Perceptions of SES leadership

The Leadership Senior Executive Service Manager Index assesses how employees view the leadership behaviours of their immediate SES manager. The questions in the Australian Public Service Employee Census that form the index are:

  • My SES manager clearly articulates the direction and priorities for our area
  • My SES manager presents convincing arguments and persuades others towards an outcome
  • My SES manager promotes cooperation within and between agencies
  • My SES manager encourages innovation and creativity
  • My SES manager creates an environment that enables us to deliver our best
  • My SES manager ensures that work effort contributes to the strategic direction of the agency and the APS.

Tables 9.13 to 9.18 report on Leadership SES Manager Index scores for agencies, by agency size, for APS respondents. To preserve privacy, Leadership SES Manager Index scores are not presented for agencies with fewer than two SES officers as at 30 June 2023.

Table 9.13: Leadership SES Manager Index, by agency size

Agency size Leadership SES Manager Index score
Overall APS 69
Extra-large (10,000+ employees) 66
Large (1,001 to 10,000 employees) 72
Medium (251 to 1,000 employees) 70
Small (101 to 250 employees) 67
Extra-small (20 to 100 employees) 72

Table 9.14: Leadership SES Manager Index for extra-large agencies (10,000+ employees)

Agency Leadership SES Manager Index score
Extra-large agencies overall 66
Australian Taxation Office 70
Department of Defence 66
Department of Home Affairs 65
Services Australia 65

Table 9.15: Leadership SES Manager Index for large agencies (1,001 to 10,000 employees)

Agency Leadership SES Manager Index score
Large agencies overall 72
Australian Competition and Consumer Commission 76
Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet 76
Department of the Treasury 75
Australian Trade and Investment Commission 75
Attorney-General's Department 75
Department of Finance 75
Department of Health and Aged Care 74
Department of Social Services 73
Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts 73
Department of Education 72
Department of Employment and Workplace Relations 72
National Disability Insurance Agency 72
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade 71
National Indigenous Australians Agency 71
Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water 71
IP Australia 70
Australian Bureau of Statistics 70
Department of Industry, Science and Resources 69
Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry 69
Department of Veterans' Affairs 68
Bureau of Meteorology 66
Federal Court of Australia 62

Table 9.16: Leadership SES Manager Index for medium agencies (251 to 1,000 employees)

Agency Leadership SES Manager Index score
Medium agencies ꟷ overall 70
Future Fund Management Agency 78
Australian National Audit Office 78
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 77
Digital Transformation Agency 75
Clean Energy Regulator 75
Australian Public Service Commission 74
Murray–Darling Basin Authority 73
Fair Work Ombudsman 72
Australian Communications and Media Authority 72
Office of the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions 72
Geoscience Australia 71
National Library of Australia 71
Comcare 70
Australian Electoral Commission 70
Aboriginal Hostels Limited 70
Australian Digital Health Agency 69
Fair Work Commission 69
Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre 69
National Emergency Management Agency 67
Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission 67
Australian Financial Security Authority 67
Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission 66
Australian War Memorial 65
Administrative Appeals Tribunal 64
Defence Housing Australia 63
National Archives of Australia 60
National Disability Insurance Scheme Quality and Safeguards Commission 58

Table 9.17: Leadership SES Manager Index for small agencies (101 to 250 employees)

Agency Leadership SES Manager Index score
Small agencies ꟷ overall 67
Office of the Special Investigator 81
Safe Work Australia 78
Office of Parliamentary Counsel 78
Australian Commission for Law Enforcement Integrity 75
Productivity Commission 75
Australian Research Council 74
Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies 74
Office of the Australian Information Commissioner 73
Food Standards Australia New Zealand 70
National Health and Medical Research Council 70
Australian Human Rights Commission 69
Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency 69
Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority 68
Office of the Commonwealth Ombudsman 67
National Film and Sound Archive of Australia 67
Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority 65
Australian Fisheries Management Authority 64
National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority 63
National Museum of Australia 62
Sport Integrity Australia 61
Australian Skills Quality Authority 56

Table 9.18: Leadership SES Manager Index for extra-small agencies (20 to 100 employees)

Agency Leadership SES Manager Index score
Extra-small agencies ꟷ overall 72
Organ and Tissue Authority 89
Commonwealth Grants Commission 84
National Capital Authority 80
Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority 77
Workplace Gender Equality Agency 75
Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care 72
Office of the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security 70
Cancer Australia 68
National Blood Authority 63
Australian Institute of Family Studies 62
National Mental Health Commission 51

See also

Leadership – Senior Executive Service, State of the Service Report 2022–23.

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