What's it all about

The Backstory

The South Australian government has a long-term commitment to improving its services to its citizens. This residency is an extension of five major initiatives in this government reform agenda.

The Social Inclusion Unit has been consistently researching and delivering new forms of government services to socially excluded groups of citizens since 2003.

The work of Adelaide Thinker in Residence Geoff Mulgan on social innovation in 2008, broke new ground in promoting innovation in broad social service delivery and that work continues strongly, lead by The Australian Centre for Social Innovation.

The 2009 State Reform Agenda is unlocking vigorous effort across the public sector in the critical areas of skills, sustainability, ageing, early child development and city design.

The 2010 High Performing Public Sector initiative, with its aim to improve the way the public sector is organised and managed, is underway.

The award-winning sa.gov.au on-line site has put the citizen first in the delivery of government information, now delivering better quality information to citizens from a citizen perspective, rather than a government agency perspective.

The Residency

Building on this sustained effort to improve the delivery of government services, the John McTernan residency builds mutual confidence and respect between the public sector and the public, as the state evolves new services and new ways of delivering services to meet changing needs.

• It will scope and pilot the conditions needed for a new partnership between citizens and government underpinned by:
               A customer focus
               Involving the public in the ongoing design and delivery of public services
               Shared rights and responsibilities
• The residency will produce a government wide tool kit for engaging with users and the general public, demonstrated by two case studies, one in education and one in health.