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Behind the files, beneath the air conditioner and beside the water cooler lurk the real news stories of the Public Service and PS News editor Frank Cassidy has had his nose in the air, back to the wall, shoulder to the wheel and ear to the ground to dig them out. So, fresh from his physiotherapist here’s what he’s found out: PS-sssst...!Home truthAnd from our international files comes the groundbreaking, if not surprising, finding of a UK management improvement program that injected high-flying private sector managers into the PS to show pommy public servants how to manage properly. After a year of such injections the verdict is clear:- Flick the outsiders and develop internal PS talent. According to the Parliamentary Committee that evaluated the program, the best the private sector had to offer was no better – in fact was worse - than the PS already had. “They diluted core Public Service values and provided poor value for money,” the Committee reported. One of those “It seemed like a good idea at the time” moments? Moving response
A delight to report last month on the fundraising efforts of staff from the Queensland Department of Environment and Resource Management, doing their very generous bit to help the poor victims of the Haiti earthquake. Raising $4,000 in a day and a half was well worth shouting from the rooftops. But now, according to the Department’s Ross Buchanan, the germ of DERM’s Haitian fundraising effort has spread across the QPS with more Agencies taking the lead and lining up to contribute to the cause. “Thanks for covering our Haiti story last week,” Ross wrote in gratitude. “A few other worksites are now taking up the cause.” It was our pleasure, Ross. 3D or not 3D?
Saddest story of the year on ABC radio recently when a sorrowful caller rang in to say he would have loved to go to the movies to see the 3D version of the smash hit film Avatar but chose to save his money instead. Having lost an eye in an accident years ago, he didn’t think he’d appreciate the award-winning visual effects. Looks like the film makers could have a discrimination case to answer on the grounds of physical disability! Droughtbreaker
Always glad to find out what’s going on in the water authorities around the country with so much of the nation in the grip of drought and the need to conserve scarce resources so important, but special mention should be made of the lengths Melbourne Water is going to to encourage optimism in the future. In its most recent media release to skip across the PS News newsdesk the Victorian statutory authority joyfully proclaims that if we want more information we should call their media person who will be only too willing to help. And who would that person be? Why the delightfully and oh-so appropriately named Gavin Rainsford, that’s who! Who else would one ring at a drought-busting water authority? Common words
And finally, one to stretch the brain cells with. What do all these words have in common?
Correct answer next week and national recognition for the first correct answer received at competitions@psnews.com.au |
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management improvement program that injected high-flying private sector managers into the PS to show pommy public servants how to manage properly.
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