Getting on with Government 2.0 - Department of Finance and ...

The advisory group will deliver a blueprint for reform of Australian Government administration
by early 2010. The blueprint will outline steps needed to rejuvenate the APS and enable it to
serve the government of the day in addressing the challenges facing Australia in the 21 st century.
The advisory group has released a discussion paper that canvasses a number of issues and raises
a series of questions for discussion with the Australian people and public service. 61 The Moran
Review has an aspiration to create the ‘world’s best public service’ striving to put ‘Australia and
Australians at the centre of everything we do’. Web 2.0 tools and approaches provide one of
the most powerful ways of achieving that goal. Government 2.0 can provide Australians with
unprecedented opportunities to collaborate in a wide range of functions of government and
to be more actively consulted about others.
2.2.1.2 Reform of the National Innovation System
The report on the Review of the National Innovation System, Venturous Australia — Building
Strength in Innovation (the Cutler Review), was released by the Minister for Innovation, Industry,
Science and Research, Senator the Hon Kim Carr, on Tuesday, 9 September 2008. 62
The report identified that Australia’s innovation system requires renewal, refurbishment,
recasting and, where necessary, re-imagining. The report included 72 recommendations.
The report also covers areas viewed as critical for improving the innovation system, such as
human capital, innovation in the public sector, government procurement, and governance issues.
This review impacts directly on the work of the Government 2.0 Taskforce. The review
made recommendations relating to innovation and the use of Web 2.0 technology in the
broad economy and in government. These have directly influenced the considerations of the
Government 2.0 Taskforce.
2.2.1.3 Advancing public sector innovation
As a government response to the Review of the National Innovation System, 63 the Department of
Innovation, Industry, Science and Research (Innovation) is leading a cross-government project to
investigate how to advance innovation within and by the public sector under the auspices of the
Management Advisory Committee (MAC). The project is expected to report to the MAC by the
end of 2009. 64
61 Reform of Australian Government Administration: Building the world’s best public service, available
at http://www.dpmc.gov.au/consultation/aga_reform/docs/reform_aust-govt_admin.pdf or
http://tinyurl.com/yfuaq55. The paper indicates that the advisory group’s discussion will be framed by the
government’s stated expectations of the public service:
1. Having a values-driven culture that retains public trust
2. Providing high-quality, forward-looking and creative policy advice
3. Delivering high-quality programs and services that put the citizen first
4. Providing flexible and agile responses to changing realities and government priorities
5. Being effective and efficient in all operations.
The discussion paper also notes that:
The fundamental purpose of the APS has remained constant (since federation). With strong roots in the
Westminster system, the APS:
●●
●●
serves the government of the day, including by striving to be a professional and rational advocate of ideas that
are in the best long-term interests of Australia
fulfils important accountability responsibilities, through ministers, to the Parliament
●●
serves the public, within the policy and program framework determined by the government.
62 http://www.innovation.gov.au/innovationreview.
63 http://www.innovation.gov.au/innovationreview.
64 See http://www.dpmc.gov.au/consultation/aga_reform/index.cfm for detailed information.
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Engage: <strong>Getting</strong> on with Government 2.0 | report of the government 2.0 taskforce