Case studies | NSW Public Service Commission

Through 2023 the NSW public sector continued to play an important role in creating opportunities for citizens and transforming its services.

Here are some stories of great work across the sector and how we are building a world class public service.

These stories are featured in the State of the NSW Public Sector Report 2023.

Creating legal career pathways for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples

Enhancing education and employment is fundamental to closing the gap in health and life outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. A collaboration between Legal Aid NSW, TAFE NSW and Macquarie University is working to achieve this objective through the Legal Career Pathways Program.

Boosting the employment of people with disability in the public sector

In 2022, the NSW Government commissioned a sector-wide review to understand efforts that were underway to increase the proportion of people with disability employed in the public sector. The review identified key areas of opportunity and proposed 8 recommendations, each assigned to a lead agency to put into action.

Transport for NSW leads the way in hybrid working

Transport for NSW (Transport) is giving employees more flexibility and choice in where and when they work. Transport’s hybrid working campaign, The way we work at Transport, empowers employees to work in a way that supports them personally and professionally – whether that’s in the office, onsite, at home or on the go – while continuing to deliver for NSW.

App transforms interactions with people experiencing homelessness

The Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ) runs the Assertive Outreach (AO) program, through which its employees actively look for and engage with people who are experiencing street homelessness.

The DCJ wanted to create an efficient digital solution for AO staff as the day-to-day administration of the program was manual and resource-intensive. The solution was the Journey on Home (JoH) app, created in partnership with Telstra and Concentrix Catalyst.

Rebuilding relationships and deepening understanding between central office and schools

The Department of Education launched the School Experience Program in Term 3, 2023. As part of the program, all new central office employees are required to spend a week in a local primary or high school at the start of their employment. The department’s senior executives also spend a week in schools during Education Week

Improving climate risk management across the NSW public sector

In a first for state and territory jurisdictions in Australia, the NSW Government developed a whole-of-government approach to managing climate risk and adapting to climate change. The Climate Risk Ready NSW program aims to build capability and improve government responses by providing consistent, integrated guidance across all agencies.

Increasing cultural diversity in public sector leadership

The Public Sector Commission (PSC) has created a new sponsorship program – Elevate & Advocate – as part of a wider strategy to increase cultural diversity in public sector senior leadership. The program is designed to meet the sector’s commitment to workforce inclusion and to ensure sector leadership reflects NSW’s diversity.

Virtual medical service makes life easier for those in aged care

The Western Sydney Local Health District (WSLHD) partnered with NSW Ambulance, general practitioners (GPs) and 65 RACFs across NSW to create the inTouch Residential Aged Care Facility Pathway. It includes the inTouch Urgent Care Service, which gives patients with non-life-threatening health conditions access to a comprehensive health assessment via video calls and direct support from GPs and aged care staff.

A single location for all NSW Government grants

The Department of Customer Service partnered with agencies across the sector to develop the first central database of grants and funding opportunities in NSW. The Grants and Funding Finder is a search portal that stores information about more than 500 grants across 46 agencies in one location. It enables customers to understand, compare and apply for grants more easily.

Read the 2023 State of the NSW Public Sector Report
A summary of the NSW public sector's performance, achievements, challenges and priorities.