The powerful secretaries board has this month received an update on the progress of the independent inquiry, supported by PM&C, into the Australian government’s pandemic response.
Inquiry chair and former secretary for NSW Health Robyn Kruk briefed the group of top public servants, canvassing the emerging themes of the review and progress of stakeholder engagement.
Kruk is leading the crisis response inquiry, which was set up in September 2023, alongside health economist Dr Angela Jackson and public health expert Professor Catherine Bennett.
The trio has been tasked with making recommendations to improve future pandemic response measures, and is due to deliver a final report in five months.
The inquiry will consider COVID’s whole-of-government impact, across portfolios and the community, as well as lessons learnt from other countries.
The COVID inquiry’s terms of reference do not include actions taken unilaterally by state and territory governments or international programs and activities assisting foreign countries.
The inquiry has received 2,000 submissions, including 294 from organisations and 1,816 from individuals.
The April 10 secretaries board meeting also heard from DFAT boss Jan Adams and Defence CFO Steven Groves, who delivered a geostrategic update.
An economic and budget update was provided by Finance secretary Jenny Wilkinson and Treasury’s Dr Steven Kennedy.
A communique from the meeting noted that progress reports from the digital and data committee, as well as the future of work sub-committee, were received.
“The future of work sub-committee’s progress report [captured] achievements since its last update in October 2023, including the release of the APS employee value proposition, the strategic commissioning framework, achievements of the AI in Government Taskforce, and delivery of four capability reviews,” the communique said.
The secretaries also considered the board’s own governance review, recently undertaken by Rosemary Huxtable PSM, and agreed on an approach to implement her recommendations.
The review made eight recommendations to build on the strengths of the secretaries board, including a suggestion to keep First Nations priorities front and centre this year, and that APS leadership remains committed to APS reform.
The secretaries board was updated on the government’s recent response to events in central Australia by National Indigenous Australians Agency CEO Jody Broun.
This was followed by a briefing about ANU’s First Nations Portfolio and its work on an economic empowerment framework.
“The board welcomed Professor Peter Yu … who recommended areas to improve economic development and economic self-determination for First Nations people,” the meeting communique read.
The secretaries are due to convene again next week.
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