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Jason Millward
Public Admin at the Interact, Assignment Three
Citizen Involvement In The Policy Process:
The Australian Context
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
ThispaperexploresrecentdevelopmentsinCitizenInvolvementinthe PolicyProcessinthe
Australiancontext.
It findsthatrecentdemandsbycitizensforgreaterengagement,coupledwithaneedfor
governmentstofindnewwaystooperate intightfiscal environmentsandcope withthe emergence
of ‘wickedproblems’,aswell asthe capacityof new technologytofacilitatecollaborationandco-
designwith citizensare all driverstofostergreatercitizeninvolvement.
However,the papercontraststhatAustralianexperience hasbeenpoor,withlimitedattemptsto
fullyengage citizenshamstrungbyexisting bureaucraticrulesandgovernmentsfocusedonmedia
and electoral cycles.

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INTRODUCTION
The democraticnotionof citizenparticipationingovernmentisperhapsbestdescribedinAbraham
Lincoln’sGettysburgaddress (1863),where he referredto“governmentof thepeople,by thepeople,
forthe people”.
It has takena further150 yearsfor moderndemocraticgovernmentstoarrive at the notionof
people centredor‘citizen-centric’governmentthatencompassesactive citizenengagementinthe
policyprocessasa mechanismforbetterservice deliveryandpolicyoutcomes. Holmes(2011)
quotesa 2001 OECD reportfindingthat“effortsto engagecitizens in policymaking arerare,
undertaken on a pilot basisonly and confined to a very few OECD countries”.However,Holmesnotes
that since then “...severalgovernmentsin OECDcountriesand elsewherehavegenuinely soughtto
strengthen mainstreamcitizen participation in policy developmentand thedesign and delivery of
services.”
The driversforthese changesinclude the greaterawarenessandgeneral leveleducationof citizens
leadingtohigherexpectationsof government.Technologyhasalsoincreasedbothcitizenawareness
and capacityto engage inpolicydebate.More recently,fiscal constraintsfollowingthe Global
Financial Crisisandthe identificationof so-called‘wickedproblems’suchasintergenerational
unemploymenthave resultedinconsiderationof more citizenengagedframeworkssuchas
‘The Big Society’ inBritain.
DISCUSSION
In 1999 the author hearda departmental speechbyDr PeterShergold,thenSecretaryof the
Departmentof Employment,Workplace RelationsandSmall Business.DrShergolddescribedhis
experience priortogovernmentservice of publicsectorconsultationsasbeingarrangementswhere
“bureaucratscameoutto tell you their messageand when it wasyourturn to speaktheshutters
came down”.Havingleftpublicservice DrShergoldcontinueshisinterestinthisarea,writing an
online article inearly2012 Partnership with Government:Will we know it when we see it? He details
his‘ingredients’foreffective partnerships,including“...governmentsand publicservicesneed to take
a newapproach to doing.A focuson ‘customerservice’needsto be accompanied by a commitment
to citizen engagement.”
Why Citizen Involvementin the Policy Process?
As The SmithFamily notedinitsNovember2009 submissionto the AdvisoryGrouponReformof
AustralianGovernmentAdministration:
“...a contemporaryandrelevantpublicsectorisnotone that presides overcommunity,but
isrequiredinsteadtobe part of community,workinginpartnership with itsmemberstohelp
solutionsemergefrom within societyratherthanimposingthem upon it.” [original
emphasis]
That thisstatementcame froma welfare oriented NGOisunsurprising.Whatisinterestingistofind
thisquote inthe government’sfinalreport, Ahead Of TheGame:BlueprintFor The Reform of
Australian GovernmentAdministration,use toacknowledge the “theemerging conceptof ‘co-
production’in service delivery encouragesgovernmentto sharethedesign and delivery of services in
equalpartnership withcitizens.

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The AustralianPublicService Commission’s(APSC) 2007 reportinto Tackling Wicked Problems notes
that active engagementbycitizensinthe policyprocesshelpsunderstandthe ‘wickedproblems’and
identifypossible solutions.The reportalsonotesthat“behavioursaremoreconduciveto changeif
issuesare widely understood, discussed and owned by thepeoplewhosebehaviourisbeing targeted
forchange”.
Furthermore,TerryMoran (2010), whenSecretaryof the Departmentof Prime MinisterandCabinet,
notedina speechthat “Citizen engagementin service and policy design is notonly the right thing to
do but will providea rich newsourceof ideasto government.”
Whatis Citizen Involvementin thePolicy Process?
To paraphrase a 2001 OECD publication, citizeninvolvement broadly takesthreeforms:
1. Informationprovision:where citizensare providedwithinformationaboutnew policies
2. Informationexchange:where citizensare providedwithinformationaboutdraftpoliciesand
invitedtoprovide feedback
3. Co-design:wherecitizensare activelyinvolvedinthe iterativeprocess of designingpolicy
and service deliverymechanisms.
Generallythe firstformisalmostalwaysdone,the secondoftendoneandthe third,co-design,rarely
undertaken.
CurrentMechanismsforCitizen Involvement
The Australiansystemof governmentprovidesforcitizenengagementthroughthe Australian
Parliament,largelythroughlocal membersandSenators representingstates. Intheoryeachcitizen
can engage withtheirrepresentativesonabroadrange of policymatters.Inrealitythoughmembers
are typically constrained fromstrayingtoofarfromparty policybythe realityof party politics,
perhapsina way not imaginedbythe authorsof the Australianconstitution,draftingastheywere in
livingmemoryof Lincoln’sGettysburgAddress.
The AustralianParliamentary alsoundertakesparliamentary inquiries,ineitherhouse orjointly.
These are undertakenfrequentlyandthere are generallyseveralbeingundertaken atanygiven
time.While these have the benefitof beingopentoeveryone inprinciple,inpractice,theseare
generallylimitedin theircitizenengagementwithtypicallyfewerthana hundred orso submissions
likelytoeachenquiry andpublichearingstypicallyheldinCanberraandoccasionallyinrelevant
otherlocations. Furthermore,political imperative coloursthe final reportsof these inquiries.
More commonis the formal consultationprocesses undertakenbyAustralianPublicService
agencies.These range fromreviewsof existingpolicies,suchasIndigenouseconomicdevelopment
or employmentservices,throughtonewpolicydevelopment,suchasthe introductionof the
National DisabilityInsuranceScheme. AsnotedbyDr Shergoldthough,these consultationshave
traditionallybeenone waycommunication,withpublicservantstellingthe citizenswhatisgoingto
occur.

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Citizens stillhave more traditional linesof engagement.These include letterstothe editorof various
newspapers,talkbackradio andmore recentlyonlineblogs.Noneof these are highlyeffectivein
engagingcitizensinthe policyprocessandtheymerelygive venttothe citizen’sviews,withthe
policyagendashapedmore bythe mediainterestsof the newspaperorradiohost(readshockjock)
that by the writeror authors. Similarly, bloggerswhobecometoosuccessfulbecome opinion
shapersthemselvesandhence cease tobecome mere citizensengagedinapolicyprocess.
Thisthenleavesspecial interestgroups,suchasthose basedon environmental,disability,ethnic
other‘cause’lines. Whilemanyof these are veryeffective atrepresentingtheirmembershipthere
are limitations withwhatlarge andoftennational notforprofitorganisationscandofor citizenswith
particularneedsandopportunities inaparticularlocality.
Recent examplesin Australia
Australiahastakena somewhatpiecemeal approachtobroadercitizenengagementinco-designof
policyandservice deliverymechanisms.These are oftenlabelledas‘trials’totestmethodology.
Examplesincludethe Welfare ReformTrialsinfourIndigenouscommunitiesinCape York,the ten
place-based BetterFutures,LocalSolutions trialsinareasof highunemployment.
The Cape York Welfare Reform Trialsare championedbyNoelPerson’sCape YorkInstitute andisa
partnershipbetweenthose fourcommunitiesandthe CommonwealthandQueensland
governments.While earlyresultsidentifiedinaDepartmentof Families,Housing,Community
ServicesandIndigenousAffairs’commissionedreporthave beenencouragingthere appeartobe
continuingissueswithembeddingthissuccess.Forexample,Noel Pearson(2012) suggeststhatthe
ongoingdelayswithprovidingforprivate landownershipinthese communitiesisimpacting onthe
capacityof localsto fullyrealise theireconomicpotential.
Information and Communication Technologyasan EnablerforCitizen Involvement
Most governmentagenciesnowhave websitesandindeedmanyhave Twitter,Facebookandother
social mediaconnections.However,mostuse these forpassive informationprovisionandforsome
informationgathering –seekinginputintodraftpolicies.
Some agenciesare makinguse of toolssuchas blogsto fosterengagement,suchasat
www.myregion.gov.au butthese are little utilised,perhapsdue topoorpromotion.
Anothertool gainingsome use isonline surveys,suchasSurveyMonkey,where issuescanbe put to
a stakeholdergroupforrapidfeedbackandthenrevisedandemailedagaintothe group foriterative
refinement.
Finally,the several Australiangovernmentshave online collaborationtoolssuchasthe
Commonwealth’s Govdex(www.govdex.gov.au),whichdescribesitself asa wiki anddiscussion
forum.
The challenge governments andtheiragenciesface withthese online toolsare the restrictions
placedonpublicservants.There isa riskadverse attitude thatappearstogo againstmovesinother
parts of the CommonwealthtofostergreaterCitizenengagement,withnew social mediaguidelines
releasedinearly2012 widelycriticised,includedbeing describedinanABCreportas “laughable,
unworkableand backward”.

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Suggested Approachesto Citizen Involvementin the Policy Process
Greateruse couldbe made of current and emerginginternettechnologyforiterativeengagement,
generallythroughpublicsectorpolicyprocessesandinparliamentaryinquires.Currentprocesses
are channelledseparately,thatis,youcanconnectvia facebook,twitterorblog.To connectand
engage citizensthesefragmentedchannelsneedtobe combinedtoallow multiple pointsof entry,a
‘nowrong door’approach. Govdex isan excellentexampleof atool developedinisolationwith
limitedawarenessand access,beingunderutilisedand notbeinguserfriendly,intermsof allowing
for interface accesswithbroadertoolssuchasFacebookand Twitter
A keyfactor istime to properlyengage withcitizensinaco-designprocess.All toooften
governmentsare mindfulof the 24 hour newscycle andtry to seekquickwinsandof the electoral
cycle withtryingto meetelectioncommitments.Witnessthe incomplete workof the MurrayDarling
BasinPlan,a bodyof workthat commencedunderJohnHoward’sGovernment.Time investedby
successive governmentsinpropercommunityandcitizenengagementinco-designwouldhave
arguablyproduceda consensusoutcome bynow.
Issuesforthe futureof Citizen Involvement
A keychallenge forfuture citizeninvolvementistoensure equitableaccess.If engagementis
broadenedtoICT modes, there willbe aneedtomaintaintraditional modestoensure
disadvantagedgroupsmaintaintheirinvolvement. Indeedthe AustralianGovernmentManagement
Information Office(date notknown) advisesthat “Agenciesneed to seek broad and diverse
involvementacrossall sectionsof the community,and notexcludecitizens withoutaccessto ICT or
thosewho faceother barriers”.These include,forexample,people withdisabilities, the aged,and
people fromnon-EnglishspeakingBackgrounds.
CONCLUSION
The engagementof citizensinthe policyprocessispositive,andthe fullerengagementthe better.
Co-designof policyandservice deliverymechanismscanassisttotackle ‘wickedproblems’,provide
communityownershipof solutionsandwincommunitysupportforbehaviouralchanges.
UnfortunatelyinAustraliathe fullestextentcitizeninvolvementthroughco-designandother
mechanisms iscurrentlydone poorly,withlimited trials,underutilisationof technologyand
traditional publicsectorcultural attitudestomanagingriskall presentingbarrierstoeffective
engagement.

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REFERENCES
AustralianPublicService Commission, 2007. Tackling Wicked Problems:A Public Policy Perspective.
Departmentof the Prime MinisterandCabinet,2010. Ahead Of The Game: BlueprintFor The Reform
of Australian GovernmentAdministration. Downloadedfrom www.dpmc.gov.au on16 November
2012
Principles forICT-enabled Citizen Engagement. AustralianGovernmentManagementInformation
Office (Date NotKnown). Downloadedfrom www.finance.gov.au on16 November2012.
The SmithFamily. Submission to Advisory Group on Reformof Australian Government
Administration November2009. Downloadedfrom www.thesmithfamily.com.au on
12 November2012
Lincoln,A,1863. The Gettysburg Address. Downloadedfrom rmc.library.cornell.edu on
14 November2012.
Holmes,B,2011. Citizens' engagementin policymaking and thedesign of public services.Australian
ParliamentaryLibrary
Shergold,P, 2012. Partnership withGovernment:Will we know it when wesee it? Online article in
The Centre for Social Impact. Downloaded14November2012 from secure.csi.edu.au.
Courage Partners,2009. Evaluation Frameworkand ProgramTheory ForTheCapeYork Welfare
ReformTrial. Departmentof Families,Housing,CommunityServicesandIndigenousAffairs.
Moran, T, 2010. The futureof theAustralian Public Service:challenges and opportunities. CPA
Australia's2010 Neil WalkerMemorial Lecture. Downloadedfromwww.dpmc.gov.au on
17 November2012.
Pearson,N. Privateland title key to development. The Australian,17 November2012.
Simmons,A. Socialmedia rules forpublic servants'laughable'. ABCOnline News19 January2012.
Downloadedfrom www.abc.net.au on17 November2012
OECD, (2001). Citizensas Partners:information,consultation and publicparticipation in policy-
making. OrganisationforEconomicCooperation& Development,Paris.