The Public Service newbie guide

Signals that information is being shared for awareness and does not, by itself, request action.

Also heard as: for information, for your info

An email or routing label indicating that the recipient is expected to take follow-up action.

Also heard as: for action, for your necessary action

Context: The required action and deadline should still be stated explicitly.

Signals that the recipient is expected to take the action needed, rather than merely note the information.

Also heard as: for necessary action

The end of the working day, commonly used to state a deadline in email or workplace instructions.

Also heard as: Closing of Business, close of business, end of business

Context: Confirm the exact time and time zone when a deadline could be ambiguous.

A status indicating that no additional follow-up is required unless circumstances change.

Also heard as: no further actions

To retain a matter for monitoring or later consideration without taking immediate action.

Also heard as: KIV first

Context: KIV should not be used as a substitute for an owner, review date or explicit decision where follow-up is required.

Normal ongoing operations, as distinct from project, crisis, pilot or transformation work.

Also heard as: business-as-usual, steady state operations

To analyse an issue, coordinate inputs, recommend a course of action, prepare the submission or brief, and help translate the eventual decision into execution.

Also heard as: staffing, staff work, staffing an issue, staffing a paper

Context: The exact staff process and document format vary by agency.

Discussion or resolution among the officers doing the detailed work, usually before escalation to principals or a formal forum.

Also heard as: working level, at working level

To discuss an emerging proposal informally with relevant stakeholders so concerns can be understood and surprises reduced before formal staffing.

Also heard as: socialise the idea, socialize

A working norm that material issues, risks or disagreements should be surfaced early rather than first appearing at a formal forum.

Also heard as: no-surprises principle

To pass information, direction or key messages from senior levels through managers to the wider organisation.

Also heard as: cascade down, cascade the message

An approach that organises policies and services around citizens’ needs and life moments instead of agency boundaries.

Also heard as: citizen centric, citizens at the centre, citizen-centred

To finish the required action and ensure the relevant people know the result, rather than leaving the matter unresolved.

Also heard as: close loop, loop closure

A courteous follow-up that often signals the sender expects an outstanding action to be completed promptly, especially when a deadline is near or has passed.

Also heard as: gentle reminder please, friendly reminder, gentle chaser

Context: The wording sounds soft, but the intended urgency depends on the sender, deadline and surrounding context.

The practices used to create, organise, retain, share and apply organisational knowledge so work can continue beyond individual officers.

To finalise a position, obtain the necessary agreement, or successfully bring a proposal through the required process.

Also heard as: land the proposal, land the point, land the decision

Context: Informal usage varies; in some contexts it simply means communicating a point effectively.

The function that manages public feedback and service-quality matters through channels such as phone, email and written correspondence.

Also heard as: Quality Service Manager, quality service

Context: QSM may refer either to the function or the officer performing the role.

The systematic creation, classification, storage, retrieval, retention, transfer, preservation and disposal of official records.

Also heard as: RM, recordkeeping, records mgt

Context: Government records must be managed according to the applicable records-management and archival requirements.

An exercise that stress-tests a proposal, plan or system by adopting an adversarial perspective to uncover weaknesses and improve the response.

Also heard as: red-team exercise, red teaming, red-teaming

Context: Common in cybersecurity, but the same adversarial-review idea may be applied in other domains.

The design and provision of government services through frontline, telephone and digital channels so people can obtain help and complete transactions effectively.

Also heard as: public service delivery, delivery of services

A review used to assess where a programme or workstream stands, what has changed, and what decisions or interventions are needed.

Also heard as: stock-take, progress stocktake

The ability to assess an issue beyond immediate or agency-specific concerns, considering long-term national priorities and whole-of-government implications.

Also heard as: strategic lens, strategic view

To bring an issue, risk, recommendation or decision point to a superior, stakeholder or forum.

Also heard as: surfaced, surfacing, surface the issue

To move a detailed, unresolved or tangential discussion to a separate conversation so the current meeting can proceed.

Also heard as: discuss offline, offline this

An idea raised informally with relevant principals or stakeholders to test reactions before it is committed to a formal submission, announcement or forum.

Also heard as: Float a balloon, floating a balloon, float the idea, sound out

A defined body of related tasks or outcomes within a programme, transformation or cross-agency initiative.

Also heard as: work stream