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Connecting you to the latest public policy and management research.

  • More than 16,000 subscribers
  • 90 per cent of readers use The Bridge in their daily work
  • Research Briefs read by thousands of people every fortnight

Finding the latest policy and public management research can be time-consuming and difficult. Navigating academic research is not always easy as it can be complex to read.

That’s why ANZSOG launched The Bridge in March 2020 – to connect public managers with current and relevant research. Every fortnight, subscribers receive a free email which distils relevant academic research to the public sector into an easy-to-read format.

Since then, we have built a community of more than 15,000 Bridge subscribers. More than 90 per cent of The Bridge readers tell us they use The Bridge content in their daily work, and more than 70 per cent have shared The Bridge content with colleagues.

“I share it with my team for their general professional development and to broaden their reading choices. I love its format and brevity. and the personal touch at the end of what Maria is reading – always interesting.”

“I have found articles or summaries of them helpful when considering how to approach an evaluation or project design task. I also like to read about developments and issues relevant to the public sector beyond my own work, this helps me to see things in context and keep an eye on where we are going.”

The Bridge will continue to strengthen engagement between academic researchers and policymakers and allow research with practical application to reach a wider audience, as part of ANZSOG’s mission to strengthen the quality of public sector leadership in Australia and Aotearoa-New Zealand.

The Bridge is compiled and curated by Maria Katsonis – a former senior Victorian public servant with more than 20 years’ experience who is now a Public Policy Fellow at the University of Melbourne. Maria’s insights are vital to The Bridge, bringing a practitioner’s perspective to academic research. She was previously the curator of The Drop – a joint project between ANZSOG and The Mandarin.

The Bridge is emailed fortnightly to readers in Australia, New Zealand and globally. Full access to back issues and to Research Briefs can be found below.

Read The Bridge's Research Briefs

The Bridge archives

Edition 95, 28 February 2024

  • how ministers form their identities as new ministers
  • the skills needed in government today
  • Australian attitudes towards government, democracy, and public capability
  • why transparency can benefit government
  • new research on the drivers of financial stress.
Edition 94, 15 February 2024

  • the regulation trajectory of government consultants
  • why Australian governments are not fulfilling their commitments under the National Agreement on Closing the Gap
  • how to apply a Social R&D approach to public service reform
  • how systems thinking can be used to support leadership in public sector governance
  • climate change adaptation practices that could work in Australia
Edition 93, 31 January 2024

  • a renewed conception of the common good and a way of steering and shaping the economy to meet collective goals
  • how to think about the transferability of ideas, models and methods
  • a rebuttal of popular misconceptions about nudges
  • strategic actions for innovation and performance that help government move forward in the face of inevitable uncertainty
  • ten principles to guide the responsible use of generative AI in government

Edition 69, 1 February 2023

  • expertise bargains which capture the dynamics between politicians and bureaucrats
  • leveraging digital technology to build public trust
  • divergent approaches to innovation policy
  • a behaviour change framework for building a Net Zero society
  • the latest data on Australia’s burden of disease
Edition 70, 15 February 2023

  • ways to make gender targets more effective at improving representation in senior public service roles
  • practices that are proven to build strong teams and improve performance
  • how governments can mobilise  intelligence for decision making
  • the most severe risks facing economies and societies over the next two years
  • the latest data on deaths in custody in Australia.
Edition 71, 1 March 2023

  • the conditions which enable collaborative innovation
  • the issues shaping economic and policy outcomes in the year ahead
  • tackling cross-boundary challenges using strategy mapping
  • policymakers’ perspectives on the value of research.
Edition 72, 15 March 2023

  • barriers and opportunities in implementing the Closing the Gap National Agreement
  • why prevention policy is intuitively appealing but an elusive solution
  • ‘snow leopards’, or, underappreciated phenomena that have the potential for major change
  • the formality effect in government communication
  • the state of diversity, equity, and inclusion in Australian workplaces.
Edition 73, 29 March 2023

  • service design and its potential for transformation
  • the changes that could affect our capacity for social connection
  • the tools governments can use to achieve cross-cutting goals
  • approaches for getting started with systems thinking
  • the strategies to drive positive change in leadership programs
Edition 74, 29 March 2023

  • why collaboration is a ubiquitous yet contested feature of public policy
  • the future of work at the intersection of technological and social change
  • four global trends in government innovation
  • a framework for public narrative focused on building relationships
  • evidence-based pathways for strengthening trust in AI systems
Edition 75, 26 April 2023

  • integrating hindsight, foresight, and insight into policy systems to deepen the evidence base
  • how behavioural science can address its critics and fulfill its potential
  • evaluation drivers, approaches, and trends in Australia
  • three issues to address to build trust in the progress of the digital economy
  • survey outcomes on community attitudes about housing affordability
Edition 76, 10 May 2023

  • strategies to support the application of public sector design thinking
  • the path to better evaluation practice
  • how data footprints are being created and exploited online
  • the employment climate for older workers and perceptions around Australia’s ageing workforce
  • a comparative analysis of Australian education policy.
Edition 77, 24 May 2023

  • the impact of ministerial advisers on the contest of policy ideas
  • implementing missions with a new type of governance
  • how jobs and skills will evolve over the next five years
  • messages that can reduce panic buying behaviour
  • What Generation Z is worried about
Edition 78, 7 June 2023

  • How to use regulatory technology to create of public value
  • Engaging vulnerable populations in co-design
  • the private office model for UK ministers
  • survey data showing Australians are finding it harder to afford housing, food, energy and healthcare
  • the case for an AI-powered productivity boom
Edition 79, 21 June 2023

  • the intrinsic and extrinsic drivers that motivate innovation champions
  • ways to make the public sector more flexible and resilient
  • the ten most significant shifts facing organisations
  • the impact of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on global order
  • the complexities of defining and responding to coercive control
Edition 80, 4 July 2023

  • what influences creativity in policy capacity
  • why we need to infuse the civil service with humility
  • the case for reducing persistent disadvantage
  • labour market participation, employment and education pathways of First Nations people
  • how to apply the risk management cycle to public procurement
Edition 81, 19 July 2023

  • the challenges facing public managers when using AI
  • Trust in government and satisfaction with services across OECD countries
  • creating the conditions for community-led responses to policy issues
  • the factors that prevent us using proven approaches to end
  • the latest data on the health of Australians
Edition 82, 2 August 2023

  • the different actors who form the policy advisory system in government
  • three major barriers to taking behavioural economics to scale
  • which public bodies should be at arm’s length from government
  • how to assess progress towards a wellbeing economy
  • using market-shaping and common good framing to coordinate policies
Edition 83, 16 August 2023

  • defining leadership as action rather than a position of authority or personal characteristics
  • the UK government’s five reform missions for the civil service
  • the Productivity Commission’s first assessment of the National Agreement on Closing the Gap
  • the evidence base about place-based approaches in addressing social, economic and environmental challenges facing communities
  • the impact of GovTech and regulation challenges.
Edition 84, 30 August 2023

  • why distinguishing between types of policy failure is a requisite first step in policy learning
  • the five major forces that will affect the Australian economy in the coming decades
  • a snapshot of Australia’s understanding and experiences of loneliness and social isolation
  • why GDP has failed as a measure of social progress.
  • attitudes towards education in Australia.
Edition 85, 13 September 2023

  • a framework for assessing the effectiveness of ‘nudges’
  • a nine-step guide to designing and managing an evaluation
  • the major challenges influencing community participation in decision-making
  • six big shifts Australia needs to enhance productivity and improve living standards
  • the experiences of people waiting for social housing.
Edition 86, 27 September 2023

  • why policy lessons need to move across time and space
  • the role of community-led truth-telling in shifting the narrative about Australia’s history
  • a pulse-check of the mental health and wellbeing of people in Australia
  • insights into the Australia’s social cohesion including trust and belonging
  • a framework which measures the efficiency, compliance and strategic goals of public procurement.
Edition 87, 11 October 2023

  • a comparative analysis of reform initiatives in Australia, Canada, Britain and Aotearoa New Zealand
  • the use of strategic foresight in government
  • the need for a shift in policymaking to build a more equitable future
  • the state of play in the government contract market and how it affects competition
  • the latest data on Australia’s welfare
Edition 88, 25 October 2023

  • the role of ministerial advisers in a hyper-partisan environment
  • guidance on using experimental methods in policymaking
  • how AI can be responsibly used and governed
  • three tools to reduce age bias in recruitment
  • the latest data on how income and wealth are shared across the community.
Edition 89, 9 November 2023

  • the public accountability risks involved with social impact bonds
  • the gaps and challenges in the Australian evidence landscape
  • how a more collaborative approach to regulation could improve the delivery of public services
  • a plan to drive women’s economic equality in Australia ​​​​​​​
  • the role of digital mental health tools
Edition 90, 22 November 2023

  • how experts contribute to public problem-solving
  • what is needed for trustworthy use of AI
  • a collective imagination starter pack for values-based capitalism
  • standards expected from modern public administrations
  • improving digital access and inclusion for First Nations people.
Edition 91, 6 December 2023

  • rules-of-thumb for problem finding and problem solving
  • how to support policy implementation
  • what good storytelling looks like
  • the benefits of using systems approaches in policy
  • the latest research on the links between housing and poverty.
The Yuletide Edition, 20 December 2023

  • the three most popular research briefs in 2023
  • the secret economics of Christmas music
  • tips for charting a balanced course during the holidays
  • how Santa prepares for his busiest day in the year
  • the practical guides which featured in the most read articles

 

Edition 45, 27 January 2022

  • judging success in policy pilots
  • evidence based policy (or not)
  • dealing with distrust in politics
  • rethinking technology policy
  • health spending and the pandemic
Edition 46, 9 February 2022

  • red tape and improving regulation
  • trends shaping education
  • preparedness won’t stop the next pandemic
  • making democracy work
  • report on government services
Edition 47, 24 February 2022

  • developing collective governance capacity
  • mission oriented innovation
  • the future of work is hybrid
  • an agenda for change
  • the social economy’s contribution to the circular economy
Edition 48, 9 March 2022

  • overlooking frontline workers’ contribution to innovation
  • reviewing joined up social services
  • economic and political outlook 2022
  • ending homelessness
  • culture as a public good
Edition 49, 23 March 2022

  • risks in public–private partnerships
  • valuing health for all
  • zooming into better work-life balance?
  • climate change impacts and adaptation
  • reducing poverty and inequality is possible
 Edition 50, 6 April 2022

  • seven strategies for wicked problems
  • resetting the budget
  • a crypto primer
  • close the gap by transforming power
  • precarious housing and wellbeing
Edition 51, 21 April 2022

  • is the public sector creative?
  • learning from how women led during COVID-19
  • a primer on coercive control
  • public sector dynamic capabilities
  • revising down the rise of China
Edition 52, 4 May 2022

  • unpacking value destruction
  • building innovative capacity in government
  • a world reaching inflection point
  • COVID-19 housing policy responses
  • artificial intelligence: your questions answered
Edition 53, 18 May 2022

  • four lenses on people management
  • participatory Indigenous development policy
  • ten lessons on research impact
  • future skills for engagement
  • decarbonising infrastructure
Edition 54, 1 June 2022

  • the impact of internal red tape on collaborative innovation in the public sector
  • how systems operate and interconnect
    the reforms needed to lift women’s participation in the paid workforce
  • the power of crowdsourcing in responding to disasters
  • the latest data on mental health services in Australia
Edition 55, 15 June 2022

  • the emergence of ‘black swans’ and how public organisations can detect them
  • how to use systems thinking tools to solve complex problems
  • measuring the performance of services
  • the prevalence of poverty in Australia and which groups face the greatest hardship
  • mental health services in Australia and recent policy developments.
Edition 56, 30 June 2022

  • insights into failures of collaboration
  • tackling public sector challenges with the OECD’s innovation playbook
  • How individuals’ life courses are changing and future policy responses
  • recommendations for the distribution of the GST pool among the states
  • families’ reflections on 2021 and hopes for 2022
Edition 57, 13 July 2022

  • different models of joined- up government and when to use them
  • how leadership styles and gender norms influence ministerial performance
  • acute workforce pressures in the aged care sector
  • the role of data in the economy and national strategy
  • the 2022 report card on the health of Australians
Edition 58, 27 July 2022

  • strategies to navigate the twin challenges of acute and creeping crises
  • the role of mission-oriented innovation in addressing 21st century challenges
  • capacity-building for the inclusion of LGBTQI+ students in education systems
  • how support for populist politics collapsed during the pandemic
  • an approach to Australia’s Southeast Asia and the Pacific.
Edition 59, 10 August 2022

  • how public engagement can lead to better understanding of policy problems and more meaningful policy solutions
  • the seven global megatrends that will impact the way we live
  • progress made on closing the global gender gap
  • the need for a new round of national reform following the pandemic
  • the latest data on mental health and wellbeing.
Edition 60, 24 August 2022

  • the key challenges associated with the adoption of behavioural policy tools
  • how AI can be governed in the public interest
  • the most effective policy responses to COVID-19
  • a roadmap to a universal early childhood system
  • priority areas to improve Australia’s productivity.
Edition 61, 7 September 2022

  • how the public sector can offer employees new hybrid forms of work
  • global approaches to wellbeing and what Australia can learn
  • insights from the OECD’s new public integrity indicators
  • why urban Indigenous homelessness is more than a housing issue
  • the latest data on alcohol and drug treatment in Australia
Edition 62, 21 September 2022

  • the ethical concerns raised by Australia’s response to COVID-19
  • four perspectives on understanding regulatory failure
  • how science and technology can help Australia prepare against future pandemics
  • Putin’s decision to attack Ukraine and the geopolitical implications
  • how digital technology and data can be used to improve Australia’s productivity.
Edition 63, 5 October 2022

  • putting people and their wellbeing at the centre of policy design
  • how to develop the innovative capacity of governments
  • cases of successful public policy in the Nordic countries
  • the state of suicide prevention in Australia
  • system-level approaches to cultivate evidence-based practice
Edition 64, 19 October 2022

  • Why the public sector needs to take a different approach to performance management
  • Ideas for governments to improve education systems and lift future productivity.
  • How to use behavioural insights ethically for public policy
  • Democratic Innovations that can embed citizen participation in decision-making
  • Prevention and early intervention programs that are reducing crime by Indigenous young people in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand.
Edition 65, 2 November 2022

  • strategies to support robust governance as a response to turbulence
  • how agile government has evolved, with a focus on mission and value
  • four perspectives on better regulation
  • the essential elements for effective flexible working a an external; review of Australia’s handling of COVID-19.
Edition 66, 16 November 2022

  • what contributes to policy volatility or the risk of policy failure
  • five design principles for public sector learning and development
  • the role behavioural science can play in stopping people spreading misinformation
  • the value of integrating government data sets to inform decision making
  • how Australia’s gender pay gap could close
Edition 67, 30 November 2022

  • a policy capability infrastructure which includes supply and demand-side drivers
  • how populism is influencing the politicisation of the public service
  • principles to transform the design of public services in the digital age
  • a framework for understanding the relationship between risk, reward and resilience
  • the latest data on mental health-related stigma and discrimination.
Edition 68, 14 December 2022

  • the three most popular research briefs in 2022
  • what contributes to happiness during the Christmas season
  • why it feels like there’s a temporal vortex every December
  • weird Christmas traditions in Japan
  • how the biology of reindeer makes them ideal to pull Santa’s sleigh.

 

Edition 21, 27 January 2021

  • trust in government
  • social policy and COVID-19
  • gender inclusive competition policy
  • technology and the future of the government workforce
  • steering through capability
Edition 22, 10 February 2021

  • beyond nudge
  • 2021 global risks
  • a weak centre of government
  • COVID performance index
  • ‘thou shalt nots’ of systems change
Edition 23, 24 February 2021

  • neutrality in the minister’s office
  • building agile government
  • infrastructure beyond COVID-19
  • design toolkits in the public sector
  • understanding coercive control
Edition 24, 11 March 2021

  • where to for public value?
  • policy capability for a COVID world
  • 2021 economic and political outlook
  • mapping social cohesion
  • lawyers, managers and public authority
  • policy podcast for your playlist
Edition 25, 24 March 2021

  • systemic design practice for policymaking
  • Close the gap campaign report
  • 2021 government trends
  • how can we tell if we are effective system stewards?
  • COVID-19 health information and CALD communities
Edition 26, 7 April 2021

  • loss of capacity in public sector agencies
  • design guide for participatory policymaking
  • re-opening Australia in 2021
  • co-designing Indigenous policy
  • innovations in healthcare
  • policy podcast for your playlist
Edition 27, 21 April 2021

  • leading with political astuteness
  • learning policy, doing policy
  • gender equity insights
  • COVID-19 fallacies and hard truths
  • urban productivity and affordable rental housing
Edition 28, 5 May 2021

  • behavioural insights teams in Australia and Aotearoa-New Zealand
  • robots and policy design
  • managing divergent recoveries
  • why emissions need to plummet this decade
  • workplace innovation
Edition 29, 19 May 2021

  • designing digital services for better user experience
  • the case for inclusive growth
  • developing policy and practice networks
  • employing and retaining older workers
  • fraud and pandemics
Edition 30, 3 June 2021

  • does performance measurement drive improvement?
  • roadmap to reopening
  • a new design framework
  • focused innovation policy
  • counting culture
Edition 31, 17 June 2021

  • COVID-19 as a leadership game changer
  • Chinese-Australians in the Australian public service
  • make healing happen
  • good data and trust
  • climate change and security
Edition 32, 30 June 2021

  • nudge and co-design: complementary or contradictory?
  • using targets to improve public services
  • productivity by the numbers
  • Australia as a space power
  • housing: the elephant in the economy
Edition 33, 14 July 2021

  • COVID-19: policy making and trust
  • public service for the real world
  • digital talent and skills
  • Australia over 40 years
  • Australia’s youth
Edition 34, 28 July 2021

  • when the front-line challenges policy design
  • wellbeing and public policy
  • Indigenous Voice co-design
  • government at a glance
  • a right to come home?
Edition 35, 11 August 2021

  • when the public deliberates on policy design
  • engaging clients in commissioning
  • creating social connectedness
  • vaccine hesitancy report card
  • whistle while you work
Edition 36, 25 August 2021

  • workplace gender equality
  • the bright side of public service
  • big picture Indigenous policy
  • how robots will change public policy
  • homelessness in Australia
Edition 37, 8 September 2021

  • administering inequality and the NDIS
  • Australia’s future infrastructure needs
  • the social state
  • public audits in the new normal
  • digital culture guidebook
Edition 38, 22 September 2021

  • innovation and intelligent failure
  • hate speech against women
  • global megatrends
  • Australia’s wellbeing
  • national water reform
Edition 39, 6 October 2021

  • Indigenous policy making
  • Working from home
  • Is kindness the blind spot in public policy?
  • Tools at the centre of government
Edition 40, 20 October 2021

  • the public sector performance paradox
  • managing the next crisis
  • intergenerational well-being
  • making commissioning work
  • the potential and limits of economic statecraft
Edition 41, 3 November 2021

  • wicked and less wicked problems
  • the future of work is hybrid
  • system-shifting design
  • governance of the COVID-19 crisis
  • health impacts of the 2019/20 Australian bushfires
 Edition 42, 17 November 2021

  • growth oriented public sector leadership
  • mental health at work
  • public value is unknowable
  • Australia’s prison dilemma
  • COVID-19 vaccine audiences
Edition 43, 1 December 2021

  • commissioning consultants to enhance policy capacity
  • First Nations culturally safe evaluations
  • improving workplace gender equality
  • loneliness and social connectedness in Australia
  • Australia’s burden of disease
Edition 44, 15 December 2021

  • The Bridge greatest hits
  • Christmas music earworms
  • making New Year’s resolutions stick
  • why cats obsess over Christmas trees
  • the psychology of gift giving

 

Edition 01, 25 March 2020

  • Co-design
  • COVID-19 in Australia
  • Spending reviews
  • Infrastructure priorities
Edition 02, 8 April 2020

  • public dis/value
  • the ethics of COVID-19
  • beyond coronavirus
  • close the gap
  • government as a system
Edition 03, 22 April 2020

  • policy sciences and COVID-19
  • changing behaviour during COVID-19
  • using mass surveillance to fight coronavirus
  • what makes a leading democracy
  • decarbonisation futures
 Edition 04, 6 May 2020

  • agile governing
  • the road to recovery from COVID-19
  • LGBTIQ+ communities and COVID-19
  • wealth of cities
  • innovative cultures
 Edition 05, 20 May 2020

  • understanding prevention and early intervention
  • Australia and the world after COVID-19
  • COVID-19 global macroeconomics impacts
  • Australia’s children
  • complexity in policy evaluation
Edition 06, 3 June 2020

  • ethical culture and innovation
  • the psychology of COVID-19
  • public integrity and COVID-19
  • Aboriginal designed and led initiatives
  • workplace diversity and inclusion
Edition 07, 17 June 2020

  • risk and rewards of public investments
  • Indigenous evaluation strategy
  • personalisation, disability and pandemics
  • gender role attitudes
  • COVID-19 digital contact tracing
 Edition 08, 1 July 2020

  • pandemic leadership
  • citizen participation
  • behavioural economics
  • commissioning public services
  • COVID-19 and gender equality
  • blog posts to bookmark
 Edition 09, 15 July 2020

  • New Public Management and public services
  • economic uncertainty in post-COVID cities
  • New Zealand’s frameworks for preventing family violence
  • policy lessons from catastrophic events
  • poverty in Australia
  • policy podcasts for your playlist
Edition 10, 29 July 2020

  • Social Impact Bonds and evidence
  • managing the COVID-19 transition
  • insourcing government services
  • COVID-19 research round up
  • open data’s impact
Edition 11, 13 August 2020

  • dark side of public innovation
  • disinformation and COVID-19
  • social housing pathways
  • COVID-19 research round up
  • evaluation and reform in Indigenous policy
 Edition 12, 27 August 2020

  • royal commission and policy influence
  • skills for recovery post- COVID-19
  • systems-led design guide
  • violence against women and mental health
  • spotlight on the National Drug Strategy Household survey
  • COVID-19, loneliness and social isolation
Edition 13, 10 September 2020

  • policy labs – the next frontier
  • COVID-19 and public sector capacity
  • enabling community led change
  • Australian bushfire and climate plan
  • the costs of COVID-19
Edition 14, 24 September 2020

  • public management in Aotearoa-New Zealand and Australia
  • how to fail (forward)
  • welfare 5.0
  • evidence-informed policymaking
  • COVID-19 and the information state
Edition 15, 7 October 2020

  • boundary spanning
  • co-designing for impact
  • high performing leadership
  • reassessing contracting out
  • mental health prevention
 Edition 16, 21 October 2020

  • why policy narrative matters
  • reframing risk in innovation
  • a Real Deal post COVID-19
  • are women leaders really better?
  • national Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth report
Edition 17, 5 November 2020

  • complexity in public services
  • collaborating after a crisis
  • designing public policy
  • Australian homelessness in 2020
  • the future of jobs
Edition 18, 19 November 2020

  • being a public manager in times of crisis
  • Indigenous evaluation strategy
  • using collective intelligence to solve public problems
  • Australia’s Federation post-pandemic playbook
  • equal opportunity in Australia 2020
Edition 19, 3 December 2020

  • public sector innovation intensity
  • behaviour change scale up toolkit
  • Australia’s productivity experience
  • evidence based policy (or not)
  • family matters
Edition 20, 17 December 2020

  • feeling good about giving
  • commerce Claus
  • new year resolutions that stick
  • five scientific findings about Christmas
  • what you read in The Bridge