Friday June 5, 2020
A National Perspective with Chris Eccles AO
The COVID-19 pandemic has tested the ability of Australian governments to respond effectively in a rapid, coordinated, and collaborative way.
In Victoria, the public service moved quickly: an incident management team was formed within the Health Department in late January, and by the first week in March an Emergency State Control Centre had been activated and a pandemic plan released. On March 15, the National Cabinet formed and met, and the following day a state of emergency was declared in Victoria. From that moment the Victorian Public Service (VPS) has been sprinting — the impact on service delivery was immediate, wholesale, and profound.
IPAA’s National President Dr Gordon de Brouwer PSM, sits down with the Secretary of the Department of Premier and Cabinet, Chris Eccles AO, to discuss:
- How the pandemic emerged and the impact on service delivery.
- The VPS adapting its engagement through a deep understanding of client experience.
- Victoria’s data-driven response.
- New missions leading to moral purpose and enabling ‘crash through’ of conventional portfolio structures.
- Benefits and challenges of having 80% of staff working from home.
- A heightened level of collaboration between ministerial offices and the public service.
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