Glossary
Published
| Commission | Australian Public Service Commission |
| APS Employee Engagement Model | In 2011, the Australian Public Service Commission developed an APS Employee Engagement Model using data collected as part of the State of the Service reporting. The model is grounded in the engagement literature and provides an opportunity to consider employee engagement from a uniquely APS perspective. The model defines the relationship employees have with their work in four ways: the job they do daily; the team with whom they work; their immediate supervisor; and the agency they work for. |
| Non-ongoing | Non-ongoing employment is a generic term which refers to the engagement of APS employees for either a specified term or for the duration of a specified task or for duties that are irregular or intermittent as mentioned in Sections 22(2)(b) and (c) of the Public Service Act. |
| Ongoing | Ongoing employment refers to the employment of an APS employee as an ongoing employee as mentioned in Section 22(2) (a) of the Public Service Act. |
| Separation | A separation occurs when an employee ceases to be employed under the Public Service Act. It does not refer to employees moving from one APS agency to another. |
| Engagement | An engagement refers to the engagement or re-engagement of staff under Section 22 of the Public Service Act. Employees of agencies moving into coverage of the Public Service Act are counted as engagements. |
| The State of the Service agency survey (agency survey) | The State of the Service agency survey is conducted annually from June to July, and collects functional data and workforce metrics from APS agencies with more than 20 APS employees. |
| APS employee census (employee census) | The APS employee census conducted in May and June each year, and collects information on attitudes and opinions of APS employees for the State of the Service report. |
| Median | A measure of central tendency, found by arranging values in order and then selecting the one in the middle. |