The Australian and New Zealand School of Government (ANZSOG) has announced an initiative it says will bridge the gap between academic research and the development of policy by public sector staff.
Dean and Chief Executive of ANZSOG, Professor Ken Smith (pictured) said PS leaders needed access to research evidence when developing policy.
“In these times of uncertainty, evidence-based policy and decision-making are more vital than ever,” Professor Smith said.
“However, too often researchers lament that the Public Service ignores their work, while Public Servants say academic research is not timely or applied to their day-to-day challenges.”
He said The Bridge, a fortnightly publication, distributed by email, would make research available in an accessible format.
“Each edition of The Bridge centres on a research brief which distils academic research into an easy-to-read format and will be complemented by other insights into public policy and management,” Professor Smith said.
“The Bridge is compiled and curated by Maria Katsonis, a former senior Victorian Public Servant who is now a Public Policy Fellow at the University of Melbourne.”
He said Ms Katsonis was one of the editors of the Australian Journal of Public Administration.
Professor Smith said the first issue focused on the COVID-19 outbreak, including learning lessons from overseas, what not to do, success stories and why society was panicking — as well as a research brief on policy co-design.
He said anyone interested in reading The Bridge could subscribe to it on the ANSZOG website.