Appendix 4 Supporting Statistics
Machinery of Government changes
Machinery of Government (MoG) changes involve the movement of functions, resources and people from one agency to another and are executed by Government decisions; predominantly through Administrative Arrangement Orders (AAOs), the engagement of employees under the Public Service Act 1999 or the compulsory movement of employees outside of the APS.
In total, there were 20 MoGs executed over the 2019-20 financial year, including the decisions to reduce the number of departments from 18 to 14.[1] The most significant changes were:
- Employment and skills functions (2,190 employees) transferring to the renamed Department of Education, Skills and Employment (previously the Department of Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business).
- Agriculture functions (5,084 employees) transferring to the renamed Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment (previously the Department of Agriculture).
- Communications and arts functions (568 employees) transferring to the renamed Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications (previously the Department of Communications and the Arts).
- The Department known as Services Australia was abolished and established as a new Executive Agency within the Social Services Portfolio.
|
Date |
AAO |
|---|---|
|
1 July 2019 |
The National Indigenous Australians Agency was established and 1,105 employees were moved from the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet to the National Indigenous Australians Agency. The Department of Social Services moved 92 employees to the Department of Home Affairs. The Department of Education moved 17 employees to the Department of Home Affairs. 1,973 employees from the Australian Securities and Investments Commission left coverage of the Public Service Act 1999. |
|
8 July 2019 |
The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet moved a further 2 employees to the National Indigenous Australians Agency. |
|
25 July 2019 |
The Department of Education moved 472 employees to the Department of Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business. The Department of Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business moved 362 employees to the Attorney-General's Department. |
|
1 August 2019 |
The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet moved 92 employees to the National Indigenous Australians Agency. |
|
17 October 2019 |
One employee was moved under the employment coverage of the Public Service Act 1999 in the National Disability Insurance Agency. |
|
11 November 2019 |
Six employees were moved under the employment coverage of the Public Service Act 1999 in the National Disability Insurance Agency. |
|
25 November 2019 |
Three employees were moved under the employment coverage of the Public Service Act 1999 in the National Disability Insurance Agency. |
|
1 January 2020 |
The Department of Health moved 67 employees to the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission, which established on that day. |
|
20 January 2020 |
Three employees were moved under the employment coverage of the Public Service Act 1999 in the National Disability Insurance Agency. |
|
23 January 2020 |
The Department of Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business moved 3 employees to the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. The Department of Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business moved 86 employees to the Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources. The Department of Environment and Energy moved 522 employees following the transfer of energy functions to the Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources. |
|
1 February 2020 |
The Department of Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business moved 2,190 employees following the transfer of the employment and skills functions to the Department of Education, Skills and Employment. The Department of Agriculture moved 5,084 employees following the transfer of agriculture functions to the renamed Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment. The Department of Communications and the Arts moved 568 employees following the transfer of communications and arts functions to the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications. The Department known as Services Australia (formerly known as the Department of Human Services) was abolished. Services Australia was established as an Executive Agency within the Social Services Portfolio. |
|
6 February 2020 |
Services Australia moved 47 employees to the Department of Social Services. The Department of Social Services moved 206 employees to Services Australia. |
|
14 April 2020 |
One employee was moved under the employment coverage of the Public Service Act 1999, in the National Disability Insurance Agency. |
|
11 May 2020 |
One employee was moved under the employment coverage of the Public Service Act 1999, in the National Disability Insurance Agency. |
|
14 May 2020 |
Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet moved 36 employees to the National Drought and North Queensland Flood Response and Recovery Agency (previously North Queensland Livestock Industry Recovery Agency). |
Code of Conduct
Breaches of the APS Code of Conduct
Table A4.2 presents the number of APS employees investigated by agencies for suspected breaches of individual elements of the APS Code of Conduct and the number of breach findings in 2019–20. One employee can be investigated for multiple elements of the Code of Conduct of the Public Service Act 1999.
|
Element of Code of Conduct |
Investigated |
Breached |
|---|---|---|
|
Behave honestly and with integrity in connection with APS employment (s. 13(1)) |
325 |
269 |
|
Act with care and diligence in connection with APS employment (s. 13(2)) |
206 |
167 |
|
When acting in connection with APS employment, treat everyone with respect and courtesy, and without harassment (s. 13(3)) |
139 |
104 |
|
When acting in connection with APS employment comply with all applicable Australian laws (s. 13(4)) |
34 |
16 |
|
Comply with any lawful and reasonable direction given by someone in the employee's Agency who has authority to give the direction (s. 13(5)) |
195 |
142 |
|
Maintain appropriate confidentiality about dealings that the employee has with any Minister or Minister's member of staff (s. 13(6)) |
1 |
0 |
|
Take reasonable steps to avoid any conflict of interest (real or apparent), and disclose details of any material personal interest of the employee, in connection with the employee’s APS employment (s. 13(7)) |
87 |
69 |
|
Use Commonwealth resources in a proper manner and for a proper purpose (s. 13(8)) |
138 |
104 |
|
Not provide false or misleading information in response to a request for information that is made for official purposes in connection with the employee's APS employment (s. 13(9)) |
66 |
51 |
|
Not make improper use of: inside information, or the employee's duties, status, power or authority, in order to: a) gain, or seek to gain, a benefit or advantage for the employee or any other person; or b) cause, or seek to cause, a detriment to the employee's Agency, the Commonwealth or any other person (s. 13(10)) |
63 |
43 |
|
At all times behave in a way that upholds the APS Values and APS Employment Principles, and the integrity and good reputation of the employee's Agency and the APS (s. 13(11)) |
495 |
434 |
|
While on duty overseas, at all times behave in a way that upholds the good reputation of Australia (s. 13(12)) |
3 |
2 |
|
Comply with any other conduct requirement that is prescribed by the regulations (s. 13(13)) |
1 |
1 |
Source: 2020 APS agency survey
Sources of reports
Table A4.3 presents the number of APS employees investigated for suspected breaches of the APS Code of Conduct during 2019–20 that resulted from each type of report.
|
Type of report |
Number of employees |
|---|---|
|
A report generated by a compliance/monitoring system (e.g. audit) |
264 |
|
A report made to a central conduct or ethics unit or nominated person in a human resources area |
263 |
|
A report made to an email reporting address |
53 |
|
A report made to a fraud prevention and control unit or hotline |
36 |
|
A Public Interest Disclosure |
16 |
|
A report made to an employee advice or counselling unit |
7 |
|
A report made to another hotline |
2 |
|
Other |
19 |
Source: 2020 APS agency survey
Outcomes of reports
Table A4.4 presents the outcomes for APS employees investigated for suspected breaches of the APS Code of Conduct during 2019–20.
|
Outcome |
Number of employees |
|---|---|
|
Breach found and sanction applied |
390 |
|
Breach found but no sanction applied: employee resigned prior to sanction decision |
90 |
|
No breach found (for any element of the Code) |
90 |
|
Breach found but no sanction applied: other reason |
50 |
|
Investigation discontinued: employee resigned |
20 |
|
Investigation discontinued: other reason |
17 |
Source: 2020 APS agency survey
Table A4.5 presents the sanctions applied to APS employees found to have breached the APS Code of Conduct during 2019–20.
|
Sanction |
Number of employees |
|---|---|
|
Reprimand |
259 |
|
Reduction in salary |
109 |
|
Deduction from salary by way of a fine |
88 |
|
Termination of employment |
87 |
|
Reduction in classification |
26 |
|
Re-assignment of duties |
15 |
Source: 2020 APS agency survey
Location
Figure A4.6 presents the dispersion of job families across Canberra, other cities and regions across Australia.
Figure A4.6: Job families, by location (30 June 2020)
Source: APSED
Harassment and bullying
Table A4.7 presents the number of recorded complaints of harassment and bullying made by APS employees within APS agencies during 2019-20.
|
Type of harassment or bullying |
Number of complaints |
|---|---|
|
Verbal abuse (e.g. offensive language, derogatory remarks, shouting or screaming) |
132 |
|
Inappropriate and unfair application of work policies or rules (e.g. performance management, access to leave, access to learning and development) |
90 |
|
Interference with work tasks (e.g. withholding needed information, undermining or sabotage) |
53 |
|
Sexual harassment |
32 |
|
Physical behaviour |
19 |
|
Cyberbullying (e.g. harassment via IT, or the spreading of gossip/materials intended to defame/humiliate) |
19 |
|
Interference with personal property or work equipment |
3 |
|
Initiations or pranks |
1 |
|
Other |
56 |
|
Total number of complaints about bullying/harassment |
531 |
Source: 2020 APS agency survey
[1] The Hon Scott Morrison MP. (2019). New Structure of Government Departments. 5 December.