Ms Jade Carson

Women in Executive Mentoring Program (WiTEM) ‘Stewardship to me is being responsible for preserving what came before us. By upholding values, ethics and equity, cultivating for the next generation and pushing for a positive future direction.’

Joining the Australian Public Service

Why did you decide to join the APS?

I joined the public service as a fresh-faced 21 year old at the beginning of my career journey, as I wanted a job in which I could contribute positively to my community.

Describe your first APS role.

I started my career in 1999 as a trainee in the Australian Customs Service, just before the 2000 Sydney Olympics.  My first role was as a frontline officer in South Australia, and it involved a year’s worth of training and rotations. I found myself at the airport, on the wharf and on ships inspecting cargo containers, processing passengers, export processing, conducting investigations and doing administration, all to find out what I was best suited to.

In this first year I discovered I love understanding the flow of logistics, exports, legislation, and seeing where I could make things better by fixing business processes and digital systems.

Stewardship

What does stewardship mean to you, and why do you feel it’s important?

Stewardship to me is being responsible for preserving what came before us, by upholding values, ethics and equity, cultivating for the next generation and pushing for a positive future direction, even if it’s uncomfortable or challenging.

Was there a defining moment or person who influenced your thinking on this?

There have been many people in the APS who have influenced my thinking and experience of stewardship. From the departmental secretary who started at 14 years old and their commitment to the service took them all the way to being the leader of the organisation, to another departmental secretary who took the bus to work every day with the rest of us. These leaders taught me about individual commitment, inclusion and following through on your beliefs.

Most importantly, early in my public service career, many of my trainers, managers and colleagues who worked on the front line - in legislation, policy and technology – taught me that stewardship is not an individual sport, it’s a shared commitment to a shared vision, and it is embodied by people at every level of an organisation and throughout the community.

Describe how you act as a steward in your current role.

In my current role at the National Gallery of Australia, I am charged with building a better and lasting digital ecosystem and lifting the digital records, information and data capability to preserve one of the nation’s key cultural institution’s information for future generations. And also, to ensure that it becomes more and more accessible and enduring for all Australians to appreciate.

What professional experiences or achievements are you most proud of?

I’m most proud of my contribution to Learning from Failure: Why large government policy initiatives have gone so badly wrong in the past and how the chances of success in the future can be improved. This review was led by Peter Shergold AC, and was commissioned after the Royal Commission into the Home Insulation Program.

It gave me an opportunity to look at the fundamental cultural and governance patterns of the public sector and see where systematic and cultural improvements could make initiatives work better for Australians. In many ways, it was exactly the type of work that inspired me when I was climbing into cargo boxes as a fresh-faced trainee and thinking about how processes at the border could work better – just with a much bigger scope.

What is a legacy you hope to leave in your current role and when you finish your career in the APS?

I’m a firm believer that we are responsible for leaving things better than when we found them, and I hope to leave things better than I found them.

What professional advice would you give your younger self?

I would tell my younger self to listen more and believe in myself.

APS Academy program participation

Which program have you participated in?

I’ve participated in WiTEM as both a mentee back in 2018, and now more recently as a mentor.

Why did you decide to participate in the program?

I was given the opportunity to participate in WiTEM as a mentee by my Chief Information Officer who saw potential in me. I had undertaken a career change from public sector programs and delivery into a technology career, and I wanted to increase the number of women working in technical data teams.

As a mentor in WiTEM, my passion is to continue supporting women to achieve their career goals in digital and technology. It’s about giving back as a senior public servant and helping other women on their technology leadership journey. Equitable female representation in STEM is such an important ingredient to creating equitable and reflective digital tools in the public sector, and the community more broadly.

Describe your program experience.

The program highlights for me are the people I have met - both mentors and mentees - and the ongoing relationships and learnings we get from others.

WiTEM has become an enduring program that has gone from strength to strength under the guidance of dedicated leaders. It’s a stand-out example of stewardship, and I’m very grateful and proud to have had the opportunity to participate as a mentor and mentee.

I’m extremely happy to see that the program has grown its female mentor cohort with 70% of mentors being women.  I’m energised to continue my ongoing support and participation in the program to keep up this positive momentum, as it directly contributes to my aspiration to get more women into technology and data roles in the public service.

How has this experience contributed to your current role?

Stewarding our cultural heritage and shining a light on diversity and inclusion are core values at the National Gallery of Australia. This aligns with my personal values and allows me to bring my flavour to demonstrating how equity is also important at the intersection of technology and art.