IPAA INKcdn.nsw.ipaa.org.au/docs/IPAA INK/EMAIL IPAA INK 51... · 2017. 5. 18. · IPAA INK – ISSUE 51 2 SUMMER 2012 IPAA INK – ISSUE 51 3 SUMMER 2012 The changing relationship

Preventing public servants from speaking with the media is information control gone mad. Worse, it inhibits the standard of our public debates, writes Annabel Crabb, the ABC’s chief online political writer.

A few months ago on a plane, I found myself sitting across the aisle from a public servant I had never met.

How did I know he was a public servant?

Several clues. First: it was a Canberra-Sydney flight. Second: he was reading a public service report I had been looking for, concerning an obscure government program on which I was hoping to write an article.

Keep in mind, this was a Dash-8 plane – one of the teeny tiny crop-dusters that plies the route between Sydney and the capital. So when I say I was sitting across the aisle from this chap, what I mean is that I was more or less sitting in his lap. I mention this so as partially to excuse the rudeness of my spying on his reading material; it’s a bad habit of mine on planes.

Having somewhat incredulously established the elements of the situation (here I was, less than two feet away from the document I needed, and only one mutually advantageous human interaction away, I thought, from perhaps even reading it), I found myself in something of an ethical bind.

On one hand, to let the opportunity slip away seemed too cruel. I should point out that I meant this man, his department, and his document no harm whatsoever. I intended to write a positive article about the program outlined in the report. I had been assured the report was publicly available, but it was nowhere to be found. Calls to the department had gone unanswered, for reasons I did not understand.

On the other hand, to accost this man would be a bit unsporting. The only link I had to him was the report, whose title I had noticed only by dint of out-and-out spying. The aircraft doors were armed and cross-checked. Tray tables were stowed. He was a prisoner of circumstance, and an unwitting one at that.

Time passed. The Dash-8 shuddered into the troposphere, and we continued to sit side by side: he leafing – teasingly, unbearably – through his report, I in my private agony of indecision.

“Bugger it,” I thought, as the plane levelled; I donned my sunniest smile, leaned over and tapped him on the shoulder.

It turned out fine. After the public servant got over his initial surprise (“Are you the lady from the ABC who’s been calling?”) he gave me cogent, sensible, and uncontroversial answers to all my questions about his program.

By the time we bumped down into Sydney, he had smilingly forgiven my intrusion, and I had supplied him with the assurance that every single word had been off the record, and I would not, in the resultant article, mention that I had spoken with anyone at his department.

The federal public service, it was reported last month, employs some 1,600 media and communications, marketing and public affairs staff, at an annual cost of $150 million.> cont. page 8

Let’s free up the private world of public servants

OpiniOn

IN THIS ISSUE2 President’s INK

New members

3 Craig Thomler on The public sector and the media

Issue 51 Summer 2012 The media and public administration

4 Michelle Schofield on Issues management and the media

6 Awards for Individual Excellence

7 Recognising longstanding members

11 IPAA Regional Conference

12 Public works choir

13 IPAA National Fellows 2012

IPAA INK – ISSUE 51 SUMMER 20121

IPAA INK Connecting people and ideas

SUMMER 20122IPAA INK – ISSUE 51 SUMMER 20123IPAA INK – ISSUE 51

The changing relationship between the public sector and the media

adopting the use of social media for advertising, communication, consultation and customer service purposes. Some were under the control of Communications teams but others were established and operated by service delivery, policy and program areas, areas that needed to engage directly and rapidly with their customers, clients and stakeholders.

This has left Media and Communications teams in an unenviable position. While designed and staffed to be the gateway between agencies, the media and the public, suddenly they’ve found themselves torn between a command and control model and a media free-for-all, where every comment – personal or professional – by a public servant may be published and any individual on the internet might break the next major story.

This has seen challenges for professional journalists as well, whose profession has shrunk dramatically in numbers and seen profitability fall – precipitously in countries like the US.

The shrinking size and capacity of traditional media has put even greater burdens on organisations seeking to promote news and information, as fragmented audiences are harder to reach and smaller newsrooms means that less original new stories can be written and published by traditional news outlets.

Within the public sector, until recently, it made sense to group together Communication and Media professionals to create a single group within the agency that coordinated and managed all communication between the agency and the outside world, as well as between agency management and staff.

Management could trust the Communications and Media branch to be a professional gatekeeper, creating a single agency voice and managing relationships with a small group of

According to Gov2.0 and media commentator Craig Thomler, fewer and fewer public servants remember the halcyon days of the 1970s and 80s when the Public Service’s relationship with the media was simple. Craig charts the evolution of that relationship.

A journalist would ask questions of a Minister, who would ask their department for the facts.

The Media and Communications team would ask program and policy areas for detailed information, develop and get approval for a response and provide it to the Minister, whose office would review it before it was sent to the journalist. The journalist would then use the response in the story they filed for their newspaper, TV or radio program.

The roles were clear and gray areas few, with agency Media and Communications team serving as the gatekeeper for information from the public sector to the press and public, controlling the tone and speed of the information released.

This command and control approach worked in the media environment of the time. The majority of the few hundred journalists that agencies would deal with were professionals, working for a few dozen registered news outlets, publishing either via print, radio or television, to clearly defined deadlines.

However with the rise of the internet and then social media, suddenly ‘the media’ was no longer a small set of professional journalists working for a smaller set of news outlets. Every individual on the internet had a public voice and the ability to report, analyse and comment on the news of the day through their own personal blogs, forums and social media accounts.

To remain relevant and connected with citizens and stakeholders, government agencies also began

professional journalists, ensuring the agency was presented appropriately to the community and media.

However with changes to the media environment the weaknesses of this model have come to the fore.

The size, complexity and speed of the new media landscape, and the rate at which it is continuing to change, mean that centralised command and control structures for communication are increasingly becoming bottlenecks.

Communications and Media branches don’t have the resources to cope with thousands of journalists all asking for information, nor are they staffed monitor and respond through every social media channel.

We’ve seen this reflected in the increasing difficulties that Australian governments have had in getting policy messages out and in influencing public discussion through relevant channels and in a timely manner.

So confronted with fragmenting audiences, sky-rocketing numbers of citizen journalists, analysts and commentators and a high speed news cycle, what changes do government agencies need to make to their media and communications approaches to remain effective and relevant in engaging, informing and influencing citizens?

Agencies are now media outlets

Every organisation is now a media outlet, with the ability to cost-effectively set up news channels to communicate their information and view of the world.

For government agencies this means they need to reconsider who their audience is and how they communicate with it.

While professional journalists and media channels remain an important > cont. page 10

REpORTREpORT

Jason ArdlerSarah Artist Lynne Baker Crystal Barnes Sally Begbie Kim Blinkhorn Donna Bourke Samantha Brock David Carey Amelia Chan Matt Cole Robyn Davies Radhiga Dey Richard Doyle Laura Fisher Maja Frolich Geoff Gaymer Tracey Glanville Fiona Goodwin Max Gulugarovski Paul Harbon Gary Head Alison Heald Matthew Hingerty Rosemarie Honore Susan Hungar Manikkam Iyer Venkatraman Nicole Kealy

Natalie Kerr Vicki Leaver Beatriz Leoncini Helen Machalias Ian Maxted Anthony McGiness Shannon Meiklejohn Irene Meyers David Mitchell Michael Neary Maree Perfrement Megan Petrass Johanna Pitman Emma Reedy Elizabeth Rickwood Jane Ridley Obre Rushworth James Sherlock Catherine Sherlock Alan Sixsmith Michelle Smith Sabina Swierczek Victor Tan Jayne Tesch Tan Vo David Walsh Josh Wright Cheyne Wright Kevin Young

Dear members,

I’d like to congratulate new Councillors Robert Alder and Nivek Thompson, and Young Councillor Clare Huxley who were elected to Council at the AGM in November. My grateful thanks to outgoing Councillors Illana Halliday, Heather Hukins and Susan McHattie.

In December we held a very successful inaugural IPAA National Fellows dinner. With the generous support of our Principal Partners PwC, 20 Fellows from NSW, accompanied by their invited guests, assembled for a convivial celebration of the significant contribution to public administration made by IPAA National Fellows. At this first event I was very pleased to present new Fellows, Donna Rygate and Nazha Saad, with their awards (see this issue). The evening was an unqualified success and we will be arranging more Fellows activities in future.

High quality leadership is a critical element in the success of public sector agencies, and IPAA NSW has been active in developing offerings for future and current leaders. I have facilitated the first two events in our Senior Executive Master class: Advanced Leadership series; the next Master class will be led by Prof Geoff Gallop in March. In addition, IPAA NSW encourages individual excellence through annual awards, which were launched in early February. Our annual Women’s Executive Networking luncheon celebrates and encourages leadership in women, and we are thrilled to have former senior public servant, Gabrielle Kibble, speak on “The view from the head of the table”. We have several outstanding courses for aspiring leaders (up to Certificate level) and several courses on leadership itself. In particular, IPAA NSW coordinates the Public Sector Management Program in NSW, on behalf of the Public Service Commission.

Don’t miss the article in this issue for the highlights of other professional development programs coming up.

It was a pleasure to welcome members and special guests to the annual the Picnic in the Park on 15 February. The Picnic signals the start of our event program for the year. Amongst the significant events scheduled for 2013, the IPAA Regional Conference, on 14 and 15 March in Wagga Wagga, has an outstanding lineup of speakers, from Commonwealth, State and Local government. The conference will focus on encouraging innovation in the public sector.

I look forward to seeing you at one of our stimulating events this year.

Peter Achterstraat, President

President’s

NKnEW mEmbERs

“On behalf of the Council of IPAA NSW, I would like to congratulate and welcome the following new and returning members. It is extremely heartening to see that you are taking responsibility for your career and your effectiveness as an officer in the public sector. I hope to see you soon at an IPAA NSW event or course.” - Peter Achterstraat, President

Innovation across Australia, Wagga Wagga, 14-15 March 2013. www.ipaaregionalconference.org.au

SUMMER 20124IPAA INK – ISSUE 51 SUMMER 20125IPAA INK – ISSUE 51

media policies and spokespeople briefed to respond to every possible question or issue.

We’ve all seen what happens to public sector announcements that are made without thorough scrutiny of the key issues and opportunities facing a project. They are greeted by intense scrutiny and a wave of negative media coverage. Good policies slip and slide on the icy patches of populist whim. No gold medal at the end of that run.

To be fair, public sector communications and media professionals face an added degree of difficulty that the private sector doesn’t have to deal with. Key stakeholders such as Ministers and their staff, Directors General and other executives can create added challenges. Inflexible schedules (“The Minister can only be available on this date at this time!”), budgetary demands, the competing agendas and interests of other agencies – all these elements can sabotage smooth delivery.

Identifying issues in the days leading up to the campaign launch is not hard – it’s certainly much easier than completing a moguls run. One simple yet often overlooked way of keeping on top of what’s going on is to regularly scan radio, television and newspapers. I never cease to be amazed at how often this simple discipline is ignored.

Too many communications professionals today are unaware of what’s going on around them, and those in the public sector are no exception. They don’t listen to morning radio news bulletins, read newspapers or watch television news and current affairs. While they might use social media such as Facebook and Twitter personally, they don’t use it to help prepare issues management strategies or take the community’s pulse on an issue. With online media and sophisticated media monitoring available, there can be no excuse for

Why issues management is the key to running a successful media campaign. Former media manager Michelle Schofield explains.

Being a media and communications professional in the public sector is very much like being an

Olympic downhill skier. The descent to the finish line may seem obvious. You know the twists and turns you have to execute. However, hidden bumps or the weather can thwart an otherwise flawless run – and there go your chances of a gold medal performance!

As in the downhill, any time you plan a media campaign, you will always have to contend with factors outside your control, just like weather and bumps.

Think about potential issues as you would think about the weather. You don’t wait for a storm to hit before packing your umbrella. You take a look at what’s happening around you. Are there clouds in the sky? Are they low and heavy or high and fluffy? How fast are they moving, and is the wind likely to change? Assessing those factors is the best way to decide whether you’re going to leave the supermarket run to the afternoon, or whether you’re going to do it now, before the weather hits.

Similarly, taking a thorough look at the project environment before you start will help you spot potential problems and develop mitigation strategies. You’ll be ready to accommodate the unexpected, and ensure your campaign rollout is delivered smoothly and without unanticipated hiccups.

No media and communications campaign should be undertaken without adequate preparation. Effective operators ensure their campaign is accompanied by a well thought out strategy which includes key messages, social and traditional

not being aware of the environment in which your campaign or major announcement is being launched.

Another simple but often ignored piece of advice is “don’t go public until you are sure that what you are announcing or planning is actually going to go ahead”.

Case Study – What Can Go Wrong

Some years ago a public sector agency (it will remain nameless) spent many months planning a major conference. Seeking an appropriate venue for the event, an over-enthusiastic policy officer handed out a draft agenda to the manager of a prospective venue, who subsequently stuck it on the venue’s public notice board for all to see. While on his beat, a journalist from a major metropolitan newspaper dropped into the venue, saw the agenda and duly reported on in it, announcing to the world that HRH Prince Charles would officially open proceedings. This was news to Clarence House, and the breach of protocol – and common sense – ensured that the conference was canned for that year.

How could the media and communications person have foreseen this outcome? Truth is they couldn’t, but it’s a real example of the type of out-of-left-field event which can sabotage a campaign. One way around this is to ensure that every member of the “non-comms” team understands exactly what they can and can’t do, which materials can be handed out and which must remain confidential, and how they should work with their media and communications colleagues. Never assume that everyone understands the terrain in which you operate.

Media and communications strategies should always be developed at the beginning of the campaign process, not at the end. This lets you develop clear lines of communications

media and the public sector

OpiniOn

and protocols which will ensure the whole team, not just media and communications, knows what they can and can’t do, and who is responsible for what.

Having a coordinated communications policy is the first step. The next is making sure it is understood by all key government stakeholders. The importance of this process cannot be underestimated. It’s like having insurance – you may never need it but if you hit some black ice, you’ll be very happy to have it.

Be Accountable

Public sector media campaigns always face intense scrutiny. For this reason, every potential issue associated with each individual announcement or project must be carefully considered. This is part of our role as communications professionals. We have to be aware of the issues and the potential for negative media coverage.

Government initiatives don’t come much more high profile than the NSW Nation Building and Jobs Plan Taskforce. Like an Olympic record holder in the weeks leading up to the Games, this multi-billion dollar project was always going to come under heavy scrutiny. Every dollar spent would be put under the microscope, every announcement would attract intense media interest.

Knowing this, the Taskforce prepared an issues management strategy well before its first media campaign was even planned. The strategy identified plenty of challenges. Coordinating so many agencies across the government network, and reining in the large number of communications and media professionals working for the individual government agencies, was an enormous task. Defining the stakeholder networks, their interplay in program delivery and their individual issues could only be achieved through methodical, painstaking analysis.

From day one, a clear, strategic link was defined between the Taskforce’s mission and its overarching goals.

It was unfortunate that after two years of successful delivery, the only element heard in the media were the individual stories of the BER – one component of the massive program.

Ask the Right Questions

You know what you want to achieve but how do you get there? Who are your champions? Who are the project stakeholders? What are the issues? What are the project’s key messages? Who will deliver them? What’s your plan for social media? Identify the end goal, communicate this goal to your client and then agree the steps that will take you there.

Get Yourself a Map

If you want to get somewhere quickly, without getting sidetracked, you need to know where you’re going. The same applies to developing a public sector media strategy. Know what you want to achieve, the tools that will help you achieve it and how to manage the media around project announcements, and you will be successfully navigate your way.

My use of the word “map” is no accident. There’s a reason maps have become our standard navigational device: they work. A visual guide to your media strategy is the best way to highlight who is involved and who will be impacted.

Mapping is not a new idea, but it’s not used anywhere near as often as it should be. It’s a critical tool for identifying stakeholders and their connections to the project. It’s an effective to way to demonstrate to the client how individuals, media and agencies link, who the project champions will be and who might ignite issues. A clear map not only identifies the destination but how to avoid any pitfalls and how to make the most of opportunities along the way.

Our Best Practice Guidelines

• Undertake an issues analysis and develop management strategies and responses.

• Identify media and all stakeholders.• Agree a strategic approach with

your client.• Develop key messages that align

with the project’s vision or mission.• Plan your outcome.• Map your media strategy –

proactive and reactive.• Scan the issues environment -

especially on launch day.• Identify your spokesperson and

brief them on every possible media question.

• Be available. Be accountable. Be honest.

• Deliver.Successful campaigns are not about controlling or managing all stakeholders, but engaging with them to understand their drivers and ensuring the communication acknowledges their position. Citizens respond well to fairness, even if shock jocks don’t.

Communications and media professionals should never allow themselves to be captured by the noisy voices. The only way to achieve this is to understand the politics and provide advice in that context.

Michelle Schofield is a Communications Project Manager at KJA, a specialist stakeholder engagement company providing issues management and strategic engagement services to industry and government agencies. Her work as a media advisor to State and Federal Ministers and as a journalist for both radio and television give her an insider’s working knowledge of the media.

“Do not fear the media – just know how to manage and work with them.”- Michelle Schofield, Communications Project Manager, KJA

SUMMER 20126IPAA INK – ISSUE 51 SUMMER 20127IPAA INK – ISSUE 51

The Collaboration award is for individuals whose work has transcended institutional barriers.

The Leadership category is awarded to an individual who has demonstrated excellence in leadership.

The Building Talent award is for individuals who have demonstrated excellence in identifying, harnessing and encouraging talent.

The Young Leader award is made to an individual 34 years of age or under (as at 1 June in the year of the award) who has demonstrated excellence in leadership.

This year an additional special category has been created to commemorate the outstanding contribution made to the NSW public sector by IPAA NSW member the late Anthea Kerr (pictured), who died in April 2011 at the age of 38 (see article in IPAA INK Autumn 2011). The new award is proudly sponsored by the NSW Public Service Commission.

The overall winner of the IPAA NSW Award for Individual Excellence will be selected from the winners of each category. The winner will receive registration, flights and accommodation to attend a public sector conference in London, courtesy of our principal sponsor PwC.

IPAA NSW also presents awards in the academic excellence in the study

IPAA NSW awards in the study and practice of public administration, government and related disciplines.

We offer academic awards as well as awards for practitioners who make significant contributions to public administration.

The prestigious IPAA NSW Awards for Individual Excellence celebrate public

sector professionals who have achieved excellence and best p ractice in public administration. The awards are open to all public sector employees in NSW who work for local, state or federal government organisations.

The awards program offers five categories of entry and a grand prize. One overall winner is selected from the category winners to receive the prestigious IPAA NSW Award for Individual Excellence.

The Public Value award is made to an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to the creation of public value.

of public administration, government and related disciplines. An award is presented annually to the highest achieving graduate in the nationally recognised Graduate Certificate, Public Sector Management Program, which IPAA NSW manages in NSW for the Department of Premier and Cabinet.

At the University of Sydney IPAA NSW makes two awards. The GC Remington prize is made in memory of Geoffrey Remington, a co-founder of IPAA NSW Division. The prize is awarded in the Department of Government and International Relations, to the most distinguished student in the study of government, especially in its administrative aspects. The FA Bland Prize is awarded in memory of Professor Francis Bland, another co-founder of IPAA NSW Division, for the student with the highest aggregate marks in Strategic Administration. The IPAA NSW Prize at the University of NSW is awarded in the Master of Policy Studies for highest aggregate marks in policy analysis, information and research for policy and management and policy in organisations.

ipAA nsW encouraging excellence

REpORT

www.nsw.ipaa.org.au

Yim Chan Patricia Clancy Chris Gardiner Darren Gardner Robyn Gray Jennifer Mason Sue Souter Duncan Sutherland

Mohan Ayyar Melisa Beard Dr Jock Fletcher Lyn Marks Anita Westera

Jean Baikie Christopher Eiser Andrew Windever

Tim Noonan John Rosier

Harry Eagleton AM

“On behalf of the Council and staff of the Institute of Public Administration Australia (NSW Division) I would

like to extend our congratulations and thanks to the following people who have maintained continuous

membership in IPAA NSW for 5 years or more. These members join those we have acknowledged

in previous editions of INK. IPAA NSW exists because its members take an interest in and support the

Institute and its goals.”

Peter Achterstraat, President

Recognising longstanding members

of ipAA nsW

years5

years15

years10

If you wish to query or confirm your commencement date, please contact Lauren Myers on 02 9228 4026 or at

[email protected]

years50

years20

MQU0061_160x62_IPAA_V2.indd 1 8/02/13 4:41 PM

A new award has been created to commemorate the outstanding contribution made to the nsW public sector by ipAA nsW member the late Anthea Kerr.

SUMMER 20128IPAA INK – ISSUE 51 SUMMER 20129IPAA INK – ISSUE 51

And yet, for most journalists, getting to the people who make and implement policy is still incredibly difficult.

Even a vast team of media officers is no guarantee, in any department, that you will ever get to the people who know what they are talking about. In 2001, at the height of the “children overboard” controversy, the Defence Department had about 200 media staff, not one of whom was allowed to answer calls from journalists without an express approval from Peter Reith’s office.

To this day, the quickest way to freak out a public servant is to ring him or her on a direct line. Those who don’t immediately hang up in terror will generally make it clear straight away that they are not authorised to speak, and that a special place in public sector hell would await them should they ever appear in some sort of publication.

In a world marked by the democratisation of information, the barriers between public servants and journalists remain stubbornly inviolate.

Public servants who pseudonymously inhabit social media platforms, or whom one meets socially, will point out that journalists often get things wrong. I wouldn’t dispute this for a second. We get things wrong all the time. But often, we are actively prohibited from asking simple questions of the people who might help us get things right.

In Australia, the public service is the last great bastion of information protectionism. And this is not a question of journalistic inconvenience or embarrassment: why should a vast wealth of knowledge and expertise, amassed at considerable public expense, not be freely available wherever necessary to improve the standard of public debate?

A few months ago, I asked a very senior public service executive why it was that his staff were so rigorously protected from journalists. He told me, very frankly, that it was not worth a public servant’s hide to brief or interact with us. The chances of a political controversy – in the event that a public servant’s faithful briefing did not square with the Government’s spin on any given issue – were just too great, he said.

This is a pretty depressing state of affairs. The idea that bureaucrats would rather allow misleading information to appear uncorrected than get themselves into trouble with the Government of the day signals a dramatic shift from the “frank and fearless” standard.

The Business Council of Australia’s chief executive Jennifer Westacott got a lot of ministerial-wing undies in a bunch last week when she delivered a speech denouncing the disproportionate influence political advisers have over the policymaking process. (Delivered at the 2012 IPAA International Congress – Editor)

Julia Gillard’s chief of staff Ben Hubbard denounced the Westacott remarks as “lazy and unsubstantiated” in an email to staff, reported The Australian.

In the past week, the APS has gone out rather hard against the writer James Button for disclosures in his memoir “Speechless: A Year In My Father’s Business”. See the story in the Australian Financial Review, in which the head of the PM’s department, Ian Watt, condemns Button’s book in strong terms:

Button’s crime was to recount a couple of meetings he had with Kevin Rudd during the brief and mutually uncomfortable period for which he served as the then prime minister’s speechwriter.

And it is easy to see why Dr Watt would take a strong public stand against such disclosures; confidentiality in ministerial dealings is a principle – and a perception –he would understandably prefer to maintain.

But the ironic part of the story is that a full reading of Button’s book reveals a fond and almost reverential respect for the public service; the writer’s account reflects well on the dedication and intelligence of the people he meets there, and the book constitutes a useful historical look at the functioning of the bureaucracy.

When I write it like that, it sounds kind of deadly – but this really is a fascinating book, told with affection and verve. And where else is the story of the public service told?

Unfortunately, what tends to surface – in the absence of other accounts – is the ready-made cliché. Like a story which ran recently in the Daily Telegraph: “Stress Gets To The Fat Cats.” Here, a story about the elevated average duration of stress leave in the public sector is badged as being all about “fat cats”, even though there is no information about the average pay grade of those concerned.

It’s not just the media propagating these clichés, by the way. When Kevin Rudd, in 2007, promised to take his “meat axe” to the “bloated” public service (this promise was made at a National Press Club lunch, in language that had guests entertaining profound second thoughts about the beef main course), he subscribed to the same meme. Just as Joe Hockey does, when he assures the populace at large that the Coalition’s savings can come from slashing waste in the public sector.

At the centre of all this is a great silence – from the bureaucracy itself. It shouldn’t be this way. Of course, freeing up access to public servants would involve mess and confusion in some circumstances, and inconvenience for governments. But are we so flush with credible, objective information sources that we can continue to protect the biggest repository of publicly-funded information, research, expertise and intelligence this nation has?

Let us talk to them. Please. It would help a lot.

This article was first published online in The Drum on 25 September 2012, and reproduced with permission.

Annabel Crabb cont...OpiniOn

professional Development at ipAA nsWDrive Your Career Conference and Mentoring Program

This year IPAA NSW is responsible for the delivery of the Drive Your Career Conference and Mentoring Program. This program is for high potential women in the NSW Public Service at Grades 5/6 – 7/8 or equivalent, who:

• demonstrate skills, knowledge and personal attributes necessary for high performance

• are engaged with their work and work environment

• have a high level of effectiveness in their current role

• are ready to take on a position of greater responsibility

• possess an ability to take responsibility for their own development.

IPAA NSW 2013-14 Services Guide

The IPAA NSW 2013-14 Services Guide is available in early April. This Guide for the financial year 2013-14 is the comprehensive guide to the opportunities for professional and personal development offered by the Institute. The Guide is produced as both a printed version and an e-book, and is accompanied by a searchable database on our website.

In 2013 IPAA NSW is looking forward to expanding its delivery of professional development programs to all members of the public sector and to assisting further the professional pathways of all those who are keen to extend their skill, knowledge and understanding of the public sector, their workplace concerns and challenges and implications for NSW and Australia in 2013 and the future.

Executive Development Programs

We are establishing Executive Development Programs which aim to provide insights to senior executives to enhance their skills to drive performance in the modern public sector. Topics and format vary according to the demands of the current political and public sector climate. Workshops are aimed at SES and Senior Officers in the public sector (local, state or federal levels) and are limited to 35 participants. Details can be found on our website www.nsw.ipaa.org.au.

The Services Guide presents information on: Membership, our Awards, Events, the IPAA Bookstore and our Professional Development Programs. All services are aimed at connecting people and ideas to improve the public sector.

Our courses are mapped to capability streams based on the NSW Public Sector Capability and Whole of Sector Capability Frameworks, with behavioural indicators incorporated to help individuals and managers select courses most appropriate for the organisation’s skill requirements and to assist with Professional Development Plans.

Our Professional Development Pathway includes Diplomas offered by IPAA NSW and relevant Graduate Diplomas, and Bachelor and Master Degrees offered by the University of Sydney and the University of NSW.

IPAA NSW continues to explore initiatives by which it can extend its role as the professional association of the public sector and extend its contribution to public service in NSW, Australia and abroad.

Join us as Verona Burgess (The Australian Financial Review), Janet Albrechtsen (The Australian), Mia Garlick (Facebook) and others

explore Open Government 2021: the changing interactions between government, the media and citizens – how will it work?

SUMMER 201210IPAA INK – ISSUE 51 SUMMER 201211IPAA INK – ISSUE 51

• Andrew Kefford, Commissioner for Public Administration, Chief Minister and Cabinet Directorate of the ACT Government

• Maria Katsonis, Special Adviser, Strategy and Innovation, Victorian Department of Premier and Cabinet

• Mark Webb, Executive Director, Innovation and Services Group, NSW Public Service Commission.

Wagga Wagga is New South Wales’ largest inland city and is an important agricultural, military and transport hub of regional Australia. It is ideally situated, midway between Sydney and Melbourne, and is served by regular rail and air services.

For more information please visit www.nsw.ipaa.org.au.

The second in IPAA’s regional conferences, this two day event will be held in Wagga Wagga on 14 and 15 March 2013. It will give public sector professionals the opportunity to gather and learn about public governance and administration across regional Australia.

The conference focuses on leading, developing and executing public administration in regional communities. Speakers are experienced in local, state and federal

governments. The theme of the 2013 conference is ‘Innovation across Australia’ and sessions will explore innovation in service delivery, organisational change, policy and also focus on systemic innovation and innovation transfer.

Distinguished speakers include:

• Peter Williams, Chief Edge Officer, Centre for the Edge• Deirdre Lemerle, Director and Professor of Agricultural

Innovation, EH Graham Centre for Agricultural Innovation • Andrew Metcalfe AO, Secretary, Department of

Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry • Carmel McGregor, Deputy Secretary of Defence, People,

Department of Defence• Terry Moran AC, National President, IPAA and former

Secretary, Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet• Donna Rygate, Chief Executive Officer, NSW Office of

Communities • Peter Harris, Secretary, Commonwealth Department of

Broadband Communications and the Digital Economy and recently appointed Chairman of Productivity Commission

Wagga to host ipAA Regional Conference

Audience

Audience question

IPAA ink ad.indd 1 4/12/12 2:12 PM

part of the landscape, social media channels and citizen journalists don’t respond to the same approaches.

Traditional tools like media releases offer little of value to new media channels and citizen journalists, these commentators are also rarely given access to other media resources from agencies – aren’t invited to media briefings or to report on seminars and some media teams are even still reluctant to respond to requests from bloggers – not perceiving them as professional journalists.

Agencies need to recognise and deal with emerging amateur journalists with respect, involving them in traditional media engagement and also employing approaches and producing content better suited to their channels.

This may involve inviting bloggers to live blog an event or developing content specifically for digital channels.

We’re starting to see agencies adopt these new, more visual and engaging approaches – with the ATO and ABS releasing infographics customised for digital distribution and Immigration having its online ImmiTV platform with a range of video content.

Adopt a network-based communications model

Agencies need to consider changing the structure of their communications teams to reflect that the complexity and speed of our media landscape means that we need to get those with the facts much closer to the media and public.

A workable approach would be to shift day-to-day media and public engagement to appropriate customer contact teams, policy and program areas, retaining a central communications group, responsible for defining and coordinating the agency’s overall communications strategy and voice.

In this model, the central group would help train and support other areas of the agency to develop and implement their own communication plans, providing support, training and mentoring.

The central group would manage a communication and media community of practice across the agency,

maintaining a strong awareness of the different communications initiatives underway and fostering links between different policy and program groups.

The central area would still have some involvement with media engagement and support emergency and disaster communications, but otherwise would be an advisor, rather than an implementer, of communication solutions.

Recognise and support almost all staff as public communicators

The command and control model of media engagement involves restricting which agency staff can talk to the media to a small group of communications professionals and a few senior managers who have had ‘media training’.

This is no longer possible, given that any staff with a public social media account, blog or who otherwise comments online, may be directly interacting with journalists (deliberately or accidentally) – or have any other internet user share their message widely across social networks.

Essentially, today, the only way to prevent staff talking to the media is to ban them from posting anything publicly online – a position that isn’t plausible and would damage, if not destroy, agency capability to engage online.

Agencies need to now recognise that all of their staff may interact with others via social media channels and other online tools and equip them to do so in appropriately ways.

This doesn’t mean approving all agency staff as official media contacts, but it does involve training staff on how to engage appropriately online, separating their personal views from official communications.

This can involve providing internal social networking tools, such as Yammer, forums and blogs, which allow staff to gain experience using these channels in a safe and controlled environment, as the Department of Justice in Victoria has done, certifying staff who develop appropriate skills.

It can also involve using social media emergency simulation tools to give staff

Craig Thomler cont...

experience with how to respond to public and media backlashes online.

Whichever techniques are selected, this training needs to be provided for all staff and included in HR induction programs as a core skill.

Monitor and mine social media

The public sector is well-practiced at media monitoring, with most agencies having tools in place to track and report on mentions across Australia’s print, radio and television channels.

However many agencies still ignore what is now our most active media channel, social media, where many news stories are now breaking and many traditional media journalists source ideas and contacts.

By not monitoring and mining social media, agencies miss out early warnings of breaking news, opportunities for media exposure and can find it harder to identify and build relationships with community influencers, individuals who may have a larger following than some news journalists, television or radio programs.

Without this intelligence agencies are effectively operating blind online and may miss trends that lead to significant news stories or that might suggest ways to improve their operations and head-off issues.

Build communities not campaigns

Another fundamental shift has been that agencies now have the capability to build audiences rather than simply rent them from media outlets.

This offers agencies the ability to use traditional media to drive people to their own communities – Facebook pages, Twitter accounts, Ning groups and more – and then to retain them over long periods of time through engaging content and interactions.

This cuts down on the recurring investment in advertising to attract eyeballs and, using modern social media platforms, agencies can develop communities which can continue to grow without the need for continued investment in traditional channels.

SUMMER 201212IPAA INK – ISSUE 51 SUMMER 201213IPAA INK – ISSUE 51

Jon joined the choir during the 1980s, and in 1984 was called up to lead the choir. “It has been a privilege and joy to lead the choir for this extended period. There were some years when we thought we wouldn’t be able to do a good enough job, largely due to insufficient numbers, but today I think we are as strong as ever.”

Dianne Coughlan, a long term member of IPAA NSW, is a relatively new member of the Choir. Dianne started working life as a primary school teacher with music as a specialty. She joined the Public Service in 1989 in the HR area, transferring to the then CCSU in 1996. “I heard about the choir then, but didn’t join until my unit at ServiceFirst moved to the McKell Building in 2011. I enjoy the camaraderie of the choir. It is a group of people who really enjoy singing and the friendship that it brings. It makes this time of year very special when I can share the happiness.”

The Choir prepares over six weeks, with 6-8 rehearsals at the St Lawrence Arts Centre in Pitt Street. With over 40 songs in the repertoire it is a hectic time. Jon can rely on a core group of loyal members, some who have been with the choir for over twenty years. Each year he aims to add a new song to the repertoire, and reintroduce songs that have been “spelled.”

DFS staff stop to enjoy the choir and sometimes bring their children, adding to the Christmas Spirit.

There’s nothing quite like the joy of listening to a choir to put a smile on your lips and a spring in your step on the way into work.

TSome members of staff of the Department of Finance and Services have a longstanding

tradition of singing carols in four-part harmony for the pleasure of their co-workers first thing in the morning for two weeks before Christmas.

Rudolph the red nosed reindeer rings out, together with favourites like the The Three Drovers, The Silver Stars and The North Wind evoking the Australian Christmas, and the world repertoire includes What is That Lovely Fragrance, a complex and beautiful French carol.

The Choir was established by the Department of Public Works Music and Drama society in 1951. It currently has 34 registered members, but over the years hundreds of people have sung.

Jon Mayne, current choir leader, commented that “The Choir is essentially a staff choir. We have attracted other singers along the way, several coming at the behest of friends. Catherine De Luca who sings with the Sydney Philharmonia Choir and works for the Commonwealth Department of Health is our lead soprano. Noelene Goodwin, our alto, is with the Office of Liquor, Gaming and Racing and Claire Dalgarno, soprano/alto is a member of the public.”

“We have also been very blessed with very good pianists over the years. John Stanmore is an environmental engineer with the Department and John Fullagar our mainstay pianist came to the organisation over 20 years ago as a consultant. For 12 years he has not worked for the Department, but returns for rehearsals and performances.”

Choir chronology

1950s Choir established as part of the Music and Drama Society. Christmas Concerts were held in the famous “Tin Shed”, a “temporary” timber and galvanized two storey building which stood on the site of the Museum of Sydney and lasted over 50 years before demolition in the 1970s. Les Bournes and Frank Atkinson shared the role of conductor.

1960s The Public Works Department moved to the new State Office Block on the corner of Bent and Phillip Streets in 1966. Concerts were held in a modern air conditioned theatre which held 200 people. Les Bournes and Frank Atkinson continued to share the role of conductor.

1970s For a few years in the 70’s Christmas Concerts lapsed; however, after a few quiet years, the Choir was reactivated and Carol performances were held annually in the foyer of the State Office Block. Harvey Smith lead the choir.

1980’s to now The Choir made a seamless transition to the McKell Building without missing a Christmas presentation. The acoustics in McKell more than matched those of the State Office Block. Harvey Smith conducted until 1984, when Jon Mayne took up the role.

public Works Choir turns 60REpORT

new national FellowsThe 2013 IPAA National Fellows

were announced at the 2012 IPAA International Congress

in Melbourne last September. There are some outstanding public adminstrators represented from all over Australia. Here are three from NSW.

While the NSW Fellows were unable to be present at the awards ceremony, Donna Rygate, Nazha Saad and Jennifer Westacott were acknowledged and applauded for their outstanding contributions (see Today issue 33 for details). Peter Achterstraat presented Nazha and Donna with their awards at the inaugural IPAA NSW National Fellows dinner last December. Here are some highlights of their accomplishments.

Donna Rygate

Donna is currently CEO, Office of Communities, Dept of Education and Communities. She is a dynamic public sector leader who has dealt with sensitive issues in the transport, environment, human services and planning sectors. Donna is an active developer of young talent within the public sector and has promoted partnerships in administration, notably with the local government sector.

Donna’s work in both the Environment Protection Authority (EPA), the then Department of Community Services and the Department of Planning and Infrastructure reflect her commitment to sharing expertise and local knowledge in order to obtain the best outcome for local communities. She improved the Community Services response to child deaths, creating a dedicated staff support team and practice improvement program.

Her work with the Department of Planning’s ePlanning Roadmap, developed in consultation with industry, State and local government, also reflects a commitment to practical partnerships. More than 20 councils came on board as part of the ePlanning Electronic Housing Code trial.

Nazha Saad

Nazha is the CEO of the St George Community Housing (SGCH), the largest community housing organisation in NSW. Nazha has had a long career of achievement in the NSW Public Service, during which she initiated many improvements and reforms.

As Executive Director, Strategic Asset Management & Procurement at the then NSW Department of Ageing, Disability & Home Care from 2003 to 2007, she established the Department’s strategic asset management and procurement function.

From 1995 to 2003 at the then NSW Department of Public Works and Services she successfully developed and implemented the Turnaround program, leading to a significant increase in client satisfaction, staff morale and business performance.

Ms Saad also established the Government Leasing Service, and led the implementation of the Department’s Total Quality Service Program to introduce continuous improvement into the Department’s organisational culture. (See the interview with Nazha Saad in the next issue.)

Jennifer Westacott

Jennifer is the Chief Executive of the Business Council of Australia. She has worked in a senior capacity for both the NSW and Victorian State Governments, leading significant change in housing,

Nzaha Saad

Donna Rygate

Jennifer Westacptt

metropolitan planning and natural resource management.

Whilst she was a director and the National Lead Partner for climate change, water and sustainability at KPMG from 2005 to 2011 she provided critical advice to governments around Australia on major reform priorities.

Jennifer created the first NSW super department, the Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Natural Resources, and integrated the planning and natural resource management functions of the NSW Government. She was also a member of the Federal government’s taskforce examining solutions to Sydney’s aviation capacity problem, and is a member of the Commonwealth Grants Commission. Jennifer was the lead facilitator on the climate change discussion at the Federal government’s 2020 summit.

As Victorian Director of Housing, she led many major reforms to the Department, including the reorganisation of all front line service delivery to improve customer service, the establishment of a state-wide call centre for responsive maintenance, and the replacement of core financial and client transaction information technology.

For a full list of national Fellows from nsW, see www.nsw.ipaa.org.au.

SUMMER 201214IPAA INK – ISSUE 51

CALL FORCONTRIBUTIONSIPAA INK publishes a variety of articles on issues of interest to IPAA NSW members. We welcome submissions for publication. Contact the editor, Craig Boaden, by phone 02 9228 4023, mobile 0417 676 476, fax 02 9241 1920 or email at [email protected].

institute of public Administration Australia nsW

Level 6, Bligh House 4–6 Bligh Street Sydney NSW 2000

GPO Box 904 Sydney NSW 2001

T 02 9228 5225F 02 9241 1920E [email protected] www.nsw.ipaa.org.au

ISSN 1449-3306 (online)

The opinions expressed are not necessarily those of IPAA NSW Division or the IPAA Council.

Here’s a selection of upcoming courses:

11 March Interpersonal Communication Skills18 March Diploma of Government (Financial Services)26 March Commercial Acumen: Business Basics8 April Strategic Analysis9 April Management: The Power to Influence30 April Cultural Awareness in the Public Sector

Find out more at www.nsw.ipaa.org.au

27 FEBRUARY 2013State of the Sector forum with Graeme Head

7 MARCH 2013International Women’s Day Celebration

14-15 MARCH 2013IPAA Regional Conference, Wagga Wagga

12 APRIL 2013CEO & Young Professionals Breakfast

18 JULY 2013IPAA NSW State Conference

Visit our website for more details www.nsw.ipaa.org.au

diarydates for

YOUR