4.3 Workforce planning
Attracting, developing and empowering people to build a high-performing, capable APS is the focus of the Delivering for Tomorrow: APS Workforce Strategy 2025. The APSC continues to implement the strategy and build workforce planning capability across the service.
Underpinned by insights from environmental scanning, future scenario planning, and labour market analysis, strategic workforce planning helps identify workforce risks and facilitate long-term workforce preparation.
In the 18 months since the launch of the strategy, signifi ant increased momentum in workforce planning activity has occurred. Forty-eight agencies now report having a workforce plan in place which aligns to the APS Workforce Strategy. More than 950 members engage with the APS Workforce Planning Community of Practice convened by the APSC Centre of Excellence for Workforce Planning. In addition, 288 workforce planners have participated in both Start Up and Boost training modules of workforce planning capability, delivered by the centre in partnership with the APS Academy.
APSC Centre of Excellence for APS Workforce Planning
The APSC Centre of Excellence for APS Workforce Planning supports agencies to develop modern, data-driven and business-integrated workforce management and planning practices. The mechanisms it uses include:
- working with the APS Academy to deliver capability development programs for workforce planners and strategists, and for managers and senior leaders
- supporting a 950-strong workforce planning community of practice, consisting of agencies that represent 99% of the APS workforce, and includes representatives from state and territory jurisdictions
- engaging internationally and with education partners to further explore best practice.
Insights from the centre also support developing APS profession groups and delivery of the first APS Accounting and Finance Profession Workforce Strategy. This strategy articulates critical workforce risks and key initiatives to support accounting and finance functions into the future.
The centre’s strategic contribution to the APS was recognised by the 2021 IPAA 2021 Spirit of Service Awards, learning category. The centre was also internationally recognised and, most recently, featured by the OECD as a case study in Public Employment and Management 2021: The Future of the Public Service.[38]
|
Read the case study featured by the OECD: Workforce planning in the Australian Public Service |
APS Workforce Planning Advisory Service
The APS Workforce Planning Advisory Service provides hands-on support for small to medium-sized agencies undertaking workforce planning activities, leveraging expertise from the APSC Centre of Excellence. In 2021–22, the centre piloted advisory services across six projects, working directly with senior leadership teams. Feedback confirmed a strong appetite from agencies and senior leaders for this service.
| A new workforce strategy for the Administrative Appeals Tribunal | ||
|---|---|---|
| In July 2021, the Centre of Excellence for APS Workforce Planning began a skills- based workforce planning advisory pilot. This tested a new model for supporting APS agencies and job families to build workforce planning capability and enhance APS workforce management. This initiative is connected with Delivering for Tomorrow: APS Workforce Strategy 2025. | ||
| The Administrative Appeals Tribunal became a partner in the pilot. Its workforce planning team received support from the centre to communicate with senior leaders and stakeholders, identify and articulate workforce risks, and build the foundational and technical skills needed to develop and implement an evidence-based workforce plan. | ||
| The tribunal’s organisational workforce planning capability was assessed at the beginning and end of the pilot. Improvements were achieved in all fi e targeted capability areas: demand for workforce planning; evidence-based practice; quality of the planning model; effective use of workforce planning; and links to the employee lifecycle. | ||
| 'For the first time, this work has provided us a strong evidence base to develop strategies that allow us to holistically support our people management priorities. Importantly, it has also enabled strategic conversations in relation to our key risks.'
- Chris Sutton Chief Operating Officer, Administrative Appeals Tribunal |
Footnotes
[38] OECD, Public Employment and Management 2021: The Future of the Public Service, 8 December 2021.