Delivering for Tomorrow:

APS Workforce Strategy 2025

APS Workforce Strategy 2025 1
© Commonwealth of Australia 2021

With the exception of the Commonwealth Coat of Arms and where otherwise noted,
all material presented in Delivering for Tomorrow: APS Workforce Strategy 2025 by
the Australian Public Service Commission is licensed under a Creative Commons
Attribution 4.0 International Licence (CC BY 4.0). To view a copy of this licence, visit
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.

An accessible version of the Strategy can be accessed on the APS Workforce Strategy
webpage. If you are having difficulties with accessing this document, please email
apswfp@apsc.gov.au.

APS Workforce Strategy 2025 2

Contents
Commissioner’s Foreword 4
Delivering for Tomorrow: A Workforce Strategy for the APS 5
Why an APS-wide Workforce Strategy? 6

Delivering for Tomorrow: the APS Workforce Strategy 2025 6

Objective of the APS Workforce Strategy 6

The APS working as one enterprise 7

Change is shaping our workforce and how we deliver 7

Our workforce must continue to evolve to meet changing demands 18

Delivering for Tomorrow: An Action Plan for the APS workforce 19
Action 1: Attract, build and retain skills, expertise a
 nd talent 20

Action 2: Embrace data, technology and flexible and responsive workforce models 25

Action 3: Strengthen integrity and purposeful leadership 31

Workforce Strategy within the APS Operating Model 36

APS Values and Code of Conduct 36

Our actions align with and complement existing strategies 36

Implementation and Realising Success 37

Agency-specific workforce planning is a key enabler of success  37

APSC Centre of Excellence — building workforce planning capability across the APS 37

Monitoring and review 38

Benefits realisation 38

Case Studies  39
Australian Government Graduate Program39

Building diversity in digital roles39

TechLauncher – developing the next generation of tech professionals 40

GovHack – accessing talent in a different work model 40

APS Centres of Expertise – Behavioural Economics Team of the Australian Government 41

Developing strong leadership pipelines  41

References42
Attachment 147

The Australian Public Service Commission developed this

Strategy in consultation and collaboration across the Australian
Public Service, to deliver for the Australian Government.
Commissioner’s
Foreword

Delivering for Tomorrow: APS Workforce Strategy 2025 signals a

new era for how the Australian Public Service will align its efforts
and investment across the system to grow, build and shape our
workforce as one APS.

The APS enterprise is at its best when it comes together to deliver

for the Australian people. This was never more on show than in
2020. Our country faced several crises and the APS was at the
centre supporting the Government’s response to take decisive
action. Critical to our success in managing an effective response
was our workforce and willingness to work as one APS. We moved
skills and expertise to critical areas of need, broke down traditional
silos and adapted quickly to shifting priorities.

Our purpose is clear. We are committed to service and to

supporting the Government in securing the wellbeing, safety and
living standards of all Australians. To do this, we need to continue
to develop our key asset – our people and the skills they bring.

Rapid change, the shifting technological landscape and accelerated demand for skills and talent are all
impacting the APS workforce. This is not unique to us. All major employers are facing the same challenges.
Most workforces are seeing the need for a renewed focus on citizen-centric services, rapid delivery with rising
expectations and the value of ongoing evaluation and evolution. What sets us apart from others is the sheer
range of tasks that we need to perform and the criticality of ensuring we have the capability and joined up
systems to make sure this country always gets the best from us. This Strategy delivers a plan to do just that.

Building on Delivering for Australians – a world-class Australian Public Service: the Government’s APS reform
agenda (2019), this Strategy takes a whole-of-enterprise view. It identifies the priorities for shaping our
workforce to tackle immediate and emerging challenges. It focuses on a range of workforce management
domains, including how we recruit the right people, grow our people through learning and development, and
ensure our leadership and performance remains of the highest standards expected by the Government and
the Australian people.

Bringing this Strategy together has been a significant exercise. It reflects the valued contribution of many
stakeholders both within and outside the APS. I thank all those that have shaped this thinking during the
extensive consultation and engagement processes. This Strategy sets out a clear vision to assist all APS
agencies to build their workforces for the future. This is a living document and we all have a role to ensure it is
a success.

I look forward to working with the Secretaries Board and across the APS to now implement this Strategy.
We all have a crucial part to play in ensuring our APS remains fit for the future and continues to deliver for all
Australians.

Mr Peter Woolcott AO
Commissioner, Australian Public Service Commission

I acknowledge the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the land on which we operate. I pay my respect to the Elders, past, present and
emerging, acknowledging their history and continued connection to Country.

APS Workforce Strategy 2025 4

 Delivering for Tomorrow: APS Workforce Strategy 2025

Change is impacting the context in which the APS delivers services to all Australians and the skills it needs across its workforce. These changes include:

Changing community demographics, different Digital transformation is driving policy and service Increasing demand for emerging and Changing workforce profiles, altering work Geopolitical challenges, requiring
expectations of responsive and digital delivery responses, and the demand for rapid specialist skills and talent in an structures and employee expectations of collaborative, adaptive and rapid responses
government services and changing trust in development and implementation of solutions increasingly dynamic labour market work and workplaces by government, industry and citizens
public institutions tailored to business and community needs

The objective of the APS Workforce Strategy

For the APS to operate as one enterprise, with a high-performing workforce to deliver effectively and efficiently for the Government, the Parliament and the Australian public.

Our workforce will operate in accordance with the

APS Values and Code of Conduct: Impartial Committed to Service Accountable Respectful Ethical

To be positioned for the future we need our workforce to be:

Agile, collaborative, responsive and able Skilled, knowledgeable and Maximising data and technology, Professional, engaged and Citizen-centred in approach, inclusive and
to navigate complexity committed to life-long learning and digital engagement committed to integrity representative of our diverse communities

Our Action Plan – To build towards our vision for the APS workforce we are committed to three areas of action:

Attract, build and retain skills, expertise Embrace data, technology and flexible and
Strengthen integrity and purposeful leadership
and talent responsive workforce models

We will recruit and develop the capabilities and skills needed We will lead digital transformation and deploy skills, expertise We will ensure that our leadership continues to shape our
to be a diverse, high-performing workforce that facilitates and talent to where it is needed to deliver the outcomes that behaviour, our purpose and our delivery of outcomes, and
career pathways across an outcomes-focused enterprise the Government and Australians expect that the APS is highly regarded for our integrity and
citizen-centric focus

Diversity and inclusion underpins all actions we undertake through implementation of the Commonwealth
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Workforce Strategy, the APS Disability Employment Strategy and the Gender Equality Strategy

Development for whole-of-enterprise capabilities through Professional Streams and the APS Academy

Workforce insights and planning

To support our objectives and actions, agencies will have modern, data-driven workforce management practices integrated as a key component of business planning

Short-term measures of success Longer-term measures of success

- A workforce focused on developing strong capabilities aligned to current and emerging enterprise-wide requirements - A workforce demonstrating our defined future-ready characteristics
- A strong learning culture and growth mindset, and commitment to continuous development - A highly skilled, high-performing, effective and efficient workforce evidenced through the delivery and quality of
- Compelling EVP that is well positioned to attract top Australian talent to choose a career with the APS government services
- One APS workforce that is seamlessly mobilised to respond to shifts in government priorities - A workforce that delivers high-quality outcomes and trustworthy experiences for the community
- A high-performing workforce, actively seeking out and embracing technology development to work more - A workforce that maximises data and technology for decision making, policy and service design and delivery
innovatively and efficiently in a digital world - Flexible and responsive workforce models that are able to be deployed quickly to adapt to changes in our
- Strong and capable leadership pipelines for APS leadership roles, and a commitment to succession planning and operating environment
development
- An APS workforce that models and promotes a pro-integrity culture
Delivering for Tomorrow:
A Workforce Strategy for the APS

Why an APS-wide Workforce of our public service to be ‘an apolitical public service
that is efficient and effective in serving the Government,
Strategy? the Parliament and the Australian public'.2

To build and develop our future workforce, and

operate efficiently and effectively, we must ensure Objective of the APS Workforce
strong links between our workforce, our business Strategy
needs and government priorities.
The Objective of this Strategy is:
Change is impacting the context in which we deliver
services, with digital transformation driving the For the APS to operate as one enterprise, with a
need for more tailored, data-informed solutions, high-performing workforce to deliver effectively and
changing citizen expectations of government services efficiently for the Government, the Parliament and the
and demanding different workforce models as Australian public.
employee expectations are changing. Our operating
This Strategy organises implementation of our
environment and the challenges we face are ever
workforce initiatives under three areas of action:
changing and the responsiveness of our services is
more critical than ever. Recent crisis management Attract, build and retain skills, expertise
experiences through the 2019–20 bushfire season and talent – we will recruit and develop
and the COVID–19 pandemic have reinforced the the capabilities and skills needed to be a
need for the APS to be flexible, work as one and diverse, high-performing workforce that
respond to the best evidence available. facilitates career pathways across an
outcomes-focused enterprise.
The APS workforce performs a range of critical
functions for Government and the Australian Embrace data, technology and flexible
community. This includes designing, delivering and responsive workforce models – we
and operating services, providing advice and will lead digital transformation and deploy
implementing policy and regulation in areas of skills, expertise and talent to where it is
increasing complexity. To continue to be successful needed to deliver the outcomes that the
and highly regarded the APS needs to adopt Government and Australians expect.
an integrated, whole-of-enterprise approach to
Strengthen integrity and purposeful
delivering outcomes. The Government reiterated the
leadership – we will ensure that our
importance of an APS-wide Workforce Strategy, the
leadership continues to shape our
first of its kind, in response to the 2019 Independent
behaviour, our purpose and our delivery
Review of the APS.1
of outcomes, and that the APS is highly
regarded for our integrity and citizen-
centric focus.
Delivering for Tomorrow: the APS
Workforce Strategy 2025 Workforce initiatives to be implemented under the
Strategy will be designed to address the areas of
action and plan for our future workforce. A dynamic
Delivering for Tomorrow: the APS Workforce Strategy
approach to implementation will be taken to ensure
2025 (the Strategy) establishes a whole-of-APS
the Strategy remains flexible and adaptive to changes
approach to building and maintaining a high-
in our operating environment.
performing, diverse and flexible workforce mobilised
where and when needed. The Strategy aims to provide Secretaries and other key governance bodies such
a strategic and integrated approach for APS workforce as the Chief Operating Officers’ Committee will
management at all levels, enabling the APS to better play a key role in assessing outcomes of planned
plan for and develop the workforce and capabilities it benefits through continuous evaluation and reporting
needs for the future. mechanisms.
The Strategy is built on the foundation of the Public
Service Act 1999 (PS Act) which outlines the objective

APS Workforce Strategy 2025 6

The APS working as one enterprise Change is shaping our workforce
and how we deliver
In the near term the Strategy aims to ensure that the
APS workforce is positioned to support Australia’s Alongside many other public and private sector
management and recovery from the COVID-19 institutions across the world, the APS workforce is
pandemic. In the longer term, the Strategy’s focus being impacted by rapid change, both domestically
is to build our capability, capacity and operational and internationally. This includes:3
efficiency to maximise our people’s performance
and enhance the beneficial impacts the APS has on • changing citizen demographics and expectations
citizens. of government services and trust in public
institutions
• digital transformation shaping policy and service
Our agencies are diverse in their delivery responses, and the demand for rapid
role, the services they deliver, solutions

their size and geographical • increasing demand for skills and talent in a highly
competitive labour market
footprint, the roles they require • changing workforce profiles, altering work
and the workforce they employ. structures and employee expectations
• geopolitical challenges, requiring collaborative
and adaptive responses by government, industry
Through the efficient and effective management of and citizens.
our workforce, we will foster greater collaboration
and partnership across the APS. The Strategy aims
to position the APS to operate as one enterprise,
working towards the same objectives.

To support agencies to adopt, adapt and embed the

APS Workforce Strategy into local level workforce
strategies and plans, and workforce management
initiatives, the APSC — through its Centre of
Excellence for Workforce Planning — will strengthen
APS workforce planning capability and build our ‘The context and challenges of the
enterprise workforce planning ecosystem. An public sector are changing at a
outline of the Centre of Excellence is included in the rapid pace and the capabilities of
Implementation and Realising Success section (see
page 37).
public servants and those that lead
them must keep up’4
Monitoring and review of this Strategy's
implementation and evaluation will ensure the
actions and outcomes of planned benefits continue - OECD
to respond to the operating environment and remain
dynamic throughout the life of the Strategy.

Health and safety of our employees

The APS is committed to safeguarding the health

and safety of its employees, workers and visitors
and takes its responsibility seriously by providing
and maintaining a safe working environment. This
includes supporting and promoting the holistic
wellbeing of our employees. The environment we
operate in is central to maintaining an engaged
workforce and building a compelling employee value
proposition to attract top Australian talent across the
enterprise.

APS Workforce Strategy 2025 7

The APS workforce and workplace in a changing environment

The APS employs approximately 150,000 people working in 100 agencies across a variety of locations, from
the Northern Territory to Antarctica, in capital cities, regional areas and overseas.

Figure 1. APS workforce across Australia

NT
1.3%
QLD
1.0% 11.8%

WA 19.5%
4.6%
NSW
10.5%
17.8%

31.9%
ACT
37.7%

Overseas SA 1.9%
0.8% 6.4% VIC TAS
6.7% 17.2%
2.5% % APS Employees5
As of 30 June 2020
26.5%
2.0% % Australian Labour market6
As of 30 June 2020

32% of Australian workers in 60-70% of ICT

management roles and/or with workers in specialist ICT
management skills work in regional occupations are based
areas7 in VIC and NSW9

26% of APS managers

(EL1 and above level) work 68% of APS ICT roles
are based in CBR10
outside CBR, SYD CBD and MELB CBD8

The APS workforce comprises high-calibre employees who are highly engaged and committed to service,
good government and the wellbeing of all Australians. The 2020 APS Employee Census demonstrates that
APS employees are more engaged in their work than ever.

92% 85% 82% 83%

are happy to go the suggest ideas to improve believe strongly in the are committed to their
'extra mile' at work ways of doing things purpose and objectives agency's goals
of their agency

APS Workforce Strategy 2025 8

The profile and demographics of the APS workforce have shifted markedly in the last 20 years. Although
the proportion of APS employees aged 45 and over has increased by 12 percentage points over the past 20
years, the generations these employees represent have changed and will continue to change.

By 2025, 50% of the APS workforce will represent Gen Y and Z, the digital natives. By then, ~85% of recruits
into APS roles may represent these generations.

The profile of our workforce and the types of work we engage in will continue to shift.

Workforce demographics

Gen Y + Z Indigenous*
37% 3.5%
47.6%11 2.4%15

Aged 60+ Disability*

8.3% 4%
10.8%12 8%16

Working full time Females in SES/Senior Managers

79% 48%
68.6% 13
27%17

Women NESB/CALD*
60% 14.3%
47.1%14 21%18

Meeting our workers' needs

Caring responsibilities Accessed flexible working

41% 71.3%
Accessed work from home
53.1%

APS workforce as at 30 June 202019 APS Employee Census 202020

Australian labour market Total Australian population

* Only includes those who choose to identify

APS Workforce Strategy 2025 9

 The work of the APS

The work APS employees perform continues to be diverse. Each day, public servants deliver services and
programs, provide policy advice, regulate legislation and manage resources that touch upon every aspect of
the lives of the people of Australia.21

21.5% 11% 10.9%

Service delivery Compliance and Administration
Roles include: regulation Roles include:
Contact Centre Operator, Roles include: Executive Assistant,
Program Delivery Manager Border Enforcement Officer, Data Entry Officer
Investigator

9.1% 7.5% 8.7% 4.5%

Project and Strategic policy ICT and digital Accounting and
program Roles include: Roles include: finance
Roles include: Policy Officer, Cyber Security Officer, Roles include:
Project Support Officer, International Negotiator Automated Tester Financial Analyst,
Change Manager Procurement Officer

4.3% 3.7% 3.5%

Human resources Legal and Research
Roles include: parliamentary Roles include:
Workforce Planner, Roles include: Statistician,
Learning and Development Lawyer, Ministerial and Econometric Modeller
Officer Parliamentary Officer

Note: Total may not equal 100 as not all job families are represented.

APS Workforce Strategy 2025 10

Remaining flexible in a changing environment McKinsey estimates that 'as many as
4/5 processes in HR, finance
The location of APS roles and the ways we access
capability or capacity remain flexible. From time
and application
to time, there will be a need for APS agencies to processing are at least
access skills differently through contingent workers, partially automatable, with the
such as contractors and consultants, or through potential to reduce costs'25
external partnerships with academia or industry.
The type of work the APS does and the way the
service works will continue to change, particularly
as the way public services are delivered continues Progress towards digital economies creates
to be transformed. The APS anticipates a decline an environment of increased cyber challenges.
in administrative and transactional roles, such Australia’s Cyber Security Strategy 2020 sets out
as transactional Finance and Human Resources the action needed across the Australian economy
roles, over the next five years, as technological to create a more secure online world for Australians,
solutions are implemented and rolled out across the their businesses and the essential services upon
enterprise. which they all depend. To support Australia’s cyber
resilience, it is estimated that at least 17,000 more
This highlights a need to plan for continuous cyber experts will be required across private and
capability development and reskilling activities to public sectors over the next five years to 2026.26
transition our workforce to the areas and capabilities
which are growing. Workforce planning will be central Similar to other employers operating in a labour
to the success of agencies in making these changes market affected by shortages in specialist skills,
work. This will be particularly important as different the APS will need to invest more resources towards
generations working side-by-side will have differing digital, cyber and data roles, while socio-emotional
expectations of work, their workplace and the options skills such as learning agility and growth mindset,
that employers have to build and maintain a diverse creativity, curiosity, initiative and innovation, critical
workforce. thinking and problem solving will become key to a
high-performing workforce in a digital environment.
Digital technologies and data are transforming
how our workforce operates and delivers Demand for data science skills increased by
1810% over 5 years27
The operating environment for the APS is increasingly
digital. The 2020 Federal Budget included over
$3bn of investment in data and digital technology- Demand for most in-demand digital
enabled initiatives.22 A number of agencies also have roles increased by ~700% over
major deliverables under the Digital Transformation 5 years28
Roadmap 2025. Over 74% of the APS workforce
is employed in those agencies. Various cohorts of
this large workforce will require a level of upskilling Demand for data analysis specialists and
and reskilling to build continuous employability and change managers doubled over
ensure delivery. 5 years29
As the APS continues its drive towards digital
government in a digital economy, automation and Top job functions with the largest projected
digital transformation will alter how APS employees growth in the APS are in: Data, Digital
work and the skills they need. According to McKinsey
and Company, 'governments around the world are and Intelligence and Policy
under pressure to operate more efficiently, serve Analysis30
citizens better and provide more satisfying working
environments for their employees. Automation can With 90% of Australian companies investing
also boost employee satisfaction; repetitive manual in and adopting big data analytics, there is
work is frequently cited as one of the main sources of strong competition in the labour market for
public-sector job dissatisfaction'.23 data skills31

18% of tasks and up to

40% of time in some
roles performed by APS
employees could be automated
by 203024

APS Workforce Strategy 2025 11

Increasing demand for skills and talent means internally through focused programs, such as
reskilling and workforce development are those being developed under the Digital and Data
critical to success Professional Streams.

In addition to deep expertise/specialist skills, the

The APS operates in an increasingly competitive Australian labour market—and hence the APS—
labour market, in particular for specialist skills and is also experiencing shortages in basic literacy,
deep expertise. We need to grow and develop our numeracy and digital skills.37 These gaps require
own capability, and attract and retain skills and focused effort throughout different workforce
capabilities. To do this at scale and better access management stages to mitigate workforce capability
diverse talent across Australia, strategies are gap risks.
becoming increasingly important. A strong employee
value proposition, alongside modern and innovative
approaches to workforce management, will ensure
that we attract and retain this diverse talent. More than 2 million - projected
number of skills shortages in government
Due to the demands of the digital economy, services by 2030. Digital literacy ranks
organisations face intense competition for just a in top skill shortages for government38
handful of critical roles. In 2018, 90% or more of S&P
organisations recruited for the same 39 roles, which
made up 49% of all job postings.32 Those 39 critical
roles included software developers, data scientists DIGITAL LITERACY
and computer systems engineers/ architects.
This points to global labour supply challenges for
specialist data and digital roles in an environment of
increased demand for these roles. Such roles require
in-demand but expensive skills, critical to digital
business worldwide.

There is increased competition in the Australian

labour market for ICT and digital technology skills for
a number of reasons, including a current shortage of 33% of skills that
specialist skills, an estimated growth in demand for were present in an average JOB
We are
JOB
We are
hiring
JOB
We are

technology workers of 100,000 employees by 202433 job posting in 2017 won’t

hiring hiring

and the fact that developing professional expertise be needed in 202139

can take an estimated seven years or more.34

Similar to other organisations in Australia and

globally, the APS is experiencing critical skill
shortages and capability gaps. Employers need a
strong focus on building and growing capabilities to
In a context where 28% of Australian workers will
succeed among this strong competition for specialist
need more than three months of reskilling to meet
talent and expertise.
emerging skills needs40, workforce reskilling in the
APS agencies identified emerging roles they need APS requires a culture of continuous learning where
to plan for, in particular in digital and data. 94% of employees with a growth mindset and curiosity make
agencies with critical skills shortages used special learning part of everyday work.
measures to retain people with critical skills.35
Embracing technology and accessing the broader,
Facilitating flexible working arrangements was one
nationwide talent pool by ensuring jobs are less tied
of the commonly used tools agencies employed to
to specific locations will be core enablers for the
retain those critical skills.
APS to engage, build and retain the talent and skills
However, despite operating in a competitive labour needed now and tomorrow. APS agencies also need
market and being faced with skill shortages, less than to support the workforce across a range of cohorts
50% of APS agencies are actively and strategically and career stages, and accommodate employees’
planning for workforce skills and capabilities.36 trends for more flexible working conditions and
working longer before retirement.
The APS cannot continue to be overly reliant on
recruiting from the labour market and only when
a vacancy arises. We must be able to proactively
and strategically recruit with a 5–10-year horizon in
mind, to build strong capability pipelines for data
and digital/ICT roles, and develop these capabilities

APS Workforce Strategy 2025 12

Community expectations, integrity and high culture across the APS.53 This included rewarding and
performance are central to the effectiveness of recognising talent and managing underperformance.
our service The impression and standing of the APS is influenced
by the interactions and experiences people have
Community expectations of government and the with our workforce. The Citizen Experience Survey
public sector continue to change while we continue highlights that citizens are five times more likely to
to focus on delivering outcomes and services trust government services if they think employees
aligned to the needs of Australian people. The APS and the service demonstrate integrity, openness and
has a highly engaged workforce. Its people are honesty. Citizens were more than four times more
committed to service, connect closely with agencies’ likely to trust public services if they were reliable;
purposes and understand how their work contributes that is, they were well-managed, dependable and
to achieving outcomes for the Australian public. adaptive to the needs of Australians.54
Delivering on changing expectations with flexible,
modern approaches for citizens will be facilitated Satisfaction with Australian public services also
by digital platforms and citizen-centric policy increases five-fold when APS staff ‘did what they
development, service design and delivery. said they would do’. Increasing the integrity of the
APS workforce is critical to building and maintaining
Employee Engagement Index Score: citizens’ trust, and to the effectiveness of the APS.55
73%41 (+1 percentage point from 2019)
• Australian Labour Market 2019: 70%42 Understanding and addressing
Wellbeing Index Score: 70%43 skills and capability gaps
(+3 percentage points from 2019)
At its broadest level, the role of the APS is to:
APS Employee Net Promoter Score: 5844
(+8 from 2019) – a score over 50 is considered provide effective, quick, easy
to be excellent and responsive services to
the Australian community directly or
91% of APS employees understand how their work in partnership with state and territory
contributes to achieving outcomes for the Australian governments, and the private sector
public45

85% see clear connection between their job and provide effective advice to
agency’s purpose46 inform government decisions to grow
the economy, create jobs, support the
83% are committed to their agency’s goals47 development of business and industry,
77% agree their workgroups use time and and protect the health, environment and
resources efficiently48 quality of life of all Australians

85% agree their supervisor ensures the team

delivers outcomes49
implement government
87% agree their colleagues cooperate to get the policy directions through
job done50 effective, citizen-centric approaches

As the APS changes and evolves, the attitudes and

behaviours of APS employees must continue to regulate the operation of a range of
demonstrate the highest standards of integrity. A aspects of the national economy
pro-integrity and high-performance culture must be
front and centre in the mind of every APS employee.
The APS Commissioner’s Directions, amended in
July 2019, clarify the obligations of agency heads,
deliver national security,
defence, border protection, health and
supervisors and APS employees in achieving,
safety responses to keep Australians safe
promoting and fostering a high-performance culture.51
Around 20% of 2019 APS Employee Census
respondents indicated that their agency dealt with
underperformance effectively.52 2019 amendments
internally support delivery of core functions
by effectively managing functions
to the APS Commissioner’s Directions explicitly
such as finance, risk management
addressed the role of senior leaders and supervisors
and business planning, ICT and
in developing and sustaining a high-performance
human resources

APS Workforce Strategy 2025 13

COVID-19 has brought increased visibility of the the APS must plan for. This is why we are planning for
role the APS plays in supporting Australians, with a our future state workforce, to be in the best position
greater focus on innovation and creativity to solve to respond to these challenges.
problems.
Capability Domains
To be effective into the future the APS must build
mechanisms that enable agencies and staff to
The collection of capability areas, including skills,
continue to:56
knowledge and attributes, required by all APS
employees have been outlined to build a highly
design policy and delivery capable and future-ready workforce.
solutions that meet the needs and
expectations of the community These capability domains should support individual,
team and organisational development through
focused development activities as reflected in the
assist government to APS L&D Action Plan and agency-specific strategies.
engage and communicate with They also enable key human resources activities such
the Australian community on social as workforce planning, recruitment, performance and
and economic challenges talent management.

Four broad capability domains:

use sophisticated data and
1. Employability
data analysis
techniques, and The fundamental skills and knowledge required across
understand the impact nearly all jobs in professional environments, which can
of policy and decisions be built and retained in the market, are considered
on outcomes in the employability capabilities. These ‘job-ready’
communities we serve capabilities can include essential professional and
people skills such as communication, learning agility,
team work, research and analysis, and digital dexterity.
work across boundaries to shape and
implement solutions to complex challenges 2. APS specific

Certain skills and knowledge, which are unique to

the APS, are developed internally. These include the
reduce unnecessary processes and skills and knowledge APS employees are required to
service congestion through rapid processes and
have to work lawfully and ethically in the APS. These
redesigned service delivery arrangements
include integrity, risk and information management.
Fundamental public service craft capabilities such as
policy design and development across government,
think about and manage risk and implementation of government decisions, enable
differently the APS workforce to deliver effectively for the
Government and the Australian people. The review of
the APS Centre for Leadership and Learning in 2020
use and design highlighted the importance of developing ‘public
technology solutions to service craft’ capabilities as a priority.
enhance the achievement of
outcomes 3. Technical and professional

Technical and professional capabilities are the

The skills and capabilities that we have today are not skills and knowledge required to undertake
going to be the skills and capabilities that we need in particular specialist roles within the APS. Technical
the future. Our operating environment continues to roles are roles which are specific to APS agency
change and the context in which we deliver services functions, such as passport and cargo control, or
is impacting our future workforce needs. Changing weather observation and analysis. Professional
community expectations, digital transformation, roles include data and digital specialists, strategic
increasingly competitive labour market, changing HR professionals, regulator and policy officers.
workforce profiles and employee expectations and Building professional capabilities through the APS
geopolitical challenges bring varied challenges that Professions model, as well as building both technical

APS Workforce Strategy 2025 14

and professional skills, often requires development APS Professions: Building deep expertise in
specific to an agency or role. This may be through key capability areas
experience on the job, connection with professional
associations or formal development.

4. Leadership

Leadership can be exercised by anyone, regardless

of position, with the capacity and desire to affect
positive change in the APS. Leadership behaviours
and attributes which inspire, develop and direct
‘…To address the expectations of
others to achieve APS goals can be built and retained
both within the APS and in the market. government and the Australian
community… the nature of what
Priority capabilities we need from a strategic HR
Clarifying the critical skills and capabilities required needs to broaden to include skills
across the APS now and in the future will help to outside of traditional HR. Key
ensure APS employees are prepared to deliver
services as and when required. These are likely to needs include change leadership,
include capabilities both specific to the APS and design capability, commercial
more commonly available, such as employability, and business acumen, data
leadership and technical capabilities. Future
clarification of these will facilitate a more strategic
analytics, behavioural economics,
approach to buy or build what is required. organisational psychology and
other broad potentials that partner
In the short term, the Workforce Strategy offers an
opportunity for us to identify priority capabilities: with business to achieve pragmatic
those capabilities emerging as critical to the effective business outcomes.’57
performance of the APS.

These capabilities will evolve over time in response to - Mr Peter Woolcott AO

a changing operating environment.

We will establish enterprise-wide mechanisms to

continuously challenge and identify these changing
capabilities. This will help us remain agile when it In 2019, the APS introduced APS Professional
comes to adapting and modernising obsolete skills Streams to build deep expertise in key professional
and capabilities, and developing new ones for our capabilities aligned to delivering critical functions
workforce. of government. By the end of 2020, the APS had
established three of these streams designed to
An APS Learning and Development Action Plan will
enhance digital58 and data capabilities59 and deep
clarify best practice in capability development and
expertise, and improve capabilities to support
identify roles and responsibilities for the development
strategic workforce management60 in the APS.
of the capabilities identified in the capability
framework. This includes the role of the APS The streams comprise practical initiatives which can
Academy, to be established in July 2021. be grouped under 3 key focuses:

• Getting it right from the start: attracting talent to

The APS Academy will lead a the APS, improving entry-level skills and creating
one-APS approach to learning diversity among the people in these disciplines.
• Developing sophisticated and specialist
and leadership to strengthen capabilities: identifying and promoting learning
the professionalism of the and development opportunities, and designing
role profiles.
APS, minimise duplication and • Embedding a professional workforce: defining
maximise return on investment profession-specific capabilities, building career
pathways, professional communities and
for the best possible outcomes. professional standards.

Alongside these three, under the Department

of Prime Minister and Cabinet’s new regulator

APS Workforce Strategy 2025 15

performance function, we will increase accountability,
promote best practice and build professional skills
63% of APS Census respondents reported their
SES manager could effectively lead and manage
for staff in regulatory roles through targeted upskilling change.65
and training, and cultural change.61

Strong leadership capabilities will drive 62% of employees reported their SES manager
performance encouraged innovation and creativity.66
High-performing leaders who can engage the skills,
talents and commitment of the APS workforce are ‘Complex’, ‘ambiguous’, ‘uncertain’ and ‘disruptive’
critical to the APS delivering its services and meeting are not just buzzwords. They accurately describe the
changing demands. reality of the policy, regulatory and service delivery
challenges Australia is facing. These challenges
Public sector institutions across the world are
require a broader repertoire of leadership responses
grappling with the impact of technological and
at all levels, particularly for the SES. The Secretaries
societal change on existing approaches to leadership.
Board has endorsed a set of leadership capabilities
Long-established leadership capabilities, such as to reflect what is needed from our senior leaders
conceptual and analytical thinking and strategic (see Figure 2).67 These are key to shaping long-term
planning, remain essential. However, it is recognised organisational strategy, developing high-performing
that soft skills—such as the ability to engage with workforces and harnessing the benefits of diverse
multiple stakeholders and effectively mobilise diverse thinking and perspectives to find new ways of
teams—are core leadership capabilities for the future. delivering outcomes.

In the APS, at the broadest level, leadership is about SES is the least diverse cohort in the APS68. However,
inspiring and energising people to tackle challenges SES are more likely to have worked in multiple
and find solutions that benefit the nation. This agencies than the rest of the APS: 63% vs 29%.69
includes engaging people to bring about change,
to innovate, collaborate and move towards a new
vision of the future. It also includes challenging
current thinking and ways of working to deliver better
outcomes for government and community. In this
environment, being adept at working with multiple
organisations and systems is just as important as
technical expertise in delivering outcomes. Similarly,
being able to draw on diverse skills and perspectives,
and having the courage to test new approaches are
as critical to solving complex problems as analytical Female Indigenous
skills. Continuing to build leadership capability SES 48.0% SES 1.4%
will be a high priority for the APS as the workforce APS: 60% APS 3.5%
adapts to rapid change. This must be supported by a
range of interventions that encourage individual and
organisational commitment to continuous learning.

Of the 46% of employees who identified skills

or capability gaps in their immediate workgroups,
27% identified leadership as a capability gap.62
Disability Born in a non-English
68% of agencies SES: 3.8% speaking country
identified leadership as APS: 4.0% SES 7.3%
a top L&D need.63
APS: 15.9%

Continuing to ensure diversity of workforce

Less than half of all 2020 APS Employee composition at all levels should be a focus to ensure
Census respondents (49%) agreed that their Senior it represents the Australian community.
Executive Service (SES) manager took time to identify
and develop talented people.64

APS Workforce Strategy 2025 16

Figure 2. APS Leadership Capability Framework

Courageous, self-aware, resilient, citizen-centric and life-long learner

These personal qualities sit at the heart of effective leadership in the APS. For APS leaders,
mobilising and driving change requires a strong capacity for action and an equally strong capacity for
understanding and contending with constraints. Self-awareness, courage, resilience, citizen centricity
and life-long learning enable senior leaders to hold steady through the challenges of leadership.

Visionary

To provide the best policy advice to government

and shape services for the community into the
future, senior leaders need to be able to scan the
horizon for emerging trends, identify opportunities
and challenges, and inspire a collective purpose.

Entrepreneurial Influential

In finding new and To take the Government’s

better ways of achieving policy agenda forward,
outcomes on behalf of senior leaders need to be
government and citizens, able to build relationships
senior leaders need to be and influence others,
able to challenge current winning and maintaining
perspectives, generate the confidence of key
new ideas and experiment stakeholders.
with different approaches.
They also need to be
adept at managing risk.

Enabling Collaborative

Creating an environment that In making progress on

empowers diverse individuals issues that cut across
and teams to deliver their best for agencies, sectors and
government and citizens is a core nations, senior leaders
requirement for senior leaders. This need to be able to develop
includes setting expectations, being relationships, build trust,
inclusive, nurturing talent and building balance competing interests
organisational capability. and find common ground.
An openness to diverse
perspectives is critical.

Delivery

Senior leaders need to be highly skilled at

managing the delivery of complex projects,
programs and services. This includes harnessing
the opportunity provided by digital technology to
improve delivery outcomes for citizens.

APS Workforce Strategy 2025 17

Around 8% of SES Band 1s and 2s, and 50% of Our workforce must continue to
SES Band 3s have been assessed against these
leadership behaviours through talent management evolve to meet changing demands
and capability assessment processes.70 These
assessments show that our SES benchmark well In response to this changing workforce profile and
against private sector senior executives. They delivery context, the APS must continue to adapt.
have usually excelled in demanding roles and are For the APS to meet current and future challenges,
motivated by ‘service to others’.71 They consistently it needs to develop and deploy its workforce
rate well in their capability to deliver - they will get the capabilities strategically. A high-performing workforce
job done and are highly resilient. These assessments starts with the right approach to strengthening
also show that other leadership capabilities capabilities in line with business needs.
important for the APS are less developed. Analysis
of SES experiences reported in the APSC’s talent Changes in public sector workforce profile,
assessment processes shows that the two lowest- community expectations, the way public services are
measured capabilities for SES are ‘enabling’ and being delivered and employee expectations about
‘entrepreneurial’, the two capabilities key to delivering work will combine to shape the APS workforce we
innovative outcomes through teams.72 However, a need to continue to deliver for government and the
review of development plans of those assessed finds Australian community.
‘enabling’ is the most common area of development
prioritised by SES Band 3s73, demonstrating their
commitment to improving their ability to mobilise
others to get things done. As the APS contends with
increasingly complex public policy challenges that
require adaptive responses, these capabilities are
becoming more critical.

APS Workforce Strategy 2025 18

Delivering for Tomorrow: An Action Plan for the APS workforce
Implementation of this Strategy will remain dynamic, flexible and responsive to the operating environment. This will ensure planned outcomes continue to deliver for the Government and the Australian community. The APS
Secretaries Board are the owners of intended outcomes, with implementation and progress reported to the board annually, accompanied by strategic APS labour force insights. Strategy progress and labour force insights
will be published for wider consumption through the State of the Service Report.

The APSC, working with lead or partner agencies, will coordinate delivery of key outputs across the service, reflecting the APS working as one enterprise on implementation of key workforce initiatives.

Our future state What benefits for the

Action Plan Employee life cycle What are we doing? What else will we do?
workforce characteristics community?

Australian Government Graduate

Attract, build and retain skills, expertise and talent - Impact the quality
Program of the relationship
between citizens and
Early engagement Establishment of the APS - Establish an APS Academy government services
of talent pool Academy - Deliver an annual emerging skills needs forecast through building a highly
Agile, collaborative, skilled, high-performing,
- Implement an APS induction program
Development of entry pathway responsive and able to effective and efficient
- Deliver an APS-wide L&D Action Plan
programs navigate complexity workforce
- Define desired environmental changes
- Deliver satisfactory,
Attract, build Development of strategic - Deploy service-wide and project-specific high-quality outcomes
Recruitment / onboarding HR capability centre of excellence capabilities
and retain skills, and trustworthy
- Promote the APS as an employer of choice experiences for citizens
expertise and
- Establish partnerships with educational
talent
institutions
Skilled, knowledgeable and
committed to life-long
Attraction Mobility Framework Embrace data, technology and flexible and learning
responsive workforce models - Better understand
public and citizen needs
Development of core digital and and deliver reliable and
- Support planning for digital transformation
data literacy skills for all staff program responsive services
- Develop APS-wide guidance on strategic - Maximise data and
Learning & performance Data Professions Strategy commissioning of work technology for decision
management making, policy and
- Understand requirements for whole-of- Maximising data and
Digital Professions Strategy government workforce data infrastructure service design and
Embrace data, technology, delivery
Tools and resources to support - Partner with external experts to mitigate
technology capability risks and digital engagement - Deploy flexible and
workforce transition planning for responsive workforce
and flexible - Build a culture in which individual mobility is a models adapted to the
Career development digital transformation
and responsive key enabler of organisational performance
changing environment
workforce Guidance on flexible - Review APS classification structure
models workforce models - Support workforce flexibility and talent accessibility
by increasing the regional presence of the APS

Strengthen integrity and purposeful leadership - Trust in delivery of

Engagement & Professional, engaged and services and programs
retention APS L&D Action Plan
- Embed mobility in capability development and committed to integrity aligned to community
talent management needs
Talent management programs
for leadership roles - Establish transition and mentoring programs - Trust in coordination
between services for
- Upskill managers and senior leaders to manage
Leadership development the APS as an enterprise consistent information
and advice
Reward & recognition programs - Build one APS by expanding leadership
Strengthen development opportunities
integrity and Pro-integrity training for all staff - Enhance talent management to create
leadership pipelines Citizen-centred in approach,
purposeful inclusive and representative
leadership - Strengthen training and guidance materials to
reinforce APS integrity of our diverse communities
Separation
 Action 1: Attract, build and retain skills, expertise and talent

We will recruit and develop the capabilities and skills needed to be a diverse, high-
performing workforce that facilitates career pathways across an outcomes-focused
enterprise.

Changing skill requirements While still a world-leading public service,

the APS is less competitive than other civil
By 2030, APS employees may spend:74 services in relation to:80
• ICT skills at work (digital dexterity)
15% less time on basic • Communications skills
cognitive tasks
• Problem-solving skills
20% more time on
technological activities Developing Staff

12% more time on 68% of HR leaders will prioritise building

social and emotional tasks critical skills and capabilities in 202181

59% of L&D executives have experienced 27% of Australians did not take up
growing skills shortages in their learning activities because they
organisations over the past three years75 were too busy at work82

Of the 21% of 2020 APS Employee Census

72% of agencies reported critical skill respondents who had not completed any
shortages76
formal learning and development during the
Of those agencies who had critical skills previous year, around half (51%) said this
shortages, the most common skill shortages was because they had other priorities83
were in:77
90% of APS agencies
do not have an evaluation
strategy for measuring the
effectiveness and impact of
Data Digital ICT
learning84
70% 54% 40%

46% of employees said their workgroup Diversity

was experiencing skill and capability gaps78
Organisations who employ a diverse workforce
Top identified gaps were:79 ICT (33%) benefit from the value of diversity of thought
and digital (18%), written (29%)
and oral (22%) communication, 20% increased innovation and 30%
leadership (27%), data (24%), lowered risk85
change management (22%) and Organisations who foster an inclusive
creativity and innovation (21%) workplace culture are 8x more likely to
achieve better business outcomes86
 Developing our people

Capability development is a key priority for the APS.

We will focus programs across the enterprise to
build capabilities through Professional Streams and
the APS Academy. We are changing the way we
approach learning and development to consider more
‘The APS will need to invest in the effective systems using technology and enterprise-
professionalism and expertise of wide development programs for key public service
its people and leaders, who are skills.
at the heart of its organisational In an environment of accelerating change, learning
capability. This includes adopting agility—the ability to maintain and develop new skills
continually, learn from experience in the workplace
a strategic approach to workforce and quickly adapt to change—is critical.
management to improve how the
APS attracts, recruits, develops A more efficient and effective system of building
capability in our people includes:
and deploys its people.’87
• adopting modern learning practices – a
continuous cycle of learning for, through and in
‘High-quality learning and work
development opportunities are • responsibility for learning is shared between
needed to realise the potential of individuals, managers and leadership
APS people.’88 • enabling all APS employees with the opportunity
to access the development guidance and help
they need digitally – anywhere, anytime
- Commonwealth of Australia • providing development guidance and delivering
strong return-on-investment learning and the
ability to measure this return
• clarifying roles in the APS learning ecosystem to
prevent duplication and maximise outcomes
Recruiting the best talent • a focus on deliberate mobility to build depth and
breadth of experience in talented individuals.
In a competitive labour market, the APS needs
best-practice approaches to recruitment, leveraging Building a learning environment for employees to
technology and innovation to attract and recruit high- thrive is also critical, and agency management to
performing, skilled employees at all stages of their maintain employee health and wellbeing are central
careers. to our ability to respond to workforce challenges and
the adoption of different workforce models.
We are rethinking the way we attract candidates,
through enterprise-wide entry programs and strategic
approaches to attract skilled individuals from entry- Building critical capabilities
level roles to mid-career and senior-level professional
and leadership roles. We are designing recruitment The increasing complexity and ambiguity of public
strategies that focus on building identified capabilities policy challenges, combined with citizens’ demands
for the APS. The development of innovative entry for more effective, responsive and transparent
programs for individuals at any stage of their career government services, require the APS workforce to
will contribute to building our brand and position the be skilled in innovative problem solving, complex
APS as an employer of choice to attract and retain relationship management, integrity and ethics.
candidates from digital apprentices and cadets to A strong focus on delivering for Australians and
mid-career professionals and leaders from various supporting the wellbeing of the communities we
sectors. serve also requires our staff, in particular those staff
in service delivery roles, to have the skills to navigate
A strong, positive narrative about the APS employee difficult conversations with customers through,
value proposition will also be critical to attracting new for example, suicide prevention and mental health
talent at all levels. This needs to build on existing training.
recognised APS agency brands and promote the
breadth and diversity of opportunities available
and the ability to contribute to work that makes a
difference for the Australian community.

APS Workforce Strategy 2025 21

The 2019 Independent Review The Academy’s development focus will be on building
capabilities central to the ‘APS craft’: in short,
of the APS advocated for leadership, integrity, governance, policy, delivery
the establishment of an APS and engagement. It will emphasise the importance
of a broad suite of learning approaches, including
Professions Model and the experiential learning, on-the-job training, mobility and
secondments, as well as some intensive face-to-face
development of an APS-wide course offerings.
Learning and Development
Action Plan. Diversity

A diverse workforce brings diversity of perspective,

skills, experience and background. Diversity drives
APS Professions innovation and leads to better business outcomes.89

We have a diverse workforce and are continuing to

We will continue to implement APS-wide Professional
build inclusive workplace cultures deep-rooted in
Streams to build deep expertise in key professional
respect for all people including their rights and their
capabilities aligned to delivering critical functions
gender, age, heritage and cultural background, skills,
of government. Professional streams in Human
experience, work styles and ideas. Our diversity and
Resources, Digital and Data have been established to
inclusion strategies, including the Commonwealth
address identified, critical workforce capability gaps.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Workforce
We will implement ongoing evaluation and review Strategy 2020–24, the Australian Public Service
mechanisms to understand the impact of current APS Disability Employment Strategy 2020–2025 and the
professions and inform decisions on the development Gender Equality Strategy will continue to shape our
of future professions. Through professional stream workforce management approach.
leads, we will work with agencies to align recruitment
To support the APS to deliver on our business
and development strategies with identified
strategies we must continue to build and support a
capabilities in professional streams.
diverse workforce and inclusive workplace cultures.
We will strengthen the diversity of our workforce by
APS Learning and Development Action Plan implementing diversity strategies across the APS.
We will also work closely with agencies and heads
We will deliver and implement an APS Learning of APS professional streams to consider specific
and Development Action Plan to underpin a highly initiatives as part of their workforce strategies.
capable and future-ready service. This will seek
to ensure the APS has the critical skills needed
to meet the future needs of government, giving
all APS employees access to quality learning and
development when required.

One-APS capability: establishing an APS

Academy

The APSC will support one-APS capability

development by establishing an APS Academy
from 1 July 2021 to lead the transformation of APS
learning and development practice.

The Academy will operate as a national, networked

model in partnership with all APS agencies. It will
connect with existing APS centres of excellence, as
well as extend networks with the Australia and New
Zealand School of Government, academic institutions
and other specialist providers.

APS Workforce Strategy 2025 22

When we successfully implement this Strategy, APS staff, managers and leaders
will see the APS is able to:

Short Term
• Progress towards mitigating current capability gaps and establish plans to develop capabilities for
emerging roles.
• Attract, develop and retain individuals with identified skills, capabilities, growth mindsets, learning agility,
curiosity, creativity, innovation and strong judgement skills.
• Attract and retain a diverse workforce that reflects the community it serves, through a strong employer
brand.

Longer Term
• Position itself as a career choice for top Australian talent, communicating a compelling employee value
proposition.
• Deploy strong core skills in the day-to-day work performance of all public servants.
• Build a learning culture and mindset where staff take accountability for their own development and
career management and progression, and recognise development opportunities that can enhance their
capabilities.
• Increase citizen trust through demonstrated capabilities and strong technical and professional expertise.

When we successfully implement this Strategy, the Government and the

Australian community will see the APS is able to:

• Impact the quality of the relationship between citizens and government services, through building a highly
skilled, high-performing, effective and efficient workforce.

• Deliver satisfactory, high-quality outcomes and trustworthy experiences for citizens.

APS Workforce Strategy 2025 23

How will we get there?

What we’re already doing What else we will do What agencies should consider

Attract, build and retain skills, expertise and talent

Develop guidance for agencies to apply modern

recruitment practices, leveraging technology and
innovation to attract high-performing, skilled employees
through clear and easy recruitment processes.
Develop an employee value proposition for
APS graduates to attract high-quality
candidates.
Develop entry programs to attract diverse talent
to core functional areas such as data, digital and
APS Professional Streams.
Build inclusive cultures to support diverse
workforces. Strengthen workforce diversity
through business-linked workforce planning, Implement the APS HR Professional Stream,
from hire through to retire. along with a strategy to build and uplift strategic
HR skills in the APS.
• Established HR Professional network, HR
Establish the APS Academy to lead the
transformation of APS learning and graduate recruitment for the APS, HR leaders
development practice. as advisors on SES HR recruitment panels,
and continue to uplift HR capability through
professional recognition.
Promote upskilling and the importance of
life-long learning to employees. Build workforce
engagement with modern learning practices.
Deliver, in partnership with the National Skills
Commission, an annual emerging skills needs
forecast for the APS, through the annual
Implement an APS induction program that State of the Service Report, supporting agency
reinforces key APS qualities of integrity, workforce planning activities.
service delivery and advice, and supports
government. Deliver an APS-wide L&D Action Plan to drive
a system-wide approach to development of
core APS skills and workforce reskilling through
modern learning practices, and establish
Define desired environmental changes,
standards to ensure quality L&D and ROI.
outcomes and benefits. Monitor progress and
evaluate the impact of workforce interventions.
Establish a free-agent model to deploy
centre of excellence capabilities for project
work in agencies.

Design recruitment and L&D strategies

around building priority capabilities for the APS.
Promote the APS as an employer of choice
through a strong integrated brand across the APS,
including the potential to develop and incorporate
whole-of-APS employee value proposition.
Establish partnerships with educational
institutions to connect their course curricula to
future skills the APS will need, and build strong
talent pipelines into the service. Increase utilisation of service-wide centres
of excellence for various capabilities (e.g.
behavioural insights, user-centred design,
change management).
Incorporate the graduate employee value
proposition into their marketing and attraction
activities.
Implement wellbeing programs that promote a
safe working environment for employees to thrive.

APS Workforce Strategy 2025 24

 Action 2: Embrace data, technology and flexible and
responsive workforce models

We will lead digital transformation and deploy skills, expertise and talent to where it is
needed, to deliver the outcomes that the Government and Australians expect.

Agile workforce models Skills & capabilities

97% of employers believe that employees’ Digital & data literacy skills continue
expectations of work are changing to be identified as capability gaps within
90

immediate workgroups across the APS98

Top 3 enablers of performance for APS
employees in 2020:91
High risk of a “skills mismatch of a
• increased flexibility in work practices (69%) significant scale” arising from accelerated
• improved technology and a more digital digital disruption in the economy. Future of
environment (52%) work requires a combination of developed
• improved internal communication (32%) foundational language, literacy,

49% of APS employees thought their numeracy and digital skills99

productivity had improved since the start of
202092 Data analysts & scientists were
identified as among the top 10 emerging
89% of APS employees agreed their job roles for Australia100
workgroup successfully adapted to new
ways of working when required93
73% of APS agencies identified
65% agreed their workgroup had used the employee skills and capability as a barrier
COVID-19 crisis to improve the way they to the use of data101
worked94

COVID-19 Innovation in service delivery

During the pandemic, user adoption The Digital Service Standard102

of digital technologies advanced 5 sets out best practice for how
years in approximately 8 weeks95 teams are formed, how they work
and how they design and deliver digital
services
Investment in technology
Agility
Over 111,000 APS employees are
working in agencies currently affected by The need to deliver faster and in a
deliverables in the Digital Transformation more agile manner was demonstrated
Roadmap 202596 when the APS mobilised
more than 2,300
9 in 10 Australian companies are employees across
investing in and adopting big data government temporarily, to
analytics97 deliver critical functions during COVID-19
 New work models
The recommendations of the APS Review remain
highly relevant: the APS needs to transform its
workforce and structure, and perform as one
enterprise to compete globally and drive innovative
and citizen-centric solutions.105
‘The APS must prepare for major We will embrace new workforce and capability
changes in the years ahead as models and streamline workforce management
technology redefines the jobs its practices to bring the right capabilities together
through tiger teams or taskforces to solve problems.
people perform, the services they We will also better utilise the collective intelligence
provide and the outcomes they of our workforce and engage the Australian public
deliver.’103 to crowd-source solutions to complex societal
problems.

Disruption to the APS operating model experienced

‘The APS will need to change during the COVID-19 crisis reinforced the need for
fundamentally its ways of working, the APS to employ new ways of working, engage with
to become a much more dynamic risk and streamline decision-making structures to
best support the Australian community and safeguard
and responsive organisation.
Australia’s security and prosperity.
It must remove roadblocks to
achieve outcomes effectively. This We are looking at ways to transfer capability more
seamlessly between the APS and other sectors,
is essential to make it easy for the injecting external capability and innovation into the
public and business to deal with enterprise. We can generate innovative solutions to
the Government and access its complex problems by leveraging concepts such as
innovation labs and developing training agreements
services. It is also essential for the in partnership with academia and industry.
APS to better support successive
We are reviewing SES and non-SES classification
governments and help tackle
levels and structures within the APS against best
complex, cross-portfolio issues.’104 practice and these emerging workforce needs. This
classification review will explore opportunities to
streamline management, improve decision making
- Commonwealth of Australia and enhance workforce flexibility across the APS to
best deliver government priorities.

We will continue to change the way the APS operates

by placing the needs of Australians at the core of
Tech and digital capabilities everything we do. A cultural change, driven from
the very top of the APS is required to support both
Technology continues to change how Australians live,
delivery of immediate government priorities and the
work and prosper. The adoption of new technologies
longer-term transformation of the APS through the
and digital collaboration tools, and the increased use
implementation of the APS Reform Agenda.
of data to inform decisions will all continue to change
the world of work. Working in a digital age disrupts
traditional work models and requires new skills, Mobility and surge
processes and structures to embrace disruption The mobilisation of the APS was critical to addressing
quickly, facilitate change and drive innovation. We major events such as the COVID-19 pandemic, wide-
will need to continually assess how technological spread bushfires and significant weather events in
advances will impact our workforce and develop 2020.
guidance to support agencies to skill employees to
prepare them for emerging and new roles. We will The APS mobilised en masse to support the
continue to prioritise the development of core digital response to COVID-19. More than 2,000 employees
and data skills for our workforce to support digital came from across the APS to help Services Australia
transformation and the use of data at scale. We will respond to requests for help from the public.
also prioritise digital upskilling of APS leaders to
Additionally, more than 11,000 employees reported
lead digital teams, drive change and manage digital
in the 2020 APS Employee Census that they had
enterprises.
worked in a different team in their agency dedicated

APS Workforce Strategy 2025 26

to the COVID-19 response. More than 2,500 reported communities it serves. It also provides valuable
working in a team at a different agency.106 We have insight into different operating approaches, which
built upon these experiences and will strive to remove can benefit APS agencies and build stronger public-
barriers to mobility to ensure employees move even private partnerships.
more quickly and efficiently to support government
services that need their skills the most. Ultimately, a more open, mobile and communicative
workforce will foster more diverse thinking, allow
people to collaborate, innovate and debate ideas,
We are creating an APS Surge and improve individual and overall capability.
Reserve to assist with large- The APS continues to deploy a flexible approach to
resourcing that strikes the balance between a core
scale responses to unforeseen workforce of permanent public servants and the
workloads in the future. selective use of external expertise. This will mean a
continuing mixed workforce approach, where APS
employees and non-APS workers collaborate to
We will also continue to share and deploy resources deliver outcomes within agencies.
rapidly, reduce duplication and deliver effectively
A mixed workforce approach will continue to be
against government priorities.
a feature of APS workforce planning. Non-APS
The benefits of mobility go beyond meeting increased workers, when used effectively in appropriate
demand. Mobility across APS agencies and into circumstances, can provide significant benefits to
other jurisdictions and sectors can build capability, agencies and help them achieve their outcomes.
diversify perspectives and strengthen the work of the Non-APS workers can also provide access to
APS. Data shows most APS employees (71.1% at specialist and in-demand skills to supplement the
30 June 2020) have only ever been employed in one APS workforce in peak times in business cycles.
agency.107 While there is no ‘right’ APS-wide level of There will be a need for APS agencies to access
movement between agencies, there are some areas skills, capability or capacity differently, including
of critical capability that would benefit from greater through contractors and consultants, or through
cross-agency and cross-sector mobility. Through external partnerships with academia or industry.
mobility, employees develop new skills, expand their There may also be a need to engage with industry
networks and get an enhanced understanding of how to develop skills and capabilities to drive delivery
APS work impacts the Australian community and of programs across the service. The use of non-
business in different ways. APS employees, including labour hire, contractors
and consultants, brings different opportunities and
Flexible workforce composition risks for APS agencies to manage. Agencies relying
on mixed workforce arrangements need to take
Flexibility in workforce composition across the APS an integrated approach to workforce planning that
will remain an important feature of effective workforce includes and best utilises their non-APS workers. This
planning for agencies. This is critical to ensure is particularly important where key deliverables are
agency heads can access the skills, capability and specifically reliant on this non-APS workforce.
capacity to drive delivery.
Ensuring agencies take a structured approach to the
The APS workforce structure needs to be less use of non-APS employees—including considering
restricted and siloed, and more open and integrated, where work would be best delivered by an APS
both across the service and in its liaison with other employee—and knowledge transfer and capability
sectors. uplift arrangements is a key element of successful
mixed workforce models, which are already being
This will allow the workforce to be more mobile, used by agencies across the APS.
meaning people and skills can be transferred
and deployed faster and more easily to ensure A professional public service harnesses skills,
productivity while meeting changing demands. This expertise and capacity from a variety of sources to
is essential as the capabilities the APS needs are deliver services as priorities arise. We must focus
constantly evolving in line with technological and on understanding and removing barriers to external
societal changes. mobility and encouraging the mobilisation of skills
from both across and outside the APS.
Opportunities for APS employees to gain practical
experience and exposure to work in other sectors
only improves the APS’s ability to understand the

APS Workforce Strategy 2025 27

Workforce flexibility overall performance. Increasing our sophistication
in using people and business data will enable more
We are working in a modern multigenerational
reliable forecasting and alignment of our workforce
workforce. People are working longer and
to business strategy and government priorities.
employee expectations are changing. The use of
Embracing new ways of working, flexibility and
technology in day-to-day life sets expectations in
fostering diversity of thought is critical to leveraging
the workplace to take advantage of technology to
innovation and finding solutions to complex
increase productivity. We are improving the ways we
problems.
organise our workforce to ensure that our workforce
management infrastructure is fit-for-purpose for
today’s and tomorrow’s challenges.

Flexible working is quickly becoming a key element

of the development of an Employee Value Proposition
(EVP) and will strengthen our ability to attract and
retain a skilled and diverse workforce. More flexible
working arrangements offer new opportunities to
engage diverse talent and respond to changing ‘Australia’s ongoing success
expectations.108 Diversity of thought is central to depends on our ability to harness
driving new and innovative approaches, and through these technological advances to
enhanced workforce flexibility, the APS will be able
to build strong attraction and retention strategies drive economic growth and raise
through a compelling EVP. Remote working and productivity and living standards
flexible working arrangements also offer opportunity for all Australians. A key focus
to achieve higher productivity growth, impacting
economic recovery for Australia. Through COVID-19, of the Government’s Digital
we have seen technology enable jobs to be done Economy Strategy is the digital
from any location. There are now over 75 million daily transformation of government
active users of MS Teams, adding 31 million in just
over a month.109 APS agencies embraced technology
itself, ensuring we keep pace
and quickly adapted to the COVID-19 crisis. Based with community needs and
on lessons learnt from the crisis, agencies intend expectations.’111
to make a number of changes to their workforce
strategy and/or plan. The top three changes include
reviewing workforce strategies to ensure they - The Digital Transformation Agency.
facilitate flexible and remote working, increasing the
mobility and agility of the workforce, and exploring
different approaches to recruitment.110

In the next five years the Australian Government

will be required to solve new challenges in new
ways and will rely on technology, agile work models
and the digital capability of our people to deliver
successful outcomes. The strategic use of data
and digital technologies will increase workforce
and organisational efficiency, productivity and

APS Workforce Strategy 2025 28

When we successfully implement this Strategy, APS staff, managers and leaders
will see the APS is able to:

Short Term
• Rapidly deploy a large cohort of existing APS staff in the early stages of a crisis to support the
Government’s crisis response.
• More easily use staff mobility as a strategic workforce management tool in service of government, agency
and enterprise-wide priorities to help with peaks in demand, bringing diverse skills and perspective
together to solve problems, and developing its people.
• Increase its use of digital technology enabling agile and flexible ways of working.
• Effectively use digital platforms, data and evidence for policy and service delivery.
• Effectively manage its workforce for the impact of digital transformation and the use of data at scale.
• Demonstrate high performance and embrace technology developments that drive more efficient work
practices, and work more innovatively and efficiently in a digital world.

Longer Term
• Demonstrate that workforce management is aligned with government priorities and business objectives,
and drives business outcomes through implementation of workforce strategies and plans.
• Efficiently and effectively use staff mobility as a strategic workforce management tool in service of
government, agency and enterprise-wide priorities.
• Effortlessly use technology solutions for cohesive workforce management, delivering efficiencies and
enabling strategic foresight from technology adoption and use of integrated workforce datasets.

When we successfully implement this Strategy, the Government and the

Australian community will see the APS is able to:

• Better understand public and citizen needs and deliver reliable and responsive services.
• Maximise data and technology for decision making, policy and service design and delivery, supporting
digital citizen engagement in a digital economy.
• Deploy flexible and responsive workforce models adapted to the changing operating environment and
citizen expectations.

APS Workforce Strategy 2025 29

How will we get there?

What we’re already doing What else we will do What agencies should consider

Embrace data, technology and flexible and responsive workforce models

Develop guidance to agencies on the design of APS

structures and management span, and review
APS classifications to develop more agile operating
Develop an APS Reskilling Guide and tools models and effective resource management.
to support agencies reskill and upskill their
workforce for the impact of digital technology
and emerging roles. Develop an APS Mobility Framework for the
purpose of building capability and deploying
capacity.
Prioritise upskilling and reskilling of
employees and align development to emerging
roles in data and digital, and roles augmented
by technology. Establish a surge reserve that supports greater
use of mobility as a workforce management tool
in a crisis.
Develop a whole-of-enterprise digital
learning and development solution to support
upskilling, reskilling and career development
needs across the service.
Partner with the DTA and ABS to develop
core digital and data literacy skills for all
APS staff.
Delivering the DTA Digital Career Pathways
program to attract, build and keep the
skills of APS employees to help with digital
transformation.
Design agile work practices and operating
models to support mobilisation of staff to key and
critical functions.
Established the APS Data Professional Stream
to source, grow and mobilise data capabilities
and expertise across the APS.
Established the APS Digital Professional Stream
• Established Data Professional network and to build and strengthen digital expertise of the
cross-agency project teams to create a data APS workforce.
capability framework, data role descriptions, • Established Digital Professional network,
data capabilities for SES officers and data mapped digital careers and skills via Career
literacy development offerings. Pathfinder tool, strengthened digital leadership
and digital stream recruitment for the APS.

Develop and embed a package of tools and

resources to support workforce transition
planning for digital transformation program.
Develop APS-wide guidance on strategic
commissioning of work based on skills and
capability insights and foresight.
Review workforce management practices
and promote flexibility to strengthen
attraction and retention initiatives.
Understand the requirements of a whole-of-
government workforce data infrastructure.
Partner with external experts, such as those
in academia, industry and professional bodies,
to develop and bring in expertise when and as Undertake a review of the APS classification
needed, to mitigate capability risks. structure to streamline management,
improve decision making and enhance
Build a culture where individual mobility is workforce flexibility.
recognised and rewarded as an important
enabler of organisational performance. Support workforce flexibility and talent
accessibility by increasing the regional
presence of the APS.

APS Workforce Strategy 2025 30

 Action 3: Strengthen integrity and purposeful leadership

We will ensure that our leadership continues to shape our behaviour, our purpose and our delivery
of outcomes, and that the APS is highly regarded for our integrity and citizen-centric focus.

Whole-of-enterprise operating model Leadership

The APS lacks a clear unified purpose112 The top people management and leadership
development needs were:117

70% of APS staff report that the APS • Leadership – leading and managing
is too hierarchical, operating in through change, uncertainty and
silos and traditional ways of transformation
working113 • People management – centred
around managing remote teams, developing
lacks a unified
The APS high-performing teams, staff mental health,
coaching and mentoring, psychologically
leadership team and runs safe environments and career management
more like a group of agencies,
not an integrated organisation114 • Performance management
– including high performance and
underperformance. Managing complex and
Citizen-centric delivery and challenging staffing issues
institutional integrity
Of those APS employees who said
their immediate workgroup had
52% of respondents to the Citizen capability gaps, 27% reported
Experience Survey said they were leadership as a missing capability118
satisfied with the Australian
Public Service115 72% of APS staff stated that their
manager encourages and supports high
The APS must uphold, and be seen to
performance119
uphold, the highest standards of ethical
behaviour

90% or more of employees High-performance cultures

• perceived their colleagues and
supervisors always or often acted in Organisations with highly effective
accordance with the APS Values116 performance management
systems are three times
The APS Values, APS Employment more likely to report that they
Principles and APS Code of Conduct
outperform their peers120
underpin our approach to integrity culture.
All APS employees agree to uphold
these elements when they begin work
with the APS, supporting integrity in APS 48% of APS staff believed their overall
employment experience of performance management
in their agency had been useful for their
development121

78% of APS staff agreed their workgroup

completes work to a high standard122
 efforts to do this in line with Recommendation 7 of
the APS Review and the Government’s commitment
to reinforce integrity culture in the APS.126 Pro-
integrity culture at the institutional level goes beyond
focusing purely on compliance with a set of rules;
it also involves values and acknowledges and
champions proactively doing the right thing.
‘Australians should be at the centre
To support this work, the APSC commissioned Mr
of government – in the decisions Stephen Sedgwick AO to consult across the APS and
it makes, in the programs and provide a report on institutional integrity in the APS.
projects it delivers, and in meeting Mr Sedgwick made 10 recommendations, focusing
on three core elements: awareness, capability and
community expectations.’123
accountability.

The APSC will work with agencies to implement

- The Hon Scott Morrison MP Mr Sedgwick’s recommendations to reinforce APS
integrity.
‘Trust in the APS is related to its Citizen-centric engagement
capacity to deliver – but the quality
The APS response to COVID-19 demonstrated
of both what is delivered and how agility and flexibility in implementing policy quickly
delivery is achieved is crucial to that and effectively to meet the needs of the Australian
trust.’124 community.

We will build on lessons learnt during the crisis and

establish strong partnerships and collaboration with
- Stephen Sedgwick AO
the community to design programs, policies and
strategies aligned to citizens’ needs. Building trust
is a priority for the APS; satisfaction with service
delivery is key to building a trusting relationship with
the public. Public trust improves how people engage
Reinforcing integrity
with services.
The APS is committed to good governance and
integrity across the service. This means an APS Through greater collaboration across our networks,
that is impartial, committed to service, accountable, working groups and communities of practice we will
respectful and ethical. increasingly co-design and crowdsource solutions to
common problems. We will have access to more data
Australians expect us to deliver a strong economy, and intelligence among the Australian community
keep them safe and provide reliable services that to inform the delivery of outcomes aligned to
meet their needs. The integrity, openness and citizens’ expectations, measured through the Citizen
honesty of our workforce are critical to public Experience Survey.
confidence in the APS.

While integrity in the APS is consistently high

(according to the 2019 APS Employee Census, at
least 90% of employees said their colleagues and
supervisors always or often acted in accordance
with the APS Values)125, it is nonetheless critical that
the APS remains vigilant and continues to prioritise
integrity as a core component of professionalism.

To maintain and foster ongoing high levels of integrity

in the APS, and drive a pro-integrity culture, the
APS must take a whole-of-enterprise approach. The
Australian Public Service Commissioner is leading

APS Workforce Strategy 2025 32

Changing leadership requirements work in partnership with the Secretaries Board to
shape a strong and diverse leadership pipeline for the
In the APS we need leaders who achieve results future. This includes recognising and nurturing the
by leading everyone in their teams to work and capabilities most critical for future success: delivering
deliver according to the purpose of their agency outcomes through effective collaboration with diverse
and the APS. Purposeful leaders hold themselves stakeholders and by enabling teams and individuals
and their teams accountable for delivery to the to perform at their best.
expectations of the Government, the Parliament and
the Australian community. They also enable diverse
Supporting high performance
teams to deliver, creating authorising environments
underpinned by accountability, integrity and care for As the work of the APS is critical to Australia’s
staff health, safety and wellbeing. These authorising economic and societal recovery, the APS workforce
environments, alongside a culture of challenging needs to deliver on government priorities effectively
hierarchies and encouraging and embracing new and in a timely manner. In an increasingly dynamic
ideas generated across organisational structures, will and complex global environment, our ability to
foster innovation and contribute to our progress as an respond to changing demands and leverage
enterprise. opportunities is underpinned by performance
management practices. The Australian Public Service
As the APS operating environment changes so do the Commissioner’s Directions 2016 detail the basis for
capabilities we require of our leaders. which performance management is undertaken within
the APS, to develop practices that will sustain a high-
The role of our leaders has become even more critical
performance culture.128
and complex; this change emphasises the need for
foundational people management capability across Achieving, promoting and fostering a high-
the APS. The changing impact on leadership was performance culture is a priority for the APS129, to
reinforced in conversations with leaders reflecting increase productivity and achieve better outcomes
on the lessons of COVID-19.127 The pandemic has for the Government and Australians.
also created an environment where effective remote
management has quickly become critical to success.

To attract and build tomorrow’s high-performing We will reflect expectations

leaders the APS needs:
in performance management
• a clear understanding of the capability required to
deliver our business and speed up its execution
frameworks and processes.
– it is increasingly about the ability to move from
policy design to delivery and from having all the
answers to engaging others to make progress on In line with amendments to the APS Commissioner’s
complex challenges Directions 2019, 53% of agencies that responded
to the APSC’s 2020 Performance Management
• a strategic approach to ensure we attract, Survey had updated their performance frameworks
develop, retain and deploy our SES aligned to to include changes that focus on employee
agreed leadership capabilities development and capability uplift, and ensure a high-
• collaboration and work across the Australian performance culture is the responsibility of all APS
Government, working as one APS; there can be employees.130
no more silos
• effective talent management to build strong To support this, we will work with managers and
diverse leadership at senior levels employees to have effective performance and
career conversations. We will also implement talent
• succession planning for the most senior critical identification processes as part of the broader
roles performance management approach. This will
• to support broad experiences across policy, strengthen succession and talent pipelines for critical,
program, and service delivery, earlier in an management and senior roles across the APS.
employee's career
• a culture that authorises and encourages Work has also commenced to increase the
investment in learning, curiosity about self and interoperability of APS HR systems to support
others, and offers regular and quality feedback. effective performance management processes with
an enterprise-wide understanding of performance
levels.
To lead this work, the Secretaries Talent Council and
Deputy Secretaries Talent Council will continue to

APS Workforce Strategy 2025 33

When we successfully implement this Strategy, APS staff, managers and leaders
will see the APS is able to:

Short Term
• Better understand employee productivity and be more productive and efficient, delivering increased return
for tax payers.
• Demonstrate a strong accountability culture in relation to outcomes, and resource and enterprise
management.
• Identify common APS-wide workforce risks against whole-of-APS strategies and deliverables, and
manage them as one enterprise.
• Build strong talent leadership pipelines for APS leadership roles and a commitment to succession
planning and development.
• Model and promote a pro-integrity culture.

Longer Term
• Demonstrate it possesses people management and public sector management skills to deliver on
expectations of accountability and efficiency.
• Deliver better, more responsive policies, services and regulatory responses, and demonstrate
accountability for project and program management.
• Streamline decision making through appropriate structures, supported by proper exercise of
accountabilities and delegations.
• Contribute to citizen satisfaction through a pro-integrity culture.

When we successfully implement this Strategy, the Government and the

Australian community will see the APS is able to:

• Continue to deliver services and programs aligned to changing citizen needs and expectations.
• Greater coordination between government services with consistent, simplified and streamlined information
and advice, building integrity and trust.

APS Workforce Strategy 2025 34

How will we get there?

What we’re already doing What else we will do What agencies should consider

Strengthen integrity and purposeful leadership

Reinforce pro-integrity culture through the

development of tools and guidance, and through
APS-wide induction, mandatory integrity training
Develop leadership capability through and other core systems.
contemporary leadership development and
robust assessment and development planning.
Implement talent management and succession
planning for senior APS leadership roles. Prioritise digital upskilling of APS leaders
through mandatory participation in the Leading in
Continue to upskill managers and employees a Digital Age program.
to have effective performance and career
conversations. Upskill people managers on
managing underperformance and managing Facilitate continuous communication between
probation effectively. staff and senior leaders, and horizontally through
networks, working groups and communities
of practice to encourage partnerships and
Embed mobility in capability development and collaboration.
talent management programs for SES roles.
Expand to EL2 roles in time.
Establish transition and mentoring
programs to support senior professionals
entering the APS.
Upskill managers and senior leaders to ensure
they effectively manage the business of the
APS enterprise.
Increase alignment between agency-level and
central-level workforce management initiatives
with a focus on efficiency to remove duplication
and break down silos.
Build strong partnerships with community
to inform the development of programs and
strategy aligned to citizen needs.
Continue to expand the range of leadership
development opportunities to build ‘One APS’
leadership at all levels led by the APS Academy.
Identify, develop and retain high-potential
employees and succession management to
build talent pipelines for critical and leadership
pipelines.
Enhance talent management at APS middle-
management levels (EL) to nurture strong and
Review and strengthen training and guidance diverse leadership pipelines for the future.
materials to reinforce APS integrity, including
supporting agencies to establish improved
metrics for monitoring integrity culture across
the APS.

APS Workforce Strategy 2025 35

Workforce Strategy
within the APS Operating Model

This Strategy is one element in the overall APS behave, including when exercising authority to meet
operating model. government objectives. By upholding the APS Values
and behaving in a manner consistent with the APS
It operates in conjunction with the requirements of Code of Conduct, APS employees—and the service
the enterprise agreements negotiated under the as a whole—can demonstrate they are accountable,
Government’s Enterprise Bargaining Framework professional, objective, innovative and efficient, and
alongside business strategy directions. Agencies work collaboratively within the APS and with external
should consider how this Strategy can integrate with organisations and communities to achieve the best
their Corporate Plans, in accordance with the Public results for the Australian public and the Government.
Governance, Performance and Accountability Act
2013 (PGPA Act).131
Our actions align with and
APS Values and Code of Conduct complement existing strategies

The Public Service Act 1999 (PS Act) requires APS Initial initiatives within this Strategy are based on our
employees and agency heads to behave at all times current understanding of our business strategies
in a way that upholds the APS Values of being ethical, and the APS enterprise. We will continue to be agile,
respectful, accountable, impartial and committed to developing initiatives to align with and consider
service.132 Agency heads and SES employees must workforce needs—chiefly skills and capabilities—
also promote these Values. Employees of the APS to support the delivery of APS-wide strategies
occupy a position of trust. They undertake work on and programs such as the APS Reform program,
behalf of the Government and the community. With Australia’s Cyber Security Strategy 2020 or the Digital
this trust comes a high level of responsibility which Transformation Strategy 2025 and the Diversity and
should be matched by the highest standards of Inclusion Strategies (see page 21).
ethical behaviour from each employee. As the business environment and strategies change,
Together the APS Values, the APS Employment or new strategies are released, initiatives will be built
Principles and the APS Code of Conduct set out and implemented iteratively. This will ensure strategic
the standard of behaviour expected of agency enterprise-wide workforce initiatives support the
heads and APS employees. They provide the business direction across the APS and connect the
public with confidence in the way public servants workforce to changing enterprise requirements.

Figure 3. APS Workforce Strategy within the APS operating model

ork
e W force 2. Foreca
ys s
al

tN
1. An

eeds

Action 1: Attract, build and retain skills, expertise

and talent

ate
alu
v
itor and E

3. A

Action 2: Embrace data, technology and flexible and Workforce

nalyse G

responsive workforce models Planning

Cycle
on
M

ap

6. s
egies

Action 3: Strengthen integrity and purposeful leadership

trat

4. D
tS

ev

el
5. Implemen op
Strategie
s

Diversity &
APS-wide Mobility
APS Reform Inclusion
Professions Strategy
Strategies

APS Values & Code of Conduct

Public Service Act 1999

APS Workforce Strategy 2025 36

Implementation
and Realising Success

Agency-specific workforce The APSC launched the program of work in June

2020. It applies the following fundamental principles:
planning is a key enabler of
success Strategic business partnering
Ongoing engagement with senior workforce
To implement the activities outlined in this Strategy, planners and Chief People Officers to understand
the APS needs to understand its workforce, both needs across the system, inform central initiatives
at an agency and system level. This Strategy does and support their workforce planning work
not replace agency and profession-level workforce
plans or agencies’ operational planning processes.
Responsibility for agency workforce planning, User-centred design
engagement, wellbeing and performance stay with Using digital tools and methods to engage APS
agencies and agency heads. workforce planners in co-designing solutions to
workforce planning capability gaps
The strength of APS workforce planning capability
has been raised as an issue over the past decade
through a number of reviews, including the recent Behavioural insights
Independent Review of the APS.133 The need for
Using behavioural insights to advance workforce
strong workforce planning capability was further
planning capability development and design simple
highlighted during the response to the COVID-19 and effective workforce planning approaches and
crisis. Many APS agencies have, or are developing, interventions
their own workforce plans or strategies relevant to
their specific operating context, business objectives
and priorities. Agency-level workforce planning is a The program of work comprises initiatives across the
key enabler of this Strategy and a priority within a following four work streams:
broader APS planning system.
Workforce planning capability
for practitioners and leaders/
APSC Centre of Excellence — managers, including building
building workforce planning capability pipelines for workforce
planning roles
capability across the APS
Leadership and agency
To support strategic workforce planning in agencies, accountability for workforce
the APSC—through its Centre of Excellence for planning outcomes
APS workforce planning capability—built a long-
term, evidence-based program of work to create the
APS workforce planning ecosystem. This program, Workforce planning tools and
co-designed with senior APS workforce planning technology solutions (e.g. GovERP)
to support workforce planning in
practitioners and with oversight from the APS HR
agencies and the APS at the
Working Group* was developed to provide an agile highest level
approach to mature the workforce planning capability
across the APS, in a strategic, structured and Developing people analytics
engaging manner. This program will include tools and capability in agencies, producing
resources, capability development and training for labour market insights to support
workforce planning and analytics practitioners, career workforce planning, and developing
pathways and skills assessments, and partnerships strategic workforce foresight to
inform the future of work in the APS
with AHRI and educational institutions to further build
workforce planning capability.
The program is being rolled out in three stages to
2025, with evaluation built in for every stage to ensure
it delivers outcomes, and eventually benefits, to the
APS enterprise.
* Made up of Chief People Officers in APS agencies; operates with mandate from the COO Committee and oversight by the HR Head of
Profession.

APS Workforce Strategy 2025 37

Monitoring and review Benefits realisation
The Strategy will be assessed and evaluated To ensure that throughout delivery of this Strategy
regularly. Progress will be reported to the Secretaries we remain accountable for efficient and effective
Board and the Chief Operating Officers Committee management and utilisation of APS resources,
(COO Committee) and publicly reported in the APS including the management of our workforce, we will
Commissioner’s annual State of the Service Report. focus on benefit management for planned workforce
Some actions may become obsolete and new actions initiatives. This will allow us to adjust planned
may be required if the work environment changes initiatives accordingly, so we can continue to be
significantly. Others will need to respond to specific relevant and improve through a strong evidence base.
business demands as they arise. For these reasons
The APSC has outlined an approach to measuring
and to keep the Strategy relevant at all times, it is
and monitoring success/outcomes to assess the
iterative.
delivery of planned benefits of this Strategy. The
• A number of actions identified in the Strategy are identified approach articulates the planned benefits
already being implemented, including APS reform for the APS and the Australian community, and the
priorities identified in Delivering for Australians. key strategy outputs driving outcomes which will,
in time, deliver these planned benefits – refer to
• In 2023, a checkpoint review will consider
Attachment 1.
changes in the operating context, progress on
key actions and make recommendations to Measurement and evaluation of planned benefits
Secretaries about the remaining two years of the relies heavily on existing data collection and
Strategy. management mechanisms such as the APS
• A full review of the Strategy will be undertaken in Employment Database, the APS Employee Census
2025 and reported to Secretaries. and the Agency Survey, to provide a structured and
coordinated approach while removing duplication
of data collection and enabling economies of scale
across the APS.

APS Workforce Strategy 2025 38

Case Studies

Australian Government Graduate Program

The Australian Public Service (APS) recruits on average ~1200 graduates per year, across 40 graduate
programs. Up until 2020 graduate programs were managed in a decentralised model. The user experience
for prospective graduates was repetitive, time consuming and inconsistent, and agencies were competing
against one another for talent.
To continue to attract the best and brightest graduates with a diverse mix of skills and experiences, the
APS needed to be better positioned in the graduate market, leveraging established agency graduate
recruiter brands and recruitment expertise.
In 2020, informed by user and stakeholder research and evidence from other jurisdictions, the APSC and
partner agencies co-designed a new way to recruit graduates. A new graduate portal on the APSJobs
platform was delivered, as a one-stop-shop for graduates. A new generalist recruitment stream and
new professional and specialist streams were established, complementing the existing HR, Digital and
Indigenous pathways.
As a result, during the 2020 recruitment campaign graduates had more opportunities to apply and be
considered for a number of graduate roles across multiple agencies. These positive results informed the
blueprint for further streamlining of APS grad recruitment under the Australian Government Graduate
Program (AGGP).
The 2021 AGGP will also benefit from an APS graduate Employee Value Proposition to increase the
impact of the recruitment campaign, further scale the streams, enhance marketing and promotion
activities and enhance development and mobility for graduates under a one-APS concept.

Building diversity in digital roles

‘ There’s no question that diverse workforces are more successful, more innovative,
more adaptable and more in tune with their customers’ needs.’134
Randall Brugeaud, CEO Digital Transformation Agency

In 2020 the Digital Transformation Agency (DTA) launched a new Coaching for Women in Digital
program, redesigned based on user research, to provide women in digital roles with the opportunity to
reflect and learn, connect with their peers and grow their digital careers. In delivering the program, DTA
ensured they focused on participants’ strengths, increasing confidence and ability to manage difficult
situations, and taking ownership of careers through goal setting and accountability.

To be able to foster innovation, be more adaptable and be more representative of the community it
serves, the APS requires a diverse digital workforce developing and delivering digital service solutions.
As such, the APS has an opportunity to increase its female participation in digital leadership roles. The
Coaching for Women in Digital program will support women to develop skills and progress their digital
careers, and support agencies to build a strong digital workforce.

Through the development of targeted programs, the APS can build capability and skills in emerging
industries for a diverse, high-performing workforce.

APS Workforce Strategy 2025 39

 TechLauncher – developing the next generation of tech
professionals

TechLauncher is an innovation lab, an initiative which enables university students to develop the
research and professional skills required to use data and technology to bring great ideas to life and
have a positive impact on our society.

Alongside technical competence, these skills include communication and stakeholder management,
critical thinking, product design, teamwork (including multi-disciplinary, multi-cultural and distributed
teamwork), time management and many other professional and teamwork skills required by
employers in government and industry. Students develop these skills by working closely with
government and industry professionals, technology experts and entrepreneurs across the ACT to
complete year-long projects addressing complex problems in a variety of disciplines, or to create
their own start-up enterprises.

TechLauncher is a program run by the Australian National University—a Commonwealth entity—

with partner organisations. A number of APS agencies were clients for student project teams in
the past. Agencies such as the Department of Home Affairs, the Department of Education, Skills
and Employment and Defence Science and Technology also contributed to TechLauncher through
involvement as tutors and mentors for student project teams, and guest speakers for professional
development forums delivered under the program.

Leveraging innovation labs such as TechLauncher can support APS agencies to showcase their
work among the next generation of tech and digital talent, and develop innovative solutions to public
service challenges by tapping into the talent and skills of digital natives.

GovHack – accessing talent in a different work model

GovHack is an international competition for skilled data and digital talent who seek to make life
better through open government data. Across a weekend Hackathon, thousands come together in
locations all across Australia and the world to form teams, agree projects and participate in what
has become one of the world’s largest open-data competitions. As a festival of ideas using open
government data to make communities better, GovHack showcases open data as a mechanism for
identifying and solving deep-rooted societal and economic challenges.

GovHack was established to raise the profile of government open data. Through this, GovHack also
provides an opportunity for government, citizens and industry to collaborate, gain knowledge and
develop new skills—for example skills in gaining insights from big data and developing AI-powered,
data-driven solutions to complex policy or service delivery problems.

In 2020, the Australian Taxation Office and the Department of Education, Skills and Employment
sponsored the event and benefited from accessing the collective talent of the most brilliant data
and tech talent in Australia who generated ideas during the Hackathon. The Department of Industry,
Science, Energy and Resources, Department of Defence, Department of Social Services, IP
Australia, Australian Financial Security Authority, Australian Institute of Health and Welfare and the
Bureau of Meteorology were some of the APS agencies crowdsourcing complex data skills through
GovHack and accessing innovative ideas through engaging with talent external to the service.

Crowdsourcing mechanisms such as Hackathons can help APS agencies access talent and
expertise in data and digital skills, and inject innovation by increasing access to external skills and
allowing broader and diverse talent to contribute to government in a different work model.

APS Workforce Strategy 2025 40

 APS Centres of Expertise – Behavioural Economics Team
of the Australian Government

The Behavioural Economics Team of the Australian Government (BETA) is Australia’s central unit for
applying behavioural insights (BI) to public policy. BETA's mission is to improve the lives of Australians
by putting human behaviour at the heart of government policy. Since 2016, BETA has completed
over 30 projects with partner agencies to advance the wellbeing of Australians through a strong
commitment to the application and rigorous evaluation of BI to public policy and administration.
BETA offers innovative solutions to a wide range of policy settings to pilot and test how even small
changes to existing services can be made to improve delivery and achieve better outcomes.
In the past five years BETA has also trained thousands of public servants in BI and delivered over $25
million per year in direct benefits to government.
One example of applying BI to policy settings is the recent collaboration between BETA and
the Department of Health on the global issue of tackling antimicrobial resistance. BETA and the
Department of Health ran a trial to test the impact of personalised letters from Australia's Chief
Medical Officer to high-prescribing General Practitioners (GPs), prompting them to consider reducing
antibiotic prescription where appropriate and safe. The most effective letter, with a graph comparing
GPs' prescribing behaviour to their peers, reduced antibiotic prescription by 12 per cent over six
months. The impact of this single peer-comparison letter was still evident 15 months later. This
demonstrates the impact that a simple, cost-effective single BI-informed intervention can have on
tackling global health issues.
Alongside BETA, a number of other APS centres of expertise are available to APS agencies to tap
into knowledge, skills and resources to develop skills in house, and partner with to deliver better
policy and services, and ultimately better outcomes for the service.
These centres include (but are not limited to) user-centred design hubs in Services Australia, the Digital
Transformation Agency and the Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources; the change
management centre of expertise in the Department of Home Affairs; the Delivering Great Policy hub
and the Office for Best Practice Regulation in the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.

Developing strong leadership pipelines

Development of current leaders to build strong future pipelines for senior leadership roles is a key talent
management focus in any organisation that emphasises its leadership capability. To ensure ongoing
institutional strength of the APS and to contribute to an APS whose senior leaders represent the
diversity of the broader Australian community, the APS Secretaries Talent Council oversees capability
assessment, talent identification and career development for senior executive service (SES) Band 3
employees. This work involves a comprehensive and objective assessment of past experience, current
leadership capability and potential for the future, as well as development planning supported by the
SES B3’s Secretary and a professional coach. As part of the approach, each SES B3 develops a
targeted development plan that outlines how they will develop to perform at their full potential.
In 2020, as part of this systematic approach to understanding current capability and potential for the
future, APS Secretaries undertook succession risk assessment and planning for twenty of the most
senior APS roles including their own. This work reflects a strong commitment by APS Secretaries to
develop strong and diverse leadership pipelines at the most senior levels of the APS, and identify and
mitigate succession risks.
Succession planning and talent identification for senior leadership roles are overseen by the Secretaries
Talent Council and Deputy Secretaries Talent Council, and coordinated centrally by the APSC. To
complement this central, whole-of-enterprise work, APS agencies should consider applying succession
risk assessment and planning principles for all leadership or other critical roles, and supporting targeted
performance and career development for staff to reduce future risks in leadership capability.

APS Workforce Strategy 2025 41

References

1 Commonwealth of Australia (2019) Delivering for Australians: A world-class Australian Public Service. The
Government’s APS Reform Agenda.

2 Australian Government (1999) Public Service Act 1999, s. 3(a) [online document], Federal Register of Legislation.

3 Boston Consulting Group (2018) Scenarios for 2030: A report for the Independent Review of the Australian Public
Service (APS) prepared by The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) [online document].

4 OECD (2019) Recommendation of the Council on Public Service Leadership and Capability, p. 1.

5 Australian Public Service Commission (2020) APS Employment database (APSED), APSC website.

6 Australian Bureau of Statistics (2020) 6291.0 – Labour Force Australia, June 2020, Australian Bureau of Statistics,
ABS website.

7 National Skills Commission (2019) Australian Jobs 2019 [online document].

8 Australian Public Service Commission (2020) APS Employment database (APSED), APSC website.

9 Department of Education, Skills and Employment, JobOutlook, (accessed November 2020).

10 Australian Public Service Commission (2020) APS Employment database (APSED), APSC website.

11 Australian Bureau of Statistics (2020) 6291.0 – Labour Force Australia, June 2020, Australian Bureau of Statistics,
ABS website.

12 Australian Bureau of Statistics (2020) 6291.0 – Labour Force Australia, June 2020, Australian Bureau of Statistics,
ABS website.

13 Australian Bureau of Statistics (2020) 6291.0 – Labour Force Australia, June 2020, Australian Bureau of Statistics,
ABS website.

14 Australian Bureau of Statistics (2020) 6291.0 – Labour Force Australia, June 2020, Australian Bureau of Statistics,
ABS website.

15 Australian Bureau of Statistics (2018) 2016 Census of Population and Housing: Characteristics of Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander Australians, ABS website.

16 Australian Bureau of Statistics (2019) ABS Disability, Ageing and Carers, Australia: Summary of Findings (Reference
period 2018), ABS website. Note: 15-64 years only.

17 National Skills Commission (2020) Australian Jobs 2020 – females in Chief Executives, General Managers and
Legislators occupation subgroup, NSC website.

18 Australian Bureau of Statistics (2017) 2016 Census of Population and Housing: Households where a non-English
language is spoken, ABS website.

19 Australian Public Service Commission (2020) APS Employment database (APSED), APSC website.

20 Australian Public Service Commission (2020) APS Employee Census 2020 [unpublished data set].

21 Australian Public Service Commission (2020) APS Employee Census 2020 [unpublished data set].

22 Australian Government (2020) Budget Paper No. 4, Australian Government Budget.

23 McKinsey & Company (2019) How governments can harness the power of automation at scale, McKinsey &
Company website.

24 Commonwealth of Australia. (2019). Our Public Service, Our Future. Independent Review of the Australian Public
Service.

25 McKinsey & Company (2019) How governments can harness the power of automation at scale, McKinsey &
Company website.

26 Australian Cyber Security Growth Network (ACSGN) (2019) Australia’s Cyber Security Sector Competitiveness Plan
2019, ACSGN website.

APS Workforce Strategy 2025 42

27 National Skills Commission occupational forecasting (2019) [unpublished data set].

28 National Skills Commission occupational forecasting (2019) [unpublished data set].

29 National Skills Commission occupational forecasting (2019) [unpublished data set].

30 Analysis undertaken by the National Skills Commission for the APS Workforce Strategy.

31 World Economic Forum (2018) The Future of Jobs Report 2018, weforum website.

32 Gartner Talent Neuron (2020) Do More with Data to Close Critical Skill Gaps, Gartner website; Gartner Talent Neuron
(2 May 2019) Gartner Talent Neuron Data Shows 49% Of All Job Postings by S&P 100 Companies In 2018 Were For
Just 39 Roles, Gartner Talent Neuron.

33 Australian Computer Society (2019) ACS Australia’s Digital Pulse 2019.

34 Leonard, D. (2015) How to Build Expertise in a New Field, Harvard Business Review website.

35 Australian Public Service Commission (2019) 2019 APS Agency Survey [unpublished data set].

36 Australian Public Service Commission (2019) 2019 APS Agency Survey [unpublished data set].

37 Blavatnik School of Government (BSG) & University of Oxford (2019) International Civil Service Effectiveness
(INCISE) Index 2019 [online document], BSG website.

38 Deloitte Insights (2019) The Path to Prosperity: Why the Future is Human, Deloitte.

39 Gartner (2020) Gartner HR Research Finds Employees Are Only Applying 54% of Newly Learned Skills [media
release], Gartner.

40 World Economic Forum (2018) The Future of Jobs Report 2018, weforum website.

41 Australian Public Service Commission (2020) APS Employee Census 2020 [unpublished data set].

42 Culture APM (2019) 2019 Australia Benchmark, Culture AMP.

43 Australian Public Service Commission (2020) APS Employee Census 2020 [unpublished data set].

44 Australian Public Service Commission (2020) APS Employee Census 2020 [unpublished data set].

45 Australian Public Service Commission (2020) APS Employee Census 2020 [unpublished data set].

46 Australian Public Service Commission (2020) APS Employee Census 2020 [unpublished data set].

47 Australian Public Service Commission (2020) APS Employee Census 2020 [unpublished data set].

48 Australian Public Service Commission (2020) APS Employee Census 2020 [unpublished data set].

49 Australian Public Service Commission (2020) APS Employee Census 2020 [unpublished data set].

50 Australian Public Service Commission (2020) APS Employee Census 2020 [unpublished data set].

51 Australian Government (2019) Australian Public Service Commissioners Amendment (2019 Measures No. 1)
Direction 2019 [online document], Federal Register of Legislation.

52 Australian Public Service Commission (2020) APS Employee Census 2020 [unpublished data set].

53 Australian Government (2019) Australian Public Service Commissioners Amendment (2019 Measures No. 1)
Direction 2019 [online document], Federal Register of Legislation.

54 Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (2020) Citizen Experience Survey, [unpublished data set].

55 Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (2020) Citizen Experience Survey, PM&C website.

56 Australian Public Service Commission (2020) Interviews with Senior APS Leaders on COVID-19 Response
[unpublished interviews].

57 Woolcott, P (28 October 2019) Peter Woolcott AO Opening Keynote, APS HR Professional Stream Strategy Launch
[speech transcript], APSC.

58 Australian Public Service Commission (2020) APS Digital Professional Stream, APSC website.

59 Australian Public Service Commission (2020) APS Data Professional Stream, APSC website.

APS Workforce Strategy 2025 43

60 Australian Public Service Commission (2020) APS HR Professional Stream, APSC website.

61 Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (2020) Revised guidance on regulatory impact analysis for ministerial
forums and national standard setting bodies coming soon, PM&C website.

62 Australian Public Service Commission (2020) APS Employee Census 2020 [unpublished data set].

63 Australian Public Service Commission (2019) 2019 APS Agency Survey [unpublished data set].

64 Australian Public Service Commission (2020) APS Employee Census 2020 [unpublished data set].

65 Australian Public Service Commission (2019) APS Employee Census 2019 [data set], APSC website.

66 Australian Public Service Commission (2019) APS Employee Census 2019 [data set], APSC website.

67 Australian Public Service Commission (2020) Leadership Capabilities, APSC website.

68 Australian Public Service Commission (2020) APS Employment database (APSED), APSC website.

69 Australian Public Service Commission (2020) APS Employment database (APSED), APSC website.

70 Australian Public Service Commission (2020) APS SES Talent Assessments [unpublished data set].

71 Australian Public Service Commission (2019) State of the Service Report 2018-19, [online document] APSC website.

72 Australian Public Service Commission (2020) APS SES Talent Assessments [unpublished data set].

73 Australian Public Service Commission (2020) APS SES Talent Assessments [unpublished data set].

74 Commonwealth of Australia (2019) Our Public Service, Our Future. Independent Review of the Australian Public
Service.

75 Gartner (2019) Reskilling the Workforce, Gartner.

76 Australian Public Service Commission (2019) 2019 APS Agency Survey [unpublished data set].

77 Australian Public Service Commission (2019) 2019 APS Agency Survey [unpublished data set].

78 Australian Public Service Commission (2020) APS Employee Census 2020 [unpublished data set].

79 Australian Public Service Commission (2020) APS Employee Census 2020 [unpublished data set].

80 Australian Public Service Commission (2020) APS Employee Census 2020 [unpublished data set].

81 Gartner (2020) Top 5 Priorities for HR Leaders in 2021, Gartner.

82 OECD (2017) OECD Education at a Glance 2017, OECD.

83 Australian Public Service Commission (2020) APS Employee Census 2020 [unpublished data set].

84 Australian Public Service Commission (2020) APS Learning and Development Survey [unpublished data set].

85 Deloitte (2018) The diversity and inclusion revolution [online document], Deloitte Review, Issue 22.

86 Deloitte (2018) The diversity and inclusion revolution [online document], Deloitte Review, Issue 22.

87 Commonwealth of Australia (2019) Our Public Service, Our Future. Independent Review of the Australian Public
Service.

88 Commonwealth of Australia (2019) Our Public Service, Our Future. Independent Review of the Australian Public
Service.

89 Deloitte (2018) The diversity and inclusion revolution [online document], Deloitte Review, Issue 22.

90 AON (2019) Benefits and Trends Survey 2019, AON.

91 Australian Public Service Commission (2020) APS Employee Census 2020 [unpublished data set].

92 Australian Public Service Commission (2020) APS Employee Census 2020 [unpublished data set].

93 Australian Public Service Commission (2020) APS Employee Census 2020 [unpublished data set].

94 Australian Public Service Commission (2020) APS Employee Census 2020 [unpublished data set].

APS Workforce Strategy 2025 44

95 McKinsey (2020) The COVID-19 recovery will be digital: A plan for the first 90 days, McKinsey Digital website.

96 Analysis conducted by APSC Workforce Planning Group based on Digital Transformation Agency (2020) Digital
Transformation Strategy 2018-2025, DTA website.

97 World Economic Forum (2018) The Future of Jobs Report 2018, weforum website.

98 Australian Public Service Commission (2019) APS Employee Census 2019 [data set], APSC website.

99 Australian Computer Society (2019) ACS Australia’s Digital Pulse 2019, ACS.

100 World Economic Forum (2018) The Future of Jobs Report 2018, weforum.

101 Australian Public Service Commission (2019) 2019 APS Agency Survey [unpublished data set].

102 Digital Transformation Agency (n.d.) Digital Service Standard criteria, DTA website.

103 Commonwealth of Australia. (2019). Our Public Service, Our Future. Independent Review of the Australian Public
Service.

104 Commonwealth of Australia. (2019). Our Public Service, Our Future. Independent Review of the Australian Public
Service.

105 Commonwealth of Australia. (2019). Our Public Service, Our Future. Independent Review of the Australian Public
Service.

106 Australian Public Service Commission (2020) APS Employee Census 2020 [unpublished data set].

107 Australian Public Service Commission (2020) APS Employee Census 2020 [unpublished data set].

108 OECD (2019) OECD Employment Outlook 2019: The Future of Work, OECD.

109 KPMG (2020) Embedding new ways of working, KPMG website.

110 Australian Public Service Commission (2020) 2020 APS Agency Survey [unpublished data set].

111 Digital Transformation Agency (2020) Digital Transformation Strategy 2018-2025, DTA website.

112 Commonwealth of Australia. (2019). Our Public Service, Our Future. Independent Review of the Australian Public
Service.

113 Commonwealth of Australia. (2019). Our Public Service, Our Future. Independent Review of the Australian Public
Service.

114 Commonwealth of Australia. (2019). Our Public Service, Our Future. Independent Review of the Australian Public
Service.

115 Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (2020) Citizen Experience Survey, PM&C website

116 Australian Public Service Commission (2019) APS Employee Census 2019 [data set], APSC website.

117 Australian Public Service Commission (2020) APS Learning and Development Survey [unpublished data set].

118 Australian Public Service Commission (2020) APS Employee Census 2020 [unpublished data set].

119 Australian Public Service Commission (2019) APS Employee Census 2019 [data set], APSC website.

120 Commonwealth of Australia. (2019). Our Public Service, Our Future. Independent Review of the Australian Public
Service.

121 Australian Public Service Commission (2019) APS Employee Census 2019 [data set], APSC website.

122 Australian Public Service Commission (2019) APS Employee Census 2019 [data set], APSC website.

123 Commonwealth of Australia (2019) Delivering for Australians: A world-class Australian Public Service. The
Government’s APS Reform Agenda..

124 Stephen Sedgewick AO (2020) Report into consultations regarding APS approaches to ensure institutional integrity,
APSC website.

125 Australian Public Service Commission (2019) APS Employee Census 2019 [data set], APSC website.

126 Commonwealth of Australia (2019) Delivering for Australians: A world-class Australian Public Service. The
Government’s APS Reform Agenda.

APS Workforce Strategy 2025 45

127 Australian Public Service Commission (2020) Interviews with Senior APS Leaders on COVID-19 Response
[unpublished interviews].

128 Australian Government (2016) Australian Public Service Commissioner’s Directions 2016 [online document], Federal
Register of Legislation.

129 Commonwealth of Australia (2019) Delivering for Australians: A world-class Australian Public Service. The
Government’s APS Reform Agenda.

130 Australian Public Service Commission (2020) APS Performance Management Survey 2020 [unpublished data set].

131 Australian Government (2013) Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013 [online document],
Federal Register of Legislation.

132 Australian Government (1999) Public Service Act 1999, Part 3, s.10 [online document], Federal Register of
Legislation.

133 Commonwealth of Australia (2019) Our Public Service, Our Future. Independent Review of the Australian Public
Service.; Australian Government (2010) Ahead of the Game: Blueprint for the Reform of Australian Government
Administration [online document], APS Review.; McPhee, S (2016) Unlocking potential: If not us, who? If not now,
when?, Commonwealth of Australia.; Various Australian National Audit Office audits (2010-2020).

134 Randall Brugeaud (2020) Coaching for Women in Digital, DTA website.

APS Workforce Strategy 2025 46

 Attachment 1 – Measuring and monitoring success/outcomes

The APS Workforce Strategy Measuring and monitoring success/outcomes sets out benefits from strategic workforce interventions and outlines accountability measures following strategy
implementation. Continuous monitoring of interventions against planned benefits will ensure the Strategy remains dynamic and relevant to the ever-changing operating environment.

The Framework will: Principles in determining benefits: Keys to success: Accountability and reporting :

This approach demonstrates: - Benefits must be measurable and - Continuous engagement and monitoring of Secretaries Board are accountable
Measure and assess the Reflect leading practice benefit evidence-based to demonstrate actions to determine how and when owners of planned benefits
delivery of planned benefits of realisation principles, Why an investment is needed improvement resulting from an outcome outcomes are being delivered and planned
the APS Workforce Strategy processes and techniques - Benefits must be aligned to the objectives benefits are being achieved
APSC in collaboration with lead or
What the strategic outcomes of the of the Strategy to enable the workforce - Flexibility in benefit management and
partner agency are accountable
Strategy are now and into the future measurement to ensure initiatives remain
owners for delivery of key outputs
Ensure the Strategy continues - Benefits need to be first understood as relevant to a rapidly changing direction and
to respond to changes in the Outline the monitoring and What the planned measurable outcomes and the reason investments may operating and labour market environments
Implementation progress reported
operating environment and assessment needed to inform benefits are be made - Clear responsibilities and accountabilities
annually to Secretaries Board,
delivers benefits aligned to future interventions agreed across the service to drive the
- Benefits can only be realised through accompanied by strategic APS
workforce requirements Who owns the benefits implementation of the Strategy
change and change can only be sustained labour force insights
- Clear guidance to agencies on importance
by realising benefits
of the planned benefits and how realising
Use program evaluation methodology to establish a clear set When the outcomes are expected to - Benefits are dynamic and will be regularly the relevant benefits at agency level can be Strategy progress and labour force
of expected outcomes, benefits and metrics for assessing be delivered and when benefits are reviewed and updated incorporated into own business planning insights published for wider
strategy delivery expected to be realised - Benefits need to be owned by appropriate processes consumption through the State of
sponsors/managers the Service Report

This Strategy will drive workforce transformation in the APS, delivering outcomes within the enterprise and ultimately benefits for the Australian community.
Key outcomes for the Key outputs driving these Sample measures of success may include* Key benefits for Key benefits for the
APS and our workforce key outcomes the service Australian community
- Strong capabilities aligned to current and - Establishment of the APS Academy to - Fewer agencies report capability gaps or skill shortages in data, digital and strategic HR - Impact the quality of the
skills, expertise and talent

emerging enterprise-wide requirements lead the transformation of APS learning - Majority of APS agencies have workforce plans/strategies in place which align with the relationship between citizens
Attract, build and retain

- Strong learning culture and growth mindset, and development practice APS Workforce Strategy and government services,
and commitment to continuous development - Development of entry pathway programs - Fewer APS employees identify capability gaps in their workgroup through building a highly
and guidance for agencies to apply - Majority of APS employees take accountability for own learning and career development Agile, collaborative, skilled, high-performing,
- Compelling employee value proposition that is
modern recruitment practices and progression responsive and able to effective and efficient
well positioned to attract top Australian talent,
- Majority of APS Employees engage with a variety of learning channels within and outside navigate complexity workforce
making the APS a career choice
of work settings - Deliver satisfactory, high-
- Market research shows the APS (as opposed to individual agencies) as a top employer quality outcomes and
for graduates trustworthy experiences for
- Market research shows the APS is a career choice for data, digital and strategic HR citizens
professionals, including mid-career and senior professionals Skilled, knowledgeable and
committed to life-long
learning
and flexible and responsive

- One APS workforce that is seamlessly - APS Mobility Framework - Fewer APS employees report barriers to mobility - Better understand public and
Embrace data, technology

mobilised to respond to shifts in government - Development of core digital and data - More APS employees take-up mobility opportunities citizen needs and deliver
- Solid core digital and data skills literacy skills for all staff - Majority of APS agencies have embedded the APS Mobility Framework reliable and responsive
- A high-performing workforce, actively seeking - Implementation of workforce attraction - Majority of APS employees report that high-quality performance and development services
workforce models

out and embracing technology developments and development programs under the discussions improved their performance - Maximise data and technology
to work more innovatively and efficiently in a Digital and Data Professional Stream - Majority of APS employees report having the tools and digital skills to efficiently and Maximising data and for decision making, policy and
digital world strategies effectively do their job technology, service design and delivery
- A service that flexibly and creatively accesses - A package of tools and resources to - Employees report that managers and senior leaders foster innovation and digital engagement - Deploy flexible and responsive
talent across the Australian labour market and support workforce transition planning for workforce models adapted to
harnesses expertise from within and outside digital transformation in agencies the changing environment
of the service - Guidance on flexible workforce models

- Strong and capable leadership pipelines for - Focused investment in Talent Management - Fewer agencies report leadership capability gaps - Trust in delivery of services
APS leadership roles and a commitment to programs for APS leadership roles - All agencies have strong succession risk mitigation and successor development plans in Professional, engaged and and programs aligned to
Strengthen integrity and

committed to integrity
purposeful leadership

succession planning and development to - Design and roll out of leadership place for all SES roles citizen needs
ensure leadership continuity and deliver development programs, including - All SES staff have undertaken a capability assessment and have a targeted development - Trust in coordination between
effective resource and enterprise management Leading in the Digital Age plan in place services for consistent
- An APS workforce which models and - Pro-integrity training for all staff and - Majority of APS senior leaders have undertaken the Leading in the Digital Age program information and advice
promotes a pro-integrity culture guidance for agencies on building a - Majority of APS employees report that managers and leaders spend time to identify and
pro-integrity culture nurture talent
- All staff have undergone integrity training
- Majority of APS employees report a strong pro-integrity culture in their agencies Citizen-centred in approach,
- Fewer agencies report investigations into integrity-related matters inclusive and representative
of our diverse communities

* This list is not a comprehensive list. Measures of success will be defined and agreed with initiative leads as the Strategy is being implemented Data sources for metrics include (but are not limited to) APS Employee Census, yearly Agency Survey, APS Employment Database, APS Academy, external research etc