A.2 Methods

Data Collection and validation

All APS agencies were required to report data for all employees that were employed under s22(a), s22(b) and s72 of the Public Service Act 1999 as at 31 December 2020.

Raw data was collected from agencies using standard guidelines set out in the APSC Remuneration Data Specifications: https://www.apsc.gov.au/initiatives-and-programs/workplace-relations/aps-remuneration-survey. Data submissions were validated by the APSC against the APS Employment Database, current agency pay points (from employment instruments) and approved, clean data submitted by agencies in the previous year.

Data that failed the APSC quality checks was returned to agencies for correction and resubmission, after which the data was returned for final clearance and incorporation into the remuneration dataset. Agencies are responsible for signing off on the accuracy of their data prior to inclusion in the report.

Data Standardisation

The following steps were taken to standardise the collected data:

• For part-time employees, data was recalculated into the full time equivalent (FTE). Figures were annualised for employees who worked for only part of the year (though active as at 31 December 2020).
• Employees who were in a graduate program in 2020, for more than 90 days during the year, were categorised as ‘Graduates’, even if they had advanced to other classifications by 31 December 2020. Remuneration for these employees was recorded as at their last day as graduates. An anomaly in the application of this rule in 2017 graduate data was identified during the development of the 2018 report. The 2017 data set has been re-based to correct this.