Thought Leadership

Watch the Highlights Reel on YouTube Americans are about to vote, so what does this mean for the world? The Mandarin’s Managing Editor Chris Johnson, and Play By The Rules author Michael Pembroke discussed the state of US leadership, COVID-19 and the rise of China. Play By The Rules This…

Recently, the ADC Forum and Australian National University’s Public Policy and Societal Impact Hub came together to host a roundtable of business, government and academic experts as part of a broader series on Australia’s future. Sean Innis and Matthew Faubel  explain what was learned. The global COVID-19 pandemic has been…

Provide decision makers with the right data at the right time, says Julian Hebden. The world is swimming in data, and each passing year only adds to the deluge. Julian Hebden All this data can facilitate decision-making — but can create its own problems if not managed carefully. “We’re really…

Change is a constant in public sector work, so ensure you understand how it affects your field, be upfront about risk, and don’t ignore the small opportunities. The world is changing, and public servants need to ensure they have the skills to adapt. Greg Wilson But that’s nothing new, says…

Malcolm Turnbull has bemoaned it. Our own Bernard Keane has criticised it. The Thodey Review has raised concerns about it. The ‘cult of the consultant’ has a grip on the public sector – like never before. We have asked members of The Select Committee – The Mandarin Brains Trust exactly…

World War II and 9/11 led to permanent social shifts. The coronavirus will too, says the man who led Victoria through Black Saturday. John Brumby During John Brumby’s time as premier of Victoria, he dealt with several major crises: when the state nearly ran out of water in the millennium…

It’s not enough to keep having “the same old conversations”, argues new Victorian EPA Chair Kate Auty. For her, that has meant talking to sports fans about climate change, convincing local communities about Aboriginal sentencing courts, and boosting the readership of environmental reports. Kate Auty’s career has been incredibly varied.…

Is achieving perfection in public policy a mere pipe dream? And is being perfect everything we think and hope it is anyway? Could perfection undermine what is actually good when it comes to forming public policy? All very deep and philosophical indeed. So, we put the whole topic before members…

NSW has been on a customer service journey over the past few years. Department of Customer Service Deputy Secretary William Murphy on how the state government is improving services for citizens. William Murphy “The Department of Customer Service here is, as far as I know, the first department of its…

Regulators need to be independent, but what does this mean in practice? Peter Shergold and Graeme Samuel recently offered their thoughts to the ANZSOG regulators’ community of practice. The ideal regulator must crack down on bad actors, but also allow business to flourish. They need to closely understand regulated industries…

Maria Katsonis Public engagement is a great way to access expertise held by the community, but is often frustrating for participants — especially those from diverse communities. Consider whether you’re really empowering people, says Maria Katsonis. If you go to Google and search for public participation, “you’re going to see…

In this final instalment of his three-part series (here are parts one and two), Nicholas Gruen discusses new thinking around understanding how, and not just what, needs to done. New ways of institutionalising know-how Given governments’ evident failure in rising to the challenges of the third way, it’s not surprising…

In this second instalment of his three-part series (Part One is here), economist and forward thinker Nicholas Gruen explains more of why it is so important to understand the ‘how’ of getting things done. From the commanding heights to everyday routines The big public sector careers are built in the…

Government leaders understanding what they need to do when faced with impending issues is one thing. But here, in the first of a three-part series, Nicholas Gruen gets into the nitty-gritty of coming to terms with the ‘how’ of what needs to be done.  It is impossible to remember, until…

Which management type are you: the robot? The superhuman? Consultant Mark LeBusque on the importance of really knowing your colleagues — and yourself. Mark LeBusque When Mark LeBusque was younger, he was a bad manager. “I call him Bad Mark,” he laughs. “Bad Mark had a title in mind, and…