After Robodebt – How leaders can embed a robust culture of integrity and ethics
- This event has passed.
Robodebt is more than a tale of automation-gone-bad. It is more than a ‘few bad apples’. It revealed deep cultural and systemic problems, not limited to DSS or Services Australia.
As Robodebt demonstrated, being able to recognise and speak about ethical concerns is a key capability for providing frank and fearless advice. These ethical debates deserve the same degree of engagement as technical or scientific debates. Only then can we work towards minimising harms and beginning to address the complexity of policy problems public servants face every day.
An ethical culture does not happen by accident. Leaders at all levels need to model ethical behaviour and commit to integrity.
In this webinar we will:
- discuss how the Australian Public Service (APS) can learn the deep cultural lessons from Robodebt and similar public administration failures;
- explore the positive steps that the APS is already taking;
- discuss how to embed ethical decision making into policy advice; and
- ask you to reflect on what you are looking for from your leaders?
Dr Daniel Casey is a lecturer in politics and international relations at the Australian Catholic University, and a former public servant. With Dr Maria Maley, he researched how APS agencies engaged with and responded to the broader cultural lessons of Robodebt.
Dr Sarah Ball is a lecturer in the School of Political Science and International Studies at the University of Queensland and a former public servant. She has written and researched extensively on administrative harm and ethical policy making and policy making practices in public administration.
Dr David Gruen AO was appointed Australian Statistician on 11 December 2019. David was previously Deputy Secretary, Economic Division at the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. David holds PhD degrees in physiology from Cambridge University, England and in economics from the Australian National University.
The event will be moderated by Kate Driver, CEO of the Institute of Public Administration of Australia.
After Robodebt – How leaders can embed a robust culture of integrity & ethics? is supported by a Social Sciences Week Spark Grant from the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia.
We are grateful to the Institute of Public Administration of Australia (IPAA) and the Australian Catholic University for providing support for this event.