Posted by The emergence of disruptive technologies and business models is exciting for consumers, but it doesn’t diminish the responsibility of public value organisations to articulate and work for the public interest: in fact it makes it more urgent. Platforms like Uber, AirBnB and AirTasker were unheard of a few short years ago and are now household names. New technologies are disrupting established business models in a range of industries around the world, offering the potential for better goods and services, but also impacting livelihoods and representing a pace of change that exceeds the ability of governments to regulate. A

Two key generational factors are acting on today’s workforce that heighten the importance of developing and transferring in-house expertise and knowledge: Baby-boomers, who often hold key senior positions, have a lifetime of working experience and are exiting the workforce at increasing rates as retirement calls, and Gen Y’s, and soon Gen Z’s (or post-millenials), who may move between many careers and organisations over a lifetime. Cube Group has had the privilege of supporting several public sector organisations to develop frameworks and tools for retaining organisational knowledge, also known as, institutional or in-house memory. One client stating that: “developing and transferring

Posted by A light bulb moment. Something interesting happened to me recently. I was sitting in the Board room of a Victorian public entity, facilitating a strategic planning session. The CEO and executive team were all in attendance, caffeinated and energised. The ideas were flowing, and they were good. I’d even say the emerging strategy had the hint of a ‘swagger’. The session then turned to the culture of the organisation, and something interesting happened. The body language of the room changed. Energy dropped. Eyes wandered. Pensive faces appeared. What the heck was going on here, I thought to myself?

Exercise more! Eat well! Be happy! There are a million and one articles on the internet that push people to improve their individual health and wellbeing and we now recognise that achieving a state of health and wellbeing is about so much more than merely the absence of disease or injury. The World Health Organisation (WHO) suggests health is a continuum incorporating a complex combination of physical, mental and social factors. Not only is a state of wellbeing individually beneficial but healthy and happy people have significant flow on benefits for society as a whole. But what goes into achieving

Cube’s Public Value Compass describes key individual and community dimensions of public value outcomes. This blog is the fifth in a series that looks at each of these dimensions in detail. This month, we look at ‘connectedness and inclusion’. We (humans!) are inherently social. From cradle to the grave, each of us relies on a dense network of connection in order to develop, flourish and participate – whether in social, economic, cultural or political arenas. The impact of exclusion and disconnection Exclusion and disconnection – experienced as social isolation – are deadly.  Yes this sounds dramatic, but large-scale studies suggest that social

Cube’s Public Value Compass describes key individual and community dimensions of public value outcomes. This blog is the fourth in a series that looks at each of these dimensions in detail. This month, we look at ‘growth and prosperity’. Environmental sustainability and protection of our natural and physical environments are hot topics and the subject of  much debate across Australia, particularly in the context of climate change and rapid population growth. People often have strong opinions about why we should or shouldn’t protect different parts of our natural and physical environments, making it a highly contested and often divisive issue. This

  Cube’s Public Value Compass describes key individual and community dimensions of public value outcomes. This blog is the third in a series that looks at each of these dimensions in detail. This month, we look at ‘growth and prosperity’. It’s hard to escape the fact that growth and prosperity dominates a significant part of national discourse. From the Global Financial Crisis to budget surpluses, from tax cuts to austerity measures, economic management, growth stimulation, and prosperous economies are ever-present themes for all governments. But what exactly is growth and prosperity, and why is it important as a public value outcome?

Once upon a time when disaster struck, our emergency services responded. Over time, our expectations of emergency services and supporting agencies have broadened enormously. Now, we not only expect a swift and capable response but we want effective mitigation or prevention of disaster, personalised education and advice on how to prepare for various emergencies, and specific and sustained support to recover from the impact of an emergency. We also want to receive targeted and timely warnings if an emergency is going to affect us. During 2014, Cube had the privilege of supporting a National Review of Warnings and Information, overseen

The Public Value Compass is Cube’s way of modeling the key individual and community outcomes of public value. This blog is the second in a monthly series that looks at and explores each of the outcomes in detail. Living in a fair and equal society You see a job advertised that you know you’re qualified for, and you’re confident that the process will be merit based. Your name, gender or race will have no bearing on whether you get the job, or even an interview. After all, everyone in Australia is treated fairly aren’t they? Aren’t fairness and equality the