Commission overview
The Australian Public Service Commission is a central agency within the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet portfolio. The Commission supports two statutory office holders, the Public Service Commissioner—who is also agency head—and the Merit Protection Commissioner.
The Commission’s mission is to support a high performing Australian Public Service (APS). The statutory responsibilities that support that mission are outlined in the Public Service Act 1999 (the Act) and include:
- evaluating the extent to which agencies incorporate and uphold the APS Values
- evaluating the adequacy of systems and procedures in agencies for ensuring compliance with the APS Code of Conduct
- promoting the APS Values and Code of Conduct
- developing, promoting, reviewing and evaluating APS employment policies and practices
- facilitating continuous improvement in people management throughout the APS
- coordinating and supporting APS-wide training and career development
- contributing to and fostering leadership in the APS
- providing advice and assistance on public service matters to agencies on request
- providing independent external review of actions by the Merit Protection Commissioner.
The Commission works to achieve the outcomes specified by the Government to support ‘a confident, high quality, values- based and sustainable Australian Public Service’ through three output groups, namely:
- Output 1: APS policy and employment services
- Output 2: Development programmes
- Output 3: Better practice and evaluation.
The Commission’s activities are funded through a combination of budget appropriation and revenue generated through sale of leadership, learning and development, and other employment related services. Much of the Commission’s revenue is earned in an open market where agencies choose the source of the services they need. In 2007–08 the Commission received $20.804 million in appropriation funding, with the balance of its income ($19.427 million) coming from non-appropriated sources.
The Public Service Commissioner provides staff to assist the Merit Protection Commissioner perform her prescribed functions.
Commission structure
A three-person Executive, consisting of the Public Service Commissioner, the Deputy Public Service Commissioner (who reports to the Public Service Commissioner) and the Merit Protection Commissioner, lead the Commission (Figure 1). Six groups, each led by a Group Manager, support the functions of the Commission and report to the Executive. The Deputy Public Service Commissioner has responsibility for day-to-day oversight of Better Practice, Programmes, Evaluation and Policy Groups, and the Merit Protection Commissioner has responsibility for Regional Services and Corporate Groups which are in addition to her statutory responsibilities.
Figure 1: Commission organisational chart, at 30 June 2008
The Better Practice Group seeks to improve APS performance by showcasing innovative and effective best practice staffing and organisational capability policies.
The Programmes Group builds the capability of the APS by providing a wide range of leadership, learning and development activities for all levels of APS staff including senior executives.
The Corporate Group provides strategic management, information, communications, financial, library, legal and parliamentary support services to help the Commission achieve its mission of supporting a high-performing APS. It also manages delivery of the APSjobs website.
The Policy Group provides advice to government and agencies on the policy and legislative aspects of public administration, people management and APS employment arrangements, consistent with the APS Values and Code of Conduct. It is also responsible for international matters.
The Regional Services Group represents the Commission throughout Australia, helping agencies outside Canberra with people management, including learning and development, promoting better practice, staff selection and review of employment-related actions.
The Evaluation Group evaluates and provides information on APS performance through the annual State of the Service Report to Parliament and through more specific evaluation and research projects. It maintains the APS employment database, monitors trends and publishes key workforce statistics.
Commission reports and publications
The Commission issues a range of APS leadership, learning and development information in a variety of formats each year. Commission publications and circulars, as well as selected speeches given by the Public Service Commissioner and the Merit Protection Commissioner, are available on the Commission’s website at <www.apsc.gov.au>.
Commission locations
The Commission’s national office is in Canberra and its regional offices are in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth. APS agencies in the Northern Territory and Tasmania are served from the Adelaide and Melbourne offices respectively.
Office locations and contact details are:
Australian Capital Territory
Levels 5 and 6
16 Furzer Street
Phillip ACT 2606
T: 02 6202 3500
F: 02 6202 3566
New South Wales
Level 22
580 George Street
Sydney NSW 2000
T: 02 8239 5300
F: 02 9264 3648
Victoria/Tasmania
Level 6
303 Collins Street
Melbourne VIC 3000
T: 03 8610 1522
F: 03 8610 1594
Queensland
Level 11
300 Ann Street
Brisbane QLD 4000
T: 07 3004 0777
F: 07 3004 0700
Western Australia
The Forrest Centre
Level 29
221 St Georges Terrace
Perth WA 6000
T: 08 9226 1977
F: 08 9226 5977
South Australia/Northern Territory
Level 4
Blackburn House
199 Grenfell Street
Adelaide SA 5000
T: 08 8224 0955
F: 08 8223 5866
Part One