APS leadership milestones

1902

Public Service Act 1902 provides for senior employees immediately below Secretaries to be placed in the Clerical Division

1920

Royal Commission on Public Service Administration (McLachlan Commission) recommends establishment of a ‘second division’

1922

Public Service Act 1922 creates the ‘second division’ and ‘assistant secretaries’ which direct important and distinctive work

1928

27 second division employees (0.3 % of APS)

1948

292 second division employees (0.7 % of APS)

1958

Report of the Committee of Inquiry into Commonwealth Public Service Recruitment (Boyer Committee) recommends better defining and streamlining the role of the second division

1964

Six SES classifications standardised across departments, including only positions with policy advising and top management responsibilities

1968

624 second division employees (0.5 % of APS)

1974

Royal Commission on Australian Government Administration (Coombs Commission) established and recommends a number of changes to the Second Division

1982

Joint Committee on Public Accounts report on senior APS management makes similar recommendations to the Coombs Commission

1983

Review of Commonwealth Administration (Reid Review) makes recommendations consistent with the Coombs Review and JCPA report

The Hawke Government releases a white paper, Reforming the Australian Public Service, that recommends among other things the establishment of the Senior Executive Service

1984

Public Service Reform Act 1984 legislates the new senior executive service to create a unified, cohesive senior staffing group with distinctive selection, development, mobility, promotion and tenure arrangements

1,651 SES employees (1.2% of APS)

1987

First set of SES core capabilities issued

1990

The six SES classifications are restructured into a three band structure to enhance the optimum use and flexible management of the SES; performance pay first introduced.

• Revised SES core criteria promulgated
• Senate Standing Committee on Finance and Public Administration Report—Development of the Senior Executive Service—on the SES approach and its effectiveness

1994

Public Service Review Group (McLeod Review) established to make recommendations on a modern and flexible management framework for the APS

1996

The discussion paper, Towards a Best Practice Australian Public Service, is released

1999

Public Service Act 1999 with further responsibilities described; capability framework and current selection criteria developed

2005

One APS–One SES statement requires SES to exhibit common capabilities, share common values, common ethical standards and a common commitment to self-development and collaboration

2009

SES 25th anniversary

2,845 SES employees (1.9% of APS)