Conclusion
The APS leadership group has made significant contributions to Australia’s development as a nation. Our SES leaders have worked professionally and tirelessly for successive governments—developing and implementing diverse and increasingly complex policies and programs—in response to shifts in the balance of power between the Australian and state and territory governments and broader social and economic change.
Each generation of SES leaders has faced uncertainty and challenges—from establishing the Commonwealth’s legislative framework on Federation, to mobilising Australia for major global conflicts in 1914 and 1939, to developing and implementing a diverse and broad range of economic measures to ensure Australia’s long-term competitiveness in an increasingly global economy.
It is clear that APS leaders of the future will face greater economic uncertainty, higher citizen expectations, increasing policy complexity, more rapid technological change and a tight labour market. These challenges will require the SES leadership group to develop new capabilities and lead their staff in new ways of working—cross-agency, cross-jurisdictional and cross-sector.
The success of the APS and its leadership group has been based on its ability to change and adapt to new circumstances. It will have to continue to adapt and evolve to meet future challenges.
References
Note. All data is sourced from the Australian Public Service Employment Database housed in the Commission and surveys conducted by the Commission in 2009.
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