View summarised presentations of CPD’s public service research here.
Big Society and Australia: How the UK Government is dismantling the state and what it means for Australia
This report presents a comprehensive analysis of the UK’s ‘Big Society’ policies and programs and examines their potential impact if adopted and implemented in Australia. It seeks to contribute to an informed debate about the merits of ‘small government’ ideologies and policies that often receive less than critical media and political commentary.
The State of the Australian Public Service: An Alternative Report
Public services are an integral part of our lives. From cradle to grave, Australians receive the benefit of services that are directed, managed and delivered by government employees. The most visible of these public servants are those engaged in direct or ‘frontline’ service delivery: the health professionals and teachers in the public health and education systems, police, armed forces and defence personnel, public transport workers and immigration and customs officers. Less visible, perhaps, are the many public servants who develop and implement the wide range of government policies and programs that address climate change and protect our environment and natural resources, manage Australia’s finances, uphold human rights and enforce our laws.
CPD published our ‘State of the Service’ report to provide an overview of the Australian Public Service, including an appraisal of its capability and an analysis of attitudes toward the APS agencies and services. Without detracting from the merits of the Government’s ‘State of the Service’ reports collated annually by the Australian Public Service Commission (APSC), CPD’s report provides an alternative perspective. The report considers the public sector, government administration, public service organisations, including the agencies and departments that constitute the APS, public servants and the services and other functions they deliver.
Staying Ahead of the Game: The world’s best public service?
In May 2011, the Australian Government concluded a major review of the Australian Public Service. Ahead of the Game, the review’s final report, contained 28 actions to help create ‘the World’s best public service’. One year on, what has changed? CPD intern Rob Harding-Smith has analysed over half of the 182 submissions made to the Moran Review, examining the relationship between concerns and issues raised by public service stakeholders and the 28 recommended actions.
