Deliver exceptional public services?

The Premier’s Implementation Unit in New South Wales (NSW) worked alongside ministries across the state government to deliver on the Premier’s 12 priorities, all of which converged to keep the economy strong, create jobs, deliver world-class services, protect the vulnerable, and ensure that all NSW communities share in the state’s success.

Real-world challenges

The government of NSW wanted to further strengthen its economy, quality of life, equity, public service delivery, and more. When our partnership began, the NSW government had committed to 30 state priorities, 12 of which were identified as the Premier's personal priorities. With goals ranging from job creation, education, and protection of vulnerable communities to healthcare, infrastructure, and climate change, civil servants across the government needed a cohesive and effective model for large-scale delivery.

Real-world solutions

Across every priority, and with teams throughout the government, NSW focused on four key pillars of delivery: 

• Better use of data: Understanding and improving impact through real-time data tracking
• Front-line field work: Listening carefully to communities and practitioners to understand what works – and what doesn't – on the ground
• Targeted actions: Carefully prioritizing interventions with the most potential for impact
• Strong routines: Checking in regularly and methodically to test progress, solve problems, and stay on track for delivery

A series of masterclasses, developed in close partnership with the Institute of Public Administration Australia (IPAA), offers instruction in the pillars above, supplemented by a learning portal with additional training modules. This robust curriculum, including colleagues' stories of Deliverology in action, supports practitioners across the country as they deliver exceptional public services both within and outside of the Premier's priorities.

Results

Through consistent, cross-cutting application of Deliverology, the government of NSW delivered on all 12 of the Premier's priorities. As of 2018:

• 20,000 more students were testing in the top two NAPLAN bands
• $87 billion had been invested in infrastructure
• Women and children were at reduced risk of harm in their homes
• Among young people without homes, nearly 200 found stable long-term accommodations
• Patients were seen and treated more quickly in emergency departments around the state
• Public sector diversity improved, with 850 more women and 30 more aboriginal people in senior leadership roles in the NSW public sector

Litter was reduced by nearly 40% with the collection of +2.5 billion containers through the Return and Earn programme.

Following successful delivery of the Premier's 12 priorities, the subsequent administration expanded and adapted the list to 14 priorities. We continue to collaborate with NSW as they deliver exceptional public services to residents across the state. As stories of success in NSW continue to grow, other states in Australia are exploring the use of Deliverology, both through the IPAA training, as well as through the use of Deliverology to rebuild with equity and inclusion in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis.