Work with Purpose: A podcast about the Australian Public Sector

In this episode of Work With Purpose, host David Pembroke sits down with Madelaine Magi-Prowse and Dr. Loren Willis from the Behavioural Economics Team of the Australian Government (BETA), Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, to explore how behavioural science is reshaping policymaking across the Australian Public Service. Take a behind-the-scenes look at BETA’s multid...

On the fifth episode of our APS Reform in Action series, we hear from Laure Yassine and Lisa Jansen from Services Australia, and Carly Harrison from the Australian Public Service Commission, on the development of Services Australia's APS Experience Design Principles – and how you can apply them, even if you're not a design expert. These seven principles – simple, inclusive, tailored, connected, tr...

Our APS Reform in Action series returns with a deep dive into bringing stewardship to life in aged care across Australia’s regions. In response to the Aged Care Royal Commission, the Australian Government invested over $13 million to tackle local challenges and service gaps in aged care through a local network of Department of Health, Disability and Ageing staff. Today, the network has an office i...

On today’s episode of Work with Purpose, Danielle Wood, Chair of the Productivity Commission, reflects on how the Commission’s role has evolved—from her early days as a graduate to leading its national reform agenda. As Australia faces slower growth and rising complexity, how can public policy adapt to deliver long-term productivity and social progress? Danielle joins host David Pembroke, CEO of c...

On this episode of Work with Purpose, Sean Innis, author of ‘Of(f) Course Minister’ , talks about the principle of responsible government – how it has evolved, drifted and, at times, been corrupted. As the dust settles from the 2025 Australian Federal Election, we take a deep dive into the ins and outs of the relationships between public servants, ministers, and parliament. These relationships may...

On this episode, Michelle Steele from the Paul Ramsay Foundation talks us through community engagement from a philanthropic and public sector perspective, highlighting the value of listening instead of coming with solutions. When governments engage with communities, it’s usually about a specific program or policy – but what if the first goal was to genuinely listen to the community’s broader needs...

On today’s episode of Work with Purpose, Andrew Walter from the Department of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet and Professor Anne Tiernan from the McKinnon Institute for Political Leadership unpack the caretaker conventions. The Australian federal election campaign is well underway – this means the Australian Public Service is now in caretaker mode. But what does this mean for the...

On this episode of Work with Purpose, we hear from Ray Griggs AO CSC about what working in the navy has taught him about taking and giving feedback, and why difficult conversations are part and parcel of becoming a better leader. Ray Griggs AO CSC looks back at a long and distinguished career in the public sector – from Australia’s Defence Force to most recently the Department of Social Services....

Trigger warning: themes of mental health/sexual assault Robin Edmonds from the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communication and the Arts and Joey Ballantyne of Grit n Grace Collective talk about neurodiversity, developing a strong sense of self, and supporting people to learn and work in a way that helps them thrive. When Joey Ballantyne , founder of Grit n Grace Co...

On our second episode of our APS Reform in Action series, we hear from Lisa Bush and Maree Wilson from Geoscience Australia about the power of geospatial data for better decision-making in the public sector. If you want to make better decisions, you need to have quality, trusted data. Unfortunately, critical data can often sit in siloes or be scattered across spreadsheets. Geoscience Australia’s D...

Returning for part 2 of our new ‘APS Reform in Action’ series, Dr Rachel Bacon and Professor Janine O’Flynn discuss how Australia is learning from other countries’ public service best practice – and vice versa. Wanting to do things better doesn’t always mean you have to re-invent the wheel. In this episode, Dr Rachel Bacon from the Australian Public Service Commission and Professor Janine O’Flynn...

Launching our new ‘APS Reform in Action’ series, we hear from Dr Rachel Bacon and Professor Janine O’Flynn about enduring APS Reform and why public trust shouldn’t be taken for granted. The APS Reform Agenda has been a major project for the Australian Public Service over the past years – so, where is it at and where will it go in the future? Dr Rachel Bacon , deputy commissioner, Integrity, Reform...

On the first episode of Work with Purpose of the year, Dr Claire Yorke lifts the lid on empathy and why it matters for policy and programs. Critics might say that empathy is a ‘soft skill’, yet it is absolutely critical to understanding people’s experiences and circumstances – and how they feel about them. It is also a key tool for better policy, programs, strategies, and leadership. Dr Claire Yor...

In our last re-run for this season, Matt Yannopoulos PSM, Associate Secretary of the Department of Defence, maps out a unified approach for the public service to defend Australia’s interests. In a world with increasing geopolitical tension, collaboration across the public service remains key to protecting Australia’s security and prosperity. On this episode, David Pembroke , CEO of contentgroup si...

Trigger warning: themes of mental and physical abuse Amaly Khalaf and Dr Steven Munns from the Australian Public Service Commission explore psychological safety in public sector workplaces – from the desk to the frontlines – on our third best-of episode of Work with Purpose 2024. Creating workplaces which are both mentally and physically safe is a mission close to Amaly Khalaf’s and Dr Steven Munn...

Today, we listen back to a 2024 Work with Purpose episode with Secretary of the Department of Health and Aged Care Blair Comley PSM. Blair tells the story of his public service career and highlights how devolving leadership in the public sector can reduce risk, increase work quality and staff satisfaction. Blair Comley PSM looks back at an outstanding career across the public and private sectors,...

In this re-run of our most popular Work with Purpose episode of 2024, Dr Nina Terrey, Bec Bodel and Professor Brenton Prosser help you learn the ropes of human-centred design. In today’s complex world, how can the public sector effectively ensure that its policies and programs are centred on the needs of the people they serve? This episode explores human-centered design as one piece to solving thi...

Join us in unpacking the best conversations of Work with Purpose in 2024 – from tips for human-centred design to understanding how the public sector can join hands in defence of Australia. As the year comes to a close, we listen back to some of our fantastic 2024 Work with Purpose guests, reflecting on the sector’s most pressing challenges, innovative ideas, and inspiring stories. Presented by Dav...

TW: mental health and suicide On our first ever Work with Purpose live episode, we shine a light on men’s mental health – from the numbers to the stories behind them – with Matthew Short from the Department of Health, Matthew Breen from Running for Resilience, and Lachlan Vivian-Taylor from Comcare. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, about 42 per cent of men will experience a mental...

Today, Dr Antonio Di Dio from the Professional Services Review talks about how to identify burnout and support yourself and your team members when they struggle with mental health challenges. The end of the year is inching closer, but for many working in the public sector, the next time-hungry project is just around the corner, increasing pressure on their mental health and wellbeing. In 2023, 1 i...

Sam Jeffries from the Australian Public Service Commission, Julie Hansen from the Department of Defence, and Stella Renagi from the Australian Taxation Office join us on this episode to discuss the Collaboration Circle, a new model centering First Nations experiences in the APS. Effective engagement with First Nations peoples to ensure better recruitment, retention and advancement is a priority un...

On this episode, Colonel Jennifer Harris from the Australian Army gives us a masterclass in managing change in complex organisations, based on her experience with the Army’s Digital Twin. Change can be difficult – as individuals, we prefer stability and predictability. Particularly when working in large organisations, it can be both an opportunity and a great challenge to align everyone to achieve...

Jim Betts, Secretary of the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts, talks about shaping his role as APS CALD Champion and why he wants leaders to take action to achieve equality. Our recent episode on CALD representation in the senior executive left many of us and our listeners humbled. Australia’s public service is diverse, yet there is still so...

Adam Fennessy PSM, Secretary of the Department of Agriculture, shares tips for having difficult conversations and an insight into the department’s recent Growing Australia Together strategy on this episode of Work with Purpose. Where is the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry headed under its recent Growing Australia Together strategy? And what are Secretary Adam Fennessy’s prioritie...

On this episode, Dr Suzanne Akila, Jo Talbot, and Radi Kovacevic talk us through CALD representation in the public service, and what it will take for more culturally and linguistically diverse employees to succeed in the senior executive. Australia is a truly multicultural nation, with over 21 percent of the country's population born overseas. As this demographic has grown over the years, so has t...