Dean and Chief Executive of the Australian and New Zealand School of Government (ANZSOG), Ken Smith (pictured) said the challenges of dealing with the pandemic meant dedicated, well-trained public sector leaders would be more important than ever in a post-COVID world.
“Australia and Aotearoa-New Zealand have learned many lessons since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, but one of the most important ones was that a professional, evidence-focused and dedicated Public Service is irreplaceable,” Professor Smith said.
“From my perspective as a former Public Servant, I was very proud of the way our Public Servants responded to the pandemic,” he said.
Professor Smith said officers went “above and beyond to develop and implement new policy and service delivery approaches in a complex and fast-changing environment, while keeping the trust of the public”.
“COVID-19 made it clear that contemporary public sector leaders need both depth and breadth, and must be capable of critical thinking, collaboration, communicating with stakeholders and the public,” he said.
“It is gratifying to note that several pieces of research have shown a significant rise in public trust of Governments — both elected politicians and Public Servants — as a result of our response to the pandemic.”
Professor Smith warned, however, this trust could easily dissipate over the coming years.
“The next great crisis may be another pandemic, an economic crash or something completely unexpected, but public sector leaders will need to increase their capability to manage crises in a complex global environment,” he said.
“At ANZSOG, we remain committed to offering contemporary education and evidence-based research that builds that capability for the future.”
