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An appetite for service

The CommissionerThe Commissioner

Lynelle Briggs
Lynelle Briggs is the Public Service Commissioner. She has held this position since November 2004.

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Graduate Series
A Taste of Government – Seminar
18 April 2008

Welcome to the Australian Public Service!

Over the last couple of months you will all have been having your first taste – or at least a nibble – of Government. I hope this develops into an insatiable appetite for working in the public service.

The title for today’s event is perhaps a misnomer. One of the truly great things about working in the APS is the huge variety of issues and roles you can get involved in – more than a taste it’s one giant gourmet smorgasbord.

The APS is made up of 19 Portfolio Departments, some 65 agencies and over 155,000 people, just over a third here in Canberra and the remainder in the States, regions and overseas.

APS staff work on environmental protection, welfare policy and service delivery, foreign affairs, promoting trade, business and market regulation, ICT policy and directions, border protection and security, employment, education, immigration, health, aged care and the economy. Collectively working in the APS means you are touching the lives of everyone in the country in very significant ways.

Given this diversity, you might well ask are we one APS or are we a series of disparate businesses or agencies? What is the distinguishing thing about belonging to the profession of an Australian public servant that binds us together in that role?

The defining characteristics of our profession are captured in the APS Values and the Code of Conduct as articulated in Sections 10 and 13 of the Public Service Act – the legislation under which most of us are employed.

The APS Values provide the ethical framework and principles to govern how we do business with the government and deliver public services, as well as the behaviours required of all of us as APS employees. 

The Values define what the public service does, the why and the how. They represent the bottom line if you like; no matter which part of the APS we work in. They also highlight the ways in which the public service differs to other employment sectors.

First we work in the public interest. This is what attracts many of us into the profession in the first place. It’s important to remember, though, that it is the elected Government that determines the public interest in terms of policies and programmes; our role is to assist the Government of the day to deliver that policy agenda and those priorities. We do, however, have a responsibility to protect the public interest in terms of ensuring the integrity of Government processes, including compliance with the law and fair and impartial decision-marking in accordance with approved guidelines. The public service also has an important role in providing the Government with a longer-term perspective to decision-making and policy making.

Secondly, the APS is accountable through Ministers to Parliament and ultimately to the Australian people. This is very different from the private sector where the accountability is to the owners or shareholders and the bottom line is profit.

You may have already witnessed one of the more visible manifestations of this public accountability in the recent Senate Estimates hearings – and are no doubt looking forward to your turn to being grilled.

Senator Faulkner, is somewhat famous for his intensive questioning and ability to smell a rat.  And, frankly, while experiences at Senate Estimates can become the stuff of corridor banter and folklore – we should take our accountability obligations very seriously because they colour and shape the way our organisations are structured and managed.

Accountability is one of the foundation values of the APS, helping to define its role as a key institution in Australia’s democratic system. Our accountability framework is built on a continuum of relationships:

And they must also conform with the law.

It’s also worth remembering that we are paid for from, and administer or deliver programmes and services funded by, the public purse and are therefore accountable for our good stewardship of those resources.

Thirdly, we must be apolitical.

The mandate of the public service is to serve the Government of the day­–to provide the same high standard of policy advice, implementation and professional support, irrespective of which political party is in power. This is very much at the core of what professionalism means in the APS.

We advise on, and work to implement, the elected Government’s policies and outcomes. We are not independent players, as some media commentators like to assert. But we are well placed to draw on a depth of knowledge and experience including longer term perspectives of what works and where the pitfalls lie.

Good advice from the APS is unbiased, objective and not influenced by party political considerations. But it is developed within, and with, an understanding of its implications for the broader policy directions set by the Government of the day.

The APS Values tell us that we must be apolitical, but also responsive. Straddling these two requirements is integral to being an effective public servant.

As an illustration, under the previous Labor Government my deputy Lynne Tacy was involved in the negotiation and implementation of a series of industrial relations Accords between the Government and the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU). With the change of Government in 1996, she led the taskforce to rewrite the legislation that introduced the Workplace Relations Act, including the introduction of non-union agreements, AWAs and award simplification.  And now, in the Commission, she led our work with DEEWR on removing AWA’s from the public service.

Throughout this sensitive policy work, she built and maintained good relationships with stakeholders – both employer and trade union groups. Under both governments there was a lot of work involved in negotiations with the minor parties around legislative changes. For both, she provided advice based on a longer term perspective – how best to implement the policy of the Government of the day, the economic and industrial factors at play, what was possible, what could best be achieved in stages, what would be the likely consequences of different approaches, and so on.

You need to be able to provide frank, objective advice framed to meet the Government’s objectives – present options, their pros and cons and put your case persuasively. Once a Government decision is taken, you must be prepared to work to implement it to the very best of your ability – even if you do not agree with the decision.

This does not mean that we are political eunuchs – we actually need to be politically aware in our jobs – but we can’t be politically partisan in our work and we must be able to serve the government of the day in a committed way. Some OECD papers liken the need to serve successive governments with the same degree of enthusiasm as the capacity to be “politically promiscuous”.

The period running up to an election and just after an election can bring these issues into sharp relief – and it is especially important at those times for the APS to be, and to be seen to be, politically impartial. So you have joined in an interesting year.

Another core feature of the APS is that employment is merit-based. The aim of the legislative requirement is to prevent nepotism and cronyism and to ensure the public service has the talent it needs. This is not to say the processes we use, such as for recruitment, can’t be improved but the underlying principle is something for us to strongly value and protect.

These features – working in the public interest, accountability, being apolitical, and merit based employment – have applied in our system of Government for over 100 years. They reflect the core principles of sound public administration and are about the APS and its relationship with the Government and the Parliament.

The other Values spelt out in the Public Service Act deal with our

The APS Values and the Code of Conduct are more than aspirational; they are mandatory. Under the Public Service Act, Agency Heads must promote and uphold the Values – how they best do this is a matter for them to develop in their own agency. The Senior Executive Service (SES) is tasked by the Act with the promotion of the Values, including by personal example. Every employee – all of you as well as me – is required to uphold the Values and the Code, and there are consequences for not doing so. Last year, for example

These sanctions are a reflection of the fact that the Values and Code are taken very seriously, to ensure the integrity and reputation of the APS.

Most of the ethical behaviours they cover are ones that I am sure we would all see as no brainers; for example

Others are more a matter of judgement, and at times there will be grey areas. You will need to stop and think about the best approach – such as in balancing the need to be apolitical and responsive in your dealings with Ministers’ Offices and in recognising and managing possible conflict of interest situations.

The Values are there to point the way forward, especially when we are unsure, or when we are confronted with a problem. You should – if you haven’t already –familiarise yourself with the Values and the Code of Conduct; feel free to use the bookmark in your information pack as a reminder. If issues arise, you can and should discuss them with your supervisor or manager. Where you see possible breaches of the Code you should report them using your agency’s processes. You will also find quite useful advice on the Public Service Commission’s website – particularly a Guide to Official Conduct and Supporting Ministers, Upholding the Values..

Changing gear a little and adapting some famous questions from John F Kennedy, I’d like to ask both: What can the APS do for you? as well as What can you do for the APS? Finally, I’d like to consider What can you do for yourself?

First what can the APS do for you – or why do I still get a buzz from being a public servant after joining as a graduate before most of you were born.

Working in the APS gives everyone the opportunity to make a difference. You can get involved in leading edge work and on critical issues for the country, and you can have an important role in organising or delivering services that are very important to your fellow Australians. You get to be close to, but not in, Government.

Job satisfaction levels reported in employee surveys for our annual State of the Service report to Parliament are high.

There is an incredible diversity in the work available. You can have a portfolio of careers – policy, programme administration, regulation, research, service delivery, legal, IT and corporate support services – and this list could go on. You can specialise, or you can apply your skills to a wide range of different environments and challenges. A long career in the APS will not be for all of you, but you also have the opportunity to go and do something else and then return.

There are many opportunities to develop your skills and build your repertoire. You can do extra study, go on a range of training programmes and get exposure and experience across a broad range of skill sets. The learning process should be an ongoing one. In a speech last year on leadership entitled “Still Learning After All these Years”, the former Secretary of the Prime Minister’s Department, Peter Shergold, said “The day a leader feels there’s nothing more to learn from anybody else is the day to head for inactive retirement”. While I’m sure retirement is the last thing on your mind, the principle about always being open and able to learn is an important one.

The APS is a leading edge employer in many ways, including its flexible working patterns and opportunities to take career breaks. In my own case, I have made use of the relatively flexible leave and working hours arrangements, while all of my female friends have used the maternity leave system; enabling us to have a career and a life!

Looking back, the APS has been impressive in the way it has driven and absorbed major cultural change. When I first joined the public service, women made up around 35% of the ongoing workforce, and 2% of the SES. The level of sexism and tokenism you encountered in those days – both direct and indirect - was pervasive and tedious in the extreme. Through very active Equal Employment Opportunity strategies and the progressive introduction of conditions like maternity leave and part time work, the environment has been fundamentally changed. Women now make up over half 57% of ongoing employees and 36% of the SES.

Sometimes the public service is portrayed as overly homogenous, akin to a Star Wars “clone army” of stereotypical and unrepresentative bureaucrats. The facts tell a different story – we are quite diverse and this is a big plus:

But it’s not all good news on the diversity front. We need to do better on the employment of Indigenous people and people with a disability and we’re implementing strategies to achieve that.

The stakeholders we deal with are also incredibly diverse. Over the years I have engaged with business groups, large and small companies, academics, not for profit groups, a wide variety of interest groups, community organisations, State and local governments, trade unions, the churches, international bodies, back benchers and minor political parties– and I could go on.

In the last few weeks I have been speaking in most State capitals.  I will be attending the 2020 Summit on the weekend and will be in Canada next month at a heads of Public Service and Cabinet office meeting.

As public servants, you meet some fascinating people, get faced with tricky relationship management issues and get to experience a wide range of different perspectives. You can get to feel what it’s like to be in the minority in a group which is good for the soul and your effectiveness as a policy developer and service provider.

The APS is recognised as a top public service internationally, and a leader in modernisation and reform. We are particularly recognised for our capacity to respond quickly to emerging issues and crises – like to the Bali bombings and the Tsunami. That said, there have been some very public failures of public administration in recent years from which we must learn and continuous performance improvement must be an objective for us all.

What you can do for the APS? is best seen in the context of some of the challenges and priorities facing the APS itself.

Demographic and other shifts have resulted in an ageing of our workforce. Even though agencies differ significantly in their age profile, in many of your workplaces large proportions of senior people are approaching retirement. Fundamental intergenerational change is underway. Almost 41% of our ongoing employees are 45 or older (and for ELs and the SES the proportions are 49% and 71%).  That opens up many opportunities for you.

The APS is facing some tough issues today – issues that impact directly on the health, well being and national security of the Australian community - such as terrorism; climate change; water shortages; sustaining economic growth, fighting inflation and raising productivity; growing our innovative capacity and harnessing those benefits for future generations; responding strategically to the impacts of demographic change; confronting Indigenous disadvantage and so on.

The issues we are dealing with increasingly transcend agency and jurisdictional boundaries. They are deeply complex, often requiring fundamental behavioural change in how we tackle issues. We need to work more effectively and innovatively in a whole of government way and find Commonwealth/State arrangements that make our service delivery more targeted and citizen focused. And, of course, we are constantly faced with the drive for greater efficiency and effectiveness.

So against that backdrop – what would I, as a member of an agency’s Executive be looking for in a graduate group?

For you to:

Your generation is more adept at networking and far more IT literate than we baby boomers – these are both critical skills in today’s public sector environment and give you a real edge.

Our record on public sector reform is very positive. But we need to keep evolving and improving. While the fundamental principles I spoke about earlier must be retained – there’s nothing sacred about how they are applied. Large organisations with long traditions can suffer from a degree of inbuilt inertia and a tendency to be overly risk averse. The devolved, decentralised approach to government we have in Australia helps to work against that. But public sector reform must be a continuing process. Our systems and approaches need to evolve with the times and support quite different and innovative ways of working. Our employment practices have to remain leading edge and dynamic. The Rudd Government wants us to be in the ideas business. You will have an important role in all this as the future reformers of the public service.

And finally, what can you do for yourself?

Your graduate year or graduate programmes present a great opportunity for experience and development and to build a network of long lasting colleagues and friends.

Take advantage of opportunities where they are provided to taste working in different areas. It gives you a sense of what’s available, the types of work that might appeal and also of the interconnectedness of different activities and different cultures and perspectives around.

Start proactively managing your career – whether it involves remaining in the APS, going to other sectors or a mix. Your tertiary qualifications give you a great foundation for what needs to be a continuing learning process.

Sometimes development opportunities will arise that, at first blush, may not stand out as having a lot going for them. But think strategically about them – are you likely to gain new insights, to learn new skills, to cultivate new working relationships or otherwise benefit from the activity and therefore become a more valuable member of the APS?  Getting involved – in what might seem on the sidelines – being the note taker or observer for example – at Inter-departmental Committees or critical stakeholder meetings can be an eye-opener and help pave the way for your more active involvement.

You should have a look at the Integrated Leadership System on the Commission’s website, which sets out the five capability clusters we look for in leadership in the APS: 

You should start developing these capabilities now. You can do this in a number of ways, such as:

You should use your graduate year to begin your career as a strategic thinker.   For some of you this may come naturally but for many of you it will be a learned skill – either way, strategic thinking will become increasingly important as you progress.

There are also some key qualities which will make life a lot easier if you develop them.

The first is judgement. To some degree it’s an inherent skill. But it can be finetuned and improved with experience and self-reflection. In a pressured environment, demanding agility and responsiveness, having a good gut sense and being able to trust it is an invaluable commodity.

You will face challenges and, at times, ethical dilemmas – we all do. The APS Values are there to guide you in such situations. But in the end, it will be your judgement, your ability to actually recognise that there is an issue to think through, and considering options strategically to deal with it will be the key. Sometimes a good test is to ask yourself “How would I feel if it was reported on the front page of the newspaper?”

The second is resilience – you’ll find at times that things you have worked hard on - that you have crafted, that you have developed strong feelings about – will be changed or your recommendations rejected. You shouldn’t get thrown by this. Seek feedback and use the experience to learn.

The ground can change quickly beneath you, including Government priorities. You can put a significant effort into developing an initiative, perhaps a Cabinet Submission and the Minister suddenly decides to take things in quite a different direction. That’s life.  The thinking and work you’ve done is probably going to be useful in some other context. You can also be working on really complex seemingly intractable issues with very messy stakeholder relationships and feel like progress is glacial. You need persistence, resilience and a constant thirst to find a way through. As well as a good network of colleagues to share your views with.

The third thing is about ambition. Ambition can act as a very positive driver, and not just personal ambition, but ambition to make a difference. So go for it – but in a strategic way. Back your ambition with capacity building. Being quickly promoted beyond your competence may give a short term high, but can lead to bombing out. Looking to move into a senior management position when you haven’t really developed depth and expertise can be counter productive for you as well as your organisation and the people you work with.

Fourth, develop an acute awareness of our interconnectedness as members of the APS.  By now, you should have heard the phrase “whole-of government” or “connected government”.  This is high on the agenda for senior management, because the extent to which we embrace collegiate and collaborative ways of working across agencies will impact on what the public sector is able to achieve.

Being able to work effectively within and across agencies, portfolios, other levels of government and with other sectors is critical for many challenges of public administration, particularly large and complex issues.  Gone are the days when people worked in their own little area without a care for the world outside their division or department.  We now need the active participation of a range of agencies to focus on whole-of-government outcomes, rather than turf protection – whether it’s to ensure sustainable water resources; to build a more productive economy; to ensure national security; to cope with demographic change; or when crafting social policy for highly disadvantaged groups.

This is one of the major challenges facing us in the public sector today.  Working across government and other borders helps us to find new and better ways to work together to deliver results for the Australian Government and the community.  All of us here today have a role to play.

And finally, remember that it’s OK – in fact it’s more than OK- to be passionate and proud about where you work and what you do.  It is, in my view, a great privilege and source of pride to work in the APS.  Most of us do it because we are committed to the public good and to the nation and to its betterment.

Sometimes, the need to be apolitical gets translated into a view of public servants as faceless, bland bureaucrats, with little passion or commitment. While we can’t be political, we can and should show commitment and pride in whatever we do. We want people with a passion for what they are trying to achieve – whether it’s for providing the best policy they can, for providing really excellent service delivery, for getting regulation right or for delivering great support services.

As professional public servants, we are passionate because our work is critical to the national interest and impacts directly on Australians’ well being. We are also passionate about our work because it gives us an intellectual boost.  To be good at our work requires a mix of knowledge, skills, abilities and a sense of innovation and realism.  It also requires an understanding and demonstration of high ethical standards.  It’s a fascinating field in which to work, often challenging and complex, and because of that, it’s incredibly rewarding. And I hope you will all find it so

Welcome to the Australian Public Service everybody.

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