risk aversion

Dr Steven Kennedy, one of Australia’s most senior public servants, has twice been seconded to the Prime Minister’s Office — picking up a few tricks on the hill that have come in handy in his new role as departmental secretary.

Dr Steven Kennedy is the secretary of the Department of Infrastructure, Regional Development and Cities. This is the second half of a speech hosted by

Public servants flocked to Friday’s short conference about the potential and the barriers to “unlocking the value of Australia’s public data” but anyone who didn’t make it can now view the whole event at their leisure on video.

Despite recent data security incidents, the APS is forging ahead with releasing more data. “I’m not sure we’re actually less innovative,” says the PM&C boss. Dealing with failure is still an area for improvement.

OPINION: Could the blame game become a thing of the past if the community became more involved in deliberative policymaking? Why risk aversion hurts the community, turning people towards anger and disinterest.

Martin Parkinson calls it the quintessential mark of leadership. A right stuff-up or two shouldn’t stop public servants rethinking risk — just as the Department of the Environment has begun to do — to enable more blue-sky thinking.

Joined-up government can’t work without a better approach to risk management, says Department of Finance boss Jane Halton. Complaints about risk aversion have fed into APS reforms, but legislation only takes you so far.