Work with Purpose: A podcast about the Australian Public Sector

The devastating 1926 Australian east coast bushfires were a critical point in history that highlighted the imperative for governments to collaborate across jurisdictions. At that time, Victoria and New South Wales worked together to establish insurance populations of species to ensure their ongoing survival. In this special re-run episode, we revisit the conversation we brought to our listeners in...

The vast majority of public servants behave respectfully and civilly to their colleagues, but employee surveys of public servants across the country repeatedly show that bullying and harassment are still significant issues. There is strong evidence that it weakens institutions, undermines productivity and innovation, and poisons workplace culture. In this special re-run episode, we revisit an impo...

Change is now the new normal, whether it is in response to an external shock, or internally generated to capitalise on an emerging strategic opportunity. With change, comes a need for workforce transformation. In this special re-run episode, we revisit the conversation we brought to our listeners in August 2022. The conversation explores the topic of workforce transformation and the skills that le...

The public service offers opportunity to contribute to positive outcomes for Australian communities and to pursue rewarding careers. It also comes with challenges, obstacles, ethical dilemmas, and racism for some of our First Nations public servants. In this special re-run of one of our most popular episodes of 2022, we revisit the conversation we brought to our listeners in NAIDOC Week. The conve...

In this special re-run of one of our most popular episodes of 2022, we feature the late Brendan Sargeant , who was the Professor of Practice in Defence and Strategic Studies and Head of the Strategic and Defence Studies Centre at the Australian National University (ANU), former Associate Secretary of Defence, and long-time supporter and Deputy President of IPAA ACT. Professor Sargeant sadly passed...

There has been a significant decline internationally in trust in democracies. Winning back people’s trust is a key challenge facing the Australian Government and its institutions. In the APS Reform agenda, the Australian Government aims to restore the trust of its people through four key priorities. In this episode, we listen to the Minister for the Public Service, Senator the Hon. Katy Gallagher...

A well-functioning public service relies on good leaders with the right skills and attributes. The recently published Charter of Leadership Behaviours outlines the types of positive behaviours that APS leaders should exhibit. So, what does great APS leadership look like? How can we nurture it and how does it help us deliver great outcomes?   In this episode, Professor Glyn Davis AC , Secretar...

Being an Executive Assistant can be a challenging role which requires thorough understanding of leadership. However, every EA experiences success through different leadership styles. So, what are some experiences, expertise, and lessons that EAs can learn over their careers?   In this episode, we are joined by Stephanie Ebert , EA to the CEO at Services Australia, Michelle Oliver , EA to Davi...

The digital revolution has offered new ways to obtain data, without the need of putting a new survey in the field. New data sources have now become available, including job and wage data and household consumption. With the passing of the Data Availability and Transparency Act 2022 in March, we can anticipate an increased use of data to help deliver services, inform policies, and support research i...

The pandemic has significantly changed the public and private sector workforce, with a rapid shift towards flexible and dispersed work. We now face challenges such as changing expectations of government and the community, talent shortages and the evolving employee value proposition. In this new normal, organisations have had to reposition their infrastructure and rethink the role of leadership and...

Change has become the new normal, whether it is in response to an external shock, or internally generated to capitalise on an emerging strategic opportunity. With change, comes a need for workforce transformation. Given the risks and opportunities that leaders face today, what skills do leaders need in order to successfully lead workforce transformation? In this episode, we are joined by Adam Canw...

Working in the public service means to serve for the country and the future of its people. The public service is a critical function of Australia’s democracy; however, it is a complex and challenging environment. With the last couple of years of the pandemic, the Australian public service has shifted rapidly from a competitive environment to a more collaborative one between Departments. In this ep...

The new federal government has made the performance of the Australian Public Service a priority. A key part of this is the capacity of public servants to acquire and manage data and to effectively identify and adopt new digital technology. To deliver on those improvements, it is integral for those in digital and data to work together. This has been evident over the last couple of years, to deliver...

If you speak to almost anyone in Australia, they have probably heard of Questacon. Whether it’s on your year six excursion to Canberra or during the school holidays, it is a fun vibrant place where kids can learn about all things science and technology. However, a lesser known fact about the well-known tourist attraction is that it’s wide range of staff are all members of the APS. From working at...

The public service offers opportunity to contribute to positive outcomes for Australian communities and to pursue rewarding careers. It also comes with challenges, obstacles, ethical dilemmas, and racism for some of our First Nations public servants. Our conversation for this episode is an important one, with our guests exploring the push and pull factors for First Nations people in the Australian...

Australia, like all countries, has experienced rapid change over the last few years which has altered people's expectations of government and the way they access government services. A new government at the federal level also means change – a need to adapt to new priorities, connect with stakeholders and build new relationships. In this latest episode, we’re joined by Australian Public Service (AP...

Meetings can consume a large part of our working day, so we expect them to be productive and meaningful. While many of us ‘endure’ hours of seemingly wasteful meeting time, we need to remember that meetings are essentially a platform for unlocking the potential of people working collectively. They are a place where organisational culture forms and takes hold.   In this week’s episode, we’re j...

We are currently experiencing a reset of the strategic order and rules that have governed our region for more than 70 years. China is challenging American dominance. We’re seeing the rise of other powers such as India and Indonesia, and a more assertive Japan. This, compounded with climate change, stress on the natural systems and food sources, has created a strategic environment that Australia ha...

The devastating 1926 Australian east coast bushfires were a critical point in history that highlighted the imperative for governments to collaborate across jurisdictions. At that time, Victoria and New South Wales worked together to establish insurance populations of species to ensure their ongoing survival. Over 100 years on, and with a whole new spectrum of environmental issues at the fore, all...

Before the pandemic, the APSC reported that 22% of APS employees were working from home or utilising flexible working arrangements. As we all know, when COVID-19 hit the nation, this number grew substantially to 56%. In 2022 Australians are slowly learning how to work in the context of the pandemic. This means that for many flexible working arrangements are becoming the norm, including those in th...

COVID-19 has accelerated the uptake of digital technology and brought about a greater awareness of wellbeing and productivity, particularly in times of crisis. It has forced a new way of working for teams, organisations and individuals. So, what are the lessons that we've learned from the past couple of years and what do we need to do to ensure that we can create and sustain high performing organi...

The vast majority of public servants behave respectfully and civilly to their colleagues, but employee surveys of public servants across the country repeatedly show that bullying and harassment is still a significant issue. There is strong evidence that it weakens institutions, undermines productivity and innovation and poisons workplace culture. So, what does workplace bullying and harassment loo...

One in three Australian women have experienced physical violence. One in four Australian women have experienced violence by an intimate partner. One in five Australian women have experienced sexual violence. These statistics merely touch the sides of a very serious and significant problem. The Government is now in the consultation stage for the 2022-2032 National Action Plan to Reduce Violence Aga...

The number of women in the field of economics in Australia is unproportionally low. How can we address this issue and encourage more women to work in the field of economics? And what are the consequences if we don’t? In this week’s episode we are joined by Cherelle Murphy, Chief Economist at Austrade, and Dr Leonora Risse, Senior Lecturer in Economics at RMIT University and National Chair of the W...

Happy Holidays! It’s been a big year for the APS and we hope you all have a restful and well deserved break. Here at WWP we are also taking a much needed break. We will be back in your ears shortly, but in the meantime here is one of our favourites from the year, an insightful conversation on indigenous communications with Letitia Hope, Ray Griggs and Justine O’Brien. Happy listening and enjoy the...