Journal article
Intergovernmental Relations and the Role of Senior Officials: Two Case Studies and Some Lessons Learned
Glyn Davis, Helen Silver
AUSTRALIAN JOURNAL OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION | WILEY-BLACKWELL | Published : 2015
Abstract
The Council of Australian Governments (COAG) is the most important forum for intergovernmental relations in Australian federalism. Though decision-making processes in intergovernmental relations in Australia have been well documented in recent research, the role of senior officials within the COAG process is less often studied. Though not the primary decision makers, this article suggests senior officials play a significant role in intergovernmental outcomes through advice provision and 'bargaining in the margins' of COAG. Case studies of the National Competition Policy and the development of the Intergovernmental Agreement on Federal Financial Relations suggest both the contribution of seni..
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Funding Acknowledgements
This article is the result of a research project with funding support from the Victorian Government through the Department of Premier and Cabinet. We would like to thank Andrew Tongue for his sponsorship of this project. All opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors. The authors would like to thank the following individuals for generously sharing their experiences of the SOM: Ken Baxter, former secretary of the Department of Premier Minister and Cabinet in Victoria and former director-general of NSW Premier's Department; Gerard Bradley, former head of Treasury, Queensland; Dan Melton, former director-general of the Department of Premier and Cabinet, Tasmania; Roger Beale, former deputy secretary of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet; Grant Hehir, former secretary of the Department of Treasury and Finance, Victoria; Terry Moran, former secretary of the Department of Premier and Cabinet, Victoria; Ian Watt, former secretary of the Department of Finance and Deregulation and former secretary of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet Jim Hallion, former secretary of the Department of Premier and Cabinet, South Australia; Peter Conran, former secretary of the Department of Premier and Cabinet, Western Australia; and Terry Moran and Mike Keating, former secretary of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet. We also appreciate detailed commentary on an earlier text from Donald Speagle, formerly in the Department of Premier and Cabinet, Victoria. This project was carefully designed by Dr Lynne Williams, who framed many of the research questions and conducted a number of early interviews. A first draft was developed by Lachlan McKenzie under the supervision of Dr Gwil Croucher. The involvement of this team at every step of the project was crucial to the result, and is much appreciated.