Part Two

The Performance Review provides a more detailed discussion of the Commission’s performance against each of our outputs.

 

Output 3 Better practice and evaluation

Output 3 derives from the Public Service Commissioner’s statutory role set out in sections 41 and 44 of the Public Service Act 1999. The Commission’s Better Practice and Evaluation Groups contribute to enhanced APS performance by preparing the Commissioner’s annual State of the Service Report to Parliament and by conducting evaluation and research into current challenges facing the APS. Both Groups promote and advise on better practice approaches to governance, agency performance and people management. Ongoing research and secretariat support to the Management Advisory Committee and Public Service Commissioners’ conferences is also provided.

Achievements

The Commission’s achievements under Output 3 continued to support agencies in improving strategic people management practices and overall organisational capability, through providing better practice advice and information on key challenges facing APS agencies.

The Commission’s achievements under Output 3 included:

Price for Output 3

The total price for Output 3 in 2007–08 was $9.567 million. This was $0.008 million lower than the estimated price of $9.575 million published in the Portfolio Budget Statements 2007–08.

Output 3.1 Indigenous employment

Employment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the APS helps achieve government policy development and programme and service delivery goals. It also contributes towards achieving social and economic equity for Indigenous Australians.

Continuing to foster Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employment in both mainstream and Indigenous-specific areas in the APS through strategies to attract, recruit, develop and retain Indigenous employees remained a top priority for the Commission. The vehicle for this has been through implementation of the APS employment and capability strategy for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees.

Table 16: Performance information—Output 3.1 Indigenous employment
Target

Result
Quantity 
1. Medium and long-term strategies developed and implemented to support employment and retention of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the APS. Achieved. Strategies under the APS employment and capability strategy of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Employees have been extended for another 12 months and planning has begun on a replacement strategy to take effect from 1 July 2009.

2. Number of agencies involved in initiatives to increase the knowledge, skills and capacity of Indigenous employees and their employers across the APS.

Achieved. 50 agencies participated in the APS National Indigenous Employees Conference. 40 agencies participated in Indigenous Career Trek. Nine agencies participated in the Horizons secondment programme.
3. Satisfaction with levels of access to support networks and development programmes, as measured by response to annual State of the Service employee surveys

Achieved. The State of the Service Report 2006–07 data indicated that 54% of Indigenous employees were satisfied with their access to learning and development. Although this was lower than the APS overall (60%), the low number of Indigenous respondents means that drawing meaningful conclusions concerning the apparent comparative data is problematic. Nonetheless, this is an issue that will remain a key focus of the employment and capability strategy for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees.

During the financial year the number of Indigenous APS Employee Networks (IAPSENs) has expanded to cover Alice Springs, and discussions commenced with a view to establishing networks in the Torres Strait and Tasmania. Access to IAPSEN activities has also been improved by the establishment of a dedicated IAPSEN website sponsored by the Australian Public Service Commission.

4. Agencies’ implementation of strategies has a positive impact on engagement and separation rates of Indigenous employees - target is proportional representation consistent with the wider APS workplace and community. Partly achieved. The State of the Service Report 2006–07 reported an encouraging decline in the separation rates for Indigenous employees from 4.2% to 3.5% in 2006–07. In the same period, the engagement rate for Indigenous staff rose from 1.8% to 2.7% and the number of Indigenous employees engaged during the year increased from 372 to 513.
Quality 

1. Levels of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employee satisfaction with working in the APS—target is an increase compared to the State of the Service Report timeline data.

Partly achieved. The State of the Service Report 2006–07 reported that, unlike immediately previous years, the overall job satisfaction levels of Indigenous staff trailed those of other staff. In 2006–07 75% of Indigenous employees were on average satisfied with their most important job satisfaction attributes. This was substantially lower than the previous year, (86%), and lower than for the APS overall (81%). It was, however, still higher than the same measure in earlier years and is, therefore, still an increase on the timeline data. These figures should be treated with some caution as Indigenous job satisfaction results have been very volatile over the life of the employee survey and are likely to reflect the relatively small number of Indigenous employees in the sample.
2. Levels of agency participation in cross-agency and cross-jurisdictional projects. Achieved. 33 agencies participated in the graduate programme, 23 in the APS Indigenous Cadetship Programme and 10 in the entry level recruitment programme.
Estimated price: $4.663 million Actual: $4.886 million

Achievements against Output 3.1 enabled the Commission to contribute significantly to the stabilisation of Indigenous employment numbers in the APS, and to work closely with agencies on improving employment outcomes for Indigenous Australians. Key achievements under output 3.1 were the National Conference of Indigenous Employees in the APS, the expansion of our pathways initiatives and establishment of the Indigenous pathways alumni, and the successful Indigenous career trek workshops delivered nationally to over 390 Indigenous employees.

Implementing the APS Indigenous employment strategy

The APS employment and capability strategy for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees was implemented in August 2005 with funding of $6.4 million until 30 June 2008. In the 2008 Budget the Government announced extension of the strategy to 30 June 2009 with a further $2.6 million provided to support its activities.

The strategy aims to increase employment and career development opportunities in the APS for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians; it was structured on the themes of:

This year an evaluation of the strategy, conducted under Department of Finance and Deregulation guidelines, indicated the Commission had made significant and measurable progress toward meeting the strategy objectives.

The evaluation found the strategy had been instrumental in stabilising Indigenous employment levels in the APS and mobilising agencies to focus on Indigenous employment issues and strategies. It also suggested areas where the Commission could consolidate existing achievements.

The evaluation recommended extending the strategy to maintain the momentum in Indigenous employment and highlighted the important leadership role the Commission is playing. Good feedback was provided by both agencies and Indigenous staff through the evaluation process. While key issues continue to exist around the opportunities for regional employment and retention, it is clear that the strategy has established the groundwork for building positive outcomes in the future.

The Commission will consider the associated recommendations in the context of the Budget cycle for the period beyond 30 June 2009.

Supporting whole-of-government initiatives

The Commission supports whole-of-government initiatives in Indigenous employment by working with other APS agencies on mentoring and networking programmes, and national conferences and workshops.

Mentoring programme

In 2006–07 the Commission piloted a mentoring programme matching selected Indigenous Coordination Centre managers with mentors at the SES Band 3 level from across the APS. Based on the positive feedback received, the Commission worked with the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, to allocate mentors to the remaining Indigenous Coordination Centre managers early in 2007–08.

National Indigenous Employees Conference

The Commission sponsored and organised the first National Conference of Indigenous Employees in the APS in May 2008.

Through a series of facilitated workshops, delegates were given an opportunity to identify potential strategies to support employment of Indigenous Australians in the APS. The outcomes of the conference and workshop discussions will inform directions for future action under the APS Indigenous employment strategy.

National Indigenous employees conference

Conference participantsThe Commission sponsored and organised the first National Conference of Indigenous Employees in the APS in May 2008. The conference examined a range of issues relevant to Indigenous employees.

The conference attracted 140 delegates from 50 Commonwealth agencies across the country, from entry level recruits through to agency heads. They came together to consider the state of Indigenous employment in the APS and identify areas for future action, including skills and capacity development, and approaches to cultural competency in the workplace.

The conference was addressed by a number of speakers including the Cabinet Secretary, the Hon. Senator John Faulkner; the Public Service Commissioner, Ms Lynelle Briggs; and the Secretary of the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, Dr Jeff Harmer.

Delegates also heard reports from participants at the Australia 2020 and the Youth 2020 Summits. These included presentations from Dr Peter Buckskin, Dean and Head of School, David Unaipon College of Indigenous Education and Research, University of South Australia; Mr Steven Larkin, Principal of the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies; and Ms Jessica Graham, a member of the Commission’s own staff.

Feedback from delegates and speakers has been overwhelmingly positive and the Commission plans to make conferences of this kind an annual event.

Learning and development

Through the Indigenous career trek initiative the Commission has delivered APS Career Management workshops to 392 Indigenous employees across Australia. During these workshops the need for APS employees to work in a whole-of-government way is highlighted, the skills needed to perform in this way are explored and participants are encouraged to include developing whole-of-government capability as part of their career management and advancement strategies.

Whole-of-government working is further promoted and supported through various events and networking opportunities the Commission provides to Indigenous graduates, cadets and trainees recruited through the Pathways programme.

Developing pathways to APS employment

The Commission partnered with various APS agencies to deliver three recruitment programmes for Indigenous graduate, cadet and entry-level positions. Support programmes and services to these recruits were increased to enhance short-to medium-term retention prospects.

Through the Indigenous graduate recruitment programme, the Commission recruited and placed 26 Indigenous graduates in 17 APS agencies. The Commission expects a similar number will be engaged through the 2009 intake which was advertised in May with 28 APS agencies involved.

The Commission also recruited and placed 35 Indigenous tertiary students in cadet positions with 15 agencies through its bulk recruitment initiative under the National Indigenous Cadetship Project. Applications for the fourth intake closed in June.

The Indigenous entry level programme provides a pathway to employment for Indigenous Australians who do not have tertiary qualifications. This year the Commission recruited and placed 23 trainees across eight APS agencies through this programme and coordinated delivery of formal training towards a Certificate III or IV in Government for Indigenous participants engaged as entry-level recruits.

Pathways support programmes

To enhance short- and medium-term retention of new recruits and to promote a whole-of-government view in career planning and development, the Commission increased the support programmes it delivers to Pathways recruits. New initiatives developed and implemented included:

To achieve these outcomes the Commission partnered with numerous APS agencies; see ‘Supporting partnerships’.

Supporting Indigenous employees

The Commission delivered 27 professional development workshops across the country, launched a new range of scholarships to support career advancement, and established an Indigenous pathways alumni to support Indigenous employees in achieving their career goals and aspirations. As well it continued the Horizons programme and the work to support the Indigenous APS employee networks in each jurisdiction.

Indigenous career trek

Photograph - see caption

Indigenous career trek workshop: participants in Brisbane, 2008

Over 390 Indigenous employees attended the Indigenous career trek workshops during the year. The Commission delivered 11 workshops on APS career management skills to APS 1–6 employees, eight communication skills workshops to APS 1–4 employees, and eight workshops on influencing skills to APS 5 to Executive Level 1 employees. The programmes were extremely well received; 96% of evaluations rated the quality of the programme content, relevance and currency very highly.

Indigenous scholarship programme

The Commission launched the Indigenous scholarship programme in April. The programme provides access to higher-level study and development programmes for Indigenous employees at the APS 6 to Executive Levels and research/study opportunities for Indigenous members of the SES. Scholarships are available for Indigenous participation in the Public Sector Management Programme, the Masters in Public Administration through ANZSOG, the Commission’s Leadership dimensions programme and a fellowship opportunity at the senior executive level.

Scholarships based on merit will be awarded in the second half of 2008.

Horizons

In 2007–08, Horizons (the APS Indigenous secondment programme) facilitated six placements for Indigenous employees at the APS 4–6 levels in the Departments of the Prime Minister and Cabinet; Health and Ageing; Education, Employment and Workplace Relations; as well as the Australian Crime Commission and AusAID.

Horizons broadens the experience, skills and career progression opportunities for Indigenous employees and has, to date, facilitated 10 inter-agency secondments. The Commission provides Horizons participants with coaching, mentoring, development and network opportunities during their secondment to create stronger development and career progression outcomes. Participants’ home agencies receive a scholarship grant of $15,000 to help offset the costs of releasing staff for secondments.

Horizons will be expanded next year to offer secondment opportunities to Indigenous employees at the executive levels.

Indigenous APS Employees Network

The Commission’s commitment to improving employment outcomes for Indigenous staff is reflected in its support for the Indigenous APS Employees Network (IAPSEN). Networks are currently located in Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Darwin and Townsville. As well, an inaugural meeting between the Commission and other stakeholders in Alice Springs established support for a Central Australian IAPSEN and preliminary discussions are underway to establish a network in Tasmania.

The Commission supported two face-to-face meetings of the IAPSEN Chairs’ Forum. These meetings highlight common issues across the APS and inform networks about regional issues.

In consultation with the network, the Commission launched a national website in May at the National Conference of Indigenous Employees in the APS. This site provides information on each network, provides contact and event information, and promotes the work of IAPSEN. It can be accessed at <www.apsc.gov.au/iapsen>.

The New South Wales IAPSEN was strengthened during the year by introduction of a small executive group to support the Chair and to drive a number of events-based initiatives. The Victorian IAPSEN organised a special screening of My brother Vinnie at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image; and the Western Australian IAPSEN was involved in a NAIDOC week event that included a tour of the Aboriginal Art Gallery in Kings Park and a talk by prominent Indigenous artist, Norma MacDonald.

Supporting agencies to be good employers of Indigenous employees

Support for agencies includes running promotional campaigns to raise the profile of the APS as an employer, funding scholarship programmes and attending careers fairs and expos to promote the APS as employer of Indigenous people.

The Commission also provided assistance to agencies in direct form by helping with recruitment exercises, providing advice on request in relation to particular issues, and giving agencies guidance on the development of their own Indigenous employment strategies.

Public calling campaign

Photograph - see caption

Patrick Palmer (b.r. far left) and Lynne Tacy (f.r. centre) with APS Indigenous Career Ambassadors

The Commission’s successful Public calling promotional campaign continued to raise the profile of the APS as an employer of choice to Indigenous Australians.

Seven Indigenous employees from various agencies are the faces of the Public calling campaign and act as APS Indigenous career ambassadors. This year the ambassadors have helped deliver several promotional events and leading presentations, including playing a substantial role as facilitators in the APS National Conference of Indigenous Employees in the APS.

In June 2007 the Commission launched a three-month National Indigenous Radio Service campaign featuring the career and personal journey stories of the ambassadors complemented by a refreshed Public calling web interface featuring each of the ambassadors; see <www.apsc.gov.au/publiccalling>.

Preparations for another round of advertising were delayed due to the federal election and this campaign is now being negotiated for later in 2008.

Indigenous capability fund

The Commission implemented the Indigenous capability fund in 2006 to enhance access to development opportunities for Indigenous employees in small- to medium-sized agencies. A Commission review of the fund’s performance in 2006–07 indicated that many agencies were, for various reasons, unable to apply the funding within the allotted financial period. As a result, the Commission revised the eligibility requirements for the fund in 2007–08.

Four agencies received funding during the year and the remaining funds were allocated to delivering free career development programmes and a range of scholarships for all ongoing APS Indigenous employees. More than 400 Indigenous employees have accessed these new opportunities indicating a more efficient and effective application of funds.

In 2008–09 the Indigenous capability fund will continue to be applied to deliver the Indigenous career trek programmes and the Indigenous scholarship programme.

Indigenous liaison officer

During the reporting period the Commission attended various careers fairs and job expos in Sydney, Darwin, Newcastle and Nowra to introduce the APS and promote it as an employer of choice to Indigenous Australians. Attendance at these functions was based substantially on a recognition that they would attract significant interest from Indigenous Australians in regions with a strong APS employment presence.

The Commission’s Indigenous liaison officer met Indigenous staff and supervisors of Indigenous staff to discuss the APS, the assistance available in the APS employment and capability strategy for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees, and to provide guidance on supervising Indigenous staff.

Supporting partnerships

Working collaboratively and creating productive partnerships continues to be a critical element of implementing the APS employment and capability strategy for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees.

In 2007–08 the Commission collaborated with 35 agencies to deliver the Pathways graduate, cadetship and entry-level recruitment programmes; and with the Department of the Senate, central agencies, and the ACT Government to provide orientation and induction programmes for new recruits.

As well, the Commission maintained its partnership with the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR), in its new form, to coordinate the national APS bulk cadetship recruitment under that department’s National Indigenous Cadetship Programme and to administer APS access to the Structured Training and Employment Programme (STEP) to increase entry-level pathways to APS careers for Indigenous people without tertiary qualifications. In 2007–08, APS agencies independently recruited 62 Indigenous trainees and then applied, through the Commission, for access to STEP funding.

The Commission also partnered with Centrelink to deliver some aspects of the Indigenous career trek programmes. Centrelink provided trainers to join Commission staff to co-facilitate some programmes and assisted in coordinating access to training facilities in some locations outside Canberra.

Output 3.2 Promote better practice

In promoting better practice the Commission adopted a number of new initiatives in relation to people management, organisational capability, and an emerging focus on attracting, recruiting and retaining employees.

Consultation with APS agencies remained a key component of developing and distributing relevant and high quality advice. There was also increased consultation with external stakeholders, particularly in relation to a number of the recruitment initiatives undertaken.

Table 17: Performance information—Output 3.2 Promote better practice
Target

Result
Quantity 
Number of better practice forums developed and offered:  
• Connect Government Series—estimate 4 Under achieved. 2 Connect Government Series held
• HR Capability Programme—estimate 4 Under achieved. 3 HR Capability Development programmes were completed and 3 commenced
• Commonwealth Management Forum meetings—estimate 2 Achieved. 2 Forums were held.
• Development, networks and special events—estimate 62 Exceeded. 74 activities were held comprising development workshops, networks and special events.
Quality 

85% of responding participants, when surveyed, give a rating of 5 or 6 on a 6-point scale for:

  • achieving objectives
  • programme content
  • quality of presenters

or

  • relevant
  • useful
  • high quality.
 Achieved. Events were both formal and informal. Quantitative information collected for HR Capability Programme indicated a high quality. The agenda for the networks were determined according to the requirements of participants. Informal feedback was good or above.
Estimated price: $2.016 million Actual: $1.737 million

Achievements under Output 3.2 enabled the Commission to work strategically with agencies to continue to promote the APS as an employer of choice, and streamline the recruitment process. Key achievements under Output 3.2 were the release of the Better faster publication and the whole-of-APS recruitment campaign targeting finance and accountability skills.

Attracting, recruiting and retaining skilled employees

The Commission continued to identify the need to recruit for specific professions and work with agencies to support them in addressing skills shortages. The Commission has undertaken significant work to attract, recruit and retain Indigenous employees at all levels under the APS employment and capability strategy for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees (see Output 3.1). The Finance Jobs recruitment campaign is discussed below.

The Commission held a series of workshops, Remaining ahead of the game, around the country to promote its good practice guidance on streamlining recruitment practices and the new APSjobs website. These interactive workshops also provided senior people managers with the opportunity to share new initiatives and to network with colleagues dealing with similar issues. The Australian Taxation Office provided a case study on the measures it has adopted to attract accountants in the current labour market.

In Victoria, the Commission delivered sessions to the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service and the Defence Materiel Organisation about managing unplanned absences which drew heavily on the Commission’s publication, Fostering an attendance culture.

Finance jobs

Finance Jobs is part of a continuing effort to help agencies address shortages in particular skills.

Finance Jobs was a centralised recruitment exercise piloted in September 2007 to recruit experienced finance and accounting professionals from APS 3 to Executive Level 2 on behalf of 17 APS agencies. The initiative trialed an innovative recruitment method with applications based on curricula vitae only. A single gazette advertisement attracted applications from more than 1000 candidates.

The approach has been refined to include a new online employment register, with a longer-term rolling recruitment campaign beginning in June.

Better faster

In August the Commission launched two publications aimed at streamlining recruitment and demystifying the APS job application processes. Better, faster: streamlining recruitment in the APS and Cracking the code: how to apply for jobs in the Australian Public Service are part of the Commission’s comprehensive approach to improving the capability and performance of the APS through more effective recruitment and retention practices.

Better faster aims to streamline recruitment processes across the APS by helping agencies redesign and simplify their processes. It is targeted predominantly at human resource areas to help them understand the delays in their recruitment processes and ways those processes can be improved. To date, 1430 hard copies have been distributed, with the publication also available electronically on the Commission’s website. See <www.apsc.gov.au/publications07/betterfaster.htm>.

Cracking the code

Cracking the code is a series of 11 online fact sheets to help job candidates understand and navigate APS application and recruitment processes. The fact sheets address the myths and misconceptions that often affect the image of the APS as an employer of choice. About 400 copies of the publication have been distributed and the guide is available on the Commission’s website as well as through the APSjobs site. See <www.apsc.gov.au/publications07/crackingthecode.htm>.

Careers fairs and expos

The Commission attends careers fairs and expos to promote the APS as an employer of choice and to promulgate newly produced resources such as Cracking the code and the APSjobs website. Fairs and expos the Commission has attended this year include:

Improving people management

To help the APS improve its people management skills the Commission has developed two booklets and a training programme.

Succession management

Succession planning is a critical issue for the APS, with over 40% of the current workforce eligible for retirement in the next 10 years. This potential loss of employees with considerable corporate knowledge continues to be a challenge for agencies in terms of succession planning and knowledge management.

The Commission has continued to help agencies address succession management within their organisations. Secretaries have considered a strategic paper from the Commission on succession management. The Commission has developed a booklet, Ensuring leadership continuity in the Australian Public Service: a guide to succession management, that includes practical tools for agencies to use in their succession planning processes. This will be launched in early 2008–09 and supported by professional development workshops to be delivered throughout the year.

Employee life cycle

During the year the Commission produced the guide, Leading productive people: a manager’s seven steps to success, to consolidate its earlier work emphasising managers’ core responsibilities in attracting, building and sustaining the workforce.

The guide identifies the essential steps new managers can take that make the biggest difference to leading productive people. The guide will serve as a gateway for managers and is designed to sit on APS agencies’ websites with links to further information and resources on people management available in the APS.

The Commission also developed a training programme to support the guide, the first of which was delivered in June 2008.

Supporting networks and forums

The Commission has continued its active involvement in many APS networks and forums this year.

SES Human Resource Roundtable and Human Resource Directors Forum

The SES Human Resource Roundtable and Directors Forum continue to provide an opportunity for human resource leaders across the APS to exchange ideas and information.

The SES Human Resource Roundtable met five times and discussed topics including recruitment processes, workplace bullying, Indigenous issues, machinery of government changes, workforce planning, the new lobbyist code and workplace relations.

The Human Resource Directors Forum was held four times this year and continues to receive strong support and positive feedback from the APS human resource community, with attendance increasing significantly.

Corporate Management Forum

This forum (formerly the Commonwealth Managers Network, COMNET) provides networking opportunities for APS heads of corporate areas, encouraging two-way flow of ideas and discussion of significant issues. A new structure has proved effective and the forum is well attended.

Regional networks

Networks are important in keeping APS and other government employees connected, and regional offices have an important facilitation role. In each State and Territory, there is a strong and active network of senior leaders of Australian Government departments and agencies. These networks provide a valuable opportunity for collaboration, professional development and mutual support through a range of activities. The Commission has been working directly with network chairs to develop greater uniformity in the way in which the networks are named, managed, branded and supported. The Commission is keen to raise the networks’ profiles and make them easily identifiable to senior APS staff across the nation.

The Commission also supports people management networks in most regions. Network events this year included briefings by:

The Western Australian regional office continued to sponsor the WA Public Sector Fellowship Programme that facilitates applied research in public policy and public management leading to a better understanding of contemporary issues for public sector organisations. The programme provides an APS employee the opportunity to undertake a full-time research placement at the John Curtin Institute of Public Policy.

Human resource capability development programme

The Commission continued to build the capability of HR practitioners in the APS through the Human resource capability development programme. This year three programmes were completed and three new programmes commenced. The programme is regularly updated to ensure the most relevant issues and ideas are incorporated.

Getting connected

The Getting connected seminar series presented by senior public servants with extensive whole-of-government experience continued. Two sessions were held during the year, namely:

Encouraging workplace diversity

The Commission remains strenuous in its endeavours to encourage workplace diversity in the APS.

Employing people with disability

The Commission continued to promote employment of people with disability.

In 2006–07 it published Ability at Work: tapping the talent of people with disability that provided advice to APS agencies on strategies they could use to increase their employment of people with disability. This year the Commission reached out to the employment sector through its publication Ability at work: working better together. The publication is designed to be a brief, plain English guide giving employment providers information to help them find employment in the APS for their clients with disability. The document outlines a number of topics, such as what makes the APS a good place to work, how recruitment processes work and options for seeking employment in the APS.

The Commission is grateful to those people in the disability support sector and their peak bodies and APS agencies that helped design this publication.

The Commission has had limited results in terms of improving employment outcomes in this area, which remains a significant challenge for agencies.

Productivity Commission inquiry into paid maternity, paternity and parental leave

In March the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations and Social Inclusion, the Hon. Julia Gillard, MP; and the Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, the Hon. Jenny Macklin, MP, announced a Productivity Commission inquiry into paid maternity, paternity and parental leave.

The Commissioner made a submission to the inquiry outlining the effect of the extensive APS experience in providing paid maternity leave and flexible working arrangements. The submission highlighted that the combination of paid maternity leave and flexible working arrangements contributed to retaining women in the APS. The submission noted that:

One area of concern the submission identified was the impact of taking maternity leave on the relative rate of promotion, with women who return from maternity leave apparently less likely to be promoted than their colleagues in following years.

The causes of this disparity have not been examined but may be affected by a number of factors, including personal choices made by employees about balancing new family commitments with the increased demands of more senior positions, and greater access to part-time work at more senior levels. The figures may also be distorted by the fact that women having children tend to be at relatively more senior classifications already and simply have less scope for promotion.

The Commission will consider doing further research to identify the causes of this apparent disparity as part of its future work programme.

International Women’s Day

Photograph - see caption

Sex Discrimination Commissioner, Elizabeth Broderick, Melbourne, March 2008

The Commission continued its tradition of running highly successful and popular events celebrating International Women’s Day in a number of states. Speakers this year included successful business director and inventor, Linda Lowndes, in Brisbane; comedian and journalist, Julie McCrossin, in Perth; and Sex Discrimination Commissioner, Elizabeth Broderick, in both Melbourne and Sydney.

The Commission’s Regional Director South Australia, Jo Saies, was guest speaker at an International Women’s Day event hosted by the Department of Veterans’ Affairs in Adelaide.

Output 3.3 Statistical/information services

The Commission collects and analyses workforce statistics to support a high-performing APS. This data collection and analysis helps identify significant workforce challenges for the APS, and assists agencies to plan their workforce and benchmark their performance against that of the whole APS.

Table 18: Performance information—Output 3.3 Statistical/information services
Target Result
Quantity
1. Maintain and analyse data on APS employment for research within the Commission and by other organisations.  
• APS Employment Database Achieved. APSED was used for APS-wide workforce analysis and reporting, including for the State of the Service report and briefing on workforce issues for Portfolio Secretaries.
• Internet accessible data reporting tool Achieved. The APSED Internet Interface is fully functional, with enhancements made during the year.
• Australian Public Service Statistical Bulletin—target 1 per year Achieved. The APS Statistical Bulletin was published in hard copy and electronically.
Quality 
1. Comprehensive and reliable data in a useful format. Achieved. Improved data quality was achieved through ongoing liaison with agencies and by enhancements to APSED.
Estimated price: $1.368 million Actual price: $1.422 million

Achievements that contributed to this output included preparation and dissemination of the annual APS Statistical Bulletin, improvements to the data quality of APSED as well as the internet interface. Throughout the year APSED was used to support research on APS issues including for the State of the Service Report.

Maintaining APS Employment Database and undertaking related research

The Commission maintains the APS Employment Database (APSED), the central database source on APS employment and a major source of information on APS workforce trends. It is an important tool for ensuring cross-service accountability, particularly for the State of the Service Report. APSED is used extensively as the sampling frame for many surveys including the State of the Service Employee Survey.

It is an important resource for research, including for MAC projects and, this year, analysis of the Executive Level 1 cohort as well as in preparing the Commission’s submission to the Productivity Commission inquiry into paid maternity, paternity and parental leave. In addition, APSED time series data is used regularly to respond to requests about trends in APS employment, including for particular classification levels, such as for the SES.

Agencies’ provision of data continues to improve, with almost all providing data regularly through automated processes. The Commission liaises closely with agencies to ensure APSED requirements are incorporated into system updates and to secure the integrity of the data they submit. It is important that agencies allocate sufficient resources to ensure data meets APSED specifications—providing accurate data means fewer resources are needed to answer queries.

The Commission undertook a scoping project to improve the quality of employee-provided data. Employees were contacted directly to address any inconsistency in data items provided by agencies. The project was successful, and demonstrated employees’ willingness to provide such data if agencies establish mechanisms and processes for its collection.

This year the Commission worked closely with several agencies moving into coverage by the Public Service Act 1999. Another major project involved updating APSED details of employees affected by the changes to Administrative Arrangements Orders announced in December.

In the 2007–08 Budget, the Commission received additional funding to redevelop APSED. This project is designed to improve data management for all employees as well as allow analysis of data for core SES employees. The upgrade is largely complete and will facilitate future enhancements to the database.

APS Employment Database Internet Interface

Agencies and other users can access aggregated data directly through the APSED Internet Interface (APSEDII) at <www.apsedii.gov.au>. The interface enables users to produce data similar to that published in the APS Statistical Bulletin in order to support better practice workforce planning and benchmarking. APSEDII produces charts and tables that users can download for further manipulation. Some 75 users in 31 agencies have gained access to more detailed information on APSEDII through a secure logon and password procedure. This level of access allows designated users to examine unit record information for employees in their agency to aid workforce planning and improve data quality.

This year, APSEDII was enhanced to improve compatibility with a range of Internet browsers and the functionality of the secure site.

APS Statistical Bulletin

The APS Statistical Bulletin 2006–07 contained a snapshot of APS-wide staffing as at June 2007, and of staff movements during 2006–07. The bulletin also provided summary data for the past 15 years and its format largely followed that of previous years, with the addition of further tables relating to equal employment opportunity (EEO).

The bulletin contains information useful to agencies in benchmarking themselves against APS-wide trends. It is distributed to all APS agency heads, State and Territory public service commissioners, New Zealand’s State Services Commissioner, and leading public and tertiary education libraries. It is available in hard copy and electronically on the Commission’s website.

Output 3.4 Research and evaluation

The Commission’s research and evaluation activities are designed to help the APS and the Government achieve optimal governance outcomes. It pursues research and evaluation activities through:

These activities equip the Commission to assess the capacity of the APS and its employees to meet Government objectives, address future challenges and develop guidance and recommendations for change. The research and evaluation work also enables the Commission to learn from and benchmark APS performance against that of comparable overseas public sector jurisdictions.

Table 19: Performance information—Output 3.4 Research and evaluation
Target Result
Quantity 
1. Undertake research into and advise on public administration. Achieved. A range of papers, speeches and presentations encompassing contemporary public administration issues were produced and research undertaken on public administration challenges facing other jurisdictions for the State of the Service Report and the Executive. Research for four papers on contemporary governance challenges was also completed.
2. Evaluate and provide information on the performance of the APS through an annual State of the Service Report. Achieved. Produced the State of the Service Report 2006–07, State of the Service employee survey results 2006–07 and the State of the Service 2006–07: at a glance publications.
3. Provide large agencies with agency-specific survey reports aimed at helping agencies assess their performance compared to the APS overall. Achieved. Produced 45 agency-specific employee survey reports.
4. At least one new evaluation aimed at improving the performance of APS departments and agencies. Achieved. A new series of publications, Contemporary Government Challenges, that aims to improve the performance of APS agencies, was launched. Four publications, based on the findings of research and evaluations, were released: Agency health: monitoring agency health and improving performance; Building better governance; Tackling wicked problems: a public policy perspective; and Changing behaviour: a public policy perspective.
5. Secretariat and research support services provided to the MAC, and MAC Deputy Secretaries’ Groups responsible for overseeing particular MAC projects; and operational support to the Commissioner as the Executive Officer of the MAC—estimates:
  • 2 MAC meetings
  • 8 Deputy Secretaries’ Group meetings
  • 2 projects to be supported.

Overestimated. The Commission provided support for one MAC meeting in 2007–08.

Overestimated. The Commission provided support for five Deputy Secretaries’ Group meetings for the citizen-centred service delivery project.

Achieved. The eighth MAC report, Note for file: a report on recordkeeping in the Australian Public Service was launched in August 2007.

Work continued on the citizen-centred service delivery project commissioned in May 2007.
Quality 
1. High level of client use of research outputs. Achieved. Papers, speeches and presentations prepared, including four Contemporary Government Challenges publications, met all relevant requirements.
2. High level of client use of the State of the Service Report.

Achieved. Received positive feedback on the usefulness of the 2007 State of the Service publications from a wide range of APS staff. The evaluation questionnaire revealed that 90% of respondents believed the report a useful resource.

More than 600 APS staff nation-wide attended presentations promoting the report by the Commissioner, Deputy Commissioner and Evaluation Group staff.

More than 1000 delegates nation-wide attended presentations by Evaluation Group staff as part of the Comcare National Customer Seminar Series on:

  • Agency health—the first in the Contemporary Government Challenges series
  • State of the Service Report 2006–07.
3. 100% compliance with tabling requirements. Achieved. The State of the Service reports complied with Government tabling requirements. All reports were produced to high standards of accuracy and drew on the latest available research material from international and Australian jurisdictions.
4. High level of satisfaction that individual agency reports are useful to agencies. Achieved. Human resource management employees who were drawing on their agency-specific reports to brief senior managers on a range of issues contacted Commission staff to provide positive feedback.
5. High level of satisfaction of agencies directly involved in the evaluation and a high level of satisfaction that the evaluations are useful to agencies

Achieved. Survey data on the outcomes of the Contemporary Government Challenges papers has been positive.

Tackling wicked problems and Changing behaviour have been included in reference material for a number of tertiary public administration courses, including those of ANZSOG.

In response to questionnaires, the two agencies involved in the evaluation case studies of the National Landcare Programme and the National Tobacco Strategy (Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and Department Health and Ageing) said Commission staff had conducted their respective case studies professionally and that they were a valuable resource for stakeholders.
6. A high level of satisfaction of the MAC and its Deputy Secretaries’ Groups with the relevance, quality and timeliness of advice and support provided. Achieved. MAC and its Deputy Secretaries’ Groups have indicated broad support for the Commission’s Secretariat work to underpin MAC projects.
Estimated price: $1.528 million Actual price: $1.522 million

A significant achievement that contributed to this output was the launch of a new research series, the Contemporary Government Challenges publications, which explore key issues of relevance to APS leaders and managers and are intended to stimulate wider public debate about future challenges facing the APS.

Research and advice on public administration

The Commission undertakes research into public administration developments within the Australian Government, and in Australia’s jurisdictions and overseas to assist agencies improve their performance. This research is also used to support the Commission’s publications, speeches, presentations and learning and development programmes.

Evaluating and reporting on APS performance

APS performance is evaluated through the Commissioner’s State of the Service Report to Parliament and through specific issues-based research and evaluation projects.

Under section 44(2) of the Public Service Act 1999, the Commissioner is required to report annually on the state of the APS. Although the Act does not specify the issues to be covered in the report, the Commissioner’s approach has been to focus on contemporary issues confronting the APS while maintaining her evaluation of the extent to which agencies incorporate and uphold the APS Values (section 41(1)(a)). The Commissioner is required to table the report in Parliament by 30 November each year.

The State of the Service Report 2006–07 covered perennial issues such as merit, workplace diversity, upholding the APS Values and Code of Conduct, leadership and job satisfaction. It featured an in-depth analysis of attracting, recruiting and retaining staff in the APS, including why people choose to join the APS. The report also focused on areas where agencies can improve their efficiency and/or effectiveness. The report highlighted five key challenges facing the APS as a whole, namely, agency health and culture, new ways of doing business, modernising APS employment, interactions with Government, and leadership.

The Commission drew upon diverse and complementary data sources to develop the report. These sources included the Commission’s own research and databases (particularly APSED), published and unpublished material from other agencies, Australian National Audit Office reports and, where available, comparable data from other Australian and international jurisdictions.

The Commission also conducted two surveys that contributed to the report:

Following the success of agency-specific employee survey reports in previous years, the Commission expanded the coverage of these reports to all agencies which it has provided to agency heads with at least 400 employees and all departments. These reports summarise the agency’s own employee responses and compare their results with the APS-wide results. Statistically valid differences are marked appropriately. Small and medium-sized agencies are provided with a benchmark summary of all similarly sized agencies, respectively.

The Commission also produced two associated publications: the State of the Service employee survey results 2006–07, which provided the results of the employee survey in a collated, aggregate form; and the State of the Service 2006–07: at a glance pamphlet, which contained a succinct summary of findings.

Copies of reports were distributed to APS agency heads, members of the Corporate Management Forum, all SES staff and agency contact officers for the two surveys. Copies were also made available to State and Territory public service commissioners, New Zealand’s State Services Commissioner, selected non-APS agency heads, relevant academics and overseas contacts and all those employees attending Commission briefings on the report. All three publications are available on the Commission’s website. See <www.apsc.gov.au>.

The Commissioner, Deputy Commissioner and Evaluation Group staff delivered over 20 presentations nation-wide, which were attended by more than 600 APS staff. These included a keynote address by the Commissioner in each Australian capital city.

To evaluate readers’ perceptions of the report, a short questionnaire was included with each copy of the 2007 report. The questionnaire asked readers for general impressions of the report, the usefulness of the chapters and the value of the At a glance pamphlet. The feedback—from 361 respondents—was generally positive. Nine out of 10 agreed that the report is a valuable resource, that the information presented is easy to understand and that the inclusion of time series data is useful.

To maintain the relevance of the State of the Service Report within an ever-changing and challenging environment, planning the focus and direction of the next report began in January 2008. One of the key considerations in the development of the 2008 report has been identifying issues that will enable the report to drive improvement across the APS.

Particular focus was given, in the employee survey, to employee engagement, individual productivity, interactions with ministers and the Parliament, employees’ ideas for improving citizen access to government services, and their views about what the APS can do to meet the challenges facing Australia—today and in the future. The 2008 employee survey, which was in the field for two months, achieved a response rate of 65%—the highest ever recorded for the survey. Consistent with the approach taken in 2007, in December 2008 agencies with at least 400 employees will be provided with a copy of their results, benchmarked against the results for the APS as a whole.

The agency survey also included a focus on the issues, but from an employer perspective. It examined areas such as the impact of the additional efficiency dividend on agencies and their staff, agencies’ leave management practices, succession management strategies and the actions the APS could take to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of ICT in the APS. It was sent online to agencies in early June for completion and return by mid July 2008.

Undertake specific-issue evaluations

In 2007–08, the Commission focused its specific-issue evaluation and research activity on cutting-edge subjects relevant to senior APS managers.

In October the Commission launched four publications in its Contemporary Government Challenges series, providing information and advice to help APS agencies improve their performance.

The publications launched were:

The launch was followed by a series of seminars designed to make the publications more accessible to agencies, and more seminars are planned.

The publications offer a mix of practical solutions, case studies, and issues to be further considered and debated.

Upcoming publications will tackle the accountability framework, and approaches to reducing regulation.

Agency health: monitoring agency health and improving performance

This publication focuses on helping agencies monitor their corporate health. ‘Corporate health’ refers to the broad spectrum of agency governance issues, such as organisational direction and capability, leadership, corporate governance processes, relationships and integrity, and agency culture. High levels of corporate health are linked directly to high rates of overall performance, which allow agencies to realise their goals, fulfill their mission and deliver the outcomes their Government requires. Conversely, poor corporate health can lay the foundations for poor performance or organisational failure. By paying close attention to indicators of corporate health, agencies can identify and address early warning signs of poor performance before they begin to adversely affect outcome achievement.

Agency health takes a practical approach. It includes a two-part health checklist for agencies’ use. The first checklist comprises corporate health indicators for agencies that perform well, and the second sets out corporate health indicators associated with agencies at risk of poor performance. Case studies are used to illustrate key points. The Commission’s Evaluation Group staff were requested by Comcare to assist in a range of seminars on agency health, which drew on this publication.

Building better governance

This publication was developed as a result of a series of discussions held in 2006 with APS departmental executives, who wanted to hear case studies that illustrate what agencies are doing to improve their practices and approaches to governance. The resulting publication contains 13 case studies developed in conjunction with APS agencies.

A number of common themes emerged from the case studies, and these became the seven ‘building blocks’ to better governance outlined in the document. One of these building blocks is the need to have in place appropriate governance committee structures—a number of the case studies are centred on ensuring this happens. The other building blocks to better governance are:

Tackling wicked problems: a public policy perspective

This publication recognises that the APS is increasingly being asked to deal with highly complex and intractable policy problems. Some of these problems are so complex that they have been called wicked problems—the term ‘wicked’ being used in the sense of describing tough issues, highly resistant to resolution. High-profile examples include climate change, ongoing Indigenous disadvantage and land degradation.

This publication is designed to stimulate debate about what is needed to successfully tackle wicked problems. It makes the point that it is important, as a first step, for wicked problems to be recognised as such. Wicked problems usually do not have clear solutions, and such solutions are also often not verifiably right or wrong, but rather rely on a relative assessment such as better or worse or good enough.

Tackling wicked problems emphasises that wicked problems rarely sit conveniently within the responsibility of any single organisation or jurisdiction. Instead, they reinforce the vital importance of being able to work in a whole-of-government way, and require the engagement and cooperation of a range of stakeholders.

The paper discusses a range of approaches that can help deal with these issues. Successfully solving or at least managing wicked problems requires reassessment of some of the traditional public service ways of working and solving problems. These problems challenge the APS governance and accountability structures, skills base and organisational capacity.

Changing behaviour: a public policy perspective

This publication deals with the challenge of how democratic governments can most effectively influence their citizens’ behaviour. Changing behaviour presents numerous examples and outlines the main theories and empirical evidence in relation to behavioural change. It also aims to help agencies develop and implement more effective policies. Two detailed case studies were finalised in 2007–08.

One case study examined the National Landcare Programme administered by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. One of the key goals of this programme is to influence landholders’ behaviour by enabling them to identify, develop and implement improved natural resource management practices at the farm level.

The other examined the National Tobacco Strategy administered by the Department of Health and Ageing. This strategy aims to prevent uptake of smoking, encourage and assist smokers to quit, eliminate harmful exposure to tobacco smoke among non-smokers and, where feasible, reduce the harm associated with continuing use of, and dependence on, tobacco and nicotine.

Although the case studies were not published, they were provided to the relevant agencies and used to inform Contemporary Government Challenges publications as well as the Commission’s training programmes and the State of the Service Report.

Undertaking other research projects

The Commission commenced three more projects, the results of which are expected to be published in the first half of 2008–09 in the Contemporary Government Challenges series. One examines the broad accountability framework and its congruence with contemporary modes of public service; one looks at devolved government arrangements; the other focuses on smarter ways of developing regulatory systems in order to achieve better policy outcomes.

Management Advisory Committee

The Commission continued to provide research and secretariat services to MAC. The committee was established under section 64 of the Public Service Act 1999 to advise the Government on matters relating to the management of the APS. MAC is chaired by the Secretary of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, with the Commissioner as executive officer. MAC last met in October 2007. The Committee chair decided to consider how MAC can best function in the future and, in early 2008–09 a proposed new committee charter was developed with a new Executive Sub Committee to recommend, conduct and advise on the forthcoming MAC agenda.

MAC currently has 24 members, including all Portfolio Secretaries, the Commissioner and the heads of the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the Australian Customs Service, the Australian Taxation Office and Centrelink. The Auditor-General is invited to attend MAC meetings as an observer. The proposed new Executive Sub Committee will have a core membership of six and will comprise the secretaries of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, the Department of Finance and Deregulation, the Department of Health and Ageing, the Department of Immigration and Citizenship, the Commissioner and the Commissioner of Taxation.

During 2007–08, MAC focused its efforts on:

Recordkeeping in the APS

The MAC project on recordkeeping commenced in August 2006 in order to articulate the purpose of, and the business case for, recordkeeping; identify any impediments to recordkeeping approaches in the APS context; and explain how recordkeeping requirements are affected by information collection, use and disclosure obligations. It also examined how agencies can best achieve efficient and effective recordkeeping in today’s world (including in relation to electronic communication). The report, Note for file: a report on recordkeeping in the Australian Public Service was released in August 2007 and has been circulated widely.

It has formed the basis of the new approach to dealing with agencies by the National Archives of Australia. Recordkeeping requirements have become more streamlined and less prescriptive for agencies. Check-up, the Archives' interactive self-assessment tool was also launched to assess the state of records management in agencies.

Citizen-centred service delivery

In May 2007, MAC commissioned a project on citizen-centred service delivery in order to:

MAC considered an interim report in October. Finalisation of the project is pending, having regard to wider developments in the service delivery area.

Public Service Commissioners’ Conference

The Public Service Commissioners’ Conference (PSCC) is a cross-jurisdictional forum for Commonwealth, State and Territory Public Service Commissioners and New Zealand’s State Services Commissioner. The Commission provides secretariat and research support to the conference. The PSCC identifies and discusses policy, service delivery and other matters of common interest and strategic significance that are central to improving public administration. The location and chair of meetings rotate through each jurisdiction.

The PSCC provides opportunities for Commissioners to frame the agenda for consideration of public sector reform issues and future public administration directions. It also serves as a vehicle for exchanging information and experience and advancing Commissioners’ discussion of issues by:

These joint activities enhance Commissioner interaction and strengthen the individual Commissioner’s ability to shape development and implementation of public sector employment policies and practices within their jurisdictions.

The PSCC, which first met in 2000, has met twice a year since 2003. It met in October 2007 in Sydney and in March 2008 in Brisbane. The main issues discussed were governance and accountability; workforce planning, including recruitment and retention strategies; citizen-centred service delivery; trust in government; and public sector reform.

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Part Two

Summary of performance Output 1 Output 2 Output 3