This report outlines how government organisations can strike a balance between wellbeing for government workers and productivity for economic benefit.

During the 2022 federal election campaign, the Labor Party included improving the Australian Public Service (APS) within its raft of policy commitments. This article examines the key issues likely to influence plans for reform, taken from the ALP’s policy positions, inquiries initiated by the previous...

Looking at 21 global approaches to wellbeing over the past 50 years, this report identifies four key characteristics of advanced wellbeing approaches to guide an Australia’s wellbeing journey.

The Australian Public Service (APS) exists to serve the people of Australia - through the government of the day. Therefore, it is imperative the APS is structured, skilled and resourced to meet the demands, challenges and opportunities that Australia will face in the decades ahead...

Ministers make appointments to powerful roles across the public sector. These can be controversial, so ensuring a high calibre of appointees is important. This report responds to concerns about the appointments process – and standards in public life generally – by proposing reforms to restore...

Public servants and the general public should be able to have confidence that public service appointments are made based on merit. This report seeks to address specific problems arising in two recent recruitment processes, as well as making recommendations for system-wide change to bolster the...

The Australian Public Service (APS) remuneration report 2021 presents a summary of remuneration paid to APS employees under the Public Service Act 1999 as at 31 December 2021. The report provides APS agencies with data that informs their remuneration practices.

This report recognises the UK civil service’s vital role, but warns that it has been weakened by high-profile policy and operational failures, like the Kabul evacuation and pandemic contingency plans, and damaged by the Downing Street 'partygate' fallout.

This guest paper reveals patterns in ministerial leadership styles that have profound impacts on the relationship between ministers and civil servants. The paper identifies two distinct styles of ministerial management and leadership of civil servants – and finds evidence that male and female ministers adopt...

This review aspires to influence a cultural shift, which encourages openness from the top, starting with Cabinet processes and a resulting shared focus on identifying and dealing with the challenges Queensland faces.

The Government Office for Science (UK), in collaboration with the Policy Profession, Royal Academy of Engineering and the Systems Thinking Interest Group, has produced this suite of documents to promote and embed systems thinking across the civil service.

This inquiry reports finds that Victorian integrity agencies have generally performed well in achieving educative outcomes through their inquiries, investigations and reports. They have also engaged conscientiously with the public sector and the public, through public information campaigns and often high‑quality education and prevention. resources...

This report looks at the increasing use of WhatsApp and other messaging apps in government, and their associated risks and benefits. These apps are useful but need to be used carefully to ensure the downsides – including a lack of transparency, poor communication and poor...

Successive governments have struggled to tackle many of the biggest policy problems the country faces. This report examines the causes of persistent failures and sets out recommendations as to how government – both ministers and officials – could change to make policy better.

The civil service is central to government in the United Kingdom. But it lacks a clear identity, defined responsibilities and a system of oversight and accountability. This report proposes a new statutory role for the civil service to reflect its permanence, values and objectives, and...

This study demonstrates that while managers are becoming increasingly supportive of flexible working arrangements, managers and employees have different perceptions of employee productivity when work is done remotely.

This report recommends that the Australian government prepare a comprehensive capability assessment for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), followed by a financial plan to match current capability needs.

The annual Report on Government Services (RoGS) provides information on the equity, effectiveness and efficiency of government services in Australia.

This is a snapshot of the first Next25 Recoded report that explores and synthesises 50 deeply reflective, one-on-one interviews with established and emerging leaders from a diverse cross-section of the future-making system.

This strategy is the culmination of a partnership between the Australian Public Service Commission and the federal Office for Women, in conjunction with extensive consultation across the APS, academia and the private sector.