Key activities

Purpose

To position the APS workforce for the future to ensure it meets the demands and expectations of the Australian Government, Parliament and people.

Key activities

Since the publication of the Portfolio Budget Statements for 2023–24, the Commission developed a refreshed suite of key activities which represent the significant contributions for how the Commission will achieve its purpose. Our four key activities will remain fit-for-purpose for 2023–27.

In developing these key activities, the Commission considered its strategic priorities, the intent of the Minister for the Public Service, the Portfolio Budget Statement 2023–24 outcome and program objective, legislative functions and alignment to the Government’s APS Reform priorities.

The following diagram outlines the four key activities aligned to the four APS Reform pillars:

Key activities
Uphold the high standards of integrity and conduct in the APS	Strengthen APS-wide and external partnerships	Lead quality public service workforce management	Build public service capability and leadership for the future
An APS that embodies integrity in everything it does	An APS that puts people and business at the centre of policy and services	An APS that is a model employer	An APS that has the capability to do its job well
APS Reform pillars

Key activity 1: Uphold the high standards of integrity and conduct in the APS

The Commission will set the standard for the APS on integrity and conduct to ensure the APS embodies integrity in everything it does. Focus areas include upholding the APS Code of Conduct, building a pro-integrity culture through capability uplift, leadership development and performance, and supporting staff through ethics advice helpline services. High standards of integrity and conduct aligned to the APS Values, APS Code of Conduct and Employment Principles, are crucial to building public confidence and trust in the APS.

The Commission will continue to evaluate the extent to which APS agencies incorporate and uphold the APS Values and the APS Employment Principles, partner with Secretaries in the stewardship of the APS, and evaluate the adequacy of systems and procedures in Agencies for ensuring compliance with the Code of Conduct.

The Commission is leading initiatives to strengthen behaviour and outcomes-based performance management, launch the first APS Purpose Statement and add Stewardship as an APS Value to the Public Service Act 1999.

Alignment to APS Reform Pillar One: The APS acts with integrity and fairness, and is accountable and transparent in everything it does. This will build public trust and strengthen standards of integrity in our federal government.

Key activity 2: Strengthen APS-wide and external partnerships to deliver

The Commission’s role is to enable, support and steward the APS to deliver the Government’s priorities.

To continue to be an APS that puts people and business at the centre of policy and services, partnerships between the public service and people, communities and businesses, the not-for-profit sector and academia, states and territories, and foreign governments are key. The Commission will work across the APS and with external partners to enable services to be brought together to make interactions with government easier.

The Commission will continue to take a proactive and outward looking approach to enable and support the APS to deliver on APS Reform, better partner with the community, and co-design solutions to improve the lives of the Australian community.

Alignment to APS Reform Pillar Two: The APS works in genuine partnership with the community to solve problems and co-design the best solutions to improve the lives of the Australian community.

Key activity 3: Lead quality public service workforce management

The Commission leads workforce management for the APS to build a skilled and robust workforce that enables effective delivery of government policies and services for the future. Delivering for Tomorrow: the APS Workforce Strategy 2025, recognises that our people — and the capabilities they bring — are our greatest asset in delivering for the Government and the Australian people.

Building strong foundations for the APS is critical to manage the current and future workforce. The Commission’s workforce management role across the APS is to ensure that the APS is a model employer and takes active steps to enable and support this. The Commission will continue to support the APS to implement the APS Workforce Strategy and shape effective workforce management initiatives. We will achieve this by enhancing APS career pathways and by collecting, analysing and sharing workforce data. We will support the workforce planning centre of excellence and draw on our expertise to support public workforce management undertaken by counterparts in our region.

To establish the APS as an employer of choice, attracting talent and diversity, the APS employee value proposition will articulate the benefits of working in the APS and the rewarding and enduring career options available in the public service. Through building leadership opportunities, delivering cultural competency training and quality workforce management for priority cohorts – First Nations peoples, culturally and linguistically diverse, gender diverse and disability groups – we aspire to set the standard for equity, inclusion and diversity of experience, background and where you live to foster an effective and future-ready public service.

Alignment to APS Reform Pillar Three: The APS is a great place to work, offering staff a quality employee experience in a dynamic workplace that sets the standard for diversity and inclusion.

Key activity 4: Build public service capability and leadership for the future.

The Commission works in partnership across the APS to build the capability of staff to create a skilled and confident workforce, and robust and trusted institutions that deliver modern policy and service solutions. In building public service capability, we will consider the role of consultancies and contractors for how and when the APS engages additional external support and capability.

We lead the APS Capability Review program to embed a culture of continuous improvement across the APS and ensure agencies can deliver government priorities and outcomes for Australians. These capability reviews are forward looking, identifying strengths and opportunities and what new capabilities are needed to address emerging challenges for the APS and the Australian community.

Through the APS Academy, we take a One-APS approach in setting overall shared direction for capability development. The APS Academy operates a networked model, allowing us to use our strong partnerships to connect us to existing expertise and domains of excellence across the APS, industry and academia, and with other jurisdictions.

We remain focussed on improving approaches to performance management, including both Executive Level and the Senior Executive Service, to ensure behaviours are equally as important as outcomes achieved. We will build a diverse leadership pipeline by strengthening succession planning and APS partnerships with the Secretaries Talent Council and Deputy Secretaries Talent Council.

Alignment to APS Reform Pillar Four: The APS builds the capability of its staff to create a skilled and confident workforce, and a robust and trusted institution that delivers modern policy and service solutions for decades to come.