The Australian community is entitled to expect employees of the Australian Public Service to behave with the highest personal integrity. The APS Values and the APS Code of Conduct clearly explain the standard expected of employees. Results from the 2017 APS employee census show that […]
About the APS
Managing workplace absence continues to be a challenge for the Australian Public Service (APS). In 2016-17, the overall APS unscheduled absence rate was 11.4 days per employee1. Small agencies tended to have lower unscheduled absence rates compared to medium or large agencies (Table 1). There […]
Tracking the motivations behind people joining and leaving the APS helps to develop talent and employment value strategies. In 2016–17, there were 9,123 engagements and 9,677 separations of ongoing employees in the APS. Figure 1: Headcount, engagements and separations of ongoing APS employees Learn more […]
Learning and development in the APS
APS agencies do different work in different contexts. All need to manage risk effectively. The APS views risk management as a priority. An important dimension is the impact that effective risk management has on productivity. Highly risk averse organisations can miss out on innovations and […]
The APS recognises the importance of, and is committed to, increasing the representation of diversity groups in its workforce. Employees from diverse backgrounds bring a range of unique experiences and skills to the APS which better enables the APS to support all Australian people. The […]
As part of the Prime Minister’s Veterans’ Employment Program, the Industry Advisory Committee on Veterans’ Employment was formed to develop and provide advice on practical measures to embed veterans’ employment strategies into the recruitment processes of Australian businesses. The Committee held its inaugural meeting on […]
2017 APS Attitudes at a Glance
The APS Statistical Bulletin for 2016-17 was released on Tuesday 26th September by the Australian Public Service Commissioner. View the Statistical Bulletin here. The Statistical Bulletin is a bi-annual statistical overview of the APS workforce employed under the Public Service Act 1999. This edition is […]
The Australian Public Service Commission (APSC) collects data from Australian Public Service (APS) agencies on personal and miscellaneous leave use. The table below shows personal and miscellaneous leave use for 2015-16. These rates are compared with figures for 2014-15. Unscheduled absence rates for the overall […]
All Australian Public Service (APS) employees and agencies have a shared obligation to create respectful workplaces. A positive workplace environment makes good business sense. A positive workplace is characterised by mutual respect that supports employee engagement. It also creates a high performance culture that encourages […]
While women make up more than half of the Australian Pubic Service (APS), they remain underrepresented in senior leadership roles. Balancing the Future: The Australian Public Service Gender Equality Strategy 2016–19 (the Strategy) sets out actions to enable the APS to achieve gender equality across […]
Australian Public Service (APS) employees are expected to display high standards of ethical behaviour. APS employees hold positions of trust and have an obligation to ensure that their behaviour, inside and outside the workplace, does not bring their agency or the APS into disrepute. All […]
The 2015-2016 State of the Service report was tabled in Parliament on 28 November 2016. Australian Public Service Commissioner the Hon John Lloyd PSM said the report highlights the strengths of the Australian Public Service with high levels of integrity, professionalism and engagement. “The 2016 […]
Mobility in the public sector is important. The ability to rapidly deploy staff to where they are needed most is critical to ensuring the Australian Public Service (APS) effectively serves the Australian community. Mobility helps ensure staff with the appropriate skills and experience are available […]
2014-15 State of the Service Report – Agency capability An input into the 2015 State of the Service agency survey was agency self-assessment of organisational capability. The specific capabilities assessed included change management, performance management, workforce planning, project management, talent management and innovation. The results […]
2014-15 State of the Service Report – APS graduate recruitment The graduate programs run by agencies represent a major investment by the APS. They are an important source of talented employees. It is hoped that many will become effective senior leaders. Significant differences exist between […]
2014-15 State of the Service Report – Recruitment The APS needs to be able to attract and retain the best and brightest people for all roles. Current recruitment and selection processes tend to be lengthy and convoluted. In a competitive market, slow recruitment may mean […]
The role of on-the-job learning has been a focus of public and private sector organisations for some time. This has been driven by concerns about the adequacy of and the return on investment provided by face-to-face training. The development of the 70:20:10 model of learning […]
2014–15 State of the Service Report—The APS employment proposition The APS employment proposition must be clear and compelling. Our goal is to have the best and brightest people aspire to work for some or all of their careers in the APS. To this end, it […]
In terms of citizen satisfaction with government, Australia performs as well or better than the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) average on each of the following measures. Figure 1. Interactive Chart: Australian vs OECD citizen satisfaction with government Figure 1. is an infographic […]
Over the coming weeks, highlights from the State of the Service report 2014–15 will be posted alongside the seventeen posts that make up the report’s evidence base. Highlights will be structured around the report’s themes: workforce capability, with a focus on leadership, diversity, talent management […]
Attendance management remains a challenge for the APS. Work is underway to investigate the causes of poor attendance and possible solutions for improving attendance. The Australian Public Service Commission monitors unscheduled absence in the Australian Public Service (APS) and reports this data in the annual […]
In order to deliver the outcomes set by the Government, Australian Public Service (APS) agencies draw on a combination of their people, processes, systems, structures, and culture. These, together, define organisational capability for both the APS as a whole and for individual agencies. Having an […]