Performance measure 2
Key activity 2
Lead and support the development of quality APS workforce management policy.
The Commission is a people business. As custodians of APS workforce management, we use our deep expertise to create effective workplaces and a quality experience for APS employees by staying abreast of shifts in the employment landscape, and developing and implementing policies and initiatives that position the APS as a desired employer.
To achieve this objective, our priorities are to:
- shape workplace relations and employment policies, delivering remuneration and conditions that are modern, fit-for-purpose and which attract and retain talent
- contribute to building an APS workforce that reflects the diversity of the Australian community through inclusive workplace cultures and genuine opportunities to participate in APS employment
- use our expertise to provide clear, authoritative workforce management guidance and implementation advice to agencies in line with the Public Service Act 1999 and other enabling legislation.
Performance Measure 2.1
Right settings are in place to support an effective APS workforce.
| Year | Planned Performance Results |
|---|---|
| 2024–25 | 2.1.1 100% of collective workplace arrangements are compliant with the Public Sector Workplace Relations Policy 2.1.2 >90% APS agencies meet the required milestones under the APS Strategic Commissioning Framework 2.1.3 >80% of measurable metric targets achieved in APS Reform Outcome 6 – The APS sets the standard for equity, inclusion and diversity |
| 2025–26 | 2.1.1 As per 2024-25 2.1.2 Planned Performance Results will be set following receipt of Baseline data from 2024-25 2.1.3 Planned Performance Results will be set following receipt of Baseline data from 2024-25 |
| 2026–27 | 2.1.1 As per 2024-25 2.1.2 Planned Performance Results will be set following receipt of Baseline data from 2024-25 2.1.3 Planned Performance Results will be set following receipt of Baseline data from 2024-25 |
| 2027–28 | 2.1.1 As per 2024-25 2.1.2 Planned Performance Results will be set following receipt of Baseline data from 2024-25 2.1.3 Planned Performance Results will be set following receipt of Baseline data from 2024-25 |
Why do we measure this?
To attract, build and retain a skilled and robust APS workforce that reflects the diversity of the Australian community and enables effective delivery of government policies and services for the future. The policy intent behind the three sub-components is to ensure the public service is a model employer and preferred employer; for agencies that employ staff under the Public Service Act 1999 to re-balance their workforce over time to reduce reliance on external labour for core work; and the APS to set the standard for equity, diversity and inclusion, as required by the Public Service Act 1999.
Data source
2.1.1 Workplace arrangements provided by agencies.
2.1.2 2024 APS Agency Survey; direct reporting of core work and targets to the APSC; APS agency Corporate Plans.
2.1.3 APS Remuneration Survey; APS Employee Census, and APS Employment Database.
Methodology
2.1.1 Desktop compliance review of all proposed Commonwealth agency collective agreements against the Government’s policy and other authoritative guidance material. The process is as follows:
- an agency provides a proposed workplace arrangement to Workplace Reform
- proposed workplace arrangement saved in Share+, and allocated for assessment by Subject Matter Experts
- SMEs provide comment on proposed workplace arrangement and prepares a brief to the Commissioner
- brief is cleared at Director and Assistant Commissioner level, ahead of advancement to the Commissioner for approval
- returned briefs, representing approval, are saved in Share+ with the assessed version of the workplace arrangement.
All documents in Share+ have appropriate access limitations and version controls. Commonwealth agency collective workplace arrangements are defined in the Policy and considered proposed when provided by agencies to the APSC
2.1.2 Desktop compliance review. Agency data is received, recorded, counted and reconciled against the list of in-scope APS agencies.
2.1.3 Desktop review and analysis. The APS Reform Project Management Office requests the following data from APSC People Insights team to substantiate 11 performance metrics under the outcome 6 of APS Reform agenda:
- APS gender pay gap data from the APS Remuneration Survey
- Workplace discrimination data from APS Employee Census
- APS workforce diversity data from APSED.
The data is compared to the 2023 baseline data published in the APS Reform Annual Progress Report 2024 against each performance metric under Outcome 6. Each performance metric under the outcome is weighted equally for the purpose of reporting on this sub-measure, therefore 9 of 11 performance metrics under Outcome 6 must meet its objectives to meet the fully achieved target. Performance information is saved in Share+.
The basis for assessing the performance measure result as ‘achieved’, ‘substantially achieved’, ‘partially achieved’ or ‘not achieved’ has been captured in a detailed Performance Audit Trail.
Type
2.1.1 Quantitative/ Effectiveness
2.1.2 Quantitative/ Effectiveness
2.1.3 Quantitative/ Effectiveness.
Changes since previous year
2.1.1 Aligns with 2023-24 Planned Performance Result 3.1
2.1.2 Not Applicable – new Planned Performance Result for 2024-25
2.1.3 Not Applicable – new Planned Performance Result for 2024-25
Performance Measure 2.2
Enhanced First Nations representation and cultural capability across the APS.
| Year | Planned Performance Results |
|---|---|
| 2024–25 | 2.2.1 Percentage of EL2 and Senior Executive Service who have completed cultural capability training 2.2.2 The SES100 initiative boosts First Nations SES cohort numbers to at least 100 by June 2025 2.2.3 >6 agencies have recruited from the First Nations SES Merit List |
| 2025–26 | 2.2.1 Planned Performance Results will be set following receipt of Baseline data from 2024-25 2.2.2 Planned Performance Results will be set following receipt of Baseline data from 2024-25 2.2.3 Planned Performance Results will be set following receipt of Baseline data from 2024-25 |
| 2026–27 | 2.2.1 Planned Performance Results will be set following receipt of Baseline data from 2024-25 2.2.2 Planned Performance Results will be set following receipt of Baseline data from 2024-25 2.2.3 Planned Performance Results will be set following receipt of Baseline data from 2024-25 |
| 2027–28 | 2.2.1 Planned Performance Results will be set following receipt of Baseline data from 2024-25 2.2.2 Planned Performance Results will be set following receipt of Baseline data from 2024-25 2.2.3 Planned Performance Results will be set following receipt of Baseline data from 2024-25 |
Why do we measure this?
This performance measure directly contributes to the Closing the Gap Priority Reform Three to transform government institutions and organisations, specifically to identify and eliminate racism, and embed and practice meaningful cultural safety. We prioritise initiatives and activities to increase representation and strengthen cultural safety to address recruitment, retention, and attrition of First Nations staff within the APS.
Data source
2.2.1 APS Learn
2.2.2 APS Employment Database
2.2.3 APSC e-Recruit/APS Gazette.
Methodology
2.2.1 Core 0-10 Learning modules are uploaded into APSLearn, and reporting is provided to the First Nations Unit on EL2 participation numbers at least every two months, which allows for a percentage to be determined by dividing total numbers of EL2 during the period by total number of EL2 participants during the period.
2.2.2 APSED to provide report to First Nations Unit on First Nations SES Cohort. Size of cohort to be compared against the basis for assessing the result as documented in the detailed Performance Audit Trail.
2.2.3 SES100 agency participation can be confirmed by the APS Gazette outcomes.
The basis for assessing the performance measure result as ‘achieved’, ‘substantially achieved’, ‘partially achieved’ or ‘not achieved’ has been captured in a detailed Performance Audit Trail.
Type
2.2.1 Quantitative/ Output as a proxy for effectiveness
2.2.2 Quantitative/ Output as a proxy for effectiveness
2.2.3 Quantitative/ Output as a proxy for effectiveness
Changes since previous year
Not Applicable - new Planned Performance Results for 2024-25.