New research shows that organisations that are more innovative, productive and perform better financially, are those that are more diverse. Around the world, organisations are applying technology and smarter ways of working to ensure that they are maximising their available resources. Smart leaders from governments in Scandinavia to internet giants like Google and well known Australian companies including Telstra, Commonwealth Bank, Aurizon, Qantas and Atlassian are tackling this for its major productivity benefits.

Guests joined international cluster expert Rodin Genoff, and Narelle Hooper, former editor of the Australian Financial Review’s BOSS magazine, as they explored the latest research on how gender and diversity drives innovation, and as they provided practical steps that individuals and agencies can take to accelerate innovation.

Guests also had the opportunity to hear the Premier and the Minister for the Public Sector explain why we need to strengthen our focus on building a more representative and diverse workforce, and why we need to reignite our efforts on achieving South Australia’s Strategic Plan Target 52, which aims for equal representation in executive positions in the public sector. Despite some progress, women still remain underrepresented in leadership roles. We know that the numbers of women in leadership need to be improved to make our State a leader in this space.

With your input, we will reshape the future of gender equity in South Australia and make our public sector fit for the 21st Century.

In the final issue of Public Administration Today ideas around ‘productivity’ were explored. This edition featured articles from notable sector thought leaders on insights across performance, innovation and the relation to productivity. Articles included:

• Important to distinguish between productivity and efficiency: Terry Moran on public service productivity pg 04
• Productivity ‘product’ crisis: Doug McTaggart poses some penetrating questions about whether the public sector can
  improve its productivity without a better understanding of consumers and what they want. pg 06-07
• Productivity Paradox: Janine O’Flynn says looking more broadly to a range of measures of ‘performance’ is much
  more practical and meaningful than a never-ending quest for (the paradox of) ‘productivity’. pg 08-09
• Authentic Productivity: Renu Agarwa, Christopher Bajada,  Paul J Brown, and Roy Green examine why current productivity approaches fail us. pg 10-13

To read the full edition see below…

IPAA SA, in conjunction with the Office for the Public Sector, presented A Modern Public Sector – The Reform Agenda. The forum was hosted by Chief Executive, Kym Winter-Dewhirst from the Department of the Premier and Cabinet.

Kym shared his vision about future transformation and reform that will help build a modern public sector. The event aimed to inform public sector employees about why public sector reform is needed, what the reform initiatives are trying to achieve, and how the Department of the Premier and Cabinet aims to reach those outcomes.

The audience also learned how Kym’s background has helped inform the reform agenda, and how they can play a part in building an even better public sector.

Erma Ranieri, Commissioner for Public Sector Employment was the MC for the forum.

Edition 42 of Public Administration Today looked at Australia’s public service on the global stage, as well as how we learn from government globally. This issue included articles on topics including…

Competitiveness and productivity: Today asked the Productivity Commission to report on where Australia fits internationally

Innovate to compete internationally: Industry innovation and competitiveness remains a challenge for
Australian business, say Daniel Quinn and Mike Lawson.

International engagement means a safer world: Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development (DI&RD) Secretary, Mike Mrdak, says international engagement builds relationships and helps keep transportation – for Australians, overseas travellers and cargo – safe and secure.

Fruitful regional harvest: Australia’s trade diplomacy is on a roll. Over the past 14 months free trade agreements (FTAs) have been
struck with three major Asian trading partners.

Access the full issue below…

As part of Entrepreneurs’ Week, IPAA SA hosted a forum to showcase examples of intrapreneurship in the South Australian public sector, and to explore emerging trends and challenges for achieving change, improving coordination and facilitating innovation.

Attendees gained insight into the role of intrapreneurs in pushing government forward, and were inspired by and learned from some successful SA-based initiatives.

Keynote speakers included Raymond Spencer (Chair, Economic Development Board), Matt Salier (New Ventures Institute, Flinders University) and Kristina Dryza (Futurist).

In the morning, some of the stories were presented both in Pecha Kucha style and conference style, from initiatives including:

• Changing From Within – NSW Child Protection
• Change@SA (Office of the Public Sector)
• Splash Adelaide (Adelaide City Council)
• Ideas Bank (Nucleus)
• Fab Lab
• Health in All Policies (SA Health)
• Growing Festivals
• Investment facilitation for the Iluka project

In the afternoon, an Ideas Marketplace was held for attendees to discuss new ideas and concepts with the people who have already made them happen. Discussions included concepts like open data, participatory budgeting, industry clusters, and citizen juries.

You were invited to contribute to our survey of intrapreneurship in government in South Australia.
Results from this survey were presented by Kristin Alford of Bridge8 and your input informed a shared overview of the challenges and opportunities and how further change and innovation might be supported.

This edition of ‘Public Administration Today’ focused on the topic of ‘community and engagement, which included articles from influential figures across the public sector. Highlighted articles from this issue included…

• Indigenous engagement: greatest challenge, opportunity – from Terry Moran
• When ‘PR’ became ‘engagement: Rhodri Ellis-Jones explores the contribution of market research and public relations to community engagement
• Engaging youth in the top end paying dividends: Northern Territory’s Manager, Community Engagement, Department of the Chief Minister, Siobhan Okely, and the Coordinator of the Chief Minister’s Round Table of Young Territorians, Prue Jezierski, report the on-going success of this community engagement program specific to youth.
• Community engagement writ large!: Thomas Parkes,  reports that community engagement by the Department of Human Services is a massive, never-ending interaction.

To read the full edition please visit below…

As Premier of South Australia, Don Dunstan set new directions for public administration that had far-reaching national impacts. Shortly before his death, Don Dunstan entrusted to the Institute of Public Administration Australia (IPAA), the key advocate for effective public administration, the honour of carriage of the annual Don Dunstan Oration on Public Administration. The 2014 orator was Greg Combet, Chair, Automotive Transformation Taskforce.

This Oration was delivered by Greg Combet, Chair of the Automotive Transformation Taskforce.