Writing & commentary

The public and private sectors live in their own swim lanes. Too often forgetting each other’s purpose and misunderstanding perspectives.

I want to share what I’ve thought and what I’ve learned. Testing how we govern, measure, and deliver public services, through the public and private sectors, and at the intersection of the two

You will find a mix of articles published on this site, and often elsewhere.

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Latest posts

  • This isn’t just a fuel crisis. It’s a leadership failure.
    Why have we raced to appoint a Fuels Tzar to manage the “crisis”? It’s not that we haven’t had warning or been here before. We do not have a plan to distribute fuel from import terminals to end users, particularly in regional areas. Now is not the time to debate…
  • Destroying trust with “transparency” and “honesty”
    First published in The Mandarin (18 February 2026) I was taken by the recent speech of the Secretary of PM&C’s words  reporting  Kennedy: Flexibility needed for uncertainty in a dangerous world “Efforts around the world by authoritarians to control information and politicise data underscore the need for the public service…
  • DTA review doesn’t deliver whole picture on government contracts
    First published in The Mandarin 9 February 2026 The Digital Transformation Agency has released the strategic review of the whole of Australian government single seller arrangements (SSAs). The review, by IT consultancy SolsticeIT, found the arrangements delivered the government “significant value for money” – more than $1.6 billion. $1.6bn is…

Occasional papers

White papers, deeper opinion pieces, and submissions to government generated here, and over time inside the company I ran. Click link to download

Observations and commentary

The status quo leads us nowhere new.
Critical reflections and sharp opinion pieces on how government works — or doesn’t.

  • This isn’t just a fuel crisis. It’s a leadership failure.
    Why have we raced to appoint a Fuels Tzar to manage the “crisis”? It’s not that we haven’t had warning or been here before. We do not have a plan to distribute fuel from import terminals to end users, particularly in regional areas. Now is not the time to debate…
  • Political interference in the public sector, and the accountability void
    Here we go again. Both sides of politics claim they want an independent, high-performing APS. Yet neither side can resist the urge to interfere, and the APS leadership seems to continually tread the path of least resistance. The latest is the reported forming by the APSC of a consultative committee…
  • Why I left Kiah, and other answers
    It has been almost three months since I cleaned out my office at Kiah. I am often asked if I have really left or is it a façade and am I still pulling the strings, and if I have left, why? In short, I have left Kiah and am no…

Practical practices

Real-world tools, tips, and strategies — tested in practice — to help you get the job done.

  • Negotiations aren’t just for negotiators
    As published in The Mandarin December 3, 2024 by Kiah MD John Glenn If I had realised this when I first started out my life would have been much easier – everywhere! I would have got more of what I wanted to achieve with much less angst. At home, at…
  • Getting stuff done – executable strategies
    As published in The Mandarin November 1, 2024 by Kiah MD John Glenn  Most of us have to get stuff done – at least at work! For some, it’s simply done by managing a process. Start at the beginning, work through the process, end up with an outcome. For most…
  • If KPI’s work, why doesn’t my contract?
    As published in The Mandarin October 29, 2024 by Kiah MD John Glenn  It’s de rigueur to run performance-based contracts. Deliver the agreed performance, get paid. Don’t meet the performance standard, get paid less. Should make sense, but does it? Do the job, get paid In a business-to-business (B2B) relationship,…

Pursuits and procurement

Two sides of the same coin. From writing RFT’s to understanding both government buying and selling.

AI in practice

Exploring how AI is changing the way we think, write, decide, and deliver — especially in public work.

  • AI, and all that I fear
    First published in The Mandarin 26 March 2025 AI, and all that I fear “It’s too new. It’s just guessing. I don’t know how it…

Negotiation & Influence

On how we reach agreement, navigate power, and shape the conditions for good delivery.

Defence

Recent thinking on delivery, procurement, and reform inside Australia’s Defence environment.

Leadership

Observations, advice and commentary on leadership.