Performance measures

Contents

1. Engage with agencies to ensure that proposed collective workplace arrangements are compliant with the Public Sector Workplace Relations Policy[1]

Strategic priorities	Support quality public service workforce management
Activities	Policy and guidance, advice and assistance
Rationale	Ensuring workplace arrangements support quality public service workforce management to position the APS for the future.
2022-23 target	100% of Commonwealth agency workplace arrangements approved by the Commissioner are compliant with Public Sector Workplace Relations Policy.
2023-24 to 2025-26 targets	As per 2022-23
Measurement methodology	Review of all proposed Commonwealth agency collective agreements. Commonwealth agency collective workplace arrangements are defined in the Policy, and considered proposed when provided by agencies to the APS Commissioner.

2. Provide diversity and inclusion support, guidance and leadership to agencies

Strategic priorities	Lift public service capability Build leadership for the future Foster trust in public service integrity
Activities	Strategic direction, policy and guidance, information, advice and assistance
Rationale	Ensuring the APS remains deeply connected and reflective of the community’s diversity will support the APS to design and deliver programs, services and policy that meets the demands and expectations of the Australian Government and people and foster trust in the integrity of the APS. Additionally, by ensuring all APS employees feel included, supported and valued, the APS will be more productive, innovative and effective - lifting public service capability and building leadership for the future. Reporting will enable the Commission to track agencies’ progress and identify opportunities to improve diversity and inclusion outcomes.
2022-23 target	2022–23: Increase in the number of agencies that are embedding the Commonwealth Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Workforce Strategy, APS Disability Employment Strategy and APS Gender Equality Strategy, and those that are now acting as educators across the service.
2023-24 to 2025-26 targets	As per 2022-23
Measurement methodology	APS Agency Survey[2] Embedding: Agency is able to challenge existing systems and can demonstrate that they can improve systems/policies/practices to meet strategy deliverables. Educator: Agency can meet or exceed strategy deliverables, is able to identify and share their lessons, engage with other agencies and provide them with guidance on diversity and inclusion programs, activities and outcomes.

3. The consolidation of entry-level programs (through the Career Pathways campaign) delivers more efficient recruitment of entry-level capability into the APS

Strategic priorities	Lift public service capability Build leadership for the future
Activities	Strategic direction, collaboration, policy and guidance, platforms and services
Rationale	Entry level employees are a key group that organisations recruit and develop in order to gain the required capabilities to deliver their business, as well as bring in fresh insight, innovation and critical thinking. Entry level recruitment and development in the APS will help to lift public service capabilities identified in the APS Workforce Strategy, which is critical to positioning the APS workforce for the future.
2022-23 target	Increased number of entry-level candidates on-boarded to APS agencies via programs delivered under the whole of government Career Pathways campaign Through increased participation in the Australian Government Graduate Program, reduce average spend per entry level employee participating in the Career Pathways programs.
2023-24 to 2025-26 targets	As per 2022-23
Measurement methodology	Count of the entry level candidates successfully on-boarded into agencies from Whole of Government entry level Career Pathways programs (which includes the Australian Government Graduate Program) Based on internal administered data

4. Commission initiatives improve the operating environment for temporary mobility in the APS, to assist the delivery of government priorities

Strategic priorities	Support quality public service workforce management
Activities	Strategic direction, policy and guidance, collaboration, platforms and services
Rationale	Temporary mobility is a tool that agencies can use as part of quality public service workforce management to access skills not available within their teams. As agencies implement the APS Workforce Strategy 2025, Commission initiatives and support to deliver temporary mobility will help position the APS for the future. These metrics provide indicators of the health of temporary mobility across the system, and of the impact of specific Commission-led initiatives such as the APS Surge Reserve.
2022-23 target	Reduction in the proportion of APS employees reporting barriers to mobility. The APS Surge Reserve assists host agencies to deliver outcomes.
2023-24 to 2025-26 targets	As per 2022-23
Measurement methodology	APS Employee Census[3]. Host agencies assess whether assistance from the APS Surge Reserve helped the agency achieve its outcome via an online survey[4].

5. Support Secretaries Board to build a strong and diverse leadership pipeline via the Secretaries Talent Council and the Deputy Secretaries Talent Council [5]

Strategic priorities	Lift public service capability
Activities	Strategic direction, learning and development, collaboration, strategic support
Rationale	The role of the Deputy Secretaries and Secretaries Talent Councils is to build a strong and diverse leadership pipeline in the APS, on behalf of the Secretaries Board. The Commission supports the Talent Councils to achieve this by providing strategic advice, design services and management of key council activities, including leadership assessment and development rounds. By ensuring that these deliverables are high quality, the Commission is effectively supporting the talent councils to build leadership for the future.
2022-23 target	Annual survey shows that a minimum of 80% of Talent Council members consider advice and design services are professional, fit-for-purpose and evidence-based and support them to fulfil their role building a strong and diverse pipeline of future leaders. Assessment and development rounds are objective and timely.
2023-24 to 2025-25 targets	As per 2022-23
Measurement methodology	Annual survey of Talent Council members[6]. Talent Council assessment rounds will be considered objective if conducted by an independent service provider, and will be considered timely if conducted within timeframes agreed with the councils.

6. Engage with foreign partners to strengthen public sector institutions, policies and practices, both within Australia and internationally

Strategic priorities	Support quality public service workforce management Build leadership for the future Foster trust in public service integrity
Activities	Strategic direction, information, collaboration, advice and assistance
Rationale	Marshalling international best practice in public service administration will lift public service capability, support quality workforce management and foster trust in public service integrity in Australia and for our foreign partners.
2022-23 target	Engagement with foreign partners contributes expertise, practices and perspectives to inform the work of the Commission. Engagement with foreign partners contributes expertise, practices and perspectives to inform the work of the Commission’s counterpart agencies in those nations/organisations.
2023-24 to 2025-26 targets	As per 2022-23
Measurement methodology	Qualitative evaluation and case studies.

7. Influence and shape the strategic direction of the APS by collecting, analysing and sharing workforce data

Strategic priorities	Support quality public service workforce management Foster trust in public service integrity
Activities	Strategic direction, information, collaboration, advice and assistance
Rationale	Building understanding of the composition of the APS, the context in which it operates, and the initiatives achieved will improve workforce management and the contribution of the APS in delivering the Government’s objectives and priorities. The collection, analysis and reporting of APS workforce data will ensure decision makers and managers have the information and analysis needed to support quality public service workforce management, and provide transparent APS workforce metrics that foster trust in the integrity of the APS. The Commission will determine its effectiveness in collecting and sharing the right information to influence and shape the strategic direction of the APS by measuring the level of engagement with key data collection and sharing outputs.
2022-23 target	Agencies use our workforce data to develop and evaluate workforce policies and practices. The response rate to the APS Employee Census has no more than a 5% reduction on the previous year. Publish the APS Remuneration Report by 31 August each year.
2023-24 to 2025-26 targets	As per 2022-23
Measurement methodology	APS agency survey[7]. Total number of responses compared to total number of survey recipients. The APS Remuneration Report is published on the Commission’s website. It presents a summary of remuneration paid to APS people employed under the Public Service Act 1999.

8. Develop and implement initiatives to strengthen integrity culture in the APS[8]

Strategic priorities	Foster trust in public service integrity
Activities	Policy and guidance, learning and development, advice and assistance
Rationale	By ensuring that high-quality and current guidance and training materials on APS integrity culture are available to public servants, the Commission will support a strong culture of integrity in the APS and foster trust in the integrity of the public service.
2022-23 target	Agencies value the guidance, advice and training we provide to strengthen integrity culture in the APS.
2023-24 to 2025-26 targets	As per 2022-23
Measurement methodology	Assessed through Annual Pulse Survey[9] via ethics network across all agencies.

9. Support the APS to drive cultural change and adopt ways of working that reduce hierarchical behaviours, better manage risk and empower decision-making at all levels

Strategic priorities	Support quality public service workforce management Lift public service capability Build leadership for the future
Activities	Strategic direction, policy and guidance, information
Rationale	Successive reviews of the APS have made recommendations to reform the APS’ culture to ensure that it has the capability and characteristics to deliver better outcomes for the Australian community. Cultural change and adopting better ways of working (including streamlining management, reducing hierarchical behaviours and empowering staff to engage with risk) seek to improve decision-making and position the APS to deliver outcomes that meet the demands and expectations of the Australian Government and people.
2022-23 target	Develop a plan that responds to the Hierarchy and Classification Review, with actions agreed by the APS Commissioner in consultation with the Secretaries Board. Deliver initiatives against stipulated timeframes, including a framework to modernise and simplify organisational structures.
2023-24 to 2025-26 targets	To be developed
Measurement methodology	Develop an overarching plan to deliver this measure, including the Hierarchy and Classification Review component. Timeframes as agreed by Secretaries Board and/or Government. Development of targets and methodology for 2023 and beyond with an emphasis on qualitative measurement of positive cultural change, increase in leadership capability and recognition of specialists, and agency alignment with the framework.

10. Provide quality APS Craft learning, leveraging expertise from across the APS, and from industry and academia where required[10]

Strategic priorities	Lift public service capability Build leadership for the future
Activities	Strategic direction, learning and development, platforms and services, collaboration
Rationale	The APS Academy, guided by the continuous learning model and with a focus on practitioner-led learning, connects APS people with the best learning and development offerings to build public service capability and leadership for the future, while driving efficiencies in learning and development effort across the APS.
2022-23 target	Increase annual learner engagements to 32,000 At least 90% of course participants: find the courses offered by the Academy relevant to their work intend to implement learnings as a result of participating in the Academy course would recommend the Academy course to others report that the course was valuable in building their capability.
2023-24 to 2025-26 targets	As per 2022-23 2023-24: APS people report that they have improved access to relevant learning and development. 2024-25: Greater efficiency of learning and development effort through the One-APS approach led by the APS Academy.
Measurement methodology	Count of learner engagements compared to previous years. Learner engagements include any point where a learner seeks development from the APS Academy. Post course feedback survey[11].

11. Support the APS to build a continuous learning culture and develop the critical capabilities identified in the APS Workforce Strategy

Strategic priorities	Lift public service capability Build leadership for the future
Activities	Strategic direction, learning and development, platforms and services, collaboration
Rationale	Through the APS Learning and Development Strategy and Action Plan, the Commission will support the uplift of public service capability and build leadership for the future by developing the critical capabilities identified in the APS Workforce Strategy; building an APS learning culture that encourages and supports continuous learning; and, developing an APS-wide collaborative learning ecosystem.
2022-23 target	Actions from the APS Learning and Development Strategy and Action Plan where the Commission or APS Academy is listed as lead are complete within stipulated timeframes. APS agencies report satisfaction with the effectiveness of learning and development for developing critical capabilities.
2023-24 to 2025-26 targets	2023-24: As per 2022-23. 2024-25: Greater efficiency of learning and development effort through one-APS approach.
Measurement methodology	Success measured through achievement of key milestones for actions from the APS Learning and Development Strategy and Action Plan. Annual APS Learning and Development Survey[12], scheduled for early 2023.

Footnotes

[1] Aligns to APSC Portfolio Budget Statement (PBS), Budget Year 2022-23, performance measure: support quality public service workforce management

[2] See Note 2

[3] See Note 3

[4] See Note 7

[5] Aligns to APSC PBS, Budget Year 2022-23, performance measure: build leadership for the future

[6] See Note 4

[7] See Note 2

[8] Aligns to APSC PBS, Budget Year 2022-23, performance measure: foster trust in public service integrity

[9] Survey being developed

[10] Aligns to APSC PBS, Budget Year 2022-23, performance measure: lift public service capability

[11] See Note 5

[12] Survey being developed