Improving Multi-Agency Governance Arrangements Forpreparedness, Planning and Response: Implementing Theintegrated Approach in Australia

Abstract

Systems of public sector governance are adjusting to the requirements of Digital Age resilience and response. The traditional hierarchical structure of the public sector, in Australia and elsewhere, was optimised for the circumstances of the Industrial Age and for a professional public service model that relied on the concentration of expertise in distinct departments of state. Contemporary pressures for multi-hazard risk-reduction, resilience and crisis response require government, civil society and private sector organisations to coordinate their efforts more effectively. Within the public sector, civilian, military and police officers and officials must develop systems to build national preparedness, share information and work across boundaries for both domestic and offshore contingencies. This paper considers how the lessons of recent offshore operations are shaping the effort to introduce the concept of the Integrated Approach in Australia.