EDITION 43 JUL-SEP 15 FINAL EDITION PRODUCTIVITY Thinking Beyond Today The world is changing faster than ever. To keep up, government and all Australians must be thinking for tomorrow. At KPMG, we have a track record of working with government, business and the community to tackle challenging problems. This makes us the natural choice when government needs insight and analysis to think differently about public service delivery. Together, we’re exploring new opportunities and helping to create solutions that work for the nation today – and tomorrow. Join the conversation. Government: thinking beyond today © 2015 KPMG, an Australian partnership. All rights reserved. CONTENTS Public Administration Today is COVER: BUSY Dedication, focus and teamwork – ants are inspirationally productive http://visual.ly/7-productivity-lessons-ants published by IPAA ACT Division ©iStockphoto.com @auimeesri 06 08 44 FINAL EDITION EDITOR Ron Dent EDITORIAL, PRODUCTION AND ADVERTISING MANAGER Sally Woolford DESIGN EnvyUs Design, Suzanne Green EDITORIAL & PRODUCTION MANAGEMENT Faceworks Marketing Solutions PRINTER Finsbury Green This edition saved 1250kgs of greenhouse (CO2) emissions compared to a non-green printer PUBLISHER (COPYRIGHT) Copyright for published articles (including digital) resides with Public Administration Today and its publisher, IPAA ACT EDITOR’S NOTES PRODUCTIVITY IN Division, CEO Drew Baker. After publication, 03 FROM THE EDGE 28 PUBLIC SERVICE authors may reproduce their articles in other Goodbye and good luck Ed Bernacki says productivity forms with appropriate acknowledgement. and innovation are ‘personal’ STATE EDITORIAL CONSULTANTS 04 PRESIDENT’S COLUMN ACT & COMMONWEALTH Public service productivity WANT INNOVATION IN Amanda Anderson, 32 GOVERNMENT? [email protected] 06 PRODUCTIVITY’S Then keep your CEOs longer, NATIONAL Jo Rose, [email protected] ‘PRODUCT’ CRISIS says David Waterford NSW Megan Scardilli Doug McTaggart on productivity and Thinking [email protected] better understanding consumers MIDDLE MANAGEMENT Kieran McCann, [email protected] 35 CAN HELP NT Kevin Thomas, [email protected] ‘PRODUCTIVITY PARADOX’ It has a role to play, 08 Janine O’Flynn on QLD Christine Flynn, [email protected] says Peter Keogh Beyond Ray Lane, [email protected] performance measures FED UP? OR NOT? SA Tony Lawson, [email protected] AUTHENTIC PRODUCTIVITY 38 Today Renae Haese, [email protected] 10 Sydney hosts IPAA’s Renu Agarwal, Christopher Bajada, 2015 national conference TAS Rebecca Moles, Paul J Brown and Roy Green on why [email protected] Summa McIntyre, [email protected] current productivity approaches fail FUTURE IN FOCUS 44 Geoff Heriot reflects on VIC Robin Astley, [email protected] BEYOND A SINGLE PLANE The world is changing faster than ever. Nick Bastow, [email protected] Tasmania’s screen debut 14 OF PRODUCTIVITY WA Yohan Fernando, [email protected] Productivity is a multi-layered INVESTING IN GROWTH David Gilchrist, [email protected] To keep up, government and all Australians must be phenomenon; say Moira Scerri 48 Chrissie Berryman on The ACT Division of the Institute of Public and Renu Agarwal Tasmania’s workforce thinking for tomorrow. Administration Australia (IPAA) published Public Administration Today, with the support of National development strategy Council. The magazine was primarily a national 18 MOBILE PRODUCTIVITY At KPMG, we have a track record of working with communications medium for all IPAA members. Donna Adams on an innovative 52 DEVELOPING ‘EXPERTS’ It aimed to report IPAA activities, promote and initiative for Tasmania’s police Lynne Curtin on Victoria’s government, business and the community to tackle celebrate achievements in Australian public sector Environment Protection management, disseminate information about major EVIDENCE-BASED LINK Agency’s program challenging problems. This makes us the natural trends and developments, and facilitate discussion 21 Julie Sloan examines productivity and debate. Articles were published on editorial impact of workforce planning URBAN WATER choice when government needs insight and analysis relevance and merit. Views expressed are those 54 of individual authors and do not necessarily reflect Stuart Kells’ case study of to think differently about public service delivery. the views of the Institute or the editorial team. MEASURING REGIONAL public sector change 22 RESILIENCE Today is available on the web – full editions only to Brendan Rynne says that’s challenging REVIEW – AROUND THE NATION Together, we’re exploring new opportunities and IPAA members and subscribers – via a password. 57 Sample pages from each edition are freely available Members’ round up from IPAA helping to create solutions that work for the nation as are covers and contents lists from past issues. NEW CONFERENCE across Australia 25 FOR CANBERRA Visit IPAA ACT at www.act.ipaa.org.au today – and tomorrow. IPAA ACT’s inaugural COMING ATTRACTIONS GOLD SPONSORS IPAA ACT acknowledges 70 the generous assistance of its Gold Sponsors: public sector conference The best IPAA has to offer Centre for Public Management, Hays Recruiting, Join the conversation. KPMG, Telstra and Minter Ellison. 27 CHARITIES, COMPLIANCE ISSN 1832-0066 AND BACKFLIPS David Gilchrist on the ACNC Government: thinking beyond today © 2015 KPMG, an Australian partnership. All rights reserved. PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION 01 REINVENTING THE POSTAL SERVICE FOR THE 21ST CENTURY Australia Post and its Managing Director and CEO, Ahmed Fahour, are revolutionising mail as you know it. They’ve introduced the Digital MailBox to offer Australians online transactions and instant delivery, alongside stamps and physical mail. It’s the future of post. And Telstra’s secure Cloud is the foundation of Australia Post’s vision. For more on this and other Telstra solutions, visit telstra.com/enterprise/auspost NOTES FROM THE EDGE Goodbye and good luck This is the on-line products about government Suzanne and Dave Green from EnvyUs final edition and public administration was considered Design; Robin Coles and the professional of Public to offer alternatives. printers at Finsbury Green; Dion Pitsilos, Administration IPAA ACT’s IT supplier; and – for getting Today. It’s And so, it’s goodbye and good luck. the magazine to your desk on time every somewhat We have greatly enjoyed bringing time – John Morrison and the team at ironic the you what most people have freely Adelaide Business Bureaux. edition is acknowledged is a much improved, very We are also grateful to the contributors themed high quality version of Public Administration who helped provide Today with thoughtful, ‘Productivity’. Your national members’ Today. There are many who deserve user-friendly reading on such a wide magazine is a casualty of the ever-pressing acknowledgment. Topping the list are IPAA variety of public sector topics; and to need to cut costs and strive for new ways those advertisers and sponsors who did ACT division council and sub-committee of doing things. their bit to support the magazine. members and staff, particularly former Today was once universally supported. executive director, Tamara Cutcliffe. For me, it’s occasionally been hard but Recently, IPAA’s most populous divisions always a pleasure, especially to see each end result. I’ve learned much – from opted to discontinue support, making its It’s somewhat ironic continued publication problematic. The contributors and attendance at IPAA magazine’s long-time publisher, IPAA ACT, this edition is themed conferences and events. carefully considered many options before ‘Productivity’. It has been occasionally frustrating but reluctantly deciding it was no longer able ultimately satisfying to present the human to carry the burden of risk. and positive face of the much too often State and territory editorial advisers – current maligned public sector. You are people with From my first edition – Edition 28 in and former – have done a sterling job in the best interests of Australians and the October 2011 – a ‘flipping book’ digital deciding edition themes then following up nation in your thoughts, hearts and actions. replica of Today was made available on with contacts and contributions to each issue You deserve both acknowledgement and line. It has since been enhanced. We also with tremendous energy and enthusiasm. appreciation. Today has tried hard to give you developed a model for a much more that. We can only now wish you more of mobile device friendly version. But even Publishing a magazine is somewhat that ‘good press’. Goodbye and good luck. that solution was considered unsustainable. a labour of love. We could not have Ron Dent Most of the expense in publishing Today managed the chaos without our dedicated Editor occurs before the printer presses the start production team – Sally and Pat Woolford, [email protected] button. And, the plethora of competing from Faceworks Marketing Solutions; @mrrondent PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION 03 NATIONAL PRESIDENT ‘ Important to distinguish between productivity and efficiency’ Terry Moran on public service productivity. sector performance management systems and improving the relationships between ministerial offices and senior public servants. That discussion also needs to bear in mind the importance of core public sector principles, including merit based selection, incorruptibility and impartiality, which are the foundations upon which the public sector is built. Finally,