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Last updated: 11 January 1999
Circular 1999/1: Public Service Education and Training Australia - Development of a Public Services training package
As noted at the November 1998 meeting of COMNET members, the purpose of this memorandum is to provide an update on the status of the Public Services Training Package to be developed under the auspices of Public Service Education and Training Australia (PSETA). Development of the Training Package was foreshadowed also in the PSMPC publication New Apprenticeships, issued to COMNET members in July of last year.
Background
2. Membership of PSETA comprises Public Service Commissioners (or equivalent) of the Commonwealth, States and Territories and representatives from the Australian Council of Trade Unions, the Community and Public Sector Union and the Community and Public Sector Union /State Public Services Federation.
3. PSETA was incorporated as an Association in South Australia in January 1998 and the Secretariat, responsible for coordination of roles and responsibilities, is located in the Office for the Commissioner for Public Employment in South Australia.
4. The Board of PSETA determined at their first meeting that there was a need for a clearly defined, identifiable and common set of training arrangements for the State, Territory and Commonwealth public services within the national training framework administered by the Australian National Training Authority (ANTA). These training arrangements will take account of existing material where relevant and should focus any developmental work on areas which are intrinsic to working for government.
Scoping Project
5. The Board agreed to undertake a Scoping Project which would provide a framework for the development of a Training Package for the Public Services.
6. The Project:
- confirmed that there is a range of skill and knowledge areas which are intrinsic to working in the public services (eg ethics, accountability and client servicing, policy formulation) for which there are not any existing competency based training arrangements; and
- identified the need for functional competencies to be developed in a number of areas for which there are apparently no suitable standards available from other industries (eg regulation, monitoring and inspectorial, border management etc).
7. In May 1998, the PSETA Board endorsed the project report and a proposal was put to ANTA seeking funding for the development of the Training Package. ANTA has now advised approval to fund the Package's development.
8. All core and functional competency standards development will be completed as part of a single project.
Industry coverage
9. In determining the scope and structure for the Public Services Training Package, it has been necessary to gain agreement from each of the jurisdictions as to the boundaries for the industry. The following industry definition has been settled:
"Administrative and clerical, managerial, professional, technical, regulatory or inspectorial sector workers and those public servants not covered by another Industry Training Advisory Board (ITAB)".
10. PSETA will need to identify the areas of overlap with other industries as well as develop a framework for the incorporation of common cross industry competencies. There are several national ITABs which will share some coverage for public servants eg the Community Services and Health ITAB with coverage of such occupations as nurses, doctors and welfare workers.
National Public Sector Administration (NPSA) and Joint Australian Public Service Training Council (JAPSTC) competency standards
11. The NPSA and JAPSTC competency standards - which had been endorsed until December 1998 - will be reviewed as part of the development of the Public Services Training Package. It is envisaged that these standards will ultimately be incorporated into the overall design of the Public Services Training Package.
Competency design model
12. The proposed competency design model for the Public Services Training Package comprises:
- Competencies required across the public services categorised as:
- Generic Core (eg service delivery, communication, information technology, work planning); and
- Government Specific Core (eg ethics, policy processes, administrative processes, management, compliance and legislation); and
- Functional competencies (eg regulation, monitoring and inspectorial; fraud prevention, detection and investigation).
Qualifications
13. The development of the Public Services Training Package will provide an ideal opportunity to design a nationally accredited suite of qualifications that are public service focussed and written against contemporary, nationally validated and endorsed competency standards.
14. While the specific titling and packaging of qualifications is a matter for further consideration in the development phases it is envisaged that a qualification based on core areas only might be titled, for example, Certificate/Diploma in Government. Those qualifications including a functional speciality might be titled, for example, Certificate/Diploma in Government (Policy Formulation).
Project management
15. Overall project management for the development of the Public Services Training Package will be the responsibility of the PSETA Board however day to day management of the project will be coordinated through the PSETA Secretariat involving the PSETA Management Group - comprising the Chair, Executive Officer and two Board members.
Steering committee
16. A Steering Committee will meet quarterly and broader consultation will be provided through reference committees in each jurisdiction.
17. Membership of the Steering Committee comprises:
- Chair of PSETA;
- Executive Officer;
- Representative from each jurisdiction (Garry Smith from the PSMPC will represent the Commonwealth);
- CPSU/AMWU representatives;
- State Training Authority Representative;
- Specialist Expert (Training Provider);
- ANTA representative (observer); and
- DETYA representative (observer).
18. The Steering Committee will:
- provide guidance on the development of the Training Package;
- meet on a quarterly basis; and
- be responsible for establishing a consultative network (including the jurisdictional reference committees) to champion the Public Services Training Package.
Jurisdictional reference committee
19. The Commonwealth Education and Training Consultative Forum (the Forum) will act as the Commonwealth's Jurisdictional Reference Committee in the development of the Training Package. The agreed charter for the Forum states in part, that:
"The Forum is an advisory body which will provide leadership in and guidance on best practice and innovation in training and development, including competency based training and assessment, to the APS and agencies, and in particular will ...... provide advice on the position and interests of the Commonwealth in relation to its participation on Public Service Education and Training Australia ....... "
20. It is envisaged that focus group and other consultations during the developmental phases of the project would include representation from agencies at both a central and regional level. In that regard, the PSMPC will be seeking to utilise the Vocational Education and Training Network, established earlier this year, as a focal point for work in the developmental and consultative stages. The Network met twice during 1998, membership is open to all APS agencies and I encourage your involvement. A pro-forma is available should you wish to indicate your interest in membership of the Network.
Project timeframe
21. The development of the Public Services Training Package will be undertaken in five distinct stages: Infrastructure Development; Development of endorsed components (competency standards, assessment guidelines, qualifications); Validation of endorsed components; Development of the non-endorsed components (learning strategies, assessment materials, professional development materials); and Validation of the non-endorsed components. 22. Stage 1, which is nearing completion has included: establishment of the infrastructure for the project (establishment of Jurisdictional Reference Committees, appointment of consultants for work on the endorsed components of the Training Package); confirmation of the competency design model (core/generic/functional); and a mapping of all currently available competency standards relevant to the package.
Summary of work undertaken to date
23. A contract has been signed with a Western Australian based company, Skill Resource Management Systems, to develop the endorsed components for the Public Services Training Package. The consultants involved in this project are Dr Russell Docking, Ms Cherrie Hawke and Mr Gary Martin.
24. Initial work on the project has involved the gathering and analysis of relevant documentation, including ANTA guidelines and a wide range of relevant competency standards.
25. Using this documentation, the consultants have conducted an analysis of existing competency standards and their relationship to the ten competency areas identified in the Scoping Study. These areas are set out at Attachment A to this advice. Further work in this area may involve some fine tuning or re-definition of the competency areas.
26. Current consultant activities are directed at the identification of units of competency for each of the areas identified. This involves reviewing existing public service standards which can be drawn on for the Training Package, public service training programs from which competencies can be inferred, and other non public service competency standards which might be referenced in the qualification framework and pathways. Where gaps are identified new standards are being drafted.
27. The consultants engaged to develop the endorsed components for the Public Services Training Package have advised that they are on schedule to complete initial draft standards by January 1999. Further advice concerning arrangements for national consultations with Jurisdictional Reference Committees and associated focus groups will be available early in 1999. It is envisaged that development and validation of the endorsed components will be completed by June 1999, with work on the non-endorsed component completed by December 1999.
Further information
28. The PSMPC will be keep COMNET members informed of progress with the project. Further advice in respect of arrangements for focus group and other consultative opportunities will issue at appropriate times. PSETA has a website at www.pseta.com.au. The site contains information including background on PSETA, the PSETA Newsletter and details on the Public Services Training Package. Relevant contacts for PSETA are:
PSETA Secretariat
Meg Barnett
Executive Officer
GPO Box 1651
ADELAIDE SA 5001
Phone: 08 8226 2808
Fax: 08 8226 2888
Public Service and Merit Protection Commission
Australian Public Service Commission
16 Furzer Street
PHILLIP ACT 2606
Jeff Lamond
Team Leader
Staffing, Structures and Mobility Team
January 1999
To
Australian Public Service Commission
16 Furzer Street
PHILLIP ACT 2606
Vocational Education and Training Network
I am interested in participating on the Vocational Education and Training Network.
Relevant contact details are as follows:
- Name
- Agency
- Phone
- Fax
or you can email these details to Garry Smith at garry.smith@apsc.gov.au
Attachment A: Competency areas identified in the Scoping Study for the development of a Public Services Training Package
Government Specific Core - Competencies required by all people working across the public services
- Administrative Processes
- Ethics
- Policy
- Management
- Compliance and Legislation
Functional Competencies - Competencies required according to career specialisations
- Clerical/Administration
- Regulation, Monitoring and Inspectoral
- Contract/Provider Management and Outsourcing
- Policy Formulation
- Border Management
