Within the six years from 2018 to 2023 the APS ranks grew by over 20,000 workers. Past rising headcount, the APS is now legally sure by the idea of stewardship. This implies the APS should “look forward and supply recommendation that considers the long run pursuits of Australians” and “keep the information and functionality to assist its features.”
To satisfy the excessive requirements of stewardship and accommodate for a big new cohort, the APS should repeatedly refine its strategies and embrace the method of steady enchancment. This implies experimenting, being comfy with failing quick, adjusting, and all the time striving for higher outcomes to make sure outputs are of the very best high quality.
Let’s think about the APS as a connoisseur kitchen. Every division is a specialised station, each public servant a talented chef, and collectively they craft a posh, multi-course meal. The current enhance in APS capability and the rebuilding of the Commonwealth public service is sort of a chef receiving a recent set of high-quality elements. It’s an thrilling alternative to whip up one thing superb, nevertheless it additionally presents challenges.
With renewed give attention to professionalising and embracing the position of stewardship, pushed by the Thodey overview, departments and businesses at the moment are set to advance a revitalised agenda. That is their likelihood to refine their strategy for achievement.
A difficult working atmosphere
Those that’ve been working with and within the Australian Public Service for years perceive the give attention to constructing improved functionality and capability isn’t new. But not too long ago, this focus has intensified. Amid this culinary transformation, the APS kitchen faces intense scrutiny and calls for for transparency. Consider it as having meals critics continually peering over your shoulder.
Excessive profile points like Robodebt, FOI courtroom rulings, and the non-public value paid by these in energy who’re seen to misuse it, have turned up the warmth, weighing closely on public servants cautious of taking dangers. This has pushed decision-making additional up the hierarchy, leaving the junior workers de-skilled and feeling underutilised and unmotivated.
In the meantime, the APS is coping with a revolving door of expertise. Think about making an attempt to good a dish when your sous cooks maintain leaving for different eating places. The excessive competitors for expert staff makes it exhausting to keep up momentum and retain the know-how wanted to maintain all the things working easily.
And let’s not overlook the scrutiny over authorities consulting spend, which suggests any exterior assist should be employed with the utmost diligence in keeping with the Commonwealth Strategic Commissioning Framework.
A give attention to steady enchancment
To sort out these challenges, businesses are organising centres of excellence. Analysis hubs, coordination models, and program workplaces are more and more within the combine, every with a novel position however a shared aim: to supply strategic oversight, protect company information, and guarantee a constant and environment friendly strategy. The primary problem is to mix these parts seamlessly with the core enterprise actions, very similar to guaranteeing each ingredient in a dish enhances the others.
For the APS to operate like a well-oiled machine, its parts should work collectively harmoniously to type a posh and unified complete with a selected goal. That is the place steady enchancment is available in. Each member of the crew wants to have interaction in ongoing reflection and problem-solving.
Constructing functionality efficiently requires greater than particular person effort; it calls for a mix of key elements: psychological security, a development mindset, a suggestions tradition, results-oriented administration (not presenteeism), a shared organisational goal, and powerful management in any respect ranges. When these parts come collectively, you get an Australian public service the place innovation and excellence thrive.
Constructing functionality and leveraging information and insights
With a tradition of steady enchancment in place, the subsequent step is to construct the potential of everybody. That is important in at this time’s world, the place each authorities portfolio faces its personal set of crises. Whether or not it’s environmental points, nationwide safety, financial challenges, or social issues, these advanced issues require strategic and systemic options, and governments have restricted time to make an actual impression.
To make knowledgeable choices, these departments should collect and protect historic and company information. Knowledge helps decision-makers perceive what works, for whom, and below what circumstances. It additionally standardises approaches and systematises processes to align with finest practices, guaranteeing effectivity and consistency in operations.
Assembly the challenges forward
As the federal government continues to reinforce its information capabilities and spend money on its folks, techniques, and tradition, this strategy drives company information and alignment. With the suitable instruments, information seize, and a mindset targeted on steady enchancment, the APS can rework from a dependable kitchen serving up normal fare to a dynamic, revolutionary culinary powerhouse able to creating daring, thrilling flavours.
Proximity has the instruments and know-how to make sure each authorities division is able to meet the neighborhood’s wants and expectations. The APS is about to change into a grasp chef within the Twenty first-century world, mixing custom with innovation to serve up the right dish each time.
Concerning the authors: Samantha Mayes is a Particular Advisor at Proximity, specializing in the intersection between social coverage and social psychology at authorities purchasers. Cassandra Koch has near 30 years of expertise in senior and government Australian public sector roles predominantly in legislation enforcement and nationwide safety.
