.

The Young Professionals are contributing

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Public Interest - December 2008

ideas to the 2009 IPAA National Conference Organising Committee. The conference is a fantastic opportunity to hear high quality and profile speakers and network with people from across the state and nation. We look forward to seeing you there! Stay tuned for more information.

Young Professionals Committee members: CHAIR Tanya Hornick Australian Bureau of Statistics MEMBER

Carmen Smith Queensland Tourism

MEMBER Anita Hicks Dept of Tourism, Regional Development and Industry MEMBER

Megan Duynehoven Public Trust Office

MEMBER

Rob Rose Queensland Police

MEMBER Stewart Saini Dept of Communities MEMBER Chandni Gupta Disability Services Queensland MEMBER Chris Morrison Brisbane City Council

ipaa queensland

IPAA Queensland Update New face with IPAA Queensland baby on the way

A

d nslan Quee lth Hea te ora Corp es ic Ser v m Foru

New Baby for a New Year

IPAA Queensland’s Executive Manager – Membership & External Relations, Eden Platell is taking some time off to have a baby. Eden oversees all of IPAA Queensland’s events, membership and marketing activities, including producing your quarterly copy of the Public Interest.

Eden and her husband Jim (whose wedding pic was featured in an IPAA Queensland update several issues ago) are expecting their first baby in January.

Replacing Eden while she takes 6 months leave is smiling new face, Melanie Mead. Melanie comes to IPAA Queensland with experience from organisations like QR, RSL Queensland and Sirromet Wines.

Melanie starts in December so please say hi if you see her at one of our events or training courses.

Eden Platell

IPAA Queensland was very proud to support Queensland Health’s Corporate Services Forum in August.

The forum brought together people from all areas of Corporate Services including finance and HR and was a great chance for IPAA Queensland staff to mingle with members & clients.

IPAA Queensland had its famous massage chairs giving free massages at the forum and also held a book stall with offerings from the IPAA Queensland Online Bookstore.

We also had a number of prizes on offer including a learning and development voucher and some great book packs.

Congratulations to the organisers for a great forum!

ger – Training IPAA Queensland Executive Mana managed to & Development Siobhan McCarville Director Michael catch up with Corporate Services s function as part Kalimnios during the poster award of the conference

Public Interest - December 2008

27

2009 NATIONAL CONFERENCE Q N S D B 5

B A H K T 2 the

CHANGING CLIMATE ADAPT s INFLUENCE s THRIVE

19/20 November, 2009 Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre Southbank | Brisbane

The Countdown has begun!

Mark the date in your diary now and sign up for conference updates at

www.ipaanationalconference.org.au

sub Conference themes...

RISING ‘C’ LEVELS SUSTAINABLE

SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST

WARMING TO GLOBAL TRENDS

SUSTAINABLE PRACTICE

The Public Sector is under pressure to research, develop and articulate effective policy frameworks and to deliver practical outcomes.

These expectations fly across a number of ‘C’ levels including: • competence • collaboration • community • consultation • capacity • costs

Change is happening at an unparalleled rate.

This is more true for the demanding policy development environment than most other situations. Keys to meeting this challenge involve: • agility • a clear focus on real objectives • a sharp sense of balance between political and operational imperatives

Learning from and contributing to what we know is happening elsewhere must be a key element of the new climate.

Sustainability implies renewable resources, restrained consumption, efficiency of production and a long-term view of planning and strategising.

For public administration these principles are paralleled in: • a rejection of process overload • a focus on aspirational planning and strategising including inspirational and creative approaches to policy information • adopting a philosophy of optimism and positive force

Experiences from countries of a common Westminster tradition to Australia’s, as well as those of different traditions should be examined for possible adaptations that add value to public administration in the new era.

Interested in sponsoring or exhibiting at the conference?

Call (07) 3228 2800 for further information