Connected Communities: Flourishing Places. 2017 IPAA Queensland Forum Outcomes Report
As detailed in the foreword by IPAA Queensland President Robert Setter, place-based approaches to the business of government have never been more relevant. Whether our challenge is to provide human services, protect the environment, ensure public safety, or grow the economy we know traditional, siloed approaches to policy design and service delivery are no longer working.
Connected communities: Flourishing places, the first forum from the newly re-established IPAA Queensland, explored experiences and unpacked the potential of place-based approaches to address complex policy issues. The event brought together professionals from the public service at all levels of government, along with representatives from community organisations and leading academics. Significantly, regional colleagues participated via live stream in Rockhampton, Townsville and Cairns — bringing a lively and local flavour to the discussions, and highlighting the realities of grass roots issues facing all communities.
It was always our ambition for the 2017 IPAA Queensland Forum to be an agenda-setter for the kinds of cross-sectoral discussions we’d like to see
in the future. Our job was made easy by the high calibre speakers and their knowledge, experience and insights of place-based approaches. Participants gained important lessons on what works, as well as the benefits and barriers that need to be addressed for ever-better and impactful public service.
Post forum feedback confirmed the power and potential of place-based approaches to the business of government to significantly enhance policy development, service delivery, and most importantly effective outcomes for our communities. IPAA Queensland looks forward to facilitating further conversations in this space.
The report on the 2017 Irene Longman Oration unpacks the themes and ideas explored by Ken Smith, CEO and Dean of ANZSOG, when he presented the first of the annual oration series.
I take this opportunity to gratefully acknowledge the IPAA Queensland Advisory Council and the Leadership Board, whose commitment to creating a strong IPAA Queensland, means we will grow into the state’s professional association for public servants across all levels of government as well as academics, industry and community organisations.
To read more about the outcomes achieved at the 2017 IPAA Queensland Forum, read the full report here.