EP#4: Citizens first – with Kathryn Campbell AO CSC

A big part of the Australian Public Service’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic has been deciding what to do and what not to do.

The interests of the Australian people have been at the heart of the question.

In our fourth episode of Work with Purpose, David Pembroke sits down in Studio-19 with the secretary of the Department of Social Services and a senior member of the Australian Public Service leadership Kathryn Campbell AO CSC.

Kathryn has served in several roles across the APS before she was appointed Secretary of the Department of Human Services (DHS) by the then Prime Minister Julia Gillard.

In 2017, Kathryn moved across to be secretary of the Department of Social Services (DSS) with responsibility for both social policy and service delivery.

Kathryn is also a Major General in the Australian Army Reserve. In the 2019 Australia Day honours she was appointed an officer in the Order of Australia for her distinguished service to public administration through her senior roles in government departments and in the Australian Army Reserve.

Discussed in this episode:

– The Department of Social Services priorities.

– The challenges of processing a year’s worth of claims in 5 weeks

– The onboarding of thousands of new staff

– How the APS has grounded its work and decisions on what’s best for the Australian people.

– How to sustain a workforce already exhausted by the Bushfire crisis.

– What makes Kathryn proud to be an Australian Public servant

– How the APS accesses community networks to make better decisions.

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