How a national Aboriginal health authority used social media to bridge the divide and Close the Gap

In the lead up to 2013 federal election, NACCHO (the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation) developed a comprehensive social media/Twitter based political campaign built around the simple key message that “Investing in Aboriginal Community Controlled Health makes economic sense”.

Colin Cowell was NACCHO’s National Communications and Media Advisor from 2012-2014. In the post below he outlines the aims and impact of that campaign. Chosen earlier this year as Radio National's Twitterati of the Week, he also offers '8 tips for tweeting your next health event' and some key questions to consider to guide your social media efforts.

Policy and governancePower to Persuade20 November 2014networked governance

In defence of the 21st century public servant

What is it about a discourse that conjures up "archaic days of cardigan wearing, typewriter tapping, pen pushing public servants" who are resistant to change? Public policy adviser and lecturer Maria Katsonis looks to the past and the future to speak in defence of the 21st century public servant.

Policy and governancePower to Persuade19 November 2014policy making

Civil society says G20 growth must look to inclusive, balanced, string, sustainable outcomes

The G20 forum closed in Australia on Sunday, with agreements to close multinational tax loopholes, boost growth and infrastructure spending, improve trade, step up climate change action, strengthen banks, and better respond to the Ebola outbreak in west Africa.

The G20 brought with it a number of partner meetings, which have delivered their responses to the official communique: See the statements from L20 (labour) and B20 (business).

See below for the full statement from the C20 (or ‘Civil Society 20’).

Policy and governancePower to Persuade18 November 2014politics and democracy

Whats the problem? ComplexITY and social policy

The push to collaborate has increased the complexity of the policy-making and policy-implementation processes.

To collaborate effectively, the right supports and platforms are necessary. In this post, Dr Gemma Carey from Australian National University reflects on this problem, and what she and others are doing to remedy it.

Creating using evidence, Policy and governanceDr. Gemma Carey16 November 2014policy research, policy making

The future of welfare: Social policy no longer the 'Poor Cousin'

I was fortunate to chair Day Two of The Conversation\ Informa ‘Future of Welfare’ conference on October 31st. It showcased what is emerging as a brave new world of social policy research and advocacy in Australia. As Labor MP Jenny Macklin observed in the concluding address to the conference: social policy is no longer ‘the Poor Cousin’ to economic policy in the Australian political scene. What struck me as distinctive features of this brave new world?

The progressive ideals behind Open Government Data are being used t further interests of the neoliberal state.

The LSE Impact Blog knows the secret to brightening any Monday...a bit of neoliberalism and Big Data.

A range of social actors are pushing for Open Government Data, from open research advocates to the private sector, resulting in a complex and contested landscape. Jo Bates examines recent developments on how the government have been able to use the rhetoric of transparency for political ends, paving the way for the implementation of long term austerity. She argues we cannot make assumptions about the benefits of ‘openness’ and must continue to revisit the data infrastructure and governance framework.

Policy and governancePower to Persuade27 October 2014politics and democracy

Negative stereotypes and evidence-based policy

Cynicism has been creeping into debates over evidence-based policy. We've certainly noticed this in the last two PTP symposiums, with speakers urging a more realistic adoption of 'informed policy'. Below,Kathryn Oliver, Simon Innvær, Theo Lorenc, Jenny Woodman, andJames Thomas examine some of the on-going barriers to evidence-based (and even evidence-informed) policy. This post originally appeared on the LSE Impact Blog.

Sponsored policy research: getting the right balance between academic policy and its 'usefulness'

This post originally appeared on Professor Christina Boswell's personal blog, but we felt it was highly relevant in Australia particularly given the recently announced review of the ARC's Cooperative Research Centre program. Christina in a Professor of Politics at the University of Edinburgh, her research explores the use of knowledge in policymaking and politics.

A closer look at policy targeting and its role in addressing inequality

Policy that targets those groups most in need is the fairest way to distribute limited resources, right? Not necessarily, writes Dr Gemma Carey.

What do we do when the public services market fails?

What happens when outsourced contractors are no longer able or willing to continue with the provision of public services? In this post below from the London School of Economics and Political Science blog British Politics and Policy, Bob Hudson explores the downsides of outsourcing public services and writes that public services should be seen as something more than a contract put out to the market to secure ‘value for money’.

Policy and governancePower to Persuade17 October 2014markets in public services

From Choice to voice in Social Service Reform

In his latest Social Policy Whisperer column below, Prof. Paul Smyth from the University of Melbourne says we should not be looking for advice on the future of our social services from a quasi market perspective.

The future of the public service: generalist or specialist roles?

The 21st Century Public Servant project is examining the major changes occurring for public servants and the concomitant skill and knowledge base required to adjust to them. These include cuts to budgets, increased localisation, greater demands for service user voice and control, increased public expectations and a mixed economy of welfare provision. The project builds on the findings of the 2011 University of Birmingham Policy Commission into the ‘Future of Local Public Services’ which identified the need to pay attention to the changing roles undertaken by public servants and the associated support and development needs.It is a Knowledge Exchange project funded by the Economic and Social Research Council in partnership with Birmingham City Council.

This year, Associate Professor Helen Dickinson (@drhdickinson) and Professor Helen Sullivan (@helenCsullivan) from the Melbourne School of Government have been conducting a number of interviews in Australia exploring similar issues to the English project. Below, Helen provides some early reflections from this analysis (first published on the 21C blog). Their findings suggest that soft skills (communication, brokering and so on) are increasingly critical for an effective public sector.

Policy and governanceDr. Gemma Carey9 October 2014policy making

Embracing the messy: systems-thinking in public policy

In many fields, from healthcare to social policy, we are experiencing a renaissance when it comes to embracing the ‘messy’. ‘Systems thinking’ – where we learn to look beyond objects to embrace the relationships between them and the messy ‘whole’ they create – has seen significant advances in recent years, particularly in relation to how we can extend these concepts from the natural sciences to explore social problems, such as obesity, crime and tobacco control. Below, a real life story of what systems thinking can bring to public policy provided by Joseph A. Curtatone and Mark Esposito (and first shared on the LSE Impact Blog). For more on systems thinking check out 'Systems Change' and 'Thinking in Systems'.

Policy and governancePower to Persuade7 October 2014policy making

Harper Review needs to consider the consumer experience of competition

Where is the voice of the consumer when it comes to opening up markets and enabling greater 'choice'? Following on from Paul Smyth's critique of the Harper Review, @gerardbrody from @consumer_action considers the limitations of competition and market theories as they apply to consumer behaviour, and the distinct lack of voice of consumers in the review.

Policy and governanceProfessor Paul Smyth26 September 2014markets in public services

Social Policy Whisperer - "We are only Economists": The Draft Report of the Competition Policy Review

Reviewing the health of the social sectors requires an appreciation of social work, political science and sociology theories. Why then , is it left in the hands of economists? Social Policy Whisperer, Prof Paul Smyth, shares his reflections on the Competition Policy Review.

Forge ahead to have a place at the table: the community sector and policy change

Policy and governance, AdvocacyPower to Persuade23 September 2014community sector, communication

Power to Persuade: a Twitter guide to social policy change and challenge

The third annual Power to Persuade symposium was held in Melbourne this week. Thanks to Susan Maury, Social Policy Researcher at Good Shepherd Youth and Family Service for putting together this comprehensive Twitter account of the day. Click the Storify link below if you missed or would like to refresh your memory of the conversations the event generated, in the room and beyond.

Policy and governancePower to Persuade19 September 2014cross-sector relationships, susan maury

Finding the power and principles to persuade: synopsis of a symposium

The third annual Power to Persuade symposium was hosted in Melbourne this week, featuring Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS) CEO Cassandra Goldie, education and marketing commentator Jane Caro, and author James Button, plus panels of experts from across the academic, community and public sectors.

Policy and governancePower to Persuade16 September 2014cross-sector relationships

The lifecycle of policy bubbles

Moshe Maor is Professor of Political Science at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. This article is drawn from a paper published in the Governance Journal. You can also check out his ECPR workshop on policy bubbles here.

Policy and governancePower to Persuade12 September 2014policy making

Social Policy Whisperer: A Slap across the face for the voluntary sector?

Few issues could be of more importance to Power to Persuade readers than the current crisis in Australia’s voluntary welfare sector. Its epicentre is Victoria in the wake of the early implementations of the Shergold report but its reach is bound to be national as other state and federal governments look to the social service marketization template being proffered in the Competition Policy Review. I offered my academic take on this development in ‘The Lady Vanishes Australia’s Disappearing Voluntary Sector’ and wont revisit that here. However the paper led to a range of engagements and discussions with people from the sector and it is that experience which I would like to share.

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