A modified participatory action research design was selected for this project ensuring that innovative qualitative research and sampling methods were deployed combined with the latest applied insights from key public service actors (see Figure 1). A mixed methods approach to data collection was co-designed with core stakeholders and included:
- a review of national and international practice-based literature on public trust and achieving ‘line of sight’ in the delivery of ‘customer’ oriented service systems;
- documentary analysis of recent reviews of existing APS practice to provide an assessment of the quality of current service systems;
- workshops with a) strategic policy actors and b) data experts to inform the project design and delivery;
- a series of ‘one to one’ interviews with senior public servants with a strategic role in the area on the barriers and enablers to improved public service production; and with frontline service delivery staff4
- a representative sample of 34 focus groups conducted across regional and rural Australia; and two comparative focus groups in an urban community; and,
- a co-design workshop convened with core stakeholders to translate the research findings in a meaningful way for practice.
Image
4 Access to frontline service delivery staff was difficult with staff not given permission to participate in the research. This results in a gap in our understanding of their experiences and insights which warrants further research where such permission is granted from the outset.