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Last updated: 18 October 2006
Year highlight 4
State of the Service Report highlights critical challenges
Lynelle Briggs, Australian Public Service Commissioner
(third from right) with members of the Evaluation Group, at the launch of
the State of the Service Report 2004–05, December 2005.
The 2004–05 data revealed that the challenges outlined in the State of the Service Report 2003–04 remain. They have, however, been reshaped by changing circumstances. The 2004–05 report, tabled in Parliament on 30 November 2005, identified four critical challenges facing the APS:
- Building trust in the APS. The challenge is to make the APS Values framework function in practice. Senior leaders have a vital role to play in establishing a supportive and professional culture and showing decision-makers how to balance Values like fairness and effectiveness, impartiality and courtesy, responsiveness and apolitical professionalism.
- Building the right capability for the future. The challenge centres on the ageing demographic and changing skills profile of the APS workforce, in particular the need to take a systematic approach to succession planning and developing future leaders. Agencies will need to ensure they are competitive in the labour market and implement strategies to develop and retain high quality employees. Employee engagement may be one of the few mechanisms available to all agencies to secure an edge.
- Attracting and retaining Indigenous employees and people with disability. It is essential to act quickly and constructively to turn around the declining trend and increase the number of Indigenous employees and people with disability working in the APS.
- Ensuring whole of government capability. The challenge here is to work productively across agencies, with other jurisdictions and non-government organisations (both private and not-for-profit), and to engage with citizens.
