The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (PM&C) is using July as Innovation Month to highlight examples of innovation in the Australian Public Service (APS) that have real and measurable impacts.
According to the Department, a good example is the effort to counter cyberbullying in the general population evidenced by the Office of the eSafety Commissioner.
Manager of the Commissioner’s Cyberbullying Complaints Team, Ben Au said one in five young Australians experienced serious cyberbullying.
“It’s a big problem and one that the Office of the eSafety Commissioner is working hard to address,” Mr Au said.
“Since 2015, the Office has been leading online safety efforts to empower all Australians to have safe, more positive experiences online.”
He said the Cyberbullying Complaints Scheme was an innovative way to address this.
Mr Au said the Scheme — the only one of its kind in the world — consisted of a portal where young people, or a parent on their behalf, could report a cyberbullying incident they had experienced.
“The Scheme provides an ear for Australian kids, their parents and other adults in their lives, to be able to find someone to talk to about cyberbullying,” he said.
“The report comes to my team and within three business hours we’ll get on the phone with the young person or parent to talk through what they’ve experienced.”
Mr Au said it was about drawing out the issues, getting the information needed and providing support and comfort.
He said the Office also worked closely with social media platforms to improve their practices.
PM&C said Innovation Month will run to 31 July with the theme “Working Together” and includes a full program of events, providing everyone in the public sector with opportunities to share their innovative experiences and to explore new ideas to improve their work practices.
