Australians are encouraged to have their say on the future of government services through a new online survey.
Responses will inform a Long-term Insights Briefing on The Future of government services: Aligning work with Australian communities.
Most government services and support are centrally designed and provide a universal offering to all citizens and communities, while individual agencies excel at the delivery of standalone services.
While this approach works well for many Australians, it does not distinguish between communities or places and there are a number of Australian communities, particularly diverse, disadvantaged and remote communities, where government services do not always reflect an effective or empowering approach.
Minister for the Public Service, Senator the Hon Katy Gallagher said the Long-term Insights Briefing would explore how government services could be designed and delivered differently in the future.
“From making a claim through Medicare to applying for a payment through Centrelink, government services are part of our everyday lives,” Minister Gallagher said.
“We want to hear from different communities about the challenges they face and how they would like to interact and work with government to ensure services meet their needs.”
Responses collected from the survey will inform the development of insights in the Long-term Insights Briefing and build on a wide range of virtual and in-person consultations and research activities that are already underway.
This includes interviews, workshops and focus groups with community members, experts from across the Australian Public Service, academia, industry, think-tanks, policy institutes and community representative organisations.
The survey is open to anyone living in Australia and will close on Sunday, 1 September 2024.
The final report and research summaries will be released by the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet later this year and will be shared across the public sector to inform future policy directions.
The Long-term Insights Briefings were launched as part of the APS Reform Agenda to strengthen policy development and planning. They provide government the opportunity to work with Australians on significant, complex, and long-term issues.
Minister Gallagher said Long-term Insights Briefings support the government in delivering future-focused policies.
“Policies that address long-term issues are challenging to develop,” Minister Gallagher said.
“The briefings are a fresh way for government to understand the experiences, aspirations, and concerns of Australians on issues that matter.”
Minister for Government Services and the NDIS Bill Shorten, said future digitising Government Services will give time back to our everyday lives.
“One of the biggest problems Australians have is that they're time poor. Therefore it is a priority that people get their lawful benefits in a timely fashion.
“People want better access to online services, and to interact with government in a way that suits them that’s fast and accessible.”
“That’s why we want to hear directly from Australians, to guide the future development of myGov and the delivery of online and face-to-face Government services.”
More information about the Long-term Insights Briefings can be found on the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet website.