Challenges of interagency leadership in the Australian national security sector

摘要

This study explores, from a practitioner’s perspective, strategic leadership challenges inestablishing interagency public sector organisations. A review of public sectormanagement literature reveals that Western governments around the world areincreasingly creating interagency organisations to address complex policy issues wheretraditional bureaucratic structures have been unable to do so effectively. This trend hasbeen particularly evident in the Australian national security sector, with the formation ofBorder Protection Command, the Australian Civilian Corps, the National Security College,and the Australian Civil-Military Centre. A survey of the relevant literature that newinteragency organisations can struggle to achieve the authority, capacity and legitimacythey require. The focus of this dissertation is a case study that examines theestablishment of the Australian Civil-Military Centre, an interagency organisationestablished by the former Rudd Government in 2008, in which issues related toorganisational authority, capacity and legitimacy are examined. Semi-structured, indepthinterviews were conducted with three leaders of the Australian Civil-MilitaryCentre. Analysis of key documentation was undertaken in order to contrast theobservations of respondents with documentary evidence and to enhance the validity ofthe case study. A further interview was undertaken with a former leader of a differentinteragency organisation in order to provide supplementary insights into the challengesof interagency leadership. Additionally, as a participant-observer, the author was able tobring a personal understanding of events into the frame in order to draw lessons fromhers and her colleagues’ experiences. This study, in its analysis of the literature and thecase study, finds that without significant political and senior bureaucratic patronage,interagency organisations can struggle to attain the authority, capacity and legitimacythey require to be effective. This dissertation concludes with a practical framework thatwill assist future interagency leaders to better position their organisation to secure thelong-term patronage, legitimacy and resourcing required to achieve the desired policyoutcomes.