Strengthening Australia’s public service

Management of public services is essential to ensuring they operate efficiently and effectively, delivering public value. Together with public service partners, we bring together a range of interdisciplinary researchers with expertise in robust and applied research.

In addition to the way public services are delivered, we’re interested in the capabilities and knowledge needed to provide them. Human resource management, including performance management, is a particular area of research strength.

Associated schools, institutes & centres

Impact

Our public management expertise leads to high-quality and reliable research that improves the way public servants think about public services.   

In partnership with organisational clients, UNSW Canberra’s Public Service Research Group (PSRG) provides new insights into effective public service implementation and evaluation.

The PSRG conducts timely, high-quality and reliable research on public policy implementation. As a result, we deliver world-class executive education and professional development. 

Public Service Research Group

Research within the PSRG focuses on policy implementation in a public service context across four key themes: Capability in Public Services, Complex Systems, Ethics and Inclusion. We conduct research across a range of disciplinary, methodological and subject boundaries.

Competitive advantage

Research within the PSRG broadly focuses on issues of policy implementation in a public service context across four key themes: Capability in the Public Service, Complex Systems, Ethics and Inclusion. Our research crosses a number of different disciplinary, methodological and subject boundaries. 

This  research brings together work on issues including  human resource systems, performance management, organisational culture, workforce development and project management. 

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Complex systems have multiple boundaries and feedback loops from which new ways of working can emerge in unpredictable ways. We adapt and apply systems frameworks to support policy design, implementation and evaluation.

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Our  ethics research has a firm focus on exploring values, cultures and norms of individuals, organisations and institutions, seeking to understand how they emerge, change and influence practice. 

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This research addresses the  significant barriers to inclusion  that still exist. We're also interested in the different policies, services and mechanisms that have been used to drive equity and social inclusion.

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Successful applications

The School of Business has worked with public servant partners to transform the way they design and deliver public services.
 

Study with us

A number of our postgraduate courses draw from our Public Service Management research including: 

Master of Strategic People Management

The Master of Strategic People Management at UNSW Canberra is designed to develop middle managers, particularly in people management. This degree provides students with an understanding of systems theory and its implications for implementation.  

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Master of Business

The Master of Business at UNSW Canberra is a forward-thinking, industry-focused degree purpose-built to unlock your personal and professional ambitions and refine your leadership skills.

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Master of Project Management

The Master of Project Management provides students with the knowledge, skills and tools to successfully deliver new products and services, perform change and transformation, and help project teams get things done.

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Master of Workforce Planning

The Master of Workforce Planning at UNSW Canberra is designed to support workforce planning uplift by developing strategic workforce planners. 

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Doctor of Public Management (DPM)

The Doctor of Public Management (DPM) is a professional doctorate degree that provides an opportunity to combine a doctoral thesis with disciplinary and methodologically based coursework.

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Graduate Certificate of Workplace Planning

In the Graduate Certificate in Workforce Planning at UNSW Canberra, you'll develop skills that will improve your organisation's productivity and outcomes.

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Our researchers

Catherine Althaus profile picture
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Senior Lecturer Adrian Bazbauers
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Associate Dean (Lifelong Learning) and Professor in Public Sector Management Strategy Deborah Blackman
Associate Dean (Lifelong Learning) and Professor in Public Sector Management Strategy
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Senior Lecturer in Public Sector Management Fiona Buick
Senior Lecturer in Public Sector Management
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Professor Satish Chand
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School of Business Integrity Coordinator James Connor
School of Business Integrity Coordinator
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Senior Lecturer Natalie Cujes
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Senior Lecturer, HR and Organisation Behaviour Catherine Deen
Senior Lecturer, HR and Organisation Behaviour
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Professor of Public Service Research Helen Dickinson
Professor of Public Service Research
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Senior Lecturer Caroline Doyle
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Research Project Coordinator and Senior Lecturer, Public Sector Management Megan Evans
Research Project Coordinator and Senior Lecturer, Public Sector Management
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Associate Professor Twan Huybers
Associate Professor
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Visiting Fellow Wendy Jarvie
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Lecturer, Public Sector Leadership Samantha Johnson
Lecturer, Public Sector Leadership
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Higher Degree Research - Coordinator and Senior Lecturer
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Senior Lecturer Vanessa McDermott
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Senior Lecturer Katie Moon
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Associate Professor Sharron O'Neill
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Visiting Fellow Sue Olney
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Undergraduate Coordinator and Lecturer in Project Management Shibaab Rahman
Undergraduate Coordinator and Lecturer in Project Management
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Dr REN, Joe
Lecturer in Accounting
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Director of PSRG and Associate Professor, Accounting and Governance James Rooney
Director of PSRG and Associate Professor, Accounting and Governance
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Adjunct Professor Rodney Scott
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Visiting Fellow Jenny Stewart
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Professor Massimiliano Tani Bertuol
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Lecturer Lhawang Ugyel
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Visiting Fellow James Warn
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Lecturer in Business Management Vindhya Weeratunga
Lecturer in Business Management
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Postgraduate Coordinator and Associate Professor of Human Resource Management Sue Williamson
Postgraduate Coordinator and Associate Professor of Human Resource Management
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