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Last updated: : 25 August 2003

Embedding the APS Values

Please note: These documents are for reference purposes only and are no longer considered by the APS Commission to be current. They may contain good practice advice and/or advice on the transitional arrangements between the 1922 and 1999 Public Service Acts.

Embedding particular values and groups of values

Section 2 set out a useful grouping of the APS Values according to key relationships and behaviours that might assist APS employees to understand the Values, and agencies to ensure the Values can be embedded into systems and procedures and the overall culture of the APS.

This section identifies some particular examples of good practice in promoting and upholding each of these groups of Values, and some individual Values. As mentioned, some Values could be mapped to more than one group, and this section refers to some of these interactions.

The APS and its relationship with the Government and the Parliament

Key Values

Other Values relevant to our relationship with government and the parliament include requirements in relation to merit-based employment decisions, achieving results, delivering services effectively and impartially and having the highest ethical standards.

Other obligations

In addition, there are a number of obligations for APS employees under the Code of Conduct to guide relationships with government and the parliament. These include requirements to:

One of the major themes of the Coombs royal commission back in the 1970s was that the public service was not responsive enough to the elected government. I note that Prime Minister Howard in mid-1996 when he released the then values for the service made a comment about how much he appreciated the shift from when he had previously been a minister in the responsiveness of the service and its working relationships with ministers' offices.
I think behind the scenes what has been happening is, while the service has indeed become more responsive to the elected government, as it should have been, the relationship has become more complicated, partly I suspect because of the increased pressures of communications in the modern world and the media that require ministers to have more support in their being able to respond immediately to anything and everything and the role of the Service being to provide depth and a longer-term perspective in the interaction. That interaction has become more complicated. (Podger 2002a)

Relations with ministers and their offices

Building and maintaining a constructive relationship with ministers and their offices is a key responsibility of APS employees. Consistently working to the APS Values is crucial to such a relationship, as are a sound appreciation of the respective roles, and a spirit of cooperation and good communication. For the most part, these Values complement each other and should be considered together. There are times, however, when a balance needs to be made between them. No one Value should be pursued to the point of clear conflict with another.

Guidance on high quality advice

DOTARS'Link: Go to case study 12 publication, General Principles for the Preparation of High Quality Advice to Ministers, is made available to ministers and all staff. The guidance supplements departmental standards and performance measures outlined in the relevant portfolio budget statements and includes advice about a number of matters such as:

The department's Executive Board, which meets fortnightly, addresses the Values in practical terms and in relation to particular situations. Discussion and dialogue with employees about requirements for serving ministers occur as issues arise.

The department's Ministerial Liaison Unit provides a quality assurance and coordination role for written material to and from ministers' offices. Feedback from ministers is primarily through annotation on the brief itself, supplemented by a formal rating system completed by ministerial advisers. There are regular meetings with ministers during sitting periods to discuss policy issues and the working relationship between the department and ministers' offices. There are also regular meetings with departmental liaison officers.

Learning and development programs

DOTARS has integrated departmental requirements for serving ministers into relevant learning and development programs. The groundwork for this is the Secretary's Statement of Future Skills Requirements, which identifies governance, accountability and legal awareness as core skills, as are policy development and program delivery. DOTARS' Graduate Development Program ensures that graduates understand the professional role of the APS. The program is designed around the APS Values and also provides an opportunity for graduates to meet ministers. The broad-based Leading in DOTARS program focuses on good corporate citizenship and includes a session on ethics and the APS Values, with a case study on serving ministers. It also provides awareness of the department's changing management and policy directions. The department's Policy Development Program also includes a segment on relationships with ministers and discusses in some detail the proper way to conduct business and advise government.

Compliance with the law

DOTARS makes available to ministers and employees the Legislation Directory that is updated regularly. The Legislation Directory: provides an overview of each of the 112 pieces of portfolio legislation summarises each Act's intended purpose, the ministers' roles and responsibilities provides details of any reporting requirements identifies a designated departmental division and contact officer so that accountability arrangements within the department are clear.

Parliamentary accountability

Public servants help ministers fulfil their accountability obligations by providing parliament with information about the factual and technical background to policies and their administration. They should help explain government policies and decisions although they are not to reveal policy advice given. APS employees should always look to maintain the trust of both ministers and the parliament in their professionalism.

While broad guidance is available on appearing before parliamentary committees1, practical experience can be of great assistance in helping APS employees to be effectively accountable to the parliament. The APS Commission, with support from AGD, the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet and the Clerk of the Senate, provides regular training for SES employees on the legal and practical aspects of the obligations of APS employees appearing before the parliament. All SES employees should attend such training. In some agencies graduate and other training programs incorporate attendance at Senate Estimates proceedings.

Training

Centrelink Link: Go to case study 14 has established a Moot Senate Estimates process. The exercise involves establishing a hearing room just like the ones in Parliament House and allocating the roles of senators, the minister and the CEO to the SES and managers. A simulation hearing is conducted. Participants rely on Hansard reports and Senate Estimates briefs prepared for the executive to make the exercise as realistic as possible. The simulation exercise helps staff to understand the accountability framework in which they operate, including the requirement to account for the effective, efficient and ethical use of resources.

Impartial administration

APS employees are required to implement legislation in a non-partisan way and to administer policies impartially.

Releasing statistics

The ABS's Link: Go to case study 15 commitment to providing and maintaining a statistical service of quality and integrity is demonstrated in a number of ways. In particular, the statistical system is a transparent system. Dates for the release of all statistics are set and publicised in advance. The ABS decides what to publish, and then does so in ways which explain and inform, without advocating a particular position.

In releasing statistics, the ABS adheres to long-established principles that results of statistical collections should be made available as soon as practicable and should be available to all users at the same time. Pre-embargo access to statistics is limited to relevant ministers and their departments under publicly known and strictly controlled arrangements. The ABS ensures equal opportunity of access to statistics by the community, business and governments through releasing statistical results on its website, through public libraries and in the media.

Service delivery issues are addressed in the next section.

The APS and its relationship with the public

Key Values

Other Values relevant to our relationship with the public include the apolitical role of the APS and the requirement to perform functions in an impartial and professional manner, being openly accountable for our actions and having the highest ethical standards.

Other obligations

In addition there are a number of obligations for APS employees under the Code of Conduct to guide our relationship with the public. These include the requirements to:

Delivery of quality service that represents value for money is central to the way the APS does business. Government reforms have heightened the public's expectations of the APS in terms of its capacity to provide services that are relevant, responsive, accessible, cost-effective, equitably delivered and generally of high quality.

Having a high-performing and client-focused culture requires a strategic approach to seeking information from, and providing information to, customers. It also requires a commitment to a focus on the services being delivered, systems and processes to measure and assess performance, and performance improvement.

Client service

Centrelink Link: Go to case study 17 makes a great effort to listen to its customers not only through traditional mechanisms such as consultative groups and through the monitoring of complaints, but also through regular customer surveys by market research companies and through Value Creation workshops. These are structured forums where Centrelink staff can hear the values and concerns of their customers and sometimes their representatives.

The Centrelink commitment to quality customer service is also reflected in its focus on the customer. There is a chief customer officer in the organisation who leads the development of the Customer Experience Management Strategy. There is widespread use of the word 'customer' in corporate designs, and employees wear name badges to establish a more personalised approach and to assist with accountability. Customer service is a key feature of Centrelink's recruitment, selection and performance assessment processes.

In 1997, as part of its More Time for Business Statement, the government introduced service charters for all departments and agencies that deal with the public. The charters were seen as a strong performance and accountability tool as they focus on customer service outcomes. The principles for client service charters were further reviewed in 2000, at which time agencies were asked to consider a range of new matters when either developing or revising their charters. A number of these were related to diversity and accessibility issues such as:

Diversity and accessibility

Centrelink is working toward making services more accessible to the public, in particular by providing access points that are self-help facilities for customers in rural, regional and remote areas. Customers have access to dedicated phones, faxes and photocopiers, brochures and forms to help conduct their business with Centrelink.

In terms of being sensitive to the diversity of the Australian public, Centrelink has the Multicultural Service Strategy focused on developing ways to meet the ongoing and future needs of customers from non-English backgrounds with multicultural service officers who are primarily responsible for forging links with migrant and refugee communities. The organisation also has strategies to help engage the Indigenous community, such as the Statement of Centrelink's Commitment to Reconciliation, its Indigenous Servicing Strategy and the Indigenous Employees' Action Plan.

Centrelink is also committed to recruiting with the objective of achieving an employee profile that reflects the community profile. Among strategies adopted to meet this objective are the inclusion of workplace diversity principles into contract arrangements with outsourced providers of recruitment services and the inclusion of targets for specific diversity groups.

Stakeholder engagement

In addition to services to customers, consultation and engagement with stakeholders continues to grow in importance. Greater involvement of the public as citizens and customers has increased in priority because of increased expectations among a better informed and connected public, and because technology is facilitating more effective engagement. People are more attuned to government policy making and more interested in contributing to such processes. In this environment the APS needs to develop systems and processes to understand the different values and perspectives of stakeholders and clients.

Industry liaison

ITSA Link: Go to case study 18 identified a need to work more closely with professional client groups in order to keep pace with the needs of clients and changes in the systems of credit. The agency achieved this by:

ITSA found that through this range of consultation and communication strategies it was able to assess and review periodically the effectiveness of its advice to government, taking account of the views of stakeholders while addressing several key indicators of successful service delivery.

Community engagement

Centrelink Link: Go to case study 19 has developed software that local managers can use to record details of meetings between Centrelink staff, business and community leaders. Centrelink has also developed local and other partnerships (for example, with universities, hospitals and local community groups and leaders) and increased involvement with special needs groups. These complement its service charter and systematic feedback from formal decision-review systems.

The APS and workplace relationships

Key Values

Other Values relevant to relationships within the workplace in the APS include having high ethical standards and high quality leadership, as well as a career-based service and community access to APS vacancies.

Other obligations

In addition there are a number of obligations for APS employees under the Code of Conduct that guide relationships in the workplace. These include the requirement to:

In addition to the PS Act, agencies and their employees are bound by the provisions of the Workplace Relations Act 1996 (WR Act), and agreements made under it. Other legislation that affects workplace relations includes the Racial Discrimination Act 1975, the Sex Discrimination Act 1984, the Disability Discrimination Act 1992, the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission Act 1986 and the Occupational Health and Safety (Commonwealth Employment) Act 1991.

Merit in selection and recruitment

Merit in selection is one of the central pillars of APS employment. The ways in which this principle is managed and applied have evolved over the years. The practical application of merit in selection requires engagement and promotion processes to be in place to ensure that:

These requirements, which reflect the APS Values of merit, equity, open access to APS employment and a discrimination-free workplace, are embodied in the PS Act and the Public Service Commissioner's Directions. Recruitment and selection policies and processes in agencies need to meet these legislative requirements and reflect other APS Values where they are relevant. Selection criteria may, for example, require the knowledge, understanding or ability to apply particular APS Values to the extent that they are required for the job.

Selection and recruitment

DOTARS Link: Go to case study 20 developed the Selection and Recruitment Handbook as part of a package that includes an information kit for applicants and a selection panel kit to help employees to fill jobs successfully and at the right time. The handbook is a user-friendly document directed at employees involved in selection exercises. It articulates the APS Values that relate to selection and recruitment and makes clear the importance of meeting legislative requirements, including the Public Service Commissioner's Directions on merit. A centralised recruitment unit supports the department's approach to educating and guiding employees through the process.

On ITSA's Link: Go to case study 21 intranet, guidelines are available for managers and those involved in selection and recruitment processes. Each guideline is a simple to follow reference document that highlights key strategic and workforce planning considerations, reinforces the legislative basis of recruitment in the APS, and outlines each stage of the process from planning to induction of a new employee.

The APS Commission has also issued a guide for line managers to help them in recruitment and selection in a practical way consistent with the Values (Get it Right-a recruitment kit for managers).

Workplace diversity

Workplace diversity is about recognising and valuing the different knowledge, skills, backgrounds and perspectives that people bring to their work, regardless of whether those differences are based on age, gender, ethnicity, social background or other factors. Maximising the benefits of workplace diversity builds organisational capability and helps to achieve business goals and strategic priorities.

Organisations that capitalise on the benefits of workplace diversity create environments where employees are able to contribute fully to the organisation's goals. Such organisations have cultures that reflect the broader Australian community. As such, they are more likely to understand the needs of their customers. The PS Act requires that Agency Heads must establish a workplace diversity program to assist in giving effect to the APS Values.

Equity and diversity

The Defence Equity Organisation (DEO) Link: Go to case study 22 was established in 1997 to ensure equity and diversity was implemented throughout Defence. Defence aims to have equity and diversity recognised as essential, and incorporated into its day-to-day business activities. The full support of senior leaders has been critical to implementing equity and diversity policies in Defence. It is traditionally an organisation with low levels of representation from groups that suffer employment-related disadvantage on the basis of gender, indigenous status, race, ethnicity or having a disability.

The DEO developed and manages the department's Workplace Equity and Diversity Plan 2001-2003 (WEDP). It brings a consolidated approach to equity and diversity that was developed taking into account, in particular, the PS Act, the Commonwealth Disability Strategy and the Charter of Public Service in a Culturally Diverse Society.

As part of the WEDP all Defence personnel are required to participate in annual equity and diversity training by either attending a presentation or completing online training. There are other formal training packages on cultural diversity, sexual orientation, and managing and eliminating unacceptable behaviour and plain English guides on equity and diversity. The department also has a free-call equity advice line that is available seven days a week to employees and their families.

Communication, consultation and cooperation

Communication, consultation and cooperation should be integral to the day-to-day functioning of an agency. They are critical to achieving results and underpin good workplace relationships.

The agreement-making process in the APS is, however, one mechanism through which these ongoing activities become a direct focus as employers engage employees on matters affecting the workplace. In agreement making the government expects APS agencies to lead the way in using the flexibility and opportunities for reform available under the WR Act. The government expects that consultative arrangements will encompass all staff, while focusing on the particular circumstances of an agency in delivering its priority outcomes.

Certified agreement

AGD Link: Go to case study 23 established a workplace relations committee as a consultative forum for its employees to consider its proposed certified agreement. Membership of the committee represented each classification level and included a representative of part-time employees. Committee members attended a one-day training and planning session, facilitated by an external provider, that equipped them with an understanding of the legislative framework, different approaches to agreement-making and an understanding of the principles and dynamics of communication and consultation.

The department used a range of communication methods including an intranet site with an anonymous feedback capability, a newsletter and regular employee information sessions. Additionally, division heads were provided with a briefing paper on all initiatives in the certified agreement and were required to conduct information sessions with their employees before the voting period started. The department reported that the active involvement of senior management was well received by employees and contributed to a feeling of commitment and ownership of the outcome at all levels.

In Defence Link: Go to case study 24 communication and consultation strategies, developed during the planning stages of each certified agreement, have ensured that employee consultation remains a key component for identifying issues to be addressed. The department uses extensive promotional campaigns to encourage employee awareness of opportunities to contribute, including through the dissemination of printed and electronic information bulletins. Employee views are facilitated through a range of forums, including workshops and seminars, online query options and a certified agreement hotline. The department attributed its strong 'yes' vote for its 2002-03 Agreement to the high level of employee engagement in the development stages.

One of the aims of the DOTARS' Link: Go to case study 25 certified agreement was to implement mechanisms that enable employees to balance their work and personal lives. This approach was partly instigated as a result of employee responses in a staff survey. To provide flexible working practices the department's certified agreement recognises that, over and above the need to balance work, family and other caring responsibilities, workplace arrangements need to be sufficiently flexible so as not to interfere unduly with the general interests and responsibilities of employees outside work. The agreement encourages a wider range of approaches to these dilemmas and provides the flexibility to accommodate employee needs.

Staff participation

In terms of valuing consultation and communication in areas other than agreement making, ITSA Link: Go to case study 26 aims to provide a participative work environment that encourages employee input and transparent decision making. The organisation recognises that active involvement of employees in introducing change, including new employment-related policies, contributes to successful implementation and improved organisational effectiveness. The organisation facilitates this through forums that include:

ITSA ensures that responses to employee feedback and comments are circulated so that employees have an opportunity to see how their views were taken into account.

Information system support

In 1991, the ABS Link: Go to case study 27 commenced an organisation-wide office computing project with the goal of creating an electronic working environment of the future. The working environment of the ABS is now underpinned by an organisation-wide information-sharing culture characterised by openness, high levels of trust and a widespread preference for accessing information online.

This has enabled the development of a mature and effective approach to facilitating workplace interactions that allow management and employees to readily communicate, consult, provide input and cooperate on all matters that affect the employment relationship.

Managing underperformance

It is acknowledged that managing underperformance is one of the hardest skills of managers. The 2001 Management Advisory Committee report, Performance Management in the Australian Public Service: A Strategic Framework, noted that:

The bottom line is that management's failure to address underperformance in most workplaces, across all sectors, is one of the persistent factors that undermines credibility of performance management systems overall. (Management Advisory Committee 2001: 28)

The report also noted that a number of factors could work against the effective management of poor performance, one of those being the lack of preparedness by managers to take on the issue. It identified credibility as one of the key elements of good practice in the design of an effective performance management system. Credibility is described as engaging and winning the support and confidence of employees through transparency, fairness, simplicity, progressive implementation, Chief Executive Officer and management commitment, reducing the gap between rhetoric and reality and addressing poor performance.

Support for managing underperformance

The ABS Performance Management Scheme Link: Go to case study 29 is designed to improve employees' understanding of their role, their work responsibilities and the performance standards expected of them. It also provides a focus for recognising and improving performance against corporate and work program goals. The scheme is underpinned by guidelines on the performance management process, managing underperformance, managing probation, and communicating for better work performance. This package of information is principles-based and clearly sets out the processes involved in performance management in the ABS.

As part of their manager/leadership programs ABS line managers are informed of their responsibilities, including the requirement to ensure that their employees are familiar with, and meet, the required standards of individual performance and conduct. There are clear messages given to all managers that they must take appropriate action should they identify a case of underperformance. The ABS People Management Advisory Unit oversees the management of underperformance processes and provides independent and unbiased advice and support to both the manager and employee involved.

Personal behaviour in the APS

Key Values

The Values in this grouping bring together the concepts of public service ethical standards and leadership, as well as the concept of the APS as an institution that:

Although on the face of it this group has less in common than those in previous groups, there are nevertheless links established by themes common either to some or all of these Values, including personal behaviour, and learning and development.

Other Values relevant to these concepts include the apolitical role of the APS and the requirement to perform functions in an impartial and professional manner, being openly accountable for our actions and delivering services fairly, effectively, impartially and courteously.

Other obligations

In addition, there are a number of obligations for APS employees under the Code of Conduct that are relevant. These include the requirements to:

Ethical standards

In terms of personal behaviours, we are obliged to have the 'highest ethical standards'. This is a natural consequence of the authority the public, through the Parliament, has vested in us: that authority must be exercised in the most ethical way. In addition, if we can raise our standards, we isolate those at the margins of legality, and make it easier to act against those involved in fraud and corruption. (Podger 2002b)

The ethical standards value is supported by the elements of the Code of Conduct covering personal standards of behaviour such as honesty, integrity, care, diligence, respect and courtesy, and the requirement that APS employees, at all times, behave in a way that upholds the APS Values, and the integrity and good reputation of the service.

Ethical behaviour requires adherence to the law, and agencies need to have readily accessible advice for all their employees on any legal requirements they are likely to face in the workplace. Ethical behaviour also goes beyond specific legal requirements. It requires APS employees to earn and retain the respect of the public in all their official dealings.

Public trust

For the ABS Link: Go to case study 32 , confidentiality and secrecy of information is not simply a legislative obligation. It is fundamental to ensuring the trust of providers, without which the ABS would not be able to operate effectively or achieve its mission. This is communicated to employees in a number of ways. On joining the ABS, each employee is required to sign the Undertaking of Fidelity and Secrecy. Failure to comply with the undertaking is an indictable offence that can result in either a significant fine or period of imprisonment.

The message about confidentiality and privacy is also reinforced through induction and management training programs. In addition, ABS legislation and related policies, as well as online resources, such as video presentations on topics relevant to data confidentiality, are readily available to all staff through the ABS intranet. These initiatives are backed up by strong physical and information technology security systems and well-defined policies on data retention strategies.

Privacy

Centrelink also has a strong privacy culture, reflecting the importance of maintaining public confidence in Centrelink's ability to protect individual privacy. Centrelink ensures that employees are aware of their obligations and responsibilities with respect to privacy and confidentiality in a number of ways. They include a requirement that all new employees sign the Declaration of Privacy/Confidentiality, which is supported by a booklet detailing privacy, confidentiality and security obligations.

The electronic Privacy Awareness Kit Link: Go to case study 33 , which incorporates detailed guidelines on privacy and confidentiality issues for Centrelink employees, is maintained. This kit is featured in the Centrelink National Induction Program as well as in job-ready training.

Other measures include reminding employees regularly of privacy and confidentiality requirements by conducting ongoing privacy awareness sessions for all employees, sending out privacy advices, distributing job aids, privacy training modules and videos, and using screensavers and other screen based messages to promote key privacy issues.

New initiatives and technologies are assessed to ensure that privacy enhancing practices and technologies are implemented and Centrelink has an extensive privacy compliance program. The requirement to maintain the privacy and confidentiality of customer information is included in the Centrelink Customer Charter.

The Department of Health and Ageing, and the APS Commission also have specific instructions in their CEIs on managing conflict of interest, and post-separation employment.

Leadership

Perhaps the most critical link to realising the full potential of the APS is the development of its leadership capability. Committed, robust public sector leadership is crucial to making the most of the new framework for the Public Service. Success in this new environment requires leaders who can establish a shared vision and sense of purpose, and inspire, coach and enable their achievement. (Kemp 1998)

The promulgation of the Senior Executive Leadership Capability Framework (SELCF) in 1999 heightened awareness across the APS of the central role of leadership in producing high performing organisations. The SELCF seeks to establish a shared understanding of the critical success factors for performance in APS leadership roles.

Building a leadership culture

Recognition by Defence Link: Go to case study 2 of the need to build a leadership culture that promotes trust and teamwork was reflected in a key theme of the Defence Renewal Program, which was initiated in late 1999. The program is aimed at transforming the way Defence goes about its business and involves a Results through People leadership philosophy. In its first stage the program refocused and strengthened the leadership culture at SES level and its military equivalents.

New ways of working in Defence, including the defining and shaping of the new leadership culture, could not have been effectively achieved without taking account of the government's policy directions for Defence and integrating desired behaviours with the performance management framework. The development of Defence's People Leadership Model in mid-2000 has seen the emergence of a number of training initiatives for both SES and Executive Level employees.

The Quantum leadership program Link: Go to case study 34 has been developed for EL APS employees and their military equivalents in the Defence Materiel Organisation. It is designed to help participants review their leadership skills and practices, identify areas for development, understand the organisational context of their outputs, and adopt strategies for workplace implementation of new learning. The content of the Quantum program is broadly consistent with the capabilities of the SELCF, while being focused on the needs at the career transition point for the target audience.

Learning and development

The guide, Building capability: A framework for managing learning and development in the APS, produced in collaboration between the ANAO and the APS Commission in 2003, advises that efficient and effective achievement of government outcomes by APS agencies depends on the capabilities of their people. It notes that capability building requires a systematic management approach to learning and development as an integral part of workforce planning. The guide also states that learning and development is a key management function for all APS agencies.

The guide identifies seven principles that reflect better practice approaches for managing learning and development in the APS:

Strategic learning and development

Centrelink's Link: Go to case study 35 approach to learning and development is guided by its National Learning Strategy 2002-2005. The key features of the approach include:

Investors in people

DOTARS Link: Go to case study 36 has recognised that, in order for it to achieve its vision of a high-performing organisation and a great place to work, it needs to have a strong focus on achieving results for stakeholders and clients, and on the development of staff. Its Investors in people (IiP) accreditation is evidence of its commitment to improving performance to achieve business goals through developing people.

An important element in the establishment of a learning culture in DOTARS is the Secretary's Statement of Future Skills Requirements. It provides the basis for developing and promoting agency-wide learning and development programs and helps line managers and individuals make choices about appropriate learning and development activities. Other elements include intranet access to a user-friendly self-service learning and development site and a comprehensive Studybank scheme. IiP indicators provide an established process for evaluating learning and development.

Service-wide consultation, communication and sharing of knowledge

We live in an increasingly complex and interdependent environment and there is no doubt that, in recent years, issues have more consistently reached across traditional portfolio boundaries. This trend will continue.
Whole of government approaches, collectively owned by several Ministers, will increasingly become a common response..
Senior Public Servants and their staff will need to find ways to minimise any limitations associated with what could be described as the 'Silo effect'. A methodology for rapid and effective integration of work units from traditionally unrelated departments will need to be further refined to achieve broader government objectives. (Howard 2001)

Different types of government coordination and collaboration have existed for many years, both within and across governments. Within government, a broad range of coordination methods have been employed to cut across organisational boundaries and particular policy perspectives, including the creation of interdepartmental committees and task forces. Increasing interest in integrated, or whole-of- government, approaches in recent years has been driven by factors such as globalisation, budgetary pressures, community expectations and technology.

Integrated service delivery

A significant whole-of-government initiative in recent times was the creation of Centrelink in 1997 to bring together the service delivery networks of several departments. Centrelink meets it accountability requirements through its business partnership agreements with each of the agencies for which it delivers services.

Cross-agency cooperation

A smaller-scale initiative that cuts across organisational boundaries is the arrangement between ITSA and AGD Link: Go to case study 37 for sharing responsibility for bankruptcy policy. It enables the minister to draw upon the policy development and advising expertise of the portfolio department as well as ITSA's subject matter expertise and its close relations with the industry sector. A formal agreement between ITSA and AGD documents how the policy-sharing arrangements will work.

A number of whole-of-government activities involving cross-agency and cross-jurisdictional participation are now under way. In addition, the Management Advisory Committee is undertaking a project which will identify best practice approaches for effective whole-ofgovernment activities.

 

1 Available in the Government's Guidelines for Official Witnesses before Parliamentary Committees and Related Matters (November 1989)