Commonwealth Awards for Excellence in Risk Management 2023
am here to thank each of you as risk management professionals.
Public servants who give Australia a safer, more certain world.
It is my pleasure to celebrate these awards with you today at this iconic venue in our Nation’s Capital.
Stepping onto the stage at the National Press Club comes with great risk.
This Club is now 60 years old.
Starting as a lunch club.
And before too long the journalists got bored of grilled food.
They moved on to grilling politicians.
And ever since, political careers have been made, and broken, on this stage.
They say the most dangerous place is between a politician and a microphone.
So, in this dangerous place I am pleased to be here with you.
Public servants who protect the nation’s people, and our finances.
And risk managers and journalists aren’t that different.
Two of the world’s most famous risk managers started in journalism.
Who saved lives and changed the world.
Who each made an impact that will long outlive them.
Now Peter Parker and Clark Kent never made it into the Australian Public Service.
Maybe Canberra just did not have enough skyscrapers and villains to make it worthwhile.
But we do need to be vigilant against corruption and misconduct.
As Superman put his mission:
“I am here to fight for truth, justice, and the American way.”
Only to have Journalist Lois Lane remind him the danger of mission creep when she replied:
“You’re gonna end up fighting every elected official in this country.”
Now we don’t want unnecessary conflict.
So maybe we will instead go with the advice from Uncle Ben to Spiderman:
“With great power comes great responsibility.”
Bob Hawke and calculated risk
From superheroes to political heroes.
Three days before his historic victory in the 1983 Federal election, Bob Hawke, then Leader of the
Opposition addressed the National Press Club.
Hawke's decision to participate was a calculated risk.
An opportunity to directly connect with the Australian public and articulate his vision for our nation's future.
As Hawke took the stage, he knew that he was not just addressing journalists or the public.
He was also speaking to the public servants he hoped to work alongside should he become Prime Minister.
His speech shows us this.
“Beyond specific policies, this election was about the restoration of hope.
The restoration of confidence and unity to the Australian community.
And the need for a new direction for Australia.”
Hawke's appearance at the National Press Club was more than just a political ritual.
It set the tone for the government he would lead.
APS Reform
We know that being explicit about your vision is important.
That is clear in our ambitious APS Reform agenda.
An APS embodies integrity in everything it does;
One that puts people and business at the centre of policy and services;
Ensuring the APS is a model employer; and
A service that has the capability to do its job well.
Pillar 1: Integrity
Pillar one is integrity.
This year the lessons for the APS were unmissable.
The Robodebt Royal Commission report highlighted a costly failure of public administration.
Costly in economic terms.
And unquantifiable and tragic human cost too.
All of you in this room are part of the front line ensuring this never happens again.
In December last year, the Minister for Finance Katy Gallagher released the revised Commonwealth Risk Management Policy.
The Policy demands systems and internal controls for the management of risk.
And it talks to the culture of how risk is managed.
A culture where risk is communicated across all levels of the entity.
Culture where individuals adopt positive risk behaviours.
This was an unacceptable omission in the Robodebt Scheme.
We all must meet the expectation of the Australian people for a Public Service to embody integrity in everything it does.
Pillar 2: People and businesses at the centre of government policy and services
The second pillar of our APS Reform agenda is putting people and business at the centre of policy and services.
A key part of this is trust.
Trust is one of the reasons why our Government has committed to publicly release results of the 2022-23 Survey of Trust in Australian public services.
This decision supports the Government’s commitment to put integrity and trust at the centre of everything we do.
Transparency is a core part of Australian Public Service business to rebuild trust with the community.
That’s why we made the decision to share the Survey results publicly each year.
Each public servant has a role to play in helping create trust and integrity in the service.
Pillar 3: APS as a model employer
The third pillar of the APS Reform agenda is to be a model employer.
Ensuring the APS is a great place to work and offers a quality employee experience is key to attracting and retaining the best and brightest.
The model employer vision encompasses cultivating a skilled workforce and developing a risk-aware culture.
We support this vision through the APS Academy.
The APS Academy stands as a beacon of excellence, preparing our employees to navigate complexities and uncertainties.
It offers specialised training programs enhancing technical and soft skills competencies.
Let me take a moment to do a little plug for the Introduction to Risk in the Commonwealth eLearning course offered by the APS Academy.
This course introduces participants to risk management principles and the Commonwealth Risk Management Policy.
Pillar 4: APS capability
Last month, we introduced the APS Strategic Commissioning Framework – a roadmap for the APS.
It guides us on when to use outside help and when to rely on our own APS team.
We've decided that the APS—the core workforce, our APS employees—will take charge of the main tasks.
With a lot of these tasks there is always some element of risk involved.
Instead of shying away from this risk, we are putting on our superhero capes and making sure we are really good at managing these risks ourselves.
It is a crucial skill for everyone working in the APS.
Because this is not just about getting the job done.
It is about getting it done right, without compromising integrity or public trust.
We know that by getting good at dealing with risks, we are not just protecting ourselves, but we are making life better for all Australians.
Today's recipients
Today is not just about award recipients.
They might be the superheroes of this event.
But the Clark Kents are just as important.
I applaud and recognise the many quiet achievers.
We recognise and celebrate your work.
Achievements day in day out.
I encourage you to think about putting forward a nomination next year.
And for all to embrace the spirit of these awards.
A spirit of sharing success.
Working across the public service to encourage best practice.
And deriving outstanding value and outcomes to Australian taxpayers.
Conclusion
I started today by speaking about superheroes.
Clark Kent and Peter Parker managing a variety of risks; from local criminals to the evil of Lex Luthor.
Those in this room have managed risks ranging from small to large, although in this case very real.
As the classic line says:
“Not all heroes wear capes.”
Thank you all for the important work you do.
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