Performance review

Output 1: APS policy and employment services

Output Group 1 reflects the Public Service Commissioner’s statutory role as detailed in section 41 of the Public Service Act 1999 (the Act), in particular her responsibilities to:

• develop, promote, review and evaluate APS employment policies and practices, including the APS Values and Code of Conduct
• provide advice and assistance to agencies on APS employment matters.

This output group also relates to the Commission’s work in helping governments and organisations in Asia–Pacific improve public sector governance and performance, and to contribute to international networks, largely through effective collaboration with AusAID.

In addition, Output Group 1 reflects the Merit Protection Commissioner’s statutory responsibilities to review actions relating to APS employment and inquire into whistleblowing reports.

This section describes, for each of the four outputs in Output Group 1, the activities that the Commission undertook during 2008–09 and the achievements for each.

Output 1.1: Advice and support to the Minister, Executive and agency heads

Under this output, the Commission promoted understanding of ethics, accountability and transparency for the APS; contributed to the reform of public interest disclosure legislation and information law; updated information for agencies on the APS Values and Code of Conduct; and promulgated advice to statutory office holders on their roles and responsibilities.

Achievements

Achievements that contributed to this output in 2008–09 included:

• preparing advice and support for initiatives under the government’s strengthened public sector integrity agenda, in particular the establishment of the Ethics Advisory Service
• issuing guidelines to agencies on the Code of conduct for ministerial staff and its application to the relationship between APS agencies and ministerial offices
• developing an information paper for new senior executive service officers on roles and responsibilities of Australian Government statutory office agency heads
• providing a submission to the House of Representatives Legal and Constitutional Committee inquiry on whistleblowing protections in the Australian Government public sector
• issuing interim protocols for online media participation, which provide guidance to agencies that are using or planning to use online media as a means of communication with clients and stakeholders
• conducting research into agency classification management practices.

Table 2: Performance information—Output 1.1 Advice and support to the Minister, Executive and agency heads

Key performance indicators	2008–09 target	Result
Advice and support to the minister and agency heads. Note: PBS measure includes “Executive” – reporting during the 08-09 financial year is provided for the Minister, heads of APS agencies and the Commission’s Executive.	The degree of satisfaction of the Minister, the Executive and agency heads, as expressed through feedback about the quality and timeliness of policy and other advice and achievement of tasks.	Achieved. Ministerial correspondence: 53 Question time briefs: 89 Responses to ministerial requests for briefings: 96 Commission Adviceline inquiries: 2,671 Circulars: 6 Publications: 6 Advice and support to regional senior staff: 158
Ethics Advisory Service.	Establish an Ethics Advisory Service by April 2009.	Achieved.

Providing advice and support

A central role of the Commission is to provide high-quality, timely advice and support to the Minister. Table 2 details the number of responses the Commission provided to ministerial correspondence, question time briefs and ministerial briefi ngs.

Code of conduct for ministerial staff

The government’s Code of conduct for ministerial staff came into effect on 1 July 2008 and applies to ministerial staff employed under the Members of Parliament (Staff ) Act 1984. In addition to setting out the standards of personal integrity and diligence expected of ministerial staff , the code covers their relationship with APS employees.

The Commission issued guidelines on its application of the relationship between APS agencies and ministerial offices. The guidelines remind agencies to ensure that all staff likely to have dealings with ministerial staff are aware of the code and are mindful of their responsibilities under the APS Values and Code of Conduct.

Review of the Public Service Act and subordinate legislation

The Commission continued to work on the review of the Act and subordinate legislation during 2008–09. The purpose of the review is to ensure that the current legislative framework continues to meet the needs of APS agencies.

Supporting the Minister, agency heads and the Commission’s executive

The Commissioner delivered 22 public speeches and presentations during 2008–09, covering such topics as public sector ethics in the 21st century, leadership in the APS and its influence on workplace culture and issues relating to disclosure and the public’s right to know. A full list is available on the Commission’s website.

Clarifying the role of new agency heads

In May 2009 the Commissioner released an information paper to portfolio secretaries, Roles and responsibilities of Australian Government statutory office agency heads, providing information to statutory office holders who are agency heads. The paper provides clarification for both APS and non-APS agency heads about key aspects of their work, including their responsibilities and entitlements.

The paper is for new agency heads (other than Secretaries), including those in the APS and those in the broader public sector. It is intended to be a starting point in acquainting them with key matters they need to be aware of when commencing in their role. It was developed following a series of focus groups and following consultation with the departments of Finance and Deregulation, DEEWR, and Prime Minister and Cabinet.

From 1 July 2009, the paper will be provided to new agency heads, both APS and non-APS, as part of the Commissioner’s ‘welcome letter’, which also provides a range of tailored information and publications to assist new agency heads in their role.

Merit-based selection

In February 2009 a revised edition of the publication Merit and transparency: Merit-based selection of APS agency heads and APS statutory office holders was released. The revisions to the document provide additional guidance clarifying the responsibilities of portfolio secretaries and the Commissioner relating to the shortlisting of applicants, advising final outcomes of the selection process to the Commissioner, and the use of orders of merit in certain circumstances.

During the year, 54 positions were filled in accordance with the guidelines. The Commission provided assistance to agencies in implementing the guidelines, including finding suitable panel representatives. The list of positions covered by this policy (and specific offices that are excluded) is updated on an ongoing basis and is available on the Commission’s website.

Handling misconduct

In August 2008, the Commission published a revised edition of the publication Handling misconduct—a human resources practitioner’s guide to the reporting and handling of suspected and determined breaches of the APS Code of Conduct.

Handling misconduct is a good practice guide to assist agency human resource areas to review and improve their guidance material and procedures for reporting and dealing with suspected and determined breaches of the APS Code of Conduct. A full list of the Commission’s publications is available on our website.

Improving the employment framework

Employment policy Adviceline

The Commission’s employment policy Adviceline continued to provide advice and information to agencies’ human resources areas and to senior managers. This advice included guidance about recruitment, termination of employment, redundancy, performance management and better practice.

The Adviceline received 2671 inquiries by telephone and email in 2008–09. This represents an increase of 187 on the number of inquiries received in 2007–08. Table 3 provides a three-year breakdown of Adviceline inquiries by category.

Public servants and the workplace relations environment

The Commission worked with DEEWR on a range of issues arising out of the introduction of the new Fair Work legislation and its impact on the APS, including:

• consequential amendments to the Public Service Act arising out of the Fair Work Act 2009
• transitional provisions relating to the establishment of the new Fair Work institutions
• a review of the supporting guidance to the Australian Government Employment Bargaining Framework (AGEBF) and, in particular, the impact of the Notice of Termination and Redundancy Pay element of the proposed new National Employment Standards on APS redundancy arrangements.

Table 3: Main categories of employment policy Adviceline calls, 2006–07 to 2008–09

Subject	2006–07	2007–08	2008–09
Agency head/statutory office holder selection	N/A	N/A	19
Staffing matters	1,103	933	831
General legislative issues	138	135	136
Separations	259	190	218
Conditions/entitlements	235	351	398
Review matters	111	88	161
APS Values/Code of Conduct	204	265	225
Workplace diversity issues	47	29	42
SES matters	60	50	86
Mobility/reciprocal mobility	29	35	23
Competencies/qualifications	20	6	8
Other	567	402	524
Total	2,773	2,484	2,671

As part of APS bargaining arrangements, DEEWR provides the Commission with copies of draft agency collective agreements and collective section 24(1) determinations for review against the requirements of the AGEBF. The Commission reviewed 100 industrial instruments (93 collective agreements and seven section 24(1) collective determinations) to ensure that the agreements included compulsory redeployment, reduction and retrenchment provisions and did not enhance existing redundancy provisions. Ninety-three assessments were conducted within the agreed five-day assessment period; delays in reviewing the remaining assessments were due to the complexity of the matters dealt with in the agreements.

Table 4 shows the remuneration and workplace (collective) agreements assessed by the Commission over the last four years.

Table 4: Remuneration and workplace agreement assessments, 2005–06 to 2008–09

	2005–06	2006–07	2007–08	2008–09
No. received	60	73	45	100
No. conducted within agreed period	53	70	40	93

Classification management

Under the AGEBF, agencies are required to maintain consistency with the APS classification rules. In early 2009 the Commission undertook a limited survey of agency classification management practices in accordance with the Public Service Commissioner’s evaluation function (under section 41 of the Act). Six large agencies and nine small agencies were consulted.

The survey focused on contemporary agency classification management practices and considered:

• whether existing classifications, including training classifications and broadbanding, continue to meet agency needs
• the level of classification expertise within agencies
• what job classification methodologies agencies use
• whether agencies require supplementary guidance and/or education.

The survey concluded there was scope for agencies to improve their classification management practices. The agencies consulted also indicated they would welcome renewed guidance from central agencies.

The survey enabled the Commission to consider the development of initiatives to assist agencies with classification management practices. A training programme, titled ‘Understanding work value’, has been developed; the first iteration is scheduled for September 2009.

Protocols for online media participation

One of the emerging ethical issues for the APS concerns the use of online media by APS employees, whether they are promoting government services or participating in online discussion and debate.

In December 2008 the Commission issued interim protocols for online media participation by APS agencies. Developed in consultation with the Australian Government Information Management Office (AGIMO), the interim protocols provide guidance to agencies that are using or planning to use online media, including blogs, as a means of communication with clients and stakeholders. The protocols address the use of these media:

• as a means of consultation about the development of policies and programmes
• for the dissemination of information and advice about government policies and programmes.

The protocols focus on the application of the APS Values and the APS Code of Conduct to online communication. They recognise the speed with which online information and views can be spread, and the potential for distortion and misrepresentation that this can raise. They emphasise the need to avoid perceptions of bias and political partisanship and to be professional, courteous and constructive at all times. The protocols also address the rights and responsibilities of APS employees who use online communication for private, social or advocacy purposes. The interim protocols have been trialled by several agencies during the year, and the results will be fed into final protocols to be released later in 2009.

Output 1.2 : Employment services

The Commission provides a range of employment services to APS employees and agencies to help them meet their legislative responsibilities.

Under this output, the Commission delivered Career Transition and Support Centre services to assist agencies with the implementation of efficiency measures. The Commission also delivered a job seeker website <APSjobs.gov.au> and statutory services, including SES advice about staffing matters, machinery of government changes, approval of delegations and whistleblowing report responses.

Achievements

Achievements that contributed to this output in 2008–09 included:

• successful management of 12 machinery of government changes
• overseeing a successful first year of operation for the Career Transition and Support Centre
• assisting agencies in managing the impact of the efficiency dividends by redeploying employees where possible.

SES engagements, promotions and termination of employment casework

The Commissioner has a number of responsibilities in relation to SES staffing arrangements, including endorsing selection exercises, agreeing to amounts proposed to be paid as incentives to retire under section 37 of the Act, and termination.

In 2008–09 there were 246 selection exercises submitted for the Commissioner’s consideration, with all ultimately being endorsed. There were 65 section 37 retirements with an incentive agreed, which is a significant increase on the previous year’s total of 36 cases. The main reason for this increase was due to a number of agencies restructuring as a result of machinery of government changes. These cases were spread across 23 agencies, with DEEWR having 17 cases.

Table 5: Performance information—Output 1.2 employment services

Key performance indicator	2008–09 target	Result
To provide a job seeker website <APSjobs.gov.au>, which incorporates the electronic APS employment Gazette.	High level of user satisfaction with the quality of <APSjobs.gov.au> and the handling of feedback.	Achieved. Number of Gazettes produced with no errors: 50.
	1 site with 99% availability.	Achieved.
Strengthen and enhance the marketing of the APSjobs website	Develop a marketing strategy by March 2009.	Achieved. Framework developed in June 2009. Collection of baseline data underway.
Perform statutory responsibilities:
SES engagements, promotions and termination of employment casework.	Number of SES engagements, promotions and termination of employment decisions. Estimate: 240.	Achieved. Number of SES engagements, promotions and termination of employment decisions: 316.
	95% of agency SES employment recommendations able to be endorsed within one week of receipt of documents. Estimate: 55 cases.	Achieved. 100% of cases actioned within specified time frame.
Services to support any machinery of government changes, approval of delegations and whistleblowing report responses provided by the Public Service Commissioner.	100% of machinery of government changes completed within legislative time frames.	Achieved. Number of changes completed: 12.
	95% of approvals of delegations to outsiders completed within 5 working days.	Achieved. 100% of approvals completed within 5 working days.
	100% of requests for consultation on or approval for, re-engagement completed within 5 working days.	Achieved.
Fee-for-service employment-related matters.	High level of client satisfaction with the accuracy, quality and timeliness of individual services and individual cases.	Achieved. Day-to-day client feedback continues to indicate a high level of satisfaction with the services provided.
	Fee-for-service employment services. Estimate: 532.	Not achieved. Number of employment services: 430.
Career Transition and Support Centre services.	Estimate: 350 cases.	Overestimated. Number of cases referred: 210. Number of successful placements: 86.

Before an SES employee's employment can be terminated under one of the grounds listed in section 29(3) of the Act, the agency must request the Commissioner to issue a certificate under section 38 of the Act, certifying that the Commissioner is satisfied that the requirements of the Commissioner’s Directions have been met and the termination is in the public interest. There were four such SES terminations of employment cases.

Machinery of government changes

The Commission managed 12 machinery of government changes in 2008–09. Six of these concerned the movement of staff between APS agencies while the remaining six involved moves into the APS. The most significant changes included:

• moving the Australian Fisheries Management Authority and the Murray–Darling Basin Commission into the APS
• merging the Australian Film Commission, Film Finance Corporation and Film Australia into a single entity called Screen Australia, an APS agency that can also employ staff under its own legislation
• establishing the National Film and Sound Archive and Old Parliament House as executive agencies.

Delegations to outsiders

In 2008–09 the Commissioner received nine requests from agencies seeking consent under section 78(8) of the Act to allow the relevant agency head to delegate his or her powers under the Act and subordinate legislation to ‘outsiders’, such as individuals not employed under the Act. As the individuals concerned possessed the relevant experience and knowledge to effectively exercise powers under the Act, the Commissioner agreed to each request.

SES advisory service

The Commission’s SES adviser provides SES employees across the APS with an avenue to seek advice from a senior member of the Commission about the application of the employment framework or interpretation of the APS Values. The adviser also helps SES employees understand how the redeployment, retirement and redundancy provisions of the Act apply to them.

In addition, all members of the Executive (the Commissioner, the Deputy Commissioner and the Merit Protection Commissioner) provide advice to senior SES and agency heads on sensitive management matters.

Ensuring leadership continuity

As part of managing talent at the senior levels of the SES, the Commission collected and updated information on the Senior Executive Band 3 group. The occupants of this group are a significant feeder group for future agency head and Secretary roles. The Commissioner and other departmental Secretaries meet and discuss the quality of Band 3 and high-performing Band 2 employees in each portfolio. This information is discussed with the Secretary of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, including consideration of any issues confronting the APS in effectively managing senior level succession management.

SES notes

SES notes is a quarterly newsletter provided online and by email, which forms one of the principal means of disseminating information to all members of the SES. It provides views and information from the Commission and other contributing agencies on current developments and leadership issues relevant to the SES. The content focuses on whole-of-government issues as well as other topics of relevance to senior executives. The Commissioner sent out four issues of SES notes to members of the SES during the year. Topics covered included:

• the Prime Minister's address to the SES
• lessons from the Equine Influenza inquiry
• strengthening accountability of public administration
• public sector ethics in the 21st century.

Table 7: Comparative number of gazette notices lodged, 2003–04 to 2008–09

Year	Number of notices lodged	Percentage difference on previous year
2002–03	39,100	-
2003–04	31,900	–18.41
2004–05	39,000	+22.26
2005–06	47,918	+22.87
2006–07	58,044	+21.13
2007–08	55,418	–4.52
2008–09	41,670	–24.81

APSjobs—the electronic APS Employment Gazette

The Commission’s Public Service Gazette— APSjobs—is an online employment portal for the APS. It notifies the public of all employment opportunities, recruitment outcomes and other APS employment decisions. Fifty editions of APSjobs are published each year. The number of notices lodged in 2008–09 decreased by 24.81% compared to the number lodged in 2007–08 (see Table 7).

APSjobs is a simple, user-friendly search system for job seekers and other users. Its key features include:

• interactive email alerts for job seekers
• information about APS employment conditions and access to Cracking the code, a plain English guide to getting a job in the APS
• the ability for APS agencies to advertise mobility opportunities and major recruitment campaigns
• a register of former APS employees for agencies to draw upon in their recruitment processes
• a straightforward online lodgement process for agencies.

In 2008–09 APSjobs was further developed to support the Commission’s Fin@nceJobs recruitment campaign and the Career Transition and Support Centre (see featured highlight). These developments have assisted the Commission to support agencies to recruit finance and accounting professionals and assist with the redeployment of staff .

Responses to Public Interest Whistleblowing¹ reports and other allegations of misconduct

During 2008-09 the Commissioner received 11 whistleblowing reports from APS employees and four complaints from private citizens. Table 8 shows the number of cases received and finalised over the past five years and the source of the complaints.

Allegations received during the year concerned bullying and harassment, conflicts of interest, dishonesty in the form of deliberate misreporting of information, administrative failings and breaches of duty by public servants.

Of the 11 whistleblowing reports received, on the information available, at least seven arose in the context of a broader employment dispute between the complainant and their employer.

Table 8: Cases received by the Public Service Commissioner 2005-06 to 2008-09

	2005-06	2006-07	2007-08	2008-09
No. received	17	21	22	15
No. finalised	18	19	20	17
No. on hand at the end of the reporting period	2	4	7	5
Source of those received
Current APS employees	9	9	11	10
Former APS employees	1	6	1	1
Private citizens	6	3	7	2
Anonymous	1	3	3	2

Table 9: Cases finalised by outcome 2008-09

Action by Commissioner	Number
Referred to agency head for consideration	8
Investigated under whistleblowing powers	3
Code of Conduct inquiry conducted	2
No further action or referred elsewhere	4
Total	17

Seventeen matters were finalised in 2008-09 including seven matters carried over from the previous year. Table 9 shows what actions the Commissioner took in response to these cases.

Five of the finalised matters involved allegations about agency heads. In three of these cases, the Commissioner advised the complainants that she would not be conducting an inquiry; in two cases an inquiry was conducted. One inquiry resulted in a finding of a minor breach of the Code of Conduct and a sanction was not recommended. The other inquiry resulted in a finding of no breach.

Fee-for-service employment-related matters

Under section 41(1)(k) of the Act, the Commissioner is able to provide advice and assistance to agencies on request. Some of this work is conducted on a fee-for-service basis; the Commission responded to 430 of these requests.

Most of the requests for employment services related to the recruitment and selection of staff. The Commission provided a number of agencies with convenors, panel members and support for selection advisory committees. Other fee-for-service activities included alternative dispute resolution services and reviews of organisational structure.

There was a downturn in the number of requests from agencies for these services compared to the previous year. This can, in part, be attributed to reduced recruitment and discretionary expenditure given the financial climate.

Employment related fee-for-service activities include those provided under the Merit Protection Commissioner’s functions, such as Independent Selection Advisory Committees (ISACs). See the Merit Protection Commissioner’s annual report (Part 4) for details.

The Gershon Review

In February 2009 a cross-agency information and communications technology (ICT) skills working group comprising staff from the Commission, the Department of Finance and Deregulation and (AGIMO) was established to implement items identified in the Gershon Review’s Recommendation 4—Enhance the management of the APS ICT skills base.

The Commission was given responsibility to lead the implementation of two recommendations of the review. Th ose recommendations refer to the development of:

• a whole-of-government career pathway to enhance the ICT capabilities of APS staff
• a whole-of-government strategic ICT workforce plan to assist agencies to better manage their ICT workforce.

The Commission is working closely with AGIMO, APS agencies, ICT practitioners and industry bodies to develop the whole-of- government strategic ICT workforce plan and ICT career pathway.

In consultation with AGIMO, the Commission has been working through a clearly structured strategic workforce planning process, which includes:

• an environmental scan of external labour supply and associated issues
• internal supply analysis
• capacity and capability demand forecasting
• capacity and capability gap determination
• strategy development.

The whole-of-government strategic ICT workforce plan will include approaches to address any capacity and capability gaps identified as a result of demand and supply forecasting. The plan will also include whole-of-government strategies for the improved recruitment, retention and engagement of ICT personnel. Both bodies of work are due for release in early 2010.

The whole-of-government ICT career pathway will provide a consistent approach to the management of ICT. For employees, it will provide a clear picture of the range of career opportunities, identify career development options, and provide guidance on the capabilities they will need to develop.

In June 2009, the Commission finalised a draft pathway forward for the APS. This drew on the outcomes of an extensive consultation process, which included one-to-one meetings, small focus groups, workshops and presentations to a wide range of key stakeholders, as well as a review of existing international ICT frameworks.

Output 1.3: International assistance and organisations

Under this output, the Commission worked with AusAID and the Commonwealth Secretariat to advance the government’s policies for our region.

Achievements

Achievements that contributed to this output in 2008–09 included:

• providing five weeks of intensive training for 86 staff, in collaboration with the National Professional Certification Body in Jakarta, to support the development and trialling of competency standards in the Indonesian public sector
• facilitating the Pacific Human Resource Managers Network and coordinating its third annual conference
• election of the Commissioner as President of the Commonwealth Association of Public Administration and Management.

Table 10: Performance information—Output 1.3 International assistance and organisations

Key performance indicators	2008–09 target	Result
Deliver high quality technical assistance overseas in line with records of understanding with AusAID—priorities: Pacific, PNG and Indonesia.	High level of satisfaction with the quality and timeliness of reports, advice and services provided.	Achieved. Feedback received from all key stakeholders that their respective requirements had been met.
Share information, knowledge and skills with visiting officials in Australia.	A high level of satisfaction of the delegations, as advised by the third-party organisers.	Achieved. Presented to visiting officials from Kiribati, Tonga, China, Hong Kong, Bangladesh, India, Kenya, Mongolia, Taiwan, Thailand, the Netherlands and Vietnam. Consistently high levels of satisfaction expressed through formal and informal feedback.
Number of overseas delegation visits coordinated and hosted.	Estimate: 20.	Overestimated. Coordinated and hosted 17 visiting overseas delegations. The number of visits was lower than estimated due to tightened visit protocols.

International engagement activities

The Commission supports the objectives of the Australian Government in building public sector capacity throughout the Asia–Pacific region—particularly in the Pacific in Papua New Guinea (PNG) and Indonesia— and partners with AusAID to deliver programs that support these objectives.

The Commission also supports international public sector reforms through its input to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Public Governance Committee and the Board of the Commonwealth Association of Public Administration and Management (CAPAM) as well as sharing information and knowledge on public sector reform by hosting visiting delegations.

The Commission also provides ongoing assistance to other countries who wish to visit Australia to find out how we manage our public service and build the capacity of Australian public servants.

Supporting public sector reform in the Pacific

The Commission undertook a number of activities to support public sector reform in the Pacific. These included:

• contributing to capacity building in 11 Pacific Island countries and assisting partner governments in their progress towards building better governance
• attending the 2008 Pacific Public Service Commissioners’ Conference, and providing guidance and support to the host country and its regionally based secretariat
• facilitating the Pacific Human Resource Managers Network and coordinating its third annual conference
• providing training opportunities for 48 Pacific officials at senior and middle management levels.

The Commission continued its commitment to the Prime Minister’s Pacific Engagement Strategy, which focuses on the whole-of-government approach to public sector capacity building in the region.

Supporting public sector reform in Papua New Guinea

Since 2004, the Commission has supported the deployment of two officials to the PNG Department of Personnel Management under the AusAID-sponsored Enhanced Cooperation Program, now called the Strongim Gavman Program. AusAID has been supporting the Commission to shift its mode of engagement by establishing a long-term strategic partnership with the PNG Public Sector Workforce Development Program.

The partnership between this program and the Commission has its origins in the Papua New Guinea – Australia Partnership for Development, which aims to improve the living standards for all Papua New Guineans. Public sector workforce development aimed at improving the efficiency, effectiveness and professionalism of the PNG public service is a key area of focus.

This renewed approach to capacity building in PNG by the Commission involves a long-term commitment. It will focus on relationship building and transfer of skills and knowledge, particularly in the areas of human resource management; and assisting the Public Sector Workforce Development Program to promote and embed public service values throughout the PNG public service.

Supporting public sector reform in Indonesia

The Commission continued to work closely with its three Indonesian civil service counterpart agencies on civil service reform throughout 2008–09. Activities included:

• collaborating with the United Nations Development Program in developing proposals to reform the legislation governing regional public services
• hosting a delegation of 18 Indonesian officials to look at Australian experiences in public sector reform.

The Commission’s two Jakarta-based advisers contributed to the national public sector reform agenda developed by the Minister for Administrative Reform—this work led to reforms being trialled in a number of departments in Jakarta and the regions. The advisers also worked with the World Bank and the German aid agency Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit in conducting a major international public service reform seminar in Jakarta in December 2008.

Participating in international forums

The Commissioner participated in a number of international forums, including major conferences held by CAPAM in Barbados and Tanzania. When attending these conferences the Commissioner also met with senior government officials in the United States and South Africa. These forums and meetings provided opportunities to share information on contemporary public administration issues including governance, public sector reform and challenges for all public sectors, particularly in the context of the global financial crisis.

The Deputy Public Service Commissioner represented the Australian Government at the OECD Public Governance Committee in Paris. While attending this meeting, the Deputy Commissioner also met with senior government officials in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Finland and the Netherlands. This allowed the Deputy Commissioner to network with other OECD delegates and officials, and to represent Australian views to the OECD including on the renewal of the Public Governance Committee Mandate and the development of the ‘Government at a Glance’ publication.

Hosting visits by overseas delegations

During 2008–09, 17 international delegations visited the Commission to discuss public sector reform and the Commission’s roles and responsibilities.

Table 11: Performance information—Output 1.4 Merit protection and other services

Key performance indicator	2008–09 target	Result
Conduct reviews and respond to whistleblowing reports.	Review processes accepted as being impartial, fair and effective.	Achieved. Feedback from agencies and employees indicates a high level of acceptance of processes being impartial, fair and effective.
	Conduct reviews: Estimate 235 cases.	Overestimated. Number of review applications received: 217
	70% of reviews completed within published time frames.	Achieved. 86% of reviews completed within published time frames.
	Whistleblowing reports. Estimate: 5 reports.	Overestimated. 3 whistleblowing report cases.
	100% of whistleblowing reports receive an initial response within 6 weeks, with any further investigations conducted in a timely and objective manner.	Achieved. All whistleblowing reports received a response within 6 weeks.
Policy and advice services provided to the Merit Protection Commissioner.	A high level of satisfaction of the Merit Protection Commissioner with the relevance, quality and timeliness of advice and support provided. Estimate: 80 activities.	Achieved.

Output 1 .4: Merit protection and other services

Under this output, the Commission assisted agencies to apply merit in employment decisions. The Commission enhanced understanding within the APS about the Merit Protection Commissioner’s statutory responsibilities; and supported APS-wide improvement in the quality of employment related decision making and professional working relationships.

A report on the performance of these functions is contained in the Merit Protection Commissioner’s annual report in Part 4.

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