{"product_id":"with-the-benefit-of-hindsight-john-wanna-9781921862731","title":"With the Benefit of Hindsight","description":"Secretaries of government departments in Australia are the bureaucratic leaders of their generation. They are ambitious, highly-talented executives who have risen to the very pinnacle of their chosen vocation - public service to the Australian nation - usually after having spent most, if not all, of their professional careers dedicated to the public service. They serve governments as their top advisers and in policy terms are often some of the most important decision-makers in the country. This collection brings together the valedictory speeches and essays from a departing group of secretaries (and one or two other equivalent agency heads) who left the Australian Public Service between 2004 and 2011. Over this period of time it gradually became accepted that departing secretaries and heads of significant agencies would present a valedictory address to their peers at a public farewell function. The first two speeches in this collection were initiated informally and given at functions organised by their agencies; in 2005 the process was formalised with the Australian Public Service Commission acting as organiser. These contributions contain reflections, commentaries, occasional fond memories or key turning-points in careers, critiques of changes that have occurred and an outline of the remaining challenges their successors will face as the public administrators of tomorrow.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e John Wanna, Sam Vincent, Andrew Podger\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 1921862734\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781921862731\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Anu Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 04\/01\/2012\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 210\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 1.07lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.84h x 6.93w x 0.57d","brand":"John Wanna","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":46825861185791,"sku":"9781921862731","price":23.34,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_9b5fe21c-6b9d-4ec5-9ca5-d409f045662b.jpg?v=1746073851","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/with-the-benefit-of-hindsight-john-wanna-9781921862731","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}