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Key chapter findings
This year’s employee survey results confirm previous findings that a significant proportion of the APS has direct contact with Ministers and/or their advisers on a range of matters and that direct contact is occurring at levels below the SES. The results also confirm that not only is the interaction extensive, but it is also overwhelmingly in relation to matters of substance (such as the provision of advice and factual information). They also confirm that interaction is not uniform across the APS and that some APS employees are much more likely to deal with ministerial offices on certain matters than others.
It is pleasing to report for the third consecutive year that, generally, confidence is quite high about upholding the Values, and relationships with Ministers and their offices would appear to generally be operating effectively and be based on trust. It is important nonetheless that agencies ensure that all their employees likely to come into contact with Ministers or their advisers have the capacity to manage the challenges that inevitably arise on occasions, and that they have available ready and reliable support from those around them. It is concerning to report for the second year in a row that substantial numbers of employees involved with Ministers and their advisers are not aware of their agency’s protocols—and they should be. The large variation between agencies in this respect is also of concern. While each agency and its employees will have particular operating circumstances and types of challenges, they should draw on the Commission’s forthcoming publication, ‘Supporting Ministers, Upholding the Values’ which also incorporates key material from the already released publication, APS Values and Code of Conduct in Practice: A Guide to Official Conduct for APS Employees and Agency Heads.
Agency survey results indicate that the record keeping capability of the APS continues to improve in relation to interactions with ministerial offices, as agencies place a higher priority on record keeping systems, protocols, awareness and training. However, from a broader perspective, the employee survey results for this year indicate a slight decline in the record keeping capability of the APS compared to 2003–04.
