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Open Forum is a independent collaborative think-tank built around an interactive discussion website hosted and moderated by Global Access Partners (GAP). It provides a platform for focused dialogue on social, political, economic, ecological and cultural issues and challenges.

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Online Question Time for the Hon. Chris Pearce MP, Member for Aston


Here's where e-Democracy hits the ground running! As part of our exciting new Online Question Time initiative, we're inviting kids from all over Australia to put their elected representatives on the spot, and ask them about the issues that matter to the young people of  Australia.

The first elected representative to take up the challenge is the Hon. Chris Pearce MP, who was elected to represent the Melbourne seat of Aston in the 2001 Federal election. 


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EXCLUSIVE: Question & Answer with Tony Abbott


In an effort to facilitate a higher level of consultation between our community and decision makers, we are planning a number of "Question & Answer" sessions with Australia's key thought leaders. Our first guest is The Hon. Tony Abbott MHR, former Federal Minister for Health and Ageing. Here are his thoughts on the national health care reform, hospital crisis, electronic health records, community consultation, and more.


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Blog of the Day

IBM Global CEO Study: CEOs Battle to Keep Up With the Pace of Change


posted by matt english, May 12, 2008

The globally integrated economy requires fresh thinking and innovative approaches to managing change. 

In today's globally integrated economy, CEOs are bombarded by change -- can they handle it? According to IBM's 2008 Global CEO Study of 1,130 CEOs, which was conducted face-to-face in 40 countries, CEOs are battling to keep up with the pace of change.

CEOs reported a surprising level of optimism about change as an opportunity to build new competitive advantage. In fact, 83 percent of surveyed CEOs expect substantial change in the future, an increase of 28 percent in just two years.

Yet, while CEOs see change ahead, their ability to effectively manage change is increasing at a far slower pace. CEOs rate their ability to manage change 22 percentage points lower than their expected need for it, a ‘change gap' that has nearly tripled since 2006.

The study reveals that CEOs were specific about where the most important change will occur - within their own customer base as two classes of customers emerged: the ‘information omnivore' and the ‘socially-minded' customer. Of all the trends in the study, CEOs plan their most substantial increases in investments to reach these new customer sets.

The study highlights how the ability to absorb and manage change is driving a wedge between winners and losers in the marketplace. Those CEOs who demonstrate the capacity to manage major change can beat the competition by reaching these new classes of customers, and making bold moves to shift business design around global integration.


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Topic of the Month

Independent Review of the Australian Government's use of ICT


The Austraian Government has engaged UK Efficiency Expert Sir Peter Gershon to lead an independent review of the Australian Government's use and management of information and communication technology (ICT). The review is part of the broader ongoing reform agenda to improve the efficiency of government spending and deliver better value for money.  It will provide a snapshot of the current state of ICT in the Australian Government, what exists and how it is managed to deliver Government objectives.

To raise awareness about the project and solicit public views on the ICT Review's Terms of Reference, this Open Forum discussion page will be open for comments until 30 May 2008.


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Realising the Adaptable Workforce

Justyn SturrockBy Justyn Sturrock

The latest report from IBM highlights how ‘cracking the code for Talent' can help companies take their workforce performance to the next level.

Today, more than ever, organisations worldwide are focusing their time and attention on maximising the value of their workforces.

As organisations become more globally integrated, and as traditional geographic and competitive boundaries disappear, the need to identify, develop and connect talent has never been more critical.

Every two years IBM conducts a global CEO Study where we go out and talk to over 1,000 CEOs, and each time we do this, the people agenda is always top of mind.

The source of Australian innovation

proberts's picture

Innovation comes from entrepreneurs - and rarely from science.

There is a pervasive Australian myth that goes something like this: innovations come from brilliant scientists who pass on their discoveries to grateful businessmen and women and, eventually, the consumer. This linear progression does occur, but is a rarity compared to the real source of Australian innovation - the entrepreneur.

The world's stock of science and technology is increasing at a rapid rate and, in fact, there is already enough of it around to fuel a number of industrial revolutions. What is in short supply are the people who can assemble technologies and ideas into a coherent business plan, raise the finance and assemble the team that can turn all these inputs into something consumers value - in short, into an innovative product or service.

Health Care Agreements: Paper for Open Forum

Tony AbbottTony Abbott reflects on his time as federal health minister and says the upcoming health care agreements could achieve most of the benefits of a federal government's  takeover of public hospitals.

At the recent 2020 summit, delegates' frustration with the dog's breakfast of divided responsibilities in health was sidetracked into proposals for a national preventive health agency funded by a tax on junk food and a new health equality commission. Keeping people healthy and giving everyone the best possible health outcomes are worthy goals, but are unlikely to be achieved by creating new bureaucracies. Avoiding discussion of today's actual problems by focusing, instead, on vague aspirations for the distant future seems to be the new government's style. Let's find something that sounds visionary, but that doesn't threaten current power structures or imply blame for current problems. That way, we can all be seen to work together.

A Continuing and Permanent Ideas Database - A Must!

Robert_Pitts's picture

Australia needs a permanent, highly visible and accessible repository for ideas.

In 1988 I wrote to the then Minister for Science, Barry Jones and advocated the concept of a centralised ideas database. I envisaged a system where members of the public could submit ideas for inventions, models for governance, infrastructure improvements, etc. via phone, fax, mail or even the newfangled "email".  

My envisaged model was a system administered by universities who were probably the only bodies at that time with enough computing power to handle the influx of data. Since then, of course, there have been massive advances in internet technologies making such a system not only feasible but, I believe, imperative. It is sad to contemplate that there have doubtless been many creative ideas formulated by ordinary people which have withered and died for want of an avenue for expression.

Greenhouse Challenge: Can IT deliver?

Sundeep Khisty

The world's leading analysts predict that energy costs will be eating up more than a third of IT budgets within the next five years, says Sundeep Khisty. 

Global warming has emerged as the critical issue of the 21st Century. While governments worldwide debate the best formula to cut greenhouse gas emissions, change is inevitable.

Most world leaders concede that global warming is the fault of human kind and that intervention is a priority.

A recent report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), left little doubt on the issue. Drawing on work by 2500 scientists, the UN-backed IPCC concluded that it was more than 90 per cent likely that recent warming has a predominantly human cause.

Australia 2020 Summit: A chance to continue the conversation

Ben McDevitt

Summits such as this should be extended beyond Australian shores to include our near neighbours, says Ben McDevitt.

I felt honoured to be part of the 2020 Summit in Canberra.  The opportunity to share ideas with such a diverse array of people from all walks of life on critical issues affecting our nation was fantastic.  My only regret is that the time we had to actually put ideas onto the table was very limited and the opportunity to actually explore those ideas in a meaningful way was virtually non-existent. 

I think the organisers and facilitators did a great job under considerable pressure to identify key ideas emerging from each of the streams in the limited time available and I was pleasantly surprised at the wrap up session on the second day that some really innovative ideas had been generated.  Prior to attending the summit I held the view that the best we could hope for was to create opportunities for further discussion and I sense that will occur.