Governance and knowledge in the post-market state

In December 2002, the Bracks Government established the Department for Victorian Communities. This fulfilled an election promise to take seriously the alienation that many Victorians had felt from government. It also picked up a longer-term process of public administration reform, which had identified deficits in policy and implementation arising from service planning and delivery focused more on individuals than communities. This initiative places Victoria at the leading edge of an international trend in public administration: recognising the crucial role of communities in maintaining the fabric of society. The establishment of the new Department is, however, not merely about policy. It also marks a significant departure from traditional public service structures with their top-down focus on doing something in, or to, the community. This article places the development in the framework of international public administration reform and outlines the main issues facing the new Department for Victorian Communities.