In line with the latest advice from government and health authorities, IPAA SA has suspended our face-to-face delivery of professional development programs and events to reduce the risk to our staff, facilitators, partner organisations and particularly our members, many of whom deliver or manage important frontline public service.

The safety and well-being of everyone is our priority and our decision is effective immediately.

We are investigating alternate methods of delivery of our professional development programs. We are also developing new ways to connect you with leaders including our Virtual on the Couch Series and webinars bringing you information to help you through this turbulent time.

Those who have registered to attend a specific program or event will be contacted individually.

IPAA SA regrets any inconvenience this may cause. Our priority in making this decision is the health and well-being of everyone.

In the meantime, please stay safe and well. We look forward to welcoming you to programs and events in the future when it is deemed appropriate and risk-free.

For more information on COVID-19, please visit the Australian Department of Health or the SA Health Latest Updates on COVID-19.

A Core People Practices and Supplier Expo that linked a panel of Group training Organisations  (GTOs) with agency representatives was held recently. The Expo, which supported the Skilling SA Public Sector Project was an initiative of the Commissioner for Public Sector Employment and was assisted by IPAA SA. The expo linked SA Government Providers for Human Resources (HR) Systems and Group Training Organisations (GTO’s) with agency representatives to facilitate improved HR System capabilities and support the Public Sector Project.

Under the Skilling SA Public Sector Project, GTO’s are now available to assist State Government agencies in the recruitment of apprentices and trainees and partner with Agencies who will host trainees and apprentices.

To commence the day’s proceedings Jack Buckskin gave a moving ‘Welcome to Country’, with Commissioner Erma Ranieri, sharing her enthusiasm for this unique opportunity for collaboration and opening the expo to representatives and suppliers.

Shelley Willsmore, Chief Human Resource Officer at OCPSE also addressed the audience and  highlighted the importance of a shared vision for future recruitment and talent management for the public sector. As part of her speech Ms Willsmore explained the importance of planning to cater for the changing and evolving nature of the workforce.

As part of the Expo, representatives were engaged in two workshops gathering ideas and input  across agencies and additionally having the opportunity to engage with suppliers exhibiting on the day.

These workshops were facilitated by Public Sector Innovation Lab as part of addressing key issues identified through the ‘2018 I WORK FOR SA YOUR VOICE SURVEY’ and the resulting ‘South Australian Public Sector Action Plan 2019-20’.

The first workshop was led by Dan Butler from the Public Sector Innovation Lab, and here representatives explored how innovation and creativity can be applied to determine a best practice framework for recruitment at all levels across the sector. In this interactive workshop, each group was encouraged to put forward ideas and needs from their own agency and how to identify the barriers to achieving best practice.

The second workshop focused on leadership capability and talent management and was led by Jessica Lynch and Aaron Shepherd from OCPSE.  Here representatives examined current views on leadership development, and discussed the future of good talent management, identification and development for employees at all levels across the public sector.

In the coming weeks the outcomes and feedback will assist in furthering the South Australian Public Sector Action Plan.

As the Australian Government edges closer to releasing a bill for the establishment of a Commonwealth Integrity Commission, it seems timely to look back at what a former Governor-General — the Hon. Sir John Kerr KCMG KStJ QC — had to say on ‘The Ethics of Public Office’ in his 1974 Garran Oration.

To provide some historical context, Sir John delivered the Oration at the national conference of the Australian Regional Groups of the Institute of Public Administration on 11 November 1974, exactly one year before his dramatic dismissal of the Whitlam Government on 11 November 1975.

Putting the drama associated with the dismissal to one side: what did Sir John have to say about the ethics of public office that might inform our thinking on integrity in Australian government half a century on?

Continue reading the full article on the IPAA National Website.

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