Policy

28 November, 2017

Policy solutions do grow on trees!

Policy solutions do grow on trees! An informative video about how to build an issue tree to solve policy problems. Music by: https://www.bensound.com/
15 May, 2017
Eating an elephant

Culture is a cruel mistress

By John Preston On the ABC’s Radio National’s morning program the other day, presenter Fran Kelly chided Federal member for Corangamite Sarah Henderson MP. Henderson used the interview to persistently belt her political opponents rather than debating regional rail links […]
15 May, 2017

How the big players solve big problems

  By Robert Garran How to solve problems like McKinsey and Company without paying a squillion dollars What are the secrets of success for McKinsey and Company and the other big business consulting firms, and can we lesser mortals hope […]
1 May, 2017

457 visas—A horse for your communications wagon

By Emily Edmunds and John Preston The Easter long weekend was a busy one for the Prime Minister’s communications team. The Prime Minister’s polls were problematic: his party’s conservatives were restive, former prime ministers were offering unsolicited advice and Coalition voters […]
24 April, 2017

The ad hominem delusion that infects our public debate

By Susannah Bishop and John Preston We like to believe we’re a culture of tolerance and understanding. We’re in the land of ideas. Mercifully—at least in Australia—the days of being imprisoned for disagreeing with those in power are long gone. Also […]
19 April, 2017

Learning by numbers—Maslow and Bloom suggest not

By John Preston Maslow hierarchy of needs and Bloom’s taxonomy of learning Humans are curious creatures. On one level, we are capable of profound understanding and complex cognition. On another we are completely dependent on the most basic physiological and […]
19 April, 2017

Critical reasoning and strategic decision making—Analysis, values and persuasion in public policy

By John Preston In ancient Greek mythology, Theseus—the founder of Greek democracy—entered the Labyrinth on the island of Minos and conquered the Minotaur. Theseus was renowned for his great strength, courage and—above all—wit. Today’s regulatory and policy environments are a […]
3 April, 2017

Ready, steady, go! – Bridging the science—influence—policy divide in public sector policy

By John Preston   Let’s face it; if facts were enough, we wouldn’t still be discussing the science of climate change, would we? And yet here we are. Why is this? Could the problem lie with the fact that we […]
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