1. Product management in government has similarities to and differences from product management in private industry. While customers are also citizens, government product managers face a complicated institutional environment and legally defined scope. 2. Government needs product managers' skills to tackle "wicked problems" with constrained budgets, growing digital expectations, and service failures. Product managers can help with hypothesis-driven development, data-driven innovation, and delivery/prioritization expertise. 3. Product management in government allows one to do meaningful work at scale by increasing trust in government and making people's lives better through addressing problems like improving access to services. It provides a unique context and challenges to contribute to the greater good.

1. Product management
for the greater good
Georgos Papanastasiou
Director, Product Management
‘Easy to do Business’
Service NSW Leading the Product Melbourne
18 Oct 2018

2. Imagine...

3. You don’t need to sell
your product.

4. 100% target market share

5. Meaningful.
Challenging.
Topical.

6. Work on problems that matter.
For the greater good.

8. So, what is product management
in government like?
Similarities & differences
Similarities&differences

11. Differences
1. Our
customers are
also citizens

12. Differences
1. Our
customers are
also citizens
2. Complicated
institutional
environment

13. Differences
1. Our
customers are
also citizens
2. Complicated
institutional
environment
3. Legally or
formally
defined scope

14. Why should you
consider product
management in
government?
#3
Do really
meaningful
work
#1
Your skills
are in
demand #2
Unique
context &
challenges

15. Constrained budgets &
efficiency
Growing expectations of
(digital) government
Empathetic designers
‘Wicked’ problems
Service disappointments
& failures
Delivery & prioritisation
specialists
Hypothesis-driven
product/ service
development
Data-driven technology
innovators
#1 Government needs product managers’ skills
#1
Your skills
are in
demand

16. Characteristics of
wicked problems
Source: www.apsc.gov.au/tackling-wicked-problems-public-policy-perspective
Difficult to
clearly define
Interdependencies
& multi-causal
Unforeseen
consequences
Involve changing
behaviour
No clear solution & doesn’t sit within
responsibility of any one organisation
Unstable

17. #2 Unique context & challenges
Challenging
problems to
solve
#2
Unique
context &
challenges
Work at
real scale
and reach

18. #3 Do really meaningful work
Increase
confidence &
trust in
government
Work on stuff
that matters.
Make people’s
lives better
#3
Do really
meaningful
work

19. Hang on...

20. Yes, government can be hard

21. Product management for the greater good
Your skills are
in demand
Unique context
and challenges
Contribute to the
greater good

22. Georgos Papanastasiou
Director, Product Management
Service NSW
Thank you
Leading the Product Melbourne
18 Oct 2018