The papers included in this collection were presented at the Project Management and Organisational Change conference held in Canberra in February 2006. This was the first annual research conference organised by the Australia and New Zealand School of Government in conjunction with the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. The conference provided a platform for over 50 speakers and attracted over 350 attendees across the two days. Speakers included top public sector executives from the Australian jurisdictions as well as representatives from the United Kingdom, Canada and New Zealand. The ANZSOG research committee, chaired initially by Professor Ian Chubb, Vice Chancellor of ANU and then by Ken Henry from The Treasury was instrumental in framing the themes of the conference. Audio files of the full proceedings are available on the ANZSOG website (http://www.anzsog.edu.au/news/research_ confer_audio.php).

In hosting such an event we incurred a number of debts. In the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, Isi Unikowski led the reference group and framed the main contours of the conference. He was indefatigable in his energy, ideas and commitment. Also important in providing key support were Peter Shergold, Jim Hargreaves, Peter Hamburger, Gia Metherell and Mark Prebble. Jenny Keene managed the conference program and undertook the lion’s share of the conference organisation. The Dean of ANZSOG, Professor Allan Fels, opened the conference and assisted with invitations. ANZSOG staff and postgraduates of the Political Science Program at The Australian National University helped with preparations and in administering the conference event.

Presenters at the conference who are not included in this publication include: Professor John Alford, Sandi Beatie, Lesley Bentley, Stephen Betros, Ed Blow, David Butler, David Dombkins, Tim Farland, Iain Fraser, Air Vice Marshall Norman Gray, Stacie Hall, Robert Higgins, Caroline Hogg, Elaine Ninham, Kersti Nogeste, David Paul, Kaye Remington, Ann Steward, Sabrina Walsh and Philip Weickhardt. We thank them for their impressive contributions.

The sponsors of the conference included: the Project Management Institute (PMI), the Australian Institute of Project Management (AIPM), Tanner James, PA Consulting, Palm Consulting, Compuware Corporation, Human Systems, the Australian Public Service Commission and the University of New South Wales Press.

Finally, John Butcher at the ANU was expert at pulling the publication together, chasing written papers and undertaking an initial copy edit of the manuscript. I can’t thank him enough.

 

Professor John Wanna
Sir John Bunting Chair of Public Administration
ANZSOG/ANU