In photo: Professor Glyn Davis AC delivering the annual address to the APS at Hotel Realm

On 5 December, we held the Annual Address to the APS, delivered by Professor Glyn Davis AC, Secretary of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. The event was hosted by Katherine Jones, Secretary, Attorney-General’s Department and IPAA ACT President and closed by Dr Gordon de Brouwer PSM, Australian Public Service Commissioner.

Here are some key points from the event:

• disappointing news must be met by action
• it’s been a year of quiet, determined progress despite challenges
• cost of contracting has become more apparent over time
• there will be services, as now, for which government relies on competitive markets and external advice
• government needs to be a capable manager of contracts
• overseas examples of aged and child care, as well as hybrid social services, can serve as guard posts, even if they don’t translate exactly to the Australian context
• buying skills for some tasks will continue to be the right choice
• the 2023 review of MyGov, and work underway on digital identity, all point toward more citizen-focused service delivery. Here the public sector can shine.
• a place-based approach asks communities to lead
• for example, the Maranguka Just Reinvest program works because community sets priorities and directs expenditure
• we will never close the gap if public servants in Canberra think we can solve the housing, employment and educational challenges of Papunya
• services need to designed to build capability and resilience, focused on the whole person, grounded in community.

Transcript – Find the transcript here.
Video – Watch the recording of the event below. You may also view it on the IPAA ACT Vimeo channel.