This report looks at the current state of the Australian Public Service (APS) under two broad themes: culture and capability. As leadership is a driver of both culture and capability, leadership and the role of leaders, are explored throughout the report.

The Auditor-General, Grant Hehir, delivered this presentation to the 15th Biennial Australasian Council of Public Accounts Committees (ACPAC) Conference held at Parliament House, Canberra, on 7 November 2019. The presentation was titled Maintaining Trust in the Parliamentary Process — PACs and Officers of the Parliament.

The Australian Public Service (APS) Framework for Engagement and Participation builds on government traditions of building trust through public involvement. It outlines principles, sets a forward-looking vision, and categorises engagement into Share, Consult, Deliberate, and Collaborate. Public servants are urged to view citizens as partners in solving complexity, supported by tools like engagement guides and...

Digital transformation can be risky — but the status quo is riskier. Drawing on insights of CIOs and senior public servants, this report identifies strategies for dealing with the risks of not embracing digital technology for public services, including: legacy systems costs, cyber security, people and culture, and service failure.

Much has been written about systems thinking and its potential application in public administration. However, to date there is no clear consensus about its key concepts or methods, and very little empirical evidence exists to guide system level stewardship practice for those working in government. This paper reviews and synthesises the literature to first provide...