In these pieces CPD thinkers provide rapid-fire responses to the debates of the day, with an eye to the bigger picture and the decades to come. Subscribe to get Thinking Points by email or grab our rss feed. Thinking Points is released under a Creative Commons license: all Thinking Point articles may be reproduced without permission as long as both the author and CPD are attributed, with a link to the original article on the CPD website. You are also welcome to syndicate our rss feed on your own website. If you republish a Thinking Point article in print we would appreciate receiving a copy at PO Box K3, Haymarket, NSW 1240.

PUBLIC SERVICE IN THE NEWS | John Seddon on ‘deliverology’ in the public service

Deliverology destroys services > In this video Professor John Seddon addresses the California Faculty Association on the dangers posed by Sir Michael Barber’s (former head of Toby Blair’s Delivery Unit – and dubbed ‘Mr Targets’ by the UK press) ‘Deliverology’. John Seddon provides compelling evidence that Deliverology not only failed in the UK, but actually made services worse and  increased costs. CPD will host a seminar with John in Sydney, August 31st.   Find more … more

Public service in the news | 19/7/11

Green public sector on the rise > A green brigade of bureaucrats assigned to environmental programs around the country has grown by 20 per cent since Labor won power four years ago. And the commonwealth public service has breached some of its own energy-saving targets, with the Canberra headquarters consuming 25 per cent more electricity than a decade ago… Abbott’s direct action plan on carbon is friendless > The public servants would need to have … more

PUBLIC SERVICE IN THE NEWS | U.K. responses to ‘Big society’

This week’s news summary tracks UK public service reforms.  ‘Big Society’ is stirring folks up! David Cameron to unveil blueprint for public services > At a speech in London, the PM will vow to end the “take-what-you’re given” culture, and deliver “more freedom, more choice and more local control”. He wants to allow companies, charities and community groups to bid to run everything from local health services to schools, libraries and parks… Clegg keeps distance … more

 

Ian Dunlop | Managing Catastrophic Risk

Australia prides itself, rightly, on its ability to respond to crises.  During the Victorian bushfires, Queensland floods and Cyclone Yasi, which were almost certainly intensified by climate change, Australia’s disaster recovery systems acquitted themselves well.  The excellent leadership shown by Premier Anna Bligh and others was widely commended, all of which is highly creditable. But it begs the question: “why are we not expending far more effort on preventative policies to avoid or minimize the … more

Ian Dunlop | Changing the “Official Future”

As the complexity of the issues facing business and government mounts, scenario planning has become an increasingly popular technique.  It is rare to find a policy or economic report these days which does not claim to incorporate some form of scenario analysis.  The technique, properly used, is powerful, but sadly the term has become somewhat devalued and much of the work that purports to be scenario analysis represents little more than sensitivities around some conventional … more

‘Public servants are an easy target’: Upcoming CPD report

Earlier this year, Senator Kim Carr observed that, “The pleasure taken in bureaucrat bashing has reached new extremes.” CPD’s research confirms the Senator’s view. Our analysis of the Parliamentary record, in particular, reveals a highly polarised debate without consistent left-right positions. This pattern is reflected in media commentary, where public servants are sometimes depicted as “wasters”, “pen pushers” and “freeloaders”. Surveys of citizens’ views reveal more positive views. In fact, Australians generally support increased funding … more

 

Public services in the news 04/07/2011

Liberals support removal of public service tenure > The South Australian Opposition says it will support government moves to remove permanency from the public service so redeployed public servants who can’t find another job in the public sector within 12 months will be sacked. The Government plans to cut 4100 public sector jobs over four years… Courage needed to protect whistleblowers > In 2007, the ALP made strong commitments to greater transparency in government, including … more

John Menadue | Navigating the Refugee Fact Free Zone

John Menadue, a CPD Director and formerly Secretary of the Department of Immigration in the Fraser Government (1980 – 1983), offers a roadmap for those seeking the facts amidst the the heated debate about refugees and asylum seekers in Australia. He wades through the misinformation, lies and unfounded opinions to get to what we need to know to start a useful conversation. Read on if you’d like to join in. The “race to the bottom” in … more