Realities and challenges of implementing merit protection frameworks: Australian Capital Territory, Queensland and Aotearoa New Zealand

A new ANZSOG Research project explores the concept of merit in recruitment practices in a modern public sector context. It finds a complexity of understandings of merit, with reference to contemporary challenges that aim to integrate suitability and diversity alongside efficiency.

Merit 2.0: Factors in Merit Based Recruitment, Promotion and Retention in the Public Sector was recently completed with release of a second stage fieldwork report. The report ‘Realities and challenges of implementing merit protection frameworks’ draws on interviews from three jurisdictions – ACT, Queensland and Aotearoa New Zealand.

The project was sponsored by ANZSOG and the ACT Government through ANZSOGs collaborative Research Model and was led by Associate Professor Sue Williamson and a research team which included Associate Professor James Connor, Dr Vanessa McDermott, Dr Catherine Deen, Dr Kelly Soderstrom, Dr Joe Ren at PSRG, UNSW Canberra, and Associate Professor Noelle Donnelly from Victoria University of Wellington.