Output 2: Leadership, performance and development in the APS

Quality
Timely and useful support to facilitate effective leadership and performance in the APS.

• A number of leadership development opportunities, particularly aimed at the EL1–2 and SES level are offered through calendar programs incorporating various modes of delivery such as breakfasts, snapshot sessions, lunchtime seminars, individual coaching, residential and networks. Feedback is consistently high from responding attendees and the calendar program remains actively current with regular reviews and program design based on needs identified by potential attendees.
• The new Integrated Leadership Strategy is drawing on previous work, international studies on public sector reform and an extensive research base.

Development activity that is of good quality and relevant as indicated by at least 75% of responding participants

Responding attendees rated the 2002–03 SES and non-SES development activities very highly for quality and relevance. Ninety-eight per cent of evaluations completed by SES participants indicated that the programs were of good quality and 96% rated the activities as relevant.

Similarly 99% of evaluations completed by non-SES participants indicated that the programs were of good quality and 98% indicated that they thought the programs had relevance.

Ninety-nine per cent of responding participants in the EL Development Series indicated the programs were of good quality with 97% rating the programs relevant.

Development activities are developed and delivered on a timely basis.

SES development and non-SES programs are reviewed and refined on an ongoing basis, based on participants’ feedback and emerging areas of need and identified development trends within the APS. Programmed events are offered through calendars with iterations based on demand.

Quantity
1,110 development activities delivered

Quantity of Ongoing Support to Facilitate Effective Leadership and Performance

During 2002–2003, 845 development activities were delivered in Canberra for APS employees, including:

• the Leadership Development Network convened 4 times during 2002–03 including a forum, which had over 100 participants from a number of APS agencies.
• eleven Career Development Assessment Centres were scheduled with 86 participants from 13 portfolio agencies. A further seventeen development activities were delivered to develop people management in the APS including:
• eight Driving Change seminars and three workshops were held with 86 subscribers from 27 agencies
• one HRCDP extension program commenced with 16 participants from 9 agencies.

The Commission’s regional offices conducted 394 activities with 5003 participants, including sessions on the APS Values and Code of Conduct.

Quantity of Development Activities

During 2002–03, the Commission delivered 1256 developmental opportunities.

Price
$12,879,000 for ongoing support for effective leadership, performance and development in the APS (budget estimate)

Actual price is $13,262,000 with the difference largely attributable to the increase in regional delivery of developmental opportunities.

During 2002–03, the Commission, representing the Commonwealth, worked with the states and territories through PSETA to promote and review the Public Services Training Package. The Commission ensured the Commonwealth was satisfactorily consulted on the Training Package review process and that Commonwealth vocational education and training priorities were promoted.

The Commission continued to coordinate Commonwealth, state, and territory management development efforts through the PSM Program and provided secretariat services to a Board of Management, which oversees the Program.

In July 2002, the new PSM Program curriculum commenced implementation. It is considered a significant improvement on the previous curriculum and Commonwealth uptake of the Program has increased by more than 47%.

The PSM Program Board continues to express its satisfaction with the quality of support provided by the secretariat.

The Commission facilitated the Commonwealth’s involvement in the establishment and development of the ANZSOG, and coordinated the Commonwealth’s participation in the Executive Masters Program. In 2003–04, the Commission will continue this role, including coordination of the Commonwealth’s participation of the first Executive Fellows Program.

The Commissioner was appointed to the ANZSOG Board and its Research Committee.

The Commission coordinated the 2002–03 Public Sector Leaders’ Summit Series, on behalf of all Australian state governments and New Zealand. The final Summit was held in Auckland in June 2003, with jurisdictions in the future to focus on ANZSOG for development of this type for the SES Band 2–3 and equivalent cohort.

Four Commonwealth/state/territory development activities were coordinated.

• The Commission continued to promote the National Public Services Training Package to over 90 APS agencies, with the total agencies participating representing about 70% of the APS at 30 June 2003. In addition, it represented the Commonwealth in the Training Package review process and undertook a significant part of the review work on behalf of PSETA.
• The benefits from the improvements made to the delivery of the second activity, the PSM Program, have led to the first increase in Commonwealth use of the Program in six years. Further growth in Commonwealth uptake is anticipated in 2003–04.
• In 2002–03, the Commission also coordinated the Commonwealth’s participation in ANZSOG, and arranged for 30 participants at the EL 2 and equivalent levels to commence the Executive Masters Program. Twenty at the SES Band 2–3 level will undertake the Executive Fellows Program in 2003–04.
• In addition, the Commission assumed the role of coordinating the three Public Sector Leaders’ Summits in 2002–03, with a total attendance of 15 APS, 42 non-APS and 9 New Zealand Government representatives.

Average price is $97,000. While the total effort averages at $97,000 per activity, there are significant differences in the resources applied to each. The two new activities, ANZSOG and Summits, required resources in addition to those predicted in the initial budget. ANZSOG required additional effort in the development phase, which will now reduce with the formal establishment of the School.

The Summits series is discontinued pending the review of the effect of ANZSOG on future requirements.