On 19 February, IPAA ACT hosted a Valedictory address, featuring Ray Griggs, AO CSC, Secretary of the Department of Social Services where he shared his journey, and practical tips for public sector employees.

From enduring principles to fresh ideas, here are more key points from Ray Griggs, former Secretary of the Department of Social Services (DSS)‘s speech:

🗒️In these uncertain times, maintaining apolitical and impartial advice is crucial

🗒️stewardship is a collective value – it’s about collectively moving an organisation forward, enhancing its integrity

🗒️to succeed in a new organisation, you need to thoroughly understand its context

🗒️not being a deep expert can help you approach issues with a fresh perspective, and ask lots of questions

🗒️understand the human factors of a relationship with a minister to build trust and have difficult conversations

🗒️the pandemic proved what can be done if the public service breaks out of siloes

🗒️APY lands local leaders were key to the community response to COVID-19

🗒️Robodebt showcased a lack of curiosity, a lack of contesting the ideas being floated, a lack of collaboration among key agencies, and a lack of courage to call out what was happening

🗒️have the courage to do what’s right

🗒️AI needs to be used for improved citizen outcomes and efficiency

🗒️Understanding the source of the pain is important so that we can take steps to fix the things that we can

🗒️we’ve got more tools, but less headspace

🗒️to heal moral injury, you will need to create a supportive environment for your team and drive positive culture change. Yet, in some cases it may never heal.

Transcript – a copy of the transcript is here

Video – a video of the event is below or can be viewed on the IPAA ACT Vimeo channel.