public service

Image: 'paranoia' by katiew

Sometimes the best thing you can share is real life advice you've given someone. What follows is an email [almost verbatim] I sent to someone who asked me about the blurring line between professional and personal lives online (emphasis added): My first impression is that this [person] is doing something awesome [online]; and that I wish...[read more]

We often talk about the professional values of the public service - honesty, integrity, respect, courtesy, care and responsibility. These professional values comprise a major part of the Australian Public Service's (APS) Code of Conduct, and similarly are prominent in many public service codes and charters in Australia and around the...[read more]

One thing that really came out of the social media strategy seminar we ran last week was that it’s vital for an organisation to have a decent handle on just why they want to be doing this stuff. I think we’ve reached the point now where most organisations understand the power and reach of emerging social technology, and get the fact...[read more]

During incidents, everyone counts on cops to be quick, strong and competent. But overall, we should also hope they’re familiar with science, math and technology concepts. Every day, we’re seeing significant advances in technology and it’s critical for public safety personnel to understand the many helpful tools rapidly becoming...[read more]

A matter I've been mulling over for some time has been whether Australian public servants should comment on the operations of other government departments - at whatever jurisdictional level. I am aware of several cases where individual public servants have commented on a difficult personal situation they experienced with another...[read more]

This weekend I took some time to read through The Clerk of the Privy Council’s Action Plan for ‘renewing’ the public service and I have only one thing to say: let’s get on with it! Isn’t it obvious from the chuckles, eye-rolling and downright mean things that people say about gov folks that changes are critical?! As our  senior most...[read more]

How should social media be incorporated into a PR degree? I was speaking to a group of college students the other day about SMCEDU, and I asked them, “how many of you are learning about social media in your communications classes?”  About a third of them raised their hands and said that they’ve discussed the impact of social media...[read more]