Congratulations this week to the Federal Government’s closest-to-politics agency – The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet – which officially turns 50 years old this week.
Created on 12 March 1971, the affectionately abbreviated PM&C was created by merging the Prime Minister’s Department – born in 1911 – with the Department of the Cabinet Office which was set up just three years earlier in 1968.
But of most interest to the apparatchiks amongst us could well be the fact that the 50 significant years since its creation there have been more Secretaries of PM& C (13) than there have been Australian Prime Ministers (11).
Well worth a bet at the next dinner party!
IT is simple language
To the difficult and demanding task of converting the many armies of non-IT-literate PS staff members around the country so they become pro-IT, it would seem that at least one agency entrusted with the task is managing it the hard way.
No names, no pack-drill but a recent announcement of another step towards the goal of IT-ness made by the agency left its readers shaking and scratching their heads as it reported that a particular project was due to ‘operationalise’ its principles and would continue to be ‘iterated’ to ensure the goals of the project were met.
Painfully inquisitive and unusually unfamiliar with either of the chosen words, PS-ssssst! was keen to learn their meanings so dived into the nearest dictionary only to be sent away meaning-less!
‘Operationalise’ proved to be invisible in the Oxford umpire’s rule book and while ‘iterate’ at least scored a mention, it didn’t appear relatable to the goings on of a successful IT project with oxford advising that ‘Iterate’ means ‘To do again’, based on the Latin word ‘iterum’ which is ‘again.’
One would have thought it hard enough to capture the minds of non-IT disposed workmates with common English than to frighten them (including PS-sssst! in this case) with reasons to sign on they can’t even translate.
Surely someone somewhere can operationalise a friendlier word to win the backing of the workers whose work will be affected by the changes ahead.
Giveaway nice and close
Time again now to throw PS-sssst! open to the prize-giving hands of giveaway queen Rama Gaind as she delivers delight to at least one lucky reader of PS News soon to become the new owner of a free DVD of the classic Australian movie Sunday Too far Away starring the never-too-far-away Aussie actor Jack Thompson.
To be the winner all we needed to do was correctly name the year the classic film was released then be the first to have our entry emerge from the PS News Barrel of Booty before the rest.
And the lucky reader who got it right this week by knowing the film was released in 1975 was John T from the Federal Department of Social Services.
Congratulations John and thanks to everyone who took part in the contest. John’s new DVD will be on its way very soon.
For another chance to join John in Rama’s Army of lucky winners simply sign on for her Book Kid Reporter: The Secret to Breaking News available at this PS News link and her other DVD Absence of Malice at this link.
Good luck to all who do…..
Heading the lines
And while on the subject of winners, another genius performance has emerged from the extra-smart offices of the public sector to snap up a mention in PS-sssst!’s highly regarded ‘Headline Of the Week Leadership Award’ now known internationally as Australia’s prestigious HOWLA.
And the latest award to awaken the adjudicators came from Queensland’s Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for its HOWLA of a headline announcing a cunningly clever new system for exporting some of the State’s vegetables into Asia and New Zealand in the face of our anxious times alarming customs concerned of coronavirus contamination.
Making sure no-one could miss the Department’s brilliance, it positively pressed for attention with the headline: “Full steam ahead for iceberg lettuce … and other export vegetables..”
Congratulations to the wise word-whizzers whose wonderful work was awarded.
Watch this space for future feats of faultlessness, or forward your favourite HOWLA to [email protected] and we’ll do the publicising for you.
PS-sssst!: If you enter you could win a Popular PS-sssst! Pack of paraphernalia for your trouble including a free book of your choice, a free writing pen (with a handy light in the top), as well as a rare and free PS News T-shirt.
HOWLA bout it?
PS in the PAST
And finally, another uber-interesting and entertaining visit to the Public Sector f 10 years ago as PS News dredges up the gossip and other important activities reported during the week commencing on the Ides of March (15th) 10 years ago in 2011.
Revealing the PS between 15 and 21 March 2011
1. Australia was again helping out in the wake of disasters overseas, with NSW State emergency Agencies asked to send a 76-person specialist urban search-and-rescue team to Japan following its devastating earthquake and tsunami.
NSW State Emergency Operations Controller and NSW Police Force Deputy Commissioner, Dave Owens said the team would comprise firefighter rescue specialists, two structural engineers, eight paramedics, two doctors, and a police specialist.
2. Horse owners across NSW were being warned to protect their animals from insect bites suspected of causing a new and unusual neurological illness.
Chief Veterinary Officer, Ian Roth said the cause was likely an arbovirus. “We have had reports of horses displaying unusual neurological signs such as lack of coordination, increased responsiveness to touch and sound, facial paralysis and weakness in the hindquarters,” he said.
3. Victoria Police expanded their uniform standards to incorporate articles of faith from the Sikh religion, including the Force’s first official turban.
Superintendent Bob Hill said the move reflected the growing diversity of the Victoria Police workforce. “The Victorian community is the most ethnically diverse in the country and it is important that our police reflect this,” he said.
4. The Queensland environment was set to benefit from the recycling and sale of electricity poles and power lines damaged during its January floods.
Minister for Energy and Water Utilities, Stephen Robertson said the new $150,000 a year Energex Sustainability and Environment Fund would use money raised from selling replaced scrap metal and other products to benefit the broader community.
He said 3,317 tonnes of metal and 14,824 metres of timber were recycled by Energex in the previous financial year.
5. In other environmental news, owners of exotic birds in Western Australia were reminded that many were declared pests and their escape from aviaries must be reported.
Biosecurity Officer at the Department of Agriculture and Food, Paul Manera said such species had the ability to establish in the wild with possible impacts on agriculture, the environment and society. The warning was prompted by recent severe weather events that had caused property damage across the State.
6. In better news for Western Australia, the Weld Range in the State’s Midwest was added to the National Heritage List. The 45-hectare area included Wilgie Mia, Little Wilgie Mia and the Marlu Resting Place.
These sites contain sacred law grounds, dreamtime places, thousands of examples of rock art, extensive archaeological material, and the Wilgie Mia red ochre mine.
Till next week……..
Something to share?
Send to [email protected]
(And, yes, it can be anonymous!)
