Workshops
Monday 26th July, 2010
Thursday 29th July, 2010

While much policy work involves adhering to clear routines, innovation is needed to respond to new issues and to tackle existing problems in ways that improve delivery and reduce costs. Innovation means seeing issues from different perspectives, connecting to current trends, applying the latest knowledge to problems and thinking ahead. There are, however, many barriers to innovation - organisational, professional and political, that are sometimes exacerbated in a public sector environment. Innovation is affected by organisational culture and leadership and the nature of the policy problem and environment. Understanding and managing these is the first step to being a more innovative policy player. More important, is the need for practitioners to be take some responsibility and to develop the skills to be innovative in all phases of policy development.

This workshop will focus on:

• The meaning of innovation in public policy
• Barriers and opportunities to innovation in the public sector
• Diagnosing innovative policy options
• Developing processes and strategies to promote innovation
• Developing specific skills to act innovatively
• Appreciating the boundaries of innovation in particular policy

Expert Facilitator:

Scott Prasser is a professor of public policy at the Australian Catholic University. Scott has worked in senior public service advisory roles in State and Commonwealth Government departments as well as in Ministers' offices. Scott has held branch director positions in the Departments of Premier and Cabinet, State Development, Tourism, Small Business and Industry and Welfare Services. In these roles, Scott was responsible for delivering programs to target groups that required properly developed marketing strategies to ensure program take up and minimise resistance and political controversy. Scott has also reviewed government programs and developed new policy proposals based around their ability to be implemented.

According to the ANAO's Better Practice Guide to Public Sector Innovation, innovation is the application of new ideas to produce better outcomes. While there's no shortage of innovative ideas, organisational cultures, time pressures, resource constraints and growing external scrutiny, this can often mean that these ideas fall by the wayside. With the Prime Minister's push for greater policy innovation, the question now facing public servants is: how do we improve innovation performance in a challenging environment? This highly practical workshop will assist you in doing this. Built around the ANAO's Better Practice Guide, the workshop will explore:

• Innovation and risk management
• A model for facilitating and managing innovation
• Managing time pressures and external scrutiny to ensure innovation in policy development
• Case study examples of the development of innovative policies and programs

Expert Facilitator:

Grahame Cook PSM is a Director of his own consulting company, which specialises in strategic and policy advice and capability development. Major clients include the Australian National Audit Office, The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation and the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations. Previously, Grahame enjoyed a long career in the Australian Public Service, including as a Deputy Secretary in the Departments of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations and Education, Science and Training, and senior executive service positions in the departments of Prime Minister and Cabinet, Industry and Environment. He has worked in a diverse range of policy and program areas including education, science and innovation, industry policy, natural resource management, and micro-economic reform. Grahame has extensive experience in whole-of-government, cross-jurisdictional and taskforce work. He has represented Australia in a number of international forums.