Job Family Framework– Frequently Asked Questions

The Job Family Framework is a workforce segmentation tool used for workforce planning purposes. It outlines an occupational grouping for the APS. Occupations talk about the type of work performed. They are a way of defining and grouping roles that require the performance of similar or identical sets of tasks.

The Job Family Framework can be used to assist in undertaking benchmarking, environmental scanning and labour market analysis. As such, it enables agencies to gain a deeper understanding of their workforce, and to anticipate any future workforce supply challenges.

The Job Family Framework is not a capability mapping tool, and is not designed provide information about skills and capabilities.

The Terms of Reference outlines the background, usage, reporting and application of the Job Family Framework. It also outlines the governance of the Framework, and explains what the different elements of the Framework mean. The Framework is the workforce segmentation tool used for occupational grouping. The Centre of Excellence for Workforce Planning strongly urges you to read the Terms of Reference before using the Framework

The Job Family Framework is task based. The descriptions for each role in the framework outline the core tasks of the role, and do not list any capabilities, skills or qualifications (these would be captured in role profiles, the forth level, which are separate from the Job Family framework). Typically once agencies have done the mapping, they create the role profiles which would have the skills/capabilities.

The Job Family Framework review began in mid-2020 to assess if the tool was fit-for-purpose. The previous Job Family Model was established in 2010, and since then the roles we see in the APS have changed dramatically. The previous model had various roles no longer in use and it was also applied inconsistency across the APS. The review aimed to assess the relevance of the job role in the model, apply occupation taxonomy principles, reduce duplication and reflect emerging roles.

The review was conducted by the APSC and a governance committee of subject matter experts. For details on the Governance Committee please refer to Appendix 1 and Appendix 2 of the Terms of Reference.

The APSC and the Job Family Framework Governance Committee (the Committee) will undertake a comprehensive structural review every three to five years to ensure the Job Family Framework structure remains fit for purpose. Any proposed changes to the structure of the model will require approval by the APSC delegates. Out of session requests for changes to job roles (creation of new job roles, merge or removal of any role/s) will be reviewed on an annual basis. As part of the annual review, the APSC will provide an opportunity for agencies to put forward proposed changes to job roles. All proposed changes will be submitted to the Committee for review and recommendation/endorsement. Recommendations on the proposed changes will be subject to final approval by the APSC delegates.

Feedback on the Job Family Framework is welcomed by the Centre of Excellence for Workforce Planning. To provide feedback you can contact us directly at APSWFP@apsc.gov.au.

Alternatively, any APS agency that is currently using the Framework for workforce segmentation can request changes to the model in accordance with the Job Family Framework Terms of Reference. To request a change or the addition of a job role to the APS Job Family Framework, please complete the APS Job Family Framework Change Request Form. All requests to add a new role or update an existing one will be reviewed by the APS Workforce Planning Centre of Excellence.

For more information, please refer to Appendix 3 of the Terms of Reference.

The APS Workforce Planning team are currently working in partnership with the National Skills Commission to undertake the mapping of skills profiles against the revised APS Job Family Framework. The Digital profession have defined detailed role profiles for a whole range of digital roles. These profiles are easily accessible through digitalprofession.gov.au and they are sitting behind the Career Pathway Finder prototype. Keep an eye out on our Workforce Planning Community of Practice for further updates.

The Job Family Framework allows you to segment your agency into more manageable groups. From here you can obtain insights related to the types of tasks performed, and the human resources allocated to the job roles performing those tasks. Job family mapping can also help provide a basis for the formation of your role profiles, which provide details about the skills, capabilities, and education needed to perform the tasks identified through the job family mapping process. The job family framework is also mapped to the Australian labour market via the Australia New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO), which can facilitate comparative analysis between work completed in your agency/workforce and the broader Australian economy.

Across the APS, the Framework provides a standardised system for grouping roles and comparing types of work and workforce profiles in the APS enterprise and between agencies. The revised job family framework has been updated to reflect a one-APS approach to occupational segmentation. While agencies can adapt the Framework to suit their own business and environment, agencies need to map back to the most relevant APS job code at the time of reporting to APSC. This could include looking broadly at which tasks within the agency match closest to the job role tasks within the framework.

Agencies can adapt the Framework to suit their own business and environment. This could include having additional job roles appropriate for their organisation.

For example the Department of Defence may have a separate Job Family for Logistics to reflect the multitude and variety of logistics roles specific to the department. The APS Job Family Framework does not capture this level of granularity specific to the Department of Defence because it is not applied or needed across the APS enterprise. When reporting to APSED, the Department maps and reports all Logistics roles to the relevant - fewer - APS Job Roles relevant for Logistics work types.

When flexibly adopting the Framework, agencies should consider whether certain agency-specific changes are required to enable the needed level of occupational segmentation granularity aligned with the agency’s specific workforce planning maturity. These changes should be agreed within the agency and reflected in the agency’s specific job family framework.

Flexible adaptation of the APS Job Family Framework at agency-level may include changes with regards to: higher degree of specialisation of job roles (for example Services Australia may require 10 different call centre operator roles for workforce planning purposes); renaming certain job families, functions and roles using the agency’s specific business language; or deciding that particular job roles are better placed elsewhere in the agency’s internal job family mapping to reflect the agency’s business and operations.

For the purpose of central reporting to APSED, agencies should ensure that any roles in the agency’s specific job family framework are mapped back, and hence reported against the APS Framework. The relationship will be: many to one, i.e. several agency job roles could map to the one APS job role in the central level framework.

Generally speaking, we would recommend job family mapping to be conducted centrally. This is to ensure consistent mapping, and to reduce the risk of roles being mapped incorrectly.

Using a workforce segmentation tool, like the Job Family Framework, allows you to segment your workforce into more manageable groups. From this data you can understand that core tasks that are undertaken by your agency, and understand better how resources are allocated to those functions. From this you are also able to generate Role Profile for critical roles, which will highlight the skills, capabilities, and education required to perform a specific role.

The Framework can be used to assist in undertaking benchmarking, environmental scanning and labour market analysis. As such, it enables agencies to gain a deeper understanding of their workforce, and to anticipate any future workforce supply challenges. Through its linkages to Australian labour market segmentation via the Australia New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO), the Framework also facilitates comparative analysis between work completed in the APS and the broader Australian economy.

Yes. The revised can be flexibly applied across difference APS agencies. Agencies should adapt the Framework to suit their own business and environment, including mapping the level of detail that is appropriate for them. When flexibly adopting the Framework, agencies should consider whether certain agency-specific changes are required to enable the needed level of occupational segmentation granularity aligned with the agency’s specific workforce planning maturity. These changes should be agreed within the agency and reflected in the agency’s specific job family framework. For the purpose of central reporting to APSED, agencies should ensure that any roles in the agency’s specific job family framework are mapped back, and hence reported against the APS Framework.

Typically job family mapping is conducted centrally by HR, with minimal input from business lines and executive. This is to ensure the effective and correct usage of the workforce segmentation tool. It also ensures that workforce segmentation is applied consistently across the agency.

We recommend agencies to review their mapping to ensure it will align with the revised framework. Some suggestions of where roles have been consolidated have been made, but this may not apply to all agencies. If you have any questions or trouble with the revised framework, please contact the team at APSWFP@apsc.gov.au.

The Job Family Framework contains ANZSCO mapping for each role. This is included in the Framework published on the APSC website. This maps the APS job roles back to the broader Australian labour market. Please continue to engage with us about the revised Job Family Framework.

Job family data is reported to the APSC through the APS Employment Database (APSED) data collection. Agencies report this data in their monthly movement files and through the biannual snapshots at June 30 and December 31. If agencies are unable to include job family data in their APSED reports, they can also report this information separately twice a year at June and December. As at December 2020, the APSC holds Job Family data on almost 85 per cent of the APS workforce through APSED. Submission of Job Family data by agencies is strongly encouraged, but not mandatory in the current set-up. If you have any trouble submitting the data, please contact the Workforce Metrics team.

Reporting job family data to APSC is important because it ultimately contributes to an APS-wide snapshot of workforce segmentation. This allows the APSC at an enterprise level to assess the type of work performed across the APS, and observe how this changes over time.

Job Family data has been collected by the APSC since 2014. This data adds further insight into the APS workforce by providing a snapshot of the types of tasks performed. This information is used to inform the annual State of the Service Report and the Remuneration Survey. This data also allows APSED to provide occupational segmentation snapshots to agencies and APS workforce planners to assist workforce planners to better understand the occupational composition of their workforces.

Yes. For further information or for assistance please contact the Centre of Excellence for Workforce Planning.

We also encourage you to look at our Job Family Framework resources on the APSC website, and in the Workforce Planning Community of Practice SharePoint.

The Centre of Excellence for Workforce Planning offers job mapping support in many ways. Firstly, through the APSC website and the Workforce Planning of Practice you can find resources on labour market segmentation and how to apply the Job Family Framework.

For personalised or on-going assistance with job family mapping, please reach out to us at APSWFP@apsc.gov.au and we will contact you.

The APSC Workforce Planning team are currently working in partnership with the National Skills Commission to undertake the mapping of skills profiles against the revised APS Job Family Framework. Keep an eye out on our Workforce Planning Community of Practice for further updates.

The APS Workforce Planning team are currently working in partnership with the National Skills Commission to undertake the mapping of skills profiles against the revised APS Job Family Framework. The Digital profession have defined detailed role profiles for a whole range of digital roles. These profiles are easily accessible through digitalprofession.gov.au and they are sitting behind the Career Pathway Finder prototype. Keep an eye out on our Workforce Planning Community of Practice for further updates.

We currently do not have occupational profiles at the central level. You may wish to look at the National Skills Commission skills classification portal as a starting point. You will be able to search by ANZSCO (occupation).

Recommendations from the Hierarchy and Classification review will not impact the Framework. The Framework is a workforce segmentation tool used for workforce planning. It groups types of work performed across the APS. It is a tool to help define and group roles that require the performance of similar or identical sets of tasks, regardless of the classification level at which work is performed.

The APS Hierarchy and Classification review looks to address Recommendation 32 in Delivering for Australian’s, the Government’s response to the Independent Review of the Australian Public Service. The Review seeks to streamline management and adopt best-practice ways of working to reduce hierarchy, improve decision-making, and bring the right APS expertise and resources. More information on the Hierarchy and Classification review can be found on the APS Hierarchy and Classification review webpage.

Yes you can. NSC’s Skills Classification interface is searchable by occupation. If you have used the APS job family framework to segment your workforce, you will be able to utilise the mapping to create the role profiles based on the ANZSCO code mapping (occupation codes).