The Institute of Public Administration Australia’s (IPAA) Sam Richardson Award for the most influential paper published in the Australian Journal of Public Administration in 2021 goes to Professor Richard Mulgan from ANU Crawford School of Public Policy for his paper ‘Regulating the post-employment of public officials: Australian experience in an international context’.

The Institute of Public Administration Australia (IPAA) is pleased to announce the shortlisted articles for the 2021 Sam Richardson Award.

The Editors of the Australian Journal of Public Administration (AJPA) have provided the six papers they believe to have been the most influential papers published in 2021.

IPAA Northern Territory recently hosted the 2022 Hawkes Oration, “Indigenous co-design: opportunities, challenges and risks”, which was delivered by Professor Ruth Wallace, Dean of the College of Indigenous Futures, Education & the Arts and Director of the Northern Institute at Charles Darwin University.

The Hawkes Oration is named after and honours long-serving IPAA NT President, David Hawkes, who made a significant contribution to the work of the IPAA NT, and also played a major role in the development of public administration in the Territory.

IPAA is delighted to announce Professor Renée Leon PSM FIPAA, Vice-Chancellor and President of Charles Sturt University has taken on the role of IPAA National President effective 1 July 2022. Her expertise in leadership, extensive experience in Commonwealth and State public administration and ongoing commitment to IPAA positions her to assume this important role.

On Thursday 23 June 2022, IPAA hosted the inaugural Frances Adamson Oration, to mark United Nations Public Service Day. The Oration, supported by Boston Consulting Group, was delivered by Her Excellency the Honourable Frances Adamson AC, Governor of South Australia, who reflected on and celebrated the critical role played by the public service and the institutional and individual integrity, resilience, and challenges in the service.

Having accepted the role of Secretary for Public Sector Reform, I will be stepping down as National President of IPAA on 30 June 2022. I have been honoured to serve as President, speaking as a voice for the public sector across Australia and promoting the value of public service. It has been a pleasure to work with IPAA Divisions and staff on initiatives that have strengthened the focus and professionalism of the organisation.

Congratulations to Dr Damian West, the ACT Government’s Deputy Director-General, Workforce Capability and Governance, IPAA ACT Councillor and IPAA National Secretary, for being awarded a Public Service Medal (PSM) in the Queen’s Birthday 2022 Honours List.

Australia is mourning the loss of John ‘JR’ Nethercote, who passed away in early May 2022 at the age of 74.

A renowned political historian, public servant and expert on government administration and parliament, John was known amongst his many friends and colleagues as an outgoing, exuberant character, who was generous with his time and expertise. John had an unquenchable desire to learn and to be better informed.

IPAA is delighted to announce a new annual oration to be named after Her Excellency the Honourable Frances Adamson AC, Governor of South Australia and delivered on the United Nations Public Service Day.

Kenneth Norman Jones AO CBE passed away on 19 January, aged 97. A Commonwealth public servant for 44 years, he was instrumental in guiding and implementing the policies of successive governments that led to Commonwealth involvement at all levels of Australia’s education system.

The vast majority of public servants behave respectfully and civilly to their colleagues. But the surveys show bullying is significantly more widespread than codes of conduct or workers’ compensation claims suggest. Dr Gordon de Brouwer explores bullying and harassment in public sector workplaces across Australia.

Emeritus Professor Roger Wettenhall AM passed away on 20 January 2022. An academic with a fervent passion for the study and practice of public administration in Australia, Roger was integral to the formation of a national IPAA body, and the administration of IPAA’s activities. His commitment to the growth of IPAA as a vibrant and valuable institution that serves its members and the wider public sector will not be forgotten.

We’re pleased to announce the selection of the new AJPA Editorial Team for 2022-24, who will continue to lift the AJPA readership and increase its accessibility and visibility amongst researchers, practitioners and students.

IPAA has released its National Strategic Plan 2021-2025. Developed by IPAA’s National Council in consultation with IPAA’s eight Divisions, the plan provides a framework to realise our vision of enriching our offerings at a national level, building stronger connections and increasing membership across each jurisdiction.

Nominations for IPAA Victoria’s 2021 Top 50 Public Sector Women are now open! Now is the time to acknowledge and celebrate exceptional women across the public sector who exemplify leadership, commitment and strength in these challenging times.

The Australia Statistician, Dr David Gruen, will join Australia Post’s Fiona da Silva in a conversation on connection and collaboration for service transformation as part of the 2021 IPAA National Conference in Brisbane and live streamed on 14–15 October 2021.

Dr Alex Antic — one of Australia’s Top 5 Analytics Leaders — will speak at the 2021 IPAA National Conference, Riding the Wave of Service Transformation, being held in Brisbane on 14–15 October 2021.

Dr David Rock, the Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the NeuroLeadership Institute, will deliver a keynote address at the 2021 IPAA National Conference, Riding the Wave of Service Transformation, being held in Brisbane on 14–15 October 2021.

Lumachain CEO and Founder Jamila Gordon will deliver the opening keynote address at the 2021 IPAA National Conference, Riding the Wave of Service Transformation, being held in Brisbane on 14–15 October 2021.

Distinguished Professor Genevieve Bell AO will deliver the Garran Oration at the 2021 IPAA National Conference, Riding the Wave of Service Transformation, being held in Brisbane on 14–15 October 2021. Early bird tickets on sale now.

The Institute of Public Administration Australia is seeking expressions of interest from qualified public administration academics to take on the editorship of the Australian Journal of Public Administration from 1 January 2022.

The Australian Government is inviting feedback on proposals for the Indigenous Voice. The proposals were the focus of a recent discussion between Professor Tom Calma AO and Letitia Hope at a webinar on Indigenous Voice hosted by IPAA ACT.

Trust, fairness, influence and reform are just some of the themes explored by a diverse range of Australian and international authors in the March issue of the Australian Journal of Public Administration.

A new animation explaining the membership and role of the proposed National Voice was played to attendees at an Indigenous Voice webinar hosted recently by the Centre for Social Impact.

IPAA will be calling for expressions of interest in June from interested parties to take over the editorship of the Australian Journal of Public Administration from 1 January 2022, with the current editors stepping down after two terms.

The outstanding service and contribution of Erma Ranieri, Commissioner for Public Sector Employment with the South Australian Government, has been recognised in the Australia Day 2021 Honours list with a Public Service Medal.

The latest issue of Public Sector | Rāngai Tūmatanui — produced by the Institute of Public Administration New Zealand — is now available.

The latest estimates of public sector employment and earnings in Australia were released last month by the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

Change, reform and transparency are themes explored by a diverse range of Australian and international authors in the latest issue of the Australian Journal of Public Administration.

Senator the Hon Linda Reynolds CSC will launch ‘Lead the Way’, the new Defence Transformation Strategy, at a live streamed online event hosted by IPAA ACT on 27 November 2020, beginning at 9.30 am. Registration to attend the event are now open.

Canberra-based Government communication agency, contentgroup, will host the world’s first virtual government communications conference, the GovComms Festival, on 17 November 2020. This latest initiative by contentgroup — IPAA ACT’s digital content partner — will examine the impact on communications of the COVID-19 pandemic and is part of a collaboration supported by the OECD and the European Commission.

Nine new National Fellows of the Institute of Public Administration Australia (IPAA) have been announced by National President, Dr Gordon de Brouwer PSM. The award is made annually to individuals who have made outstanding contributions to public service and to IPAA, a tradition dating back to 1983.

The Hon Greg Hunt MP, Minister for Health and Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Public Service and Cabinet, will deliver the 2020 Garran Oration on 21 October 2020. Register now to watch online.

Caroline Walsh, a career public servant, recently joined IPAA ACT as its new CEO, taking the wheel from outgoing CEO Drew Baker.

IPAA Queensland, in partnership with McKinsey & Co, is hosting a live webinar on Tuesday 22 September, 3.00–4.00 pm (AEST) which will explore the development, manufacture, supply chain and delivery challenge in effectively vaccinating Australians against COVID-19.

The first digital Australian Government Style Manual promises to make government communication a whole lot clearer. Your feedback is sought to make the beta version even better before the Style Manual goes live later in 2020.

Jennifer Menzies from the Policy Innovation Hub at Griffith University will be facilitating a free webinar next week on caretaker conventions in Westminster Systems as part of IPAA Queensland and Griffith University’s Challenger Seminar Series.

The 2020 Public Sector Innovation Awards were announced last week in Canberra by David Fredericks PSM, Secretary of the Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources, at a ceremony which was live streamed from Questacon.

Dr Jo Cribb — one of the youngest people ever appointed as a chief executive in the New Zealand public service — will be presenting a new three-part ANZSOG webinar series, ‘Leading People Through Disruption’, starting 25 August 2020.

IPAA will partner with the ANU College of Law in the delivery of a free webinar on ‘Free speech at work: Folau, Banerji and beyond?’ to be held on Wednesday 22 July 2020. An impressive panel will explore the issue and consider how it might be possible to reconcile employees’ speech rights with the interests of employers.