Sharpening the focus: Managing performance in the APS

Background

Performance management is a well documented area.

The most relevant and significant guidance material for APS agencies in this area includes:

Management Advisory Committee (MAC), Performance Management in the Australian Public Service: A Strategic Framework, revised edition, 2003¹
Australian National Audit Office (ANAO), Report no. 6/2004-05 Performance Management in the Australian Public Service, 2004 ²
Australian Public Service Commission, Performance Management, 2002³

Provisions related to performance management are set out in the PS Act, the Public Service Commissioner´s Directions 1999 (as amended)⁴ which include requirements in relation to implementation of the APS Values, and the Policy Parameters for Agreement Making in the Australian Public Service⁵. These define the legal and policy context for the introduction and implementation of performance management systems.

Further information on the legislative framework is provided at Appendix A. Agencies will generally set out some aspects of their performance management arrangements in their workplace agreements and have an accompanying agency policy document.

In relation to the APS Value about achieving results and managing performance, the Directions require that each agency puts in place a fair and open performance management system that:

covers all APS employees
guides salary movement and is linked to organisational and business goals and maintains the APS Values
provides APS employees with a clear statement of performance expectations and an opportunity to comment on those expectations⁶.

An agency´s performance management system must be designed and implemented in accordance with these objectives. The APS Values requiring the APS to be a career-based service and to develop workplace relationships based on communication, consultation, co-operation and input from employees on matters which affect their workplace, also need to be taken into account when considering the development or review of a performance management system.

The Policy Parameters for Agreement Making in the Australian Public Service, particularly policy parameters 2 and 5 refer explicitly to performance. Policy parameter 2 requires improvements in pay and conditions to be linked to improvements in organisational productivity and performance⁷. Policy parameter 5 requires agency agreements to facilitate mobility across the APS by maintaining structures that are consistent with the classification rules, with salary advancement guided by performance⁸.

The PS Act, policy parameters, and workplace agreements made in accordance with those parameters, allow agencies flexibility (providing consistency with the APS Values is maintained) to develop and implement performance management systems that meet the needs of their organisation, allowing consideration of:

organisational and corporate goals
the workplace culture the organisation seeks to foster
contextual factors

In line with the objective of implementing good practice approaches, the MAC Performance Management⁹ report indicated that the key features of the framework for performance management are:

alignment—of effort and behaviours with, amongst other things, the outcomes sought by government and the APS Values
credibility—including achieving the confidence and support of staff, creating effective workplace relationships and environments, fairness, openness and reporting of outcomes
integration—with the management structure, ensuring clear lines of responsibility, line of sight to organisational responsibilities, clear links between actions and results and targeted capability development.

A range of Commission publications provide further advice in relation to specific issues:

Counselling for Better Work Performance 2000ⁱ
Values in the Australian Public Service 2002
Managing Breaches of the APS Code of Conduct 2002
Embedding the APS Values 2003
Probation 2003
Termination of Employment 2004

i This publication provides specific advice in relation to managing underperformance and is found at http://www.apsc.gov.au/publications00/counselling.htm

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Sharpening the focus: Managing performance in the APS

Background