Knowledge is the key to progress, and progress is necessary within the public sector in overcoming new challenges. Public Spectrum is wrapping up the insights it has received from thought leaders this year, from how cyber breaches can wreak havoc to the costs hiring the wrong individual can cause within the public sector. 

Check out the opinion content contributed to our channel from our community of public sector subject matter experts: 

World’s biggest cyber breach 

Early warnings have been made this year in regards to cyber-attacks across the country. According to cyber security expert and MD of Network Overdrive Greg Clarkson’s article “World’s biggest cyber breach set to wreak havoc in Australia NFP sector”, the ‘Apache Log4j’ issue has yet to reveal the depth of destruction it will cause to Australian infrastructure. As such, he shared his knowledge that local organisations including NFPs should brace themselves for huge disruption.    

Ways to support public sector women 

While there has been an increase in women working within the public sector, most still face barriers that prevent them from progressing in their careers. Visibility Co-Director Julia May laid out the three things that women in the public sector need to step up and lead in her article “Three practical ways you can support public sector women in 2022”.   

Is procurement mightier than the sword 

The last few years have seen significant disruption within the supply chain and, by extension, the ability of organisations to procure the goods and services that they need. In APCC Chair Glenn Bain’s article “Will world leaders find procurement is mightier than the sword?“, he explained that organisations should look towards establishing a ‘sustainable’ and ‘socially responsible’ public procurement. 

Ethical data use 

Digital transformation provides enormous opportunities for governments to serve citizens more effectively. Ania Karzek stated in her piece “Ethical Data Use Supporting Digital Transformation” that the vision of personalised and proactive digital services must be considered through a broad lens of ethics and information safety. 

Australia’s move from coal 

Australia’s transition from coal power to renewable energy generation is too slow. Head of Sector Standards, Global Reporting Initiative Mia d’Adhamar wrote in her article “Moving on from coal is a systemic challenge for Australia” that equipping communities, stakeholders and the nation with the information needed for an open debate on the impacts of the energy sector’s transparency is a prerequisite. 

EAs in the hybrid workplace 

Working days as EAs were very different compared to how they are now. In the article “How EAs can become truly effective in the hybrid workplace”, Executive Assistant (EA) to the Lord Mayor at City of Parramatta Council Lucinda Terry elaborated that EAs need to be intentional, purposeful, and strategic in the ways that they communicate, prioritise tasks, and support their Executives.   

High impact leadership 

When disruption at the workplace happens, employees usually look towards their leaders for guidance. Director and Co-Founder of Arman Consultancy Arpan Roy shared his knowledge in his article “High Impact Leadership: The 3 Elements of Managing Disruption” on the three key elements that are game changers in managing disruption in one’s environment. 

Australia’s migration policy 

Australia is seeing a massive skills shortage in various sectors, prompting the government to focus on its migration policy to attract more skilled workers from overseas. AMES Australia CEO Cath Scarth wrote in her article “Smart migration policy can help rebuild our nation” that skilled migration must be at the centre of efforts to solve Australia’s skills shortage and the economic implications that come with it. 

Costs of a Hiring Mistake 

Sometimes it is difficult to remove a poor performer when one is working within the public sector. In “The Hidden Costs of a Hiring Mistake”, Dr Ken Byrne explained that making a hiring mistake can not only affect productivity at work but also relationships between employees and management. 

As the public sector faces new challenges, insights from various areas within the sector will be helpful to those who need it. And while another chapter closes, Public Spectrum will be returning next year with more knowledge and insights that can help the public sector grow and improve. 

For updates and access to the whole list of op-eds, visit our Opinion page. Send us a message today if you’d like to contribute to our learning community. 

Eliza Sayon

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Eliza is a content producer and editor at Public Spectrum. She is an experienced writer on topics related to the government and to the public, as well as stories that uplift and improve the community.

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