Work with Purpose: A podcast about the Australian Public Sector

In the closing days of March this year, both the threat and impact of coronavirus had become all-too real. The disease was spreading fast, Australians were ordered home until further notice and a degree of confusion and mild panic took over. In response, the Australian Government formed the National COVID-19 Coordination Commission (NCCC) giving it a very clear remit to minimise the impact of COVID-19 on people, communities’ and business. On this week’s edition of Work with Purpose, we speak with Jane Halton AO PSM, one of the four NCCC Executive Board of Commissioners hand-picked by the Government for their expertise in government, the private and not-for-profit sectors. Jane Halton is an Australian Public service legend. During her 33 year career in the APS, she served as a secretary of the Departments of Finance and Health (and Ageing) for 15 of those years; She has gone on to Chair the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation’s Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations as well as significant roles in Global Health Governance including as Chair of the board of the WHO. She is also a board member of the ANZ Bank. Her experience, networks and knowledge mean Jane is uniquely positioned to advise the government on how best to not only manage the health crisis but to restore livelihoods as quickly as possible. Discussed in this episode:-         Funding and creating the COVAX Facility -         The planned distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine-         Recognising the significance of the pandemic as it unfolded across the globe -         What the COVID-19 commission has achieved over the past 4 months-         Working with industry to streamline delivery during the pandemic-         Maintaining personal resilience. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A shiny new leadership role in the Australian Public Serve and then … the implementation of 50 plus policy decisions by National Cabinet, 3 million phone calls in one day, the number of claims normally processed in years were being processed in days, the onboarding thousands of new staff, and the prospect of helping one million Australians who were about to lose their jobs.This is what faced Rebecca Skinner when she took over the leadership of Services Australia, the agency responsible for delivering government payments and services.Now while Rebecca maybe one of Australia’s most experienced public servants having held senior positions in Defence, Prime Minister and Cabinet and Attorney General’s, what she faced was unprecedented.In this week’s Work with Purpose, Rebecca Skinner shares with David Pembroke her memories of the earliest days of the Covid 19 crisis and how she prepared her team to not just cope but thrive. She reflects on the importance of sharing the load, taking it one day at a time and always remembering that no matter how bad things looked, the sun would always rise the next morning.Discussed in this episode:Managing the pressureMoving services onlineHaving one point of authoritative communicationHow to sustain the momentumHow DSS support their staff’s wellbeingCOVID-19 allowing the APS and Services Australia to demonstrate its mobility Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Australia's first peoples are among Australia's most vulnerable communities.The virality of Covid 19 posted a particularly serious threat.In this episode we speak with the leaders of the National Indigenous Australians Agency to explore the decisions, partnerships and networks that were deployed to keep the people in and the virus out of our most remote communities.Ray Griggs was appointed the inaugural Chief Executive Officer of the National Indigenous Australians Agency when it was stood up as an Executive Agency on 1 July last year having earlier serviced as Associate Secretary in the Indigenous Affairs group in the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet.His entire career has been dedicated to the best interests of the Australian people, a commitment that continues today. Letitia Hope is the Deputy Chief Executive Officer at the NIAA and a proud Bundjalung Torres Strait Islander and South Pacific Islander women.The Bundjalung people are from the Northern Rivers of N.S.W.As Deputy CEO, Letitia is responsible for making stuff happen and ensuring that the NIAA is a trusted and reliable partner contributing positively to the lives of all Indigenous Australians.For the past 26 years, Letitia has served in a range of positions across both Commonwealth and State governments in both mainstream and specialised social policy development, service delivery and more recently in health.Discussed in this episode:The unique value proposition Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people bring to the APSCreating the space to have conversations about values and behavioursKeeping COVID-19 out of remote Aboriginal communitiesThe importance of food securityReinforcing the value of NIAA’s regional teamsHow to get involved in the reconciliation journey Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As we begin Innovation month in the Australian Public Service (July), we celebrate the creativity of public servants across the country during a time of great challenge and change.This week’s guests David Fredericks, the Secretary of the Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources and Michelle Bruniges AM, Secretary of the Department of Education, Skills and Employment, reflect on the power of collective work and reaching out to colleagues in an open and transparent way.How have public servants embraced creativity to invent new solutions to the challenges of the crisis?For this episode of Work with Purpose, our guests talk about the importance of keeping an open mind, leading with curiosity and learning to manage risk.They reflect on the innovation that has been displayed within the public service this year and consider the importance of a culture where creativity is celebrated and valued.Discussed in this episode:-         The short, medium- and long-term response to COVID-19.-         Building trust and strength in relationships – the importance of working with colleagues in the public service, and counterparts in the private sector.-         Letting go of state and territory boundaries at speed, to create policy that delivers.-         How COVID-19 has created a new authorizing environment.-         Hanging on the capacity for Public Servants to pivot when needed.-         Creating a permissive environment for creativity. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Integrity is the essence of public service. It captures the aspiration of the APS values (Impartial, committed to service, accountable, respectful and ethical) and sits at the heart of the its mission.In this week’s episode of Work with Purpose, we speak with three APS leaders about the importance of integrity and its impact on citizens. Angelene Falk is the Information Commissioner and Privacy Commissioner and her roles take in several functions across privacy, freedom of information and government information management.Grant Hehir is the Auditor General of Australia, a position which is an independent officer of the Parliament with responsibility for auditing Commonwealth entities and reporting to the Australian Parliament.Michael Manthorpe is the Commonwealth Ombudsman, an independent officer who safeguards the community in its dealings with the Australian Government.In this informative and entertaining discussion our three guests carefully outline their expectations of APS staff during the Covid 19 health pandemic and the importance of collaboration in a crisis.Discussed in this episode:– The importance of integrity and transparency in government– Maintaining trust between the public service and Australian citizens– Privacy and data management in government departments– Listening to citizens and dealing with complaints– Oversight organizations on managing work without impeding action– Making reports accessible– using multimedia tools to bring messages to life Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Doctor Brendan Murphy recounts the heartache of closing Australia’s borders and many businesses. Caroline Edwards tells of the late-night WhatsApp conversations with her family in Spain as the virus tore through that European country up ending their way of life.In this powerful and personal episode of Work with Purpose, you are left reassured that Australia’s “Team Health’, a team of thousands of hard working, intelligent public servants pulled together to get it done when it mattered most.Please enjoy.Discussed in this episode:Dr Murphy’s love for languagesWhen the Chief medical officer first heard of CoronavirusThe COVID-19 protection processesSuspending “normal” department rules and processesPrincipal based decision makingDr Brendan Murphy dealing with newfound famePartnerships between government departments to support AustraliansLeading the reform Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The mission of the hard-working men and women of Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) is to deliver on the Australian government’s first priority which is to keep all Australian’s safe. But how do you do that when the rules change?In this week’s episode of Work with Purpose, David Pembroke sits down with Mike Burgess, Australia’s Director-General of Security and the head of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) to discuss how the work of ASIO has changed during the Covid 19 pandemic.How did ASIO adjust its operating model to stay ahead of the threats.In February, Mike Burgess presented ASIO’s annual threat assessment in which he pointed to a rise in right wing nationalist groups online, the increased activity of extremists recruiting ever younger boys and girls online and the presence of overseas spies in Australia, which is at levels not seen since the cold war.In this interview, we ask if Australian’s are more at risk or safer as a result of Covid 19 and what life is like working for ASIO. Discussed in this episode: -         Are Australians safer because of COVID-19?-         The importance of partnerships -         The increase of cyber-crime during lockdown -         What impact the pandemic has had on protecting Australian security interests -         Ensuring lawful access to personal mobile phones.-         The responsibilities of the global tech platforms -         What it’s like to work at ASIO Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The ‘Work with Purpose – A National Perspective’ podcast explores the way public services across Australia have responded to the COVID-19 pandemic, and examines some of the adaptations to public administration that may occur during the recovery phase.The COVID-19 pandemic has tested the ability of Australian governments to respond effectively in a rapid, coordinated, and collaborative way. In Victoria, the public service moved quickly: an incident management team was formed within the Health Department in late January, and by the first week in March an Emergency State Control Centre had been activated and a pandemic plan released.On March 15, the National Cabinet formed and met, and the following day a state of emergency was declared in Victoria. From that moment the Victorian Public Service has been sprinting — the impact on service delivery was immediate, wholesale, and profound.In this, the first episode of Work with Purpose — A National Perspective, IPAA’s National President Dr Gordon de Brouwer PSM, sits down with the Secretary of the Victorian Department of Premier and Cabinet Chris Eccles AO.Discussed in this episode: how the pandemic emerged and the impact on service delivery how the public service has adapted its engagement through a deep understanding of client experiencehow Victoria developed its data-driven response how new missions have given the public service moral purpose and enabled ‘crash through’ of conventional portfolio structures the benefits and challenges of having 80% of staff working from home the unparalleled level of collaboration between ministerial offices and the public service.Chris has been leading the Premier’s Department in that role since December 2014. Interestingly, before that he held the same role for both the New South Wales government (from 2011 to 2014) and the South Australian government (from 2009 to 2011).Gordon has dedicated his career to the Australian Public Service where he held many senior leadership roles, most recently as Secretary of the Department of Environment and Energy. He also worked for the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, Treasury, the Reserve Bank, and the Australian National University. As well as being IPAA’s National President, Gordon is an Honorary Professor at the Australian National University. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Unity of purpose has been a fundamental characteristic of Australia’s response to the Covid 19 pandemic. While our medical experts have been looking to subdue the virus, our crime fighting experts have been working hard to minimize the impact of criminals in Australia and from overseas.And just as the performance of team Australia’s health experts has been recognised for its effectiveness, so too the efforts to keep our police officers safe and well. In fact, no less than the New York Police Department have been on the phone to the Australian Federal Police (AFP) asking how it was done. In this week’s episode of Work with Purpose, contentgroup Founder and CEO, David Pembroke, sits down with Commissioner of the AFP, Reece Kershaw, and Commissioner of the Australian Border Force, Michael Outram (ABF). Reece began his career in the AFP in the late 80’s serving in the Australian Capital Territory, Western Australia and Victoria. Commissioner Kershaw has worked outside the AFP including time with the National Crime Authority, the Australian Crime Commission, as well as postings to the Hague, East Timor, and the Solomon Islands. He was also commissioner of the Northern Territory Police.Michael Outram is the Commissioner of the ABF, the law enforcement agency responsible for offshore and onshore border control, enforcement, investigations, compliance, and detentions in Australia.Commissioner Outram began his policing career on the streets of London. He served 20 years in the Metropolitan policing service rising to the rank of Detective Chief Inspector working in Anti-Corruption, Anti-Terrorism, and major investigations teams.He came to Australia on secondment to the New South Wales police force.  He liked the weather and stayed. Since then he has worked in numerous high-profile crime fighting roles with both the Australian Crime Commission and the AFP before joining the ABF in 2015. He was sworn in as commissioner in 2018. And just like Reece Kershaw, Michael Outram is known for his integrity. Discussed in this episode: -         The challenges of enforcing values and meeting community expectations -         How Australians have responded to the challenge of the pandemic -         Protecting staff.-         Closing international and regional borders-         Preparing for upcoming pressures in a post COVID-19 environment -         The increase of crime during the pandemic Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A collaborative business model developed during this year’s Bushfire crisis held the Australian Defence Force in shaping its contribution to the COVID-19 pandemic.The central principle is, “How can we help”’.The vast Defence enterprise of skilled people and capability is made available to Federal, State and Territory governments, to meet their most pressing needs. From health professionals to project managers, logisticians to engineers, the ADF has made a significant contribution to Australia’s national effort.In this week’s episode of Work with Purpose, David Pembroke sits down with the Secretary of Defence, Greg Moriarty, and the chief of the Australian Defence Force, General Angus Campbell.Greg Moriarty is a distinguished Australian public servant. Born in Queensland, Greg has held several influential positions in the APS, including ambassador to Iran, ambassador to Indonesia. He was Australia's counter-terrorism coordinator, and he also spent time as chief of staff to the former Australian Prime Minister, Malcolm Turnbull.General Angus Campbell has dedicated his professional career in the service of the Australian people. Aside from a short stint in the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, General Campbell has been an Australian Defence Force lifer since he began at the Royal Military College in Duntroon in 1984. Since then, he has served in several roles, both in Australia and around the world, receiving the Distinguished Service Cross for his leadership of the Australian forces in the Middle East, including in Afghanistan. He was appointed Chief of the Australian Defence Force in 2018.Discussed in this episode:-         The Navy, Army and Air Force uniting to help fire fighters-         How the Bushfire experience has changed the Defence force-         Making the Defence enterprise available to government departments-         Being flexible and using resources in new and innovative ways-         What lesson the Secretary and General Campbell have learned from the pandemic-         Mobilising the Australian Defence Force Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.