Public sector organisations operate in increasingly complex environments.
Teams are expected to communicate across multiple stakeholders, manage competing priorities and deliver clear, timely information in fast-moving situations. Whether communicating through policy advice, project updates, briefing notes, presentations or stakeholder engagement, effective communication plays a critical role in how organisations operate and deliver outcomes.
However, communication challenges are often underestimated.
According to the 2025 APS Employee Census, the APS-wide Communication Index score was 70%. While this indicates a generally positive result, the detail also highlights room for improvement, with only 62% of respondents agreeing that internal communication within their agency is effective.
When communication is unclear, inconsistent or poorly structured, the impact can be felt across teams and organisations. Messages may be interpreted differently, expectations become unclear and important information can be lost or misunderstood. Over time, this can contribute to rework, delays, misalignment and reduced confidence in decision-making.
This becomes particularly important during periods of organisational change. The same APS Employee Census found that only 52% of respondents agreed that staff are consulted about change at work, while only 48% agreed that change is managed well in their agency.
These results reinforce that communication is not simply a supporting activity. It is central to how teams understand priorities, navigate uncertainty and maintain confidence during change.
Importantly, effective communication is not simply about writing or presenting well. It also includes how individuals engage stakeholders, facilitate discussions, adapt messages to different audiences and communicate within complex organisational environments.
In public sector settings, where teams are often working across multiple functions, priorities and levels of government, strong communication becomes even more important.
Why communication matters in complex environments
Complex environments require more than technical expertise alone.
Teams need to be able to communicate clearly under pressure, manage competing viewpoints and ensure information is understood by a wide range of audiences. This includes communicating with colleagues, leaders, external stakeholders and the broader community.
Strong communication supports:
- clearer decision-making
- improved stakeholder engagement
- stronger collaboration across teams
- reduced misunderstandings and rework
- greater confidence in delivering outcomes
In contrast, when communication skills are not well developed, even highly capable teams can struggle to maintain alignment and momentum.
This is particularly relevant in public sector environments where expectations continue to evolve, stakeholder engagement is increasingly important and teams are often required to navigate ambiguity and complexity.
Communication also plays an important role in public trust. The Australian Public Service Commission’s Trust in Australian public services: 2025 Annual Report found that overall trust in public services increased to 62%. Among respondents whose trust had increased, greater transparency and communication were commonly cited as contributing factors.
This reinforces a broader point: communication is not only an internal organisational issue. It also shapes how public sector organisations engage with the people, communities and stakeholders they serve.
Practical communication skills can be developed
Like any professional skill, effective communication can be strengthened through practical learning, feedback and application.
Training that focuses on real workplace scenarios can help teams improve how they write, present, facilitate discussions and communicate across different contexts. Importantly, communication development is most effective when programs are practical, relevant and aligned to how teams operate day-to-day.
The APS Employee Census also highlights the value of workplace learning, with 59% of respondents agreeing that formal learning accessed in the previous 12 months improved their performance.
For communication training, this means moving beyond general advice and focusing on practical workplace application. Teams need opportunities to practise structuring messages, adapting communication for different audiences, facilitating discussion, managing stakeholder expectations and communicating clearly during change.
At Ashwick Education, we work with public sector organisations to strengthen communication, leadership, project delivery, policy and workplace capability through practical, in-house training programs designed specifically for government environments.
Our programs are tailored to each organisation’s needs, helping teams build practical skills they can apply immediately in their roles.
To learn more, visit our website or book an initial consultation to explore the right training options for your team.
Sources
- Australian Public Service Commission – 2025 APS Employee Census: APS overall results
- Australian Public Service Commission – Trust in Australian public services: 2025 Annual Report