A well-functioning public service relies on good leaders with the right skills and attributes. The recently published Charter of Leadership Behaviours outlines the types of positive behaviours that APS leaders should exhibit. So, what does great APS leadership look like? How can we nurture it and how does it help us deliver great outcomes?

In this episode, Professor Glyn Davis AC, Secretary of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, delivers a keynote address about great APS leadership. It was followed by a conversation with David Fredericks PSM, Secretary of the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, Natalie James, Secretary of the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations, and Peter Woolcott AO, the Australian Public Service Commissioner.

Discussed in this episode:
• Leadership behaviours that have helped the APS rise to the challenges of recent years. 
• Navigating leadership challenges in future APS reform.
• How to bring adaptive systems leadership to life.

EP#70: Rising to the Road Ahead

There has been a significant decline internationally in trust in democracies. Winning back people’s trust is a key challenge facing the Australian Government and its institutions. In the APS Reform agenda, the Australian Government aims to restore the trust of its people through four key priorities.

In this episode, we listen to the Minister for the Public Service, Senator the Hon. Katy Gallagher, reflect on the APS Reform agenda at the recent 2022 IPAA National Conference. Her address discusses the priorities in detail, and how the Australian Government will work towards achieving them.

Discussed in this episode:

• Priority 1: An APS that embodies integrity in everything it does,
• Priority 2: An APS that puts people and business at the centre of policy and services,
• Priority 3: An APS that is a model employer, and
• Priority 4: An APS that has the capability to do its job well.

EP#71: An Ambitious and Enduring APS Reform Plan

In this special re-run of one of our most popular episodes of 2022, we feature the late Brendan Sargeant, who was the Professor of Practice in Defence and Strategic Studies and Head of the Strategic and Defence Studies Centre at the Australian National University (ANU), former Associate Secretary of Defence, and long-time supporter and Deputy President of IPAA ACT. Professor Sargeant sadly passed away shortly after the recording of this episode, leaving a legacy of invaluable contributions to ANU, the Australian Public Service, the Australian Defence Force, the wider Canberra community and the nation.

Brendan was joined by Katherine Mansted, Director of Cyber Intelligence and Public Policy at CyberCX and Senior Fellow at the ANU National Security College.

Discussed in this episode:
• A rapidly changing Asia-Pacific region and its impact on Australia.
• Articulating difficult conversations to develop a robust sense of defence in a complex time.
• The impact of climate change on the strategic order.
• The APS response.

EP#72: Revisiting ‘Australia’s place in the Asia-Pacific’

EP#73: Revisiting 'What makes a great First Nations public servant?’

A podcast about the Australian Public Service, produced in a partnership between contentgroup and IPAA, with the support of the APS Commission.

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