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What information is recorded about my visiting this site?

When you look at this site (www.apsc.gov.au), our service provider makes a record of your visit. Domain names are not registered and your visit to the site is anonymous.The following system information may be collected:

• IP (Internet Protocol) address of the machine which has accessed it.
• Top-level domain name (eg. .com, .gov, .au, .uk etc)
• Address of your server
• Date and time of you visit to the site
• Pages accessed
• Previous website visited
• Type of browser and operating system you have.

The information collected during each visit may be used for statistical purposes only, mainly for the purpose of producing reports in order to identify patterns of usage.

No attempt will be made to identify users or their browsing activities except in the unlikely event of an investigation, where a law enforcement agency may exercise a warrant to inspect the service provider's logs.

Cookies:

The Commission website (www.apsc.gov.au) does not use cookies. However some subsites and other websites controlled by the Commission may use cookies as part of their function. If you have concerns about the use of cookies to collect personal information you should view each site's privacy statement after entering the site.

Communicating with the Commission by email

If you email the Commission your email address will only be used for the purpose for which you provided it. If the information you seek from us is better provided by another agency, we may consult with that agency or forward your query to it so that it can reply to you direct. If your query draws attention to wider problems in current APS employment policies and practices, we may choose to draw this issue to wider attention, but will do this in a way that does not identify you.

Email is not a secure way to communicate. You should be aware of this when sending personal information to us via email. Also, emails are official records and may be monitored by this or your own agency. If this is of concern to you then you should use other methods of communication with the Commission.

Australian Public Service Commission privacy statement

About the Australian Public Service Commission

The mission of the Australian Public Service Commission ('the Commission') is to promote a values-based APS, foster organisational performance and evaluate the State of the Service.

The functions of the Public Service Commissioner set out in the Public Service Act 1999 (the PS Act) and subordinate legislation include:

• Promoting the APS Values and Code of Conduct
• Reporting on the State of the Service, including detailed analysis of APS staffing trends
• A role in employment decisions relating to Senior Executive Service (SES) employees
• Co-ordinating and supporting APS-wide training and career development opportunities in the APS
• Fostering leadership in the APS
• Implementing machinery of government changes
• Investigating breaches of the Code of Conduct (whistleblower reports) and allegations of breaches by Agency Heads or certain statutory office-holders)
• Approving certain engagements (eg of persons who have received redundancy benefits) and the giving of delegations to non-APS employees
• Providing advice on public service matters to Government and APS agencies
• The conduct of special inquiries under the Public Service Act
• Making recommendations in relation to certain senior appointments.

The Commission's other administrative and policy functions include production of the Public Service Gazette.

Our commitment to protecting privacy and confidential information

The Commission is committed to protecting the privacy of the personal information it holds. We are bound by the Information Privacy Principles set out in the Privacy Act 1988. Our employees are subject to the APS Values and Code of Conduct and if they disclose official information without authority in breach of Public Service Regulation 2.1 they may face disciplinary sanctions including, in the most serious cases, termination of employment. Our service providers are bound contractually to observe the Information Privacy Principles. Current and former employees and service providers are covered by section 70 of the Crimes Act 1914, which provides for criminal penalties for unauthorised disclosure of official information.

We have internal policies on privacy, security, email and internet usage, and fraud control. We draw these to the attention of new staff and regularly remind all staff.

Scope of this Privacy statement

This statement applies to personal information held by the Commission, on current and past APS employees and others for the purpose of carrying out the Public Service Commissioner's statutory and other functions. Separate Privacy Statements apply to personal information held about the Commission's employees in their capacity as employees, on behalf of the Merit Protection Commissioner and in relation to the Commission's website.

What kinds of personal information we hold

The main kinds of personal information we hold are:

• Data held on APSED (the Australian Public Service Employment Database), which stores employment data (including workplace diversity details and qualifications) on all current and former APS employees. The data is supplied from the HR systems of APS agencies to enable the Public Service Commissioner to perform his functions under the Public Service Act, such as reporting on the State of the Service. Details are set out in the pamphlet 'People Count - using APSED Data for Workforce Planning' and the statement 'Your privacy and the Australian Public Service Employment Database' which agencies are encouraged by the Commission to make available to all employees
• registration and administrative details for our leadership, learning and development programs and other events eg promoting the APS Values and workplace diversity
• more sensitive participant information in relation to career development assessment and some leadership development programs
• career information relating to SES employees and papers seeking Commission endorsement of various SES staffing decisions, such as SES selection
• the database used to generate the Public Service Gazette
• various mailing lists, email contact lists, networks and marketing registers
• information provided by agencies, APS employees or others who seek our advice.

Some personal information is not held directly by us, but by consultants eg evaluative information on participants in Career Development Assessment Centres (CDAC), individual employee survey results for the State of the Service Survey, and records relating to participants in learning and development programs such as the Senior Women in Management program (SWIM). Such consultants are bound by the Information Privacy Principles by way of contractual obligations.

Full details of the personal information we hold are in the Personal Information Digest entry for the Commission, on the Office of the Federal Privacy Commissioner's website

How we collect information and the legal authority for collection

Information provided by Agencies

Most of our information about APS employees and others is provided by APS agencies. This includes HR data on individual employees, nominations for learning and development events and papers relating to SES staffing issues. This information is provided under s. 44(3) of the PS Act (information required to prepare the State of the Service Report and to report on workplace diversity) or Public Service Regulation 9.2 (disclosure necessary as part of an Agency Head's employer powers or for a function of the Public Service Commissioner).

Publicly available information.

The PS Act and Regulations require the gazettal of certain engagements, movements or assignment of duties, terminations of ongoing APS employees and SES retirements and determinations of remuneration and conditions for Agency Heads. Gazette notices can include name, AGS number, classification, local title, salary range, Agency, work unit and State or Territory. Agencies lodge this information electronically on the Gazette website. This information is publicly available indefinitely in hardcopy versions of the Public Service Gazette and electronically, for the two week period that the relevant issue of the Public Service Gazette remains on the Commission's website.

Information provided directly by individuals.

Information provided directly to us on a voluntary basis by APS employees or others includes registrations, attendance and speaker details for learning and development events, contact details for networks, mailing lists and marketing registers, details of consultants, inquiries by individuals to our phone Helpline or email hotline, whistleblowing complaints, issues raised with the Senior Executive Service Advisor and freedom of information requests.

How we use personal information

Where we solicit information, the purpose for which it is collected will be stated on any form or request by us. If you volunteer information, the purpose will be obvious from the context.

Personal information that we hold may be shared, within the Commission for the purpose for which it was obtained, or for related purposes such as statistical analysis, reporting and evaluation. We may also use information for secondary purposes related to the functions of the Commission eg to check that our other records are accurate, complete and up to date.

Details of applicants for SES opportunities may be used for executive search and referral.

We also use information on persons registering for our events or SES employees to distribute information about other APS Commission opportunities and activities. Occasionally mailing lists are made available to other agencies or bodies with closely related functions with the approval of the Deputy Commissioner. If you do not wish to have your information used for marketing purposes, just contact our Helpline on 02 6202 3859 or at employmentadvice@apsc.gov.au at any time.

To whom do we usually disclose your personal information

To carry out the Commissioner's functions or deal with a matter you have raised with us, we may need to disclose personal information to an APS employee's current or future agency, another APS agency (eg the names of suitable SES employees who may represent the Commission on a selection process, or to organise a work placement) or in a report to the Public Service Minister. If you apply for an SES opportunity, register for a Commission event, seek advice or raise an issue with us, we take you to understand that information may be disclosed in these ways.

Access to and correction of your records

The Freedom of Information Act 1982 gives you the right to see the personal information we hold about you, with some exceptions. Under the Information Privacy Principles you can contact us at any time and ask us to amend your information if you consider it is inaccurate or incomplete. For more information, contact the Privacy Contact Officer on 02 6202 3571.

Management and security of personal information

At present, different work units hold separate databases, marketing and network contact lists and other electronic and hard copy records. These overlap in content and we are exploring the scope for greater linkages, while ensuring privacy interests are protected.

We take reasonable steps to ensure the security of the personal information we hold. Our hard copy records are stored in a secure environment. Access to our premises is controlled. Access privileges to our databases and other electronic records is limited to authorised persons by password controls and personal identifiers. Our IT security is regularly tested.

Information provided by agencies for our APSED database is transmitted via a secure electronic interface and registrations for our courses and events and Gazette notices are lodged through secure websites. Our website warns visitors that e-mail is not a secure way to communicate and to be aware of this when sending personal information to us via e-mail.

Our records are kept in accordance with the Archives Act 1983. The Commission is developing revised disposal authorities for its paper-based records in accordance with the National Australian Archives DIRKS (Designing, Implementing Record Keeping System Standards) methodology, including for some 'heritage' records no longer in use. Records in mailing lists, marketing registers and contact lists are kept until individuals have requested removal from future distribution lists or a change is otherwise notified.

Queries and complaints

For more information about privacy in general, you can visit the Federal Privacy Commissioner's website http://www.privacy.gov.au/ To clarify any privacy issues or make a complaint if you think we have breached your privacy rights, please contact our Privacy Contact Officer in writing or by phoning 02 6202 3571.

Our Privacy policy may change from time to time

The Commission regularly reviews all its policies and procedures. As a result we may change this Privacy Statement and any more detailed statements applying to particular classes of records from time to time.