It is time to end the consultancy gravy train and rebuild the public service

[Power Raid]

No, use an independent ombudsman

I like the ombudsmen model, especially to hold account larger organisations such as banks, insurance companies and telephone companies. I haven't seen an example in the government space where it works well. I'm not saying it doesn't exist but I can't think of one.

Having an ombudsmen for social welfare and health would be a great example of where is should be implemented if it isn't already.

 

[The Punter]

Yes

and

Yes, but rebuild does not necessarily mean "increase size". There is capacity the public service currently possesses that it does not need, and capacity it needs that it does not have.

 

[Episode IV]

What's this word salad?

The Public Service should be a staffed with employees, not consultants.
Those employees should work to a code of conduct which sets out clearly that their loyalty is to the People of Australia,
Not the politicians, not business, not an ideological economic model, not even the taxpayer, but the people they serve.

Mostly agreed, with the further condition that all public servants should have at least 10 years experience in the private sector before being eligible to apply for public sector jobs.

 

[peetoo]

Mostly agreed, with the further condition that all public servants should have at least 10 years experience in the private sector before being eligible to apply for public sector jobs.

Skills don’t always translate. And private sector recruit already trained people from public eg schools

 

[Rob R]

Mostly agreed, with the further condition that all public servants should have at least 10 years experience in the private sector before being eligible to apply for public sector jobs.

Probably better and more realistic to say Federal public servants can spend no more than five years in Canberra.

On SM-A125F using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[Episode IV]

Skills don’t always translate. And private sector recruit already trained people from public eg schools

Of course they don't always translate.
Being "eligible to apply" would imply at least some aptitude for the role, or experience in similar roles.
I'm not saying we should hire sandwich truck operators to supervise a call centre.

Yes, I know the private sector recruits directly from higher education. That's because the particular skills garnered from higher education are often directly related to what they're being recruited for - the mining industry, health, etc. You do not generally recruit a graduate psychologist to do non-destructive testing in the mining industry though. Employing someone as a data analyst or metering technician in the electricity industry, though, is different.

The public sector also recruits from higher education. They make a point of it... in most circumstances. There's also targeted recruiting. Merit (measured as a result of combined experience and qualification, at the very least) doesn't count for much anymore, I'm afraid.
One distinction that needs to be made between the government service sectors and and what is generally known as a government corporation (ostensibly for-profit, eg utilities), in which parts of the government corporation are service (retail, corporate) and some skills-based (infrastructure, scientific).

You also really need to clarify what you mean by "public service". Politician, meter technician, call centre worker - they're all Public Service roles, but often require completely different recruitment strategies and skillsets, where experience does play a greater or lesser role depending on the specific vocation.

Employing a public sector Centrelink worker straight out of school, for example, is not a good idea. Generally speaking and in my own direct experience (on both sides of the counter), they do not relate well to clients and have no idea at all of the circumstances in which many of their clients find themselves in. The "real world".
Far too often, you end up with the public servant everyone loves to hate - job for life, decent salary, prospects for promotion (trained for it) and often a serious lack of decision making skills - the latest efforts take away decision making almost entirely, as a result. That, sardonically speaking, is another reason we ended up with Robodebt.

Damned hard to get rid of them too, once they're in.
Don't know if you've ever seen "Utopia", with specific reference to Nat's constant battles with HR, but having been there and experienced it firsthand, I can tell you that it's real. That show sometimes came close to giving me PTSD.

 

[Episode IV]

I like the ombudsmen model, especially to hold account larger organisations such as banks, insurance companies and telephone companies. I haven't seen an example in the government space where it works well. I'm not saying it doesn't exist but I can't think of one.

Having an ombudsmen for social welfare and health would be a great example of where is should be implemented if it isn't already.

At least some do, and have done for years.
I've had direct experience with the Ombudsmen's office, and they're generally quite good at what they do, although sometimes hampered by having no direct experience with the mechanics of an organisation.

 

[Rusty Brookes]

While we're at it, Universities need to get out of the same cosy relationships. I work in the sector and I can honestly say, not a single project I've worked on has been enhanced in any way, shape or form by having these consultancies involved. They often don't understand the work, the data, the culture of higher education, etc. More and more managers are hiring consultancies - essentially because they are too scared, to get something wrong and actually do what they are paid to do which is manage. They want the big bucks and prestige without the risk - so farm out the work to a consultancy.

The universities spending millions on consultants like PwC

UNSW spent $38 million on consultants in 2022, while the University of Melbourne and the University of Queensland each paid out more than $37 million.

www.smh.com.au

 

[Crankyhawk]

just talking to ARENA recently and they said "silica for solar panels is not mined" "it just comes out of a box"

imagine trying to remedy this level of incompetence?

we've seen the backlash every time we see a government try and privatise a power station, reform the ABC or other departments. We see the challenges of removing police brutality and corruption in the ranks, the military murders of civilians and other war crimes...........and then silence.

There is enough body of evidence governments and government departments can not operate and self regulate. Having contractors who can be instantly dismissed, named and shamed and face the wrath of the regulator is a recipe for accountability.

Seems to be **** all regulation when it comes to big 4 accountants

 

[Demonic Ascent]

just talking to ARENA recently and they said "silica for solar panels is not mined" "it just comes out of a box"

imagine trying to remedy this level of incompetence?

we've seen the backlash every time we see a government try and privatise a power station, reform the ABC or other departments. We see the challenges of removing police brutality and corruption in the ranks, the military murders of civilians and other war crimes...........and then silence.

There is enough body of evidence governments and government departments can not operate and self regulate. Having contractors who can be instantly dismissed, named and shamed and face the wrath of the regulator is a recipe for accountability.

No, it's not accountability - it's an outsourcing of accountability. The incompetent executives/managers who hired them to do their job for them are still there and will hire the next lot. The next lot come in and the cycle starts over again. The contractors don't care, they just move on to the next cushy well paid gig with zero accountability.

I can honestly say, not a single project I've worked on has been enhanced in any way, shape or form by having these consultancies involved. They often don't understand the work, the data, the culture of higher education, etc. More and more managers are hiring consultancies - essentially because they are too scared, to get something wrong and actually do what they are paid to do which is manage. They want the big bucks and prestige without the risk - so farm out the work to a consultancy.

The universities spending millions on consultants like PwC

UNSW spent $38 million on consultants in 2022, while the University of Melbourne and the University of Queensland each paid out more than $37 million.

www.smh.com.au

Exactly!