Strengthening Australia’s Reform ‘Muscle’ via Social Licence to Operate: Case Study Collection

The cases in this collection were developed as part of the Strengthening Australia’s Reform ‘Muscle’ via Social Licence to Operate (SLO) project, a collaborative initiative between ANZSOG, the Australian National University (ANU), and the South Australian Department of the Premier and Cabinet.

The project explores how governments can build and sustain the “muscle” required to undertake complex reforms, with a particular focus on the role of social licence in enabling and shaping reform processes.

Each case study examines a distinct reform initiative across different jurisdictions and policy domains, offering a rich, practice-oriented lens into how public sector leaders navigated the challenges of reform. Central to each narrative is the strategic use of social licence, how trust, legitimacy, and credibility were cultivated to support reform efforts, and how these elements influenced outcomes.

They highlight recurring themes such as:

• The importance of early and authentic engagement with stakeholders and communities.
• The role of narrative and framing in building public understanding.
• The need for adaptive leadership and institutional resilience.
• The risks and trade-offs involved in pursuing bold reforms.
• Proactive vs reactive policy making and policy driven by crisis

Each case study concludes with a set of key lessons, practical insights, and questions for reflection, designed to help public servants and policy practitioners apply these learnings to their own work.