7.5 Rebalancing the APS

The Australian Government is committed to ensuring ongoing capability of the public service by maintaining a strong, responsive and apolitical APS. Efforts across the service are underway to rebuild public sector capability by increasing the number of direct, permanent public sector jobs, reducing the use of consultants and outsourcing, abolishing the average staffing level cap, and restoring the independence of vital public sector institutions.

The Future of Work Sub-committee is examining how the workforce mix across the APS can be rebalanced to reinvest in internal capability while reducing APS reliance on external expertise. Strategically thinking about how to engage capability has these benefits:

  • ensures value for money and generates public benefit
  • reduces the reliance on the use of external suppliers, contractors and labour hire
  • maximises public sector capability internal to the APS
  • seeks to achieve the best results from consultancy services engaged by the APS.

Rebalancing the workforce will likely take time, as investment in employee capability is prioritised and trust in the diversity, deep expertise and collaborative approach of the APS is restored. In the near future, modes of delivery will likely continue to be wide and varied given the complex operating environment and competing community expectations of the APS.

The APS Audit of Employment, administered by the Department of Finance with support from the APSC, will assist in baselining the APS workforce and provide a better understanding of the scale and nature of the contingent workforce (for example, contractors and labour hire staff) and its implications for APS capability in the short, medium and long term.

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