Across Australia and in the United States, public service organizations are rolling out new efforts to better understand the needs and experiences of both their workforces and the communities they serve. In recent weeks, two major initiatives have emerged: a nationwide workforce survey for Australian local governments and a fresh approach to community feedback by the Huntsville Police Department in Alabama. Though separated by thousands of miles, both projects share a common goal—using data and direct input to drive improvements and plan for the future.
On the Australian front, the Australian Local Government Association (ALGA) has issued an open invitation to councils nationwide to participate in the 2025 LG Skills and Workforce Survey. According to ALGA, "Your voice is important in building the evidence base, so we encourage you to complete the 2025 LG Skills and Workforce Survey." This marks the third time such a survey has been conducted across the country, reflecting a growing recognition of the need for robust workforce planning in an era of rapid change.
The survey is not a solo effort. It is carried out in partnership with Public Skills Australia (PSA) and is funded by the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations. PSA, as noted by ALGA, works with all tiers of government to identify workforce pressures and potential skills shortages across the sector. The goal is clear: to help councils strengthen their workforce planning, support the pipeline of workers needed to meet future demands, and create a strong long-term analysis of workforce needs. "This information will help councils to strengthen workforce planning, support the pipeline of workers needed to meet future demands, and create a strong long-term analysis of our workforce needs," ALGA explained in a recent statement.
But the survey is just one piece of the puzzle. Starting September 16, 2025, ALGA and PSA are also launching a series of in-person workshops designed to map out skill requirements more precisely. These workshops will link current and future council services with specific roles and identify the capabilities required to deliver them. Just as importantly, the sessions will delve into the barriers that councils face in accessing and using vocational education and training, and explore opportunities to improve training pathways.
The workshops are scheduled to travel across the country, with stops in Cairns on September 16, Adelaide on September 24, Busselton on October 7, Perth on October 8, Rockhampton on October 13, Townsville on October 14, and Melbourne on November 10, 2025. More dates are expected to be announced soon, ensuring that councils from all regions have the opportunity to take part. For those seeking more information, ALGA encourages direct contact at [email protected].
While the Australian initiative focuses on internal workforce development and planning, a similar spirit of listening and learning is taking root in Huntsville, Alabama. There, the Huntsville Police Department is preparing to launch a new feedback system on September 22, 2025, aimed at gathering real-time insights from the community it serves. The approach is straightforward but innovative: within 24 to 72 hours after an individual receives help from Huntsville police personnel—whether in person or by phone—they will receive a text message survey asking about their experience.
The department emphasizes that participation in the survey is entirely voluntary, and all responses are kept confidential. According to WAFF, the local news outlet reporting on the initiative, the primary aim is to analyze the quality of services provided and gather suggestions for improvement. Chief Kirk Giles summed up the department’s philosophy succinctly: "This is about listening and learning. When someone calls us for help, their experience matters. Every response from this survey will help us evaluate our performance and make improvements where needed."
The move comes at a time when police departments across the United States are under increasing pressure to demonstrate transparency, responsiveness, and a willingness to adapt. By collecting direct feedback from those who interact with officers, dispatchers, and support staff, Huntsville police hope to identify both strengths and areas for growth. The approach reflects a shift away from traditional, top-down modes of evaluation and toward a more participatory, community-driven model.
Both the Australian and Huntsville initiatives underscore the growing importance of data-driven decision-making in the public sector. For ALGA and local councils, the workforce survey and accompanying workshops offer a chance to take stock of current capabilities, anticipate future needs, and ensure that training pathways are aligned with real-world demands. By mapping services to roles and identifying skill gaps, councils can better position themselves to serve their communities effectively in the years ahead.
Meanwhile, for the Huntsville Police Department, the new feedback system represents an effort to bridge the gap between law enforcement and the public. By inviting candid input from those who have recently interacted with police personnel, the department is signaling its commitment to ongoing improvement. The confidential nature of the surveys is likely to encourage honest responses, providing a more accurate picture of public perceptions and experiences.
Of course, these efforts are not without challenges. In Australia, ensuring widespread participation in the workforce survey and workshops will be crucial to building a truly representative evidence base. Councils vary widely in size, resources, and local conditions, so one-size-fits-all solutions are unlikely to suffice. The workshops’ focus on identifying barriers to vocational education and training is a recognition that structural obstacles—ranging from funding constraints to geographic isolation—can impede progress.
In Huntsville, the success of the new feedback system will depend on both the willingness of residents to participate and the department’s ability to act on the insights gathered. If the surveys yield actionable suggestions and the police respond transparently, trust between law enforcement and the community could be strengthened. But if feedback is ignored or dismissed, the initiative risks being seen as little more than window dressing.
What’s striking about both initiatives is their shared emphasis on listening. Whether it’s councils mapping out future workforce needs or police officers seeking to understand the experiences of those they serve, the message is clear: meaningful improvement starts with hearing from the people who matter most. As ALGA put it, "Your voice is important in building the evidence base." And as Chief Giles noted, "Every response from this survey will help us evaluate our performance and make improvements where needed."
In an era marked by rapid social, economic, and technological change, public service organizations are being called upon to adapt—sometimes at breakneck speed. By leveraging surveys, workshops, and direct feedback, both Australian councils and the Huntsville Police Department are taking concrete steps to ensure they’re not just reacting to problems, but proactively preparing for the future. The hope, in both cases, is that a more responsive, data-informed approach will yield better outcomes for workers, communities, and the public at large.
As these initiatives unfold, all eyes will be on the results—both the hard data and the real-world changes that follow. For now, though, the message is simple: when it comes to building better public services, listening is the first step.
