IPAA ACT: IPAA SPEECHES 2019 now available

IPAA ACT has released its fourth collection of speeches delivered throughout the 2019 calendar year.

The book contains a selection of twelve speeches by government, public and private sector leaders that include the Hon Scott Morrison MP, Prime Minister of Australia; CEO of Microsoft, Satya Nadella in conversation with David Thodey AO; and a number of Departmental Secretaries and Agency Heads.

While each speech is grounded in the particular moment of its delivery, the address by Frances Adamson — Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and outgoing IPAA ACT President — on 12 August 2019, is one that speaks to the way Australian governments must work in responding to the tremendously serious challenges of 2020.

The title of her speech was ‘The Importance of Collaboration’ and she began by laying out the challenges of working in an increasingly complex world:

‘Around the world, there is growing disillusionment at what some see as the empty promises of liberalism and globalisation. Trust in democratic institutions is being eroded. At the same time, technology is drastically changing how we live and work.

The confluence of these forces raises the stakes for governments and, across out region for the officials who advise them and who implement policy. As challenges grow more complex and more difficult to meet, the ways we address them must become more sophisticated.’

Frances then provided detailed examples from the work of her own Department to illustrate those things she believes to be fundamental to the profession: trust, cooperation and inclusion.

Whether your interests lie in APS or departmental reform, the valedictory reflections of some of Australia’s longest-serving public sector leaders, the challenge of cybersecurity, or maximising value from data, IPAA Speeches 2019 has something for everyone with an interest in public administration.