Social Service Futures: The Marketisation of Healthcare Services: when political mantras win out over evidence and patients’ needs

In its November 2015 response to the Harper Competition Policy Review (CPR), the Australian Government stated its intention to commission a Productivity Commission review to explore how competition principles can be applied in practice to the human services sector. This further review has not yet been implemented – it’s not clear if there has even been any consultation with the states and territories on the terms of reference – and it’s unlikely to be put forward as a Liberal National Party (LNP) campaign issue in the looming federal election, but if the Turnbull Government is returned, we can expect to see the topic of the marketisation of healthcare services reappear.

Social Service FuturesPower to Persuade7 April 2016dr lesley russell

Considering politics of evidence

Today’s post is from Lanie Stockman, Outcomes and Evaluation Specialist at Good Shepherd Australia New Zealand, asking us to consider the power dynamics behind the ‘results mantra’ in social service provision.

Creating using evidenceLanie Stockman7 April 2016evidence-based policy

SAVE THE DATE! POWER TO PERSUADE SYMPOSIUM 15TH AND 16TH AUGUST 2016

Policy and governance, AdvocacyPower to Persuade6 April 2016

When policy limits self-efficacy

Positive psychology is the emerging field that examines what allows people to thrive. In this blog post, Policy Whisperer Susan Maury of Good Shepherd AustraliaNew Zealand makes a case for considering self-efficacy when designing or evaluating government policy.

Please note that some links embedded in this blog post contain photos of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people who may be deceased.

Biography, politics and passion: women who change policy

International Women’s Day is celebrated every year on or around 8th March. In 2015 Kathy Landvogt, head ofGood Shepherd’s WRAP (Women’s Research, Advocacy and Policy) Centre, attended an event reflecting on two questions: “What took you into a career in politics?” and “What do we need to do next to further women’s equality?” Organised by the Member for Bentleigh Nick Staikos, three eminent former politicians – Kay Setches, Janice Munt and the late Joan Kirner – took us back to darker days when many of the gains for women’s equality were yet to be won, and urged us to keep working for equality.

AdvocacyPower to Persuade4 April 2016gender

Social Service Futures Dialogue: Toward an Inclusive Governance Reform Agenda (Part One)

Where does politics stop and administration begin?

Today's post comes from our very own Sophie Yates (@MsSophieRae) from ANZSOG (and also completing her PhD). Sophie explores whether there is a divide between politics and administration (or implementation) of policy, or whether in fact we all live in the 'purple zone'.

Power to Persuade1 April 2016

Government use of the term ‘welfare’ is on the rise, and so are negative connotations amongst the public

Today's post comes to from the UK, specifically from Liam Stanley who is is an Associate Fellow, SPERI, & Lecturer in Politics, University of Sheffield. Liam notes the drmatic rise in the use of welfare and the negative connotations that accompany this rise. Sounds familiar right?

IssuesPower to Persuade30 March 2016social welfare

How to increase public support for policy: understanding citizens’ perspectives

Policy-makers, we presume, want to solve social problems. Therefore, they select policy measures. In practice, these measures tend to trigger different reactions in society. How might a government avoid bad reactions, such as the tuition fees protests and ‘bedroom tax’ campaigns? Peter van Wijck and Bert Niemeijer present a conceptual framework to which looks to align the perspectives of policymakers and citizens. This post originally appeared on the LSE Politics and Policy Blog.

AdvocacyPower to Persuade28 March 2016communication

Adapting to change and staying true to your purpose: exploring organisational identity in the community sector

At the Jesuit Social Services annual fundraising dinner on Saturday 19 March, CEO Julie Edwards talked about the organisation staying true to its purpose in a changing service environment. This edited version of Julie’s speech continues our dialogue on the future of social services and the community sector, and will interest anyone contemplating the role and resilience of not-for-profit organisations in civil society.

Policy and governance, AdvocacyPower to Persuade24 March 2016community sector

Are you sure policy can't wait for research?

This post by Ruth Levine, director of the Hewlett Foundation’s Global Development and Population Program, challenges the assumption that the slow pace of research diminishes its value for policymaking. The post originally appeared on the Hewlett Foundation’s Work in Progress Blog.

Creating using evidencePower to Persuade23 March 2016evidence-based policy

The nature of the silent arrow

Let’s start at the end

Let’s tell the story of health. And let us start at the end, because that – for reasons that will become apparent in the remainder of my argument – is how we do things in academia. ‘How we do things in academia’ is unspoken and intrinsic to curriculum design and implementation (and the tools we maintain to keep things as they are – rather than shake them up) and funding our research.

This post by Professor Evelyne de Leeuw was originally posted at the Global Health Consultants blog.

Creating using evidence, IssuesPower to Persuade21 March 2016health, evidence-based policy

Book review: Grassroots to Government: creating joined-up working in Australia

To celebrate the launch of the new website, we have included today a review of the book written by Power to Persuade founder Gemma Carey: G rassroots to Government: creating joined-up working in Australia. This review was written by Power to Persuade moderator Luke Craven and is reposted from the Croakey site.

Policy and governancePower to Persuade16 March 2016cross-sector relationships

Social protection the first priority for economic policy

As speculation mounts about the possibility of an early budget announcement--and with it, a potential early Federal Election--debates about the Government's social and economic priorities have intensified. In this post by Dr Veronica Sheen, we take a look at the importance of social protection and the example of how the Greek economy responded to austerity measures.

Finance and economics, Policy and governancePower to Persuade15 March 2016

What is open data & what can it do for you: personally, professionally, politically

Rosie Williams (@Info_Aus), who runs the OpenAus project in financial and political transparency, has developed a short (free) introductory course for people who are unfamiliar with open data as a concept and with the open data eco-system. She explains below.

Creating using evidencePower to Persuade11 March 2016research

Words matter: deconstructing 'welfare dependency' in the UK

As we head towards the next Federal Budget and Federal Election, this post below from the London School of Economics and Political Science blog (@LSEpoliticsblog) provides a timely challenge to the term 'welfare dependency'. Paul Michael Garrett's post is focused on the United Kingdom but has much to offer the Australian context amid comments like 'the poor don't drive cars' from the former Treasurer Joe Hockey.

The price of medical miracles in hospitals: time for a culture change

Amid continuing talk of burgeoning health costs, particularly in the lead-up to the 2016 Federal Budget, Dr Lesley Russell says it is time to look at the impact of extended hospitalisation, on patients, carers and the health system. She warns we should not be so consumed with technological and surgical wonders that we miss their adverse impacts on the very patients whose lives they save.

Academia and motherhood: The impossible combination of parenthood and womanhood

On International Women's Day 2016, this post by UK academic Marie V. Gibert (@marievgibert) resonates across sectors and time as she prepares to leave formal academia. In the post, the first of two originally published on the PSA Women and Politics Group blog, she reflects on the combined challenges of parenthood and womanhood in academia, and how they strongly affect the career chances of academic mothers - and constrain the work they can do.

IssuesPower to Persuade8 March 2016gender

'How do I make people care?' Reframing that question in the media beyond

Power to Persuade aims to improve understanding and communication between the main groups involved in the policy process: government, academics and the community sector. Often that is done, or fails to happen, through the media.

AdvocacyPower to Persuade7 March 2016media, social justice

Lifting the quality of 'evidence' for the youth foyer model

Evidence-based policy only works if the evidence base itself is robust enough to inform decisions. Joseph Borlagdan (@borlagdanj), Iris Levin and Shelley Mallett of the Brotherhood of St Laurence started their review for ANZSOG's Evidence Base journal aiming to evaluate the evidence for the effectiveness of the youth foyer model. But after their literature search revealed an overall lack of rigour in evaluation studies, they realised they needed to take a different tack.

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THIS WEEK’S MODERATOR

Let’s start at the end