In partnership with the Office of the Commissioner for Public Sector Employment and the South Australian Leadership Academy the Institute of Public Administration Australia South Australia (IPAA SA) was proud to bring you the Ethical Leadership Forum, a free event for all state government members.
During this event we heard from Premier Steven Marshall MP, Commissioner Erma Ranieri, Dr Attracta Lagan, Principal, Managing Values, Darren Menachemson, Global Partner and Global Chief Digital Officer, Think Place, and more about the importance of ethical decision-making.
Public sector employees at every level are faced with challenging ethical and integrity-related decisions. These decisions can test us on how best to respond to a range of issues that at times have competing stakeholder needs.
As employees progress their careers through the public sector, the decisions they may face tend to increase in complexity, and time for capability enhancement and leadership development is typically harder to find.
In light of of this, IPAA SA brought together a panel of public and private sector leaders to help increase awareness of the importance of ethical decision-making in the public sector.
Topics included:
Leading the proceedings of the Ethical Leadership Forum, Commissioner Erma Ranieri set the scene of the discussion to take place, highlighting her passion for this issue as well as its relevance to the South Australian public sector. Commissioner Ranieri emphasised her eagerness towards what she views as the start of a learning journey, into how ethical leadership will shape the future of South Australia with this event marking the recognition of the ongoing commitment towards the topic.
We were privileged to have Premier Steven Marshall join us to address delegates as part of the forum. As part of his address he spoke to the importance of the ongoing journey towards reconciliation and encouraged delegates to join with him in this, moving forwards together for National Reconciliation Week and beyond. Additionally, Premier Marshall spoke of the need for a balance between strong governance with the pursuit of innovation. Drawing upon the recent establishment of the Space Agency here in SA he emphasised that when you dream big and think big, then the importance of ethical decision making becomes even more vital. Describing the new developments in the state, particularly at Lot 14, as an “epicentre for innovation” Premier Marshall highlighted that decision making grounded in ethics and morals is at the forefront of consideration to bring about positive action for SA.
Keynote speaker, Dr Attracta Lagan spoke to us on the importance of redefining how we view ethical decision making, and to view it as a matter of choice on the part of the organisation. She highlighted that Ethical Leadership needs to start from within the organisation and should seek to make it as easy as possible for people to do the right thing. In Dr Lagan’s view this means, creating a safe workplace context in which decision making can occur and appropriately recognise and manage risk situations where people may not make the ethical choice. Drawing upon principles of behavioural psychology, Dr Lagan also described some techniques which delegates could take back with them to their own workplace- to take the steps to creating the context for ethically based decisions.
Our other Keynote speaker, Darren Menachemson, explored how digital transformation will be a cornerstone of how we shape our approach to ethical decision making. Highlighting to us that we are indeed all participants in the digital transition, he emphasised that the way we act in the next 10 to 20 years on the ethical decisions surrounding digital transformation, will drastically shape the world for decades to come. With this firmly in mind he further examined the exciting, yet ethically demanding challenges of handling digital advancement, including guarding against bias and the unintended consequences of decisions. A key message that Darren imparted us with, was that we must look at ethical decisions through the lens of evaluating “decisions being made here and now, if they are taking us on a path to a world we want to live in”.
Building a New Civilization of Zero Poverty, Zero Unemployment and Zero Net Carbon Emissions : Ushering in A World of Three Zeroes through Social BusinessSpeaking as a former M&A lawyer and senior leader at a top tier fund manager, Grameen Australia is an independent replication of Grameen Bank which, in 2006 was jointly with its founder Professor Muhammad Yunus, awarded the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize for lifting millions of people out of poverty through microfinance. |
View Katrina Dunn’s presentation slides here.
View the transcript of the event here.
On the 15th of November 2017 IPAA held the annual National Conference in Canberra with the theme Thinking Differently: Building Trust.
The conference celebrated thought leaders and provocateurs discussed how to think differently and build trust. Delegates heard how the landscape is changing and how public sector leaders need to adapt. Speakers included heads of public sector departments at the federal and state level, respected academics and nationally-recognised commentators. A number of international speakers brought broader perspectives to the conversation.
A conference function was held the evening prior at the iconic National Arboretum, overlooking Canberra. The function celebrated excellence in public administration with the announcement of the winners of the Prime Minister’s Awards for Excellence in Public Sector Management, followed by the awarding of IPAA National Fellows.
I encourage you to view the informative resources including videos of each session here and below.
VIEW GARRAN ORATION
VIEW CONVERSATION ONE
VIEW CONVERSATION TWO
VIEW CONVERSATION THREE
VIEW REFLECTIONS AND SUMMATION PANEL
As we embark on delivering Public Value in a dynamic and rapidly changing time, the single factor that can help us make decisions is our Purpose. Our Purpose is a shared recognition of the reason why we exist—it is the context that determines whether a decision is the right one to make at any particular time.
When Purpose appeals to your intrinsic motivation and aligns with your values, it will fuel your success. As executives and senior managers, when we are aligned with our values on a daily basis, we have more energy and feel more fulfilled because we are leading from what’s important to us.
This dynamic forum engaged senior leaders across the Public Sector to share their understanding of how our values give us our sense of Purpose. It also explored and defined how we can come together to lead the way to make South Australia thrive and continue to build a modern Public Sector. This was the first of a number of forums to be held with managers focusing on embedding the Public Sector values.
The Commissioner for Public Sector Employment Erma Ranieri emceed the forum.
Download the Public Sector Purpose and Values here.
Congratulations to Daniel Butler, on being named South Australia’s recipient of the 2017 IPAA National Fellow award, presented by Professor Peter Shergold AC, IPAA’s National President, at the 2017 IPAA National Awards Ceremony in Canberra. National Fellowship is the highest award that IPAA offers and in the last thirty years the Institute has awarded just over 200 Fellowships.
Dan has made a significant contribution to the development of the public sector through his passion for innovation and reform and the development of an ethical and adaptive public sector focused on the common good. He is a highly regarded professional public servant of the highest integrity who has made a significant contribution to the best practice of public administration. His core expertise is in integrated organisational performance, particularly in public institutions. It is also testimony to Dan’s outstanding contribution to the support of IPAA SA, providing much valued input on Divisional Council, Subcommittees and support at events for the benefit of the South Australian Public Sector.
Dan has been a dedicated Professional Member of the institute for over 7 years, was a member of the Divisional Council for 5 years and is now the chair of the Strategic Advisory Committee. Due to his vast experience in public sector reform, Dan curated the IPAA 2016 National Conference, which was held on 20 + 21 October 2016. He was responsible for the structure and content of the conference, and ensured that potential delegates were provided with a compelling option for professional and personal development. Now, as Principal Consultant with the Department of the Premier and Cabinet, Dan is currently working on developing a Public Sector Innovation Laboratory in partnership with a range of organisations.
From the team at IPAA SA, we wish to thank you for your commitment and support to the purpose of our organisation and look forward to continuing to see you inspire the South Australian public sector.
