Skip to content
Government Federal

APS must show it has changed by implementing the lessons from Robodebt: new report

Susan McKinnon Foundation 2 mins read

The Australian Public Service must use the Robodebt experience as a prompt to revisit its values and draw lessons for the future, according to a new report by the Susan McKinnon Foundation (SMF). 

 

Robodebt was a painful episode in Australia’s history, and to prevent a recurrence, its lessons must be embedded in the daily practices of the Australian Public Service. A new report by the Susan McKinnon Foundation synthesizes the ten key lessons from Robodebt, based on a direct analysis of the Royal Commission transcripts. 

 

The Susan McKinnon Foundation partnered with Professor Emeritus Richard Mulgan to analyse the findings of the Royal Commission into the Robodebt Scheme. 

 

The report finds the Royal Commission offers unique opportunities to reflect on the distinctive contribution and responsibility of the APS, particularly with regard to its culture. It offers ten overarching and current lessons for public servants from Robodebt:  

 

1. Lawfulness is a bedrock value for public servants 

2. Truthfulness is a bedrock value for public servants 

3. Public servants should keep an accurate record of significant events and advice 

4. Hasten slowly 

5. Department leaders should set a proper balance between responsiveness to ministers and independence from them 

6. Cooperation and collegiality are essential to good administration 

7. Other APS departments and agencies should be treated as colleagues not rivals 

8. Public servants should welcome input from non-government stakeholder organisations 

9. Public servants should build a culture of openness and accountability 

10. Public servants should be openly accountable to individual members of the public to whom they are providing services 

 

“The Robodebt Scheme was a dark chapter in the history of Australian public administration,” said Professor Mulgan.  

 

“A critical element of the failure was the culture of the public servants involved, particularly at the more senior levels. Their behaviour fell short of the standards expected of a professional career public service as outlined in the APS values and Code of Conduct.   

 

“These collective weaknesses predated the Robodebt Scheme and remain embedded in the APS culture after the scheme's abolition.   

 

“The Robodebt experience has now been clinically dissected by the Commission, but the APS response should not be restricted to dry structural reforms. There is a real need to revisit and reinforce APS values and improve the culture so damaging programs like Robodebt are nipped in the bud.” This new paper provides constructive guidance for current public service practitioners and an easy to read guide including relevant examples and evidence from the Royal Commission transcripts. 

 

Full report

 


About us:

The Susan McKinnon Foundation (SMF) is dedicated to strengthening Australia's democracy and enhancing public administration. Their goal is for Australian governments to be more effective, transparent and accountable. The foundation supports practical programs that deliver tangible progress and their work is motivated solely by the long-term public good. Their approach is non-partisan and is undertaken in cooperation with all sides of politics.


Contact details:

Anil Lambert 0416 426 722 / anil@hortonadvisory.com.au

More from this category

  • Government Federal, Medical Health Aged Care
  • 04/10/2024
  • 09:58
Doctors Reform Society

Greens Primary Health Care Policy: A Welcome Change of Direction

The Doctors Reform Society of AustraliaPO Box 591Ermington NSW 1700ph (02) 9613 8305fax (02) 9613 8305 drs@drs.org.au Greens Policy: A Change indirection for Primary Health Care “Whilst the new Greens policies to support Medicare item numbers and bulk billing incentives would bring some immediate relief to patients struggling to access affordable primary care, it is the longer-term goal of establishing entirely public Primary Health Care centres that could be the gamechanger our health care system badly needs” says Dr Scott Douglas, President of the Doctors Reform Society. “Fee-for-service is not an efficient or equitable approach to providing high quality health…

  • Government Federal
  • 02/10/2024
  • 19:01
Older Persons Advocacy Network (OPAN)

PEAK ADVOCACY BODY: MANDATED CARE MINUTES “THE BARE MINIMUM”

MEDIA RELEASE Wednesday, 2 October 2024 PEAK ADVOCACY BODY: MANDATED CARE MINUTES “THE BARE MINIMUM” The Older Persons Advocacy Network (OPAN) has described reports that aged care providers are failing to meet mandated care minute targets as “deeply troubling”. “It’s been a year since the mandatory target of 200 minutes of direct care per day per aged care resident came into effect,” said OPAN CEO Craig Gear OAM. And now from 1 October, it is expected thatagedcare providers increase their care minutes to an average of 215 minutes per resident, per day,including at least 44 minutes of care provided by…

  • Contains:
  • Education Training, Government Federal
  • 02/10/2024
  • 17:28
Speaker of the House of Representatives

Speaker takes Parliament to the Gold Coast

Tomorrow, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Honourable Milton Dick MPis on the Gold Coast, as part of theParliament in Schoolsprogram. Students will learn about federation, democracy and theAustralian Parliament, as well as hear first-hand from the Speaker and their local member on what a typical day looks like in their electorate and when they are in Parliament House for sitting weeks. The Speaker will be visiting Marymount Catholic Primary School in Burleigh Waters with theHon Karen Andrews MP, Member for McPhersonand Ashmore State School in Ashmore withMs Angie Bell MP, Member for Moncrieff. Quotes attributable to the…

Media Outreach made fast, easy, simple.

Feature your press release on Medianet's News Hub every time you distribute with Medianet. Pay per release or save with a subscription.