Government change: Australia

Government is constantly changing, and public servants are required to keep track - and keep on top - of those changes. In this new series, we ask members of the Apolitical community how their government has changed since they started work.

The goal is to see how governments have advanced - or declined - over the years.

Here, we ask Australia’s public servants how they’ve seen the world evolve.

What was government like when you first joined?

There were specific, smaller departments with expertise and experience in the area/portfolios/industries relevant to that department. It was agile, responsive, and customer focused. There were established processes, though room for improvement.

How is it different now?

There are larger departments with broad portfolios and changing priorities. We’re set up to be 'agile' in that public servants are expected to be mobile and work across portfolios. There is constant change and implementation of processes without experience and understanding of the portfolio business. It’s disruptive and focussed on grant delivery as customer service.

What was government like when you first joined?

Paper-based, bureaucratic and tied up in processes and not truly focused on outcomes - more about just doing the job. That started to change not long after I joined the public sector.

How is it different now?

More digital! The bureaucratic aspect is more focused on governance than red tape for the sake of it, and there are clear ideas about KPIs and outcomes that meet community and parliament's expectations.

Is it more innovative? How has the culture changed? Are the painpoints different? There is much more collaboration between agencies and clusters than I have seen when I first started. Collaboration and the customer being at the heart of our new initiatives or programs of work is now critical. In the past, we would generate guidance material or undertake a program of work and stakeholders would be subject to it. Now we involve stakeholders in the product or initiative to understand pain points, areas for attention or activities in workplaces to be promoted and celebrated. Leadership culture is changing slowly over time to be more inclusive rather than command and control. All great to see and leading to improved benefits for the community.

Want to tell us how your government has changed over the course of your career? Fill out this form to contribute your own story of government change.

(Image Credit: Unsplash)