Local Capacity Regulation: Facilitating Participatory Environmental Policy. This project aims to develop a participatory strategy capable of substantially improving the environmental performance of small and medium sized enterprises. Its outcome will be to show how local knowledge and capacity can be mobilized to fulfill regulatory and other environmental goals. Its significance will be (i) to develop principles for, and a broader model of local capacity regulation that is robust, sustainable an ....Local Capacity Regulation: Facilitating Participatory Environmental Policy. This project aims to develop a participatory strategy capable of substantially improving the environmental performance of small and medium sized enterprises. Its outcome will be to show how local knowledge and capacity can be mobilized to fulfill regulatory and other environmental goals. Its significance will be (i) to develop principles for, and a broader model of local capacity regulation that is robust, sustainable and easily reproduced, and capable of being applied to a wide range of other environmental and regulatory contexts and (ii) to develop an institutional framework that can facilitate effective community intervention in other domains of governance.Read moreRead less
Corporate Governance in the Public Sector: An Evaluation of its Tensions, Gaps and Potential. This project aims to enhance corporate governance in Commonwealth public sector bodies (assets worth $125 billion), leading to better management of public resources and more effective public administration. It is a major theoretical and empirical analysis of corporate governance's impact on public administration from governance, management, and legal perspectives, drawing on private sector and internati ....Corporate Governance in the Public Sector: An Evaluation of its Tensions, Gaps and Potential. This project aims to enhance corporate governance in Commonwealth public sector bodies (assets worth $125 billion), leading to better management of public resources and more effective public administration. It is a major theoretical and empirical analysis of corporate governance's impact on public administration from governance, management, and legal perspectives, drawing on private sector and international comparisons. It will develop an integrated cross-government framework for corporate governance and customized guidance according to organisational type. The major outcome will be to advance knowledge of the multi-disciplinary basis of corporate governance in its applications within government, communicated through scholarly, governmental, and web-based resources.Read moreRead less
Resourcing Public Law Enforcement Agencies in the 21st Century; Coercion, Sale and Gift. This project will analyse three basic means of enhancing the resources of public law enforcement agencies: circumstances wherein police command cooperation from private institutions; those where police buy and sell services; and those where police are the beneficiaries of private sponsorship. The potentials and limits of these three forms of exchange will be studied in each Australian State and Territory, in ....Resourcing Public Law Enforcement Agencies in the 21st Century; Coercion, Sale and Gift. This project will analyse three basic means of enhancing the resources of public law enforcement agencies: circumstances wherein police command cooperation from private institutions; those where police buy and sell services; and those where police are the beneficiaries of private sponsorship. The potentials and limits of these three forms of exchange will be studied in each Australian State and Territory, in light of global developments. The project will aim to assist governments in coping with the growing demand for police services in a climate of enduring fiscal restraint. Products will include books, articles, workshops and a major conference.Read moreRead less
The Contractualisation of Government: Public Accountability and Performance. Contracting has changed the delivery of government services and infrastructure in Australia. This project examines how such 'contractualisation' has affected accountability at the federal level and how current practices may be improved. Four key research questions are addressed. First, what changes, if any, in public accountability were expected from contractualisation? Second, through an analysis of case studies, ho ....The Contractualisation of Government: Public Accountability and Performance. Contracting has changed the delivery of government services and infrastructure in Australia. This project examines how such 'contractualisation' has affected accountability at the federal level and how current practices may be improved. Four key research questions are addressed. First, what changes, if any, in public accountability were expected from contractualisation? Second, through an analysis of case studies, how have public accountability practices altered in reality? Third, how might public accountability be strengthened whilst maintaining the benefits of contractualism? Fourth, what kind of performance information would assist Auditors General to strengthen their role in supporting public accountability and good governance?Read moreRead less
Police Leadership in the 21st Century: Redesigning Roles and Practices. Leaders are seen as exemplifying and guiding the climate of police organisations. This project will deliver comprehensive, comparative, and internationally relevant empirical data on the relationship between leaders' approach and behaviours and the achievement of outcomes in these significant, high profile public sector organisations. On this foundation the project will make recommendations on innovative institutional desi ....Police Leadership in the 21st Century: Redesigning Roles and Practices. Leaders are seen as exemplifying and guiding the climate of police organisations. This project will deliver comprehensive, comparative, and internationally relevant empirical data on the relationship between leaders' approach and behaviours and the achievement of outcomes in these significant, high profile public sector organisations. On this foundation the project will make recommendations on innovative institutional design to achieve ethical, effective and efficient policing capable of withstanding the challenges of the future. This will increase public confidence in policing, resulting in safer communities and improved crime control. This proposal contributes to the ARC research priority of Safeguarding Australia.Read moreRead less
National and Regional Patent Administration in Small to Medium-Sized States in the Global Economy. Patents and patent administration are key to the rules of the game in the knowledge economy. The study will analyse how a group of smaller national patent offices including Australia?s, are responding to the agenda of patent harmonization that is being led by the US, European and Japanese patent offices. What is the impact of this agenda on Australia's interests? Should Australia take the lead in ....National and Regional Patent Administration in Small to Medium-Sized States in the Global Economy. Patents and patent administration are key to the rules of the game in the knowledge economy. The study will analyse how a group of smaller national patent offices including Australia?s, are responding to the agenda of patent harmonization that is being led by the US, European and Japanese patent offices. What is the impact of this agenda on Australia's interests? Should Australia take the lead in pushing for a regional patent organization? Using sociolegal techniques, the study will answer these and other key questions facing Australian policy makers. The work of patent offices within APEC, ASEAN and the Pacific Island Forum (for example, NZ, Fiji, and China)will be the subject of in-depth fieldwork and analysis.Read moreRead less
Whistling While They Work: Enhancing the Theory and Practice of Internal Witness Management in Public Sector Organisations. The protection of whistleblowers and other internal witnesses to corruption, misconduct and maladministration is a great unsolved problem in public sector governance. Involving 11 integrity institutions, this first national study of internal witness management will describe and compare organisational experience under varying public interest disclosure regimes across the Au ....Whistling While They Work: Enhancing the Theory and Practice of Internal Witness Management in Public Sector Organisations. The protection of whistleblowers and other internal witnesses to corruption, misconduct and maladministration is a great unsolved problem in public sector governance. Involving 11 integrity institutions, this first national study of internal witness management will describe and compare organisational experience under varying public interest disclosure regimes across the Australian public sector. By identifying and promoting current best practice in workplace responses to public interest whistleblowing, the project will use the experience and perceptions of internal witnesses and first- and second-level managers to identify more routine strategies for preventing, reducing and addressing reprisals and other whistleblowing-related conflicts.Read moreRead less