By regular contributor Ben Spies-Butcher (@sensibleBSB).
Read MoreCollaboration has been called 'the new normal', but is that necessarily a good thing? Today’s contribution comes from Professor Robyn Keast is the Chair of Collaborative Research Network Policy and Planning for Regional Sustainability, and located at the Southern Cross University.
Read MoreThis post is courtesy of Sophie Yates (@MsSophieRae), who posts about ANZSOG research on their blog
Read MoreWhat does cycling have to do with collaboration? A lot, it turns out. Today's contribution comes from Professor Robyn Keast is the Chair of Collaborative Research Network Policy and Planning for Regional Sustainability, and located at the Southern Cross University. Dr Brent Moyle works in Sustainable Tourism and Climate Change, Griffith University.
Read MoreWe often tend to blame our failure to address issues like climate change on the idiosyncrasies of leaders and bad leadership, say Mark Triffitt and Travers McLeod from the University of Melbourne in the article below (originally published at The Conversation). Instead, they suggest, we should look to the system itself and its "growing pattern of policy gridlock and dysfunction."
Read MoreA new video series is helping to educate the public about human rights without putting them to sleep. Marius Smith from the Castan Centre for Human Rights Law at Monash University explains how and why
Read MoreThe so-called Kable principle has imposed constitutional restrictions on the way States can use their courts and judges when designing law and order policies. In the article below, Dr Anna Olijnyk and Dr Gabrielle Appleby say the principle has been able to achieve important protections for individual rights, in a roundabout way. But they ask whether a lack of certainty and understanding about how it works is also making States too cautious in the justice arena.
Read MoreLast Monday I was lucky enough to get along to the John Freebairn Lecture in Public Policy at the University of Melbourne delivered this year by John Quiggin. On ‘Economic Policy for the 21st Century’ it was a great primer on current thinking about economic growth and provided an excellent preparation for making sense of the budget speeches later in the week.
Read MoreLinda Tirado is the author of Hand to Mouth: The truth about being poor in a wealthy world. In this guest post she explores the vast gulf between the ultra-wealthy and the poor in the US and asks whether trickle-down economics has achieved anything other than deliver more wealth to those who are already wealthy.
Read MoreSharing power is imperative to achieving shared responsibility in emergency management, according to an important recent report examining the aftermath of Victoria's catastrophic 2009 bushfires. Bridget Tehan, emergency management policy analyst at VCOSS, explores the implications for local communities and the services and government agencies that support them.
Read MoreWith more conferences and events happening each year, deciding on where to share your practice and research findings and where to seek professional development is challenging. It can help to know more about key conferences and how they may inform your work or be a vehicle to share your insights. In this post, Sue Olney (@olney_sue) gives us an overview of the International Research Society of Public Management Conference, and provides some highlights as well as links to interesting sessions
Read MorePublic submissions to Parliamentary Inquiries are routine for many not-for-profit (NFP) organisations. These Inquiries provide an opportunity for NFPs to contribute to public life and to advocate for the communities they work with, however the impact of submissions and the efficacy of Inquiry processes are largely unknown. In this post, Jacqueline Williams examines these important issues and provides recommendations for improving interactions between NFPs and Parliamentary Inquiries.
Read MoreHow will the latest Victorian government budget support the daily lives of its more vulnerable constituents? Denis Fitzgerald (@FitzgeraldDenis) from Catholic Social Services Victoria highlights promising funding changes in the new Labor budget and calls for community input to enhance the equity of future budgets.
Read MoreFor many women, part-time work offers a chance to combine child rearing with employment. Unfortunately, part-time work 'has become a ghetto of low-paid, low-skill, low-productivity employment'. In this post, Professor Silvia Walby argues that poor quality part-time work is not inevitable and shares solutions to the 'problem of women becoming trapped in low-paid, low-skill work after childbirth'.
This article originally appeared in Australian Policy Online @apooline @policynetwork
Read MoreWhat would it look like if policies were designed with gender equity and women's rights in mind? On a micro and macro level, would it help or hinder progress? A new report from UN Women calls for alternative policy and a human rights framework to support better outcomes for the whole of society, including the economy. @UN_Women @apoonline
Read MoreFor the uninitiated and even for those well established in the world of social policy, understanding the exact meaning of terms and how to use them precisely can stop you in your tracks and drive you to google.
Read MoreSubtle policy changes, such as changes to indexation rules, competition, and payments to providers, can be similar to direct attacks on public provision. Dr Ben Spies-Butcher (@SensibleBSB) looks at the example of the 'unwinding' of Australia's universal health system.
Read MoreThe transport and planning policies routinely touted by politicians won’t equip Australian cities to cope with projected growth. In this post, Dr Alan Davies (@MelbUrbanist) argues that much more fundamental, but politically difficult, actions are needed.
This article was first posted on Crikey's Urbanist blog on April 1, 2015.
Read MoreAusterity measures implemented across the OECD have led to substantial cuts to overseas aid and development budgets. In this post, Dr David Lansley discusses the opportunity this presents for international NGOs (INGOs) to rethink how they do development, by providing evidence of what works, contributing to national policies, and seeking innovative ways of combining public and private sector investment.
Read MoreThe Australian Council of Social Service is one ofthe few regular community sector voices in the tax debate in Australia. Dominated by tax experts and hip pocket commentary, those who know much about the social consequences of tax and spending, the communtiy sector, often don't speak up. This post from the Council to Homeless Persons @CHPvic, makes the case for other social policy experts to enter into the rhelm of taxation.
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