Alumni

Brendon Hammer

At the time I joined ONA I had been conducting research in chemistry for about 10 years. I was 30 years old, and had never considered a career in government. But I'm curious about everything, and I like analysis and discussion. So after an accidental meeting - and a bit of a debate - with an ONA branch head at a dinner party, I found myself mightily intrigued, and in an interview for a job that I wasn't really cleared to know much about....

I got the job and never looked back. If you are interested in international affairs, have a lively and enquiring mind, I cannot think of a better way to join the Federal government or to augment a government or academic career already underway. What I discovered within ONA was a multidisciplinary intellectual playground that nevertheless dealt only with issues of crucial importance to Australia - and ONA had the ear of the Prime Minister.

What impressed me most, though, were the people of ONA - some of the finest minds in Australia - all working and debating the great international issues of the day as a team, trying to help the government make the most informed policy possible. I had never seen high-end intellectual endeavour conducted by extended multidisciplinary teams before, and in such a congenial manner. It was both intensely exhilarating and rewarding. And it gave me the skills, and the springboard, I needed to move on to a series of extremely satisfying jobs across government.

I enjoyed my formative three-year experience as an analyst in ONA so much that I came back to the Office in 2004 to spend five years as Deputy Director-General. In between, and among other things, I had conducted arms control negotiations in Geneva and Paris with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), I had been posted to the Australian Embassy in Washington, and I had run the Defence, Intelligence and Security Branch in the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. More recently I have headed the South-East Asia division in DFAT, and I'm now Deputy Head of Mission in Tokyo.

Hugh White

I have spent two spells at ONA, once at the start of my career and once when I moved from a long stint in Parliament House back into the public service. Both times ONA proved to be both an outstandingly satisfying place to work, and an excellent preparation for what was to come.

My first job in 1980 was as a junior analyst in ONA's  Economic Division, where in a small and closely-knit team I learned all I know about economics, most of what I know about writing, and a good deal of what I know about the business of government. Very many of those first colleagues from across ONA have remained friends throughout my career.

My second stint came in 1992 when I came to ONA to head the Strategic Analysis Branch. The Soviet Union disappeared the week before I started, and I spent much of my time there reflecting on the implications of this event for Australia's strategic situation. The ideas I developed then have been the basis for much of my work in defence and strategic policy ever since.

In both cases, what made ONA so good to work in was the rare combination of a job which is closely engaged in the day to day business of government, but at the same time allowing opportunities to think quite deeply about big issues, and do so in the company of a remarkable group of colleagues.

Sam Roggeveen

For any Australian who is curious about how the world works - what moves history - there could hardly be a more privileged position than to work as an analyst in the Office of National Assessments.

Think of it as Australia's biggest think tank, with some of Australia's brightest minds, a vast range of information sources at hand, first-class IT and support staff, and with the ear of our most influential decision-makers.

But ONA analysts are only part-scholars. Particularly when a crisis hits, they need to be part-journalist too.

It takes a rare combination of skills to be a good ONA analyst, but the rewards are huge.