Strategic workforce planning

The number of agencies developing and implementing workforce plans and identifying critical skills shortages has increased significantly. The increase has occurred since the Australian Public Service Centre of Excellence for Workforce Planning was established in 2020 and the Delivering for Tomorrow: APS Workforce Strategy 2025 was launched in 2021.

An infographic displaying key data results from the APS Agency Survey in 2021 and 2023. The number of agencies that have or are developing workforce plans has increased from 68 in 2021 to 85 in 2023. The number of agencies identifying critical skills shortages has increased from 67 in 2021 to 87 in 2023. In 2023, 30% of agencies report using Cohort Analysis produced by the APS Workforce Planning Centre of Excellence.

Agency workforce plans and critical skills shortages
Source: 2023 APS Agency Survey

In 2023, a mid-point evaluation of the strategy was conducted and progress towards its 3 priority workforce actions assessed. Implementation of each action is well underway (Figure 4.1).

The evaluation also found positive workforce changes from 2019. Agencies are looking to better harness capability from within the service through temporary transfers.

Strategy implementation has been further strengthened by work on attraction and retention undertaken by the Secretaries Board Future of Work Sub-committee, and through the APS Reform agenda.

Figure 4.1: Completed priority workforce strategy actions

A doughnut chart displaying the progress of 3 priority workforce actions from the mid-point evaluation of the APS Workforce Strategy 2025. Actions to attract, build and retain skills, expertise and talent are 60% completed; actions to embrace data, technology and flexible workforce models are 67% completed; and actions to strengthen integrity and purposeful leadership are 82% completed.

Source: Mid-point evaluation of the Delivering for Tomorrow: APS Workforce Strategy 2025

Since 2020, the APS Centre of Excellence for Workforce Planning has worked with the APS Academy to deliver foundational and technical training in workforce planning for more than 1,000 practitioners, managers and leaders. Over the last 2 years, 16 APS agencies (including the 4 extra-large agencies) received customised hands-on strategic workforce planning and development support through the centre’s advisory service.

The centre assists agencies by:

  • providing policy tools, best-practice guides and in-depth analyses of critical job families and targeted workforce plans
  • facilitating coaching, mentoring and peer review
  • supporting a 1,000-strong community practice that spans more than 100 agencies across all states and territories
  • advising on APS-wide strategic workforce management projects.

The centre also strengthens workforce planning capability in the broader Pacific region, delivering strategic workforce planning training and advisory services to 62 participants spanning 6 Pacific public services. It contributes to shaping strategic workforce development and management in the public sector globally through representational roles to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s Public Employment and Management Committee.

See also

Appendix 6 – APS workforce planning, State of the Service Report 2022–23.

Australian Government (n.d.), APS Workforce Strategy 2025, APSC website, https://www.apsc.gov.au/initiatives-and-programs/aps-workforce-strategy-2025, accessed 5 October 2023.

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