Over 2024–25, the APS has been piloting the OECD Human Resources Maturity Model to assess and elevate HR practices across agencies. Led by Kristen Owen, Assistant Commissioner of People Strategy at the Australian Taxation Office (ATO), this initiative has provided a structured lens through which agencies can evaluate their HR maturity across 3 key domains:
- strategy setting and governance
- workforce planning and management, and
- staff support.
The OECD model outlines 5 levels of maturity:
- Emerging
- Progressing
- Established
- Leading and
- Aspirational
This enables agencies to benchmark their current state and identify pathways for improvement. It encourages a holistic view of HR, from strategic alignment and transparency to recruitment, retention, and employee wellbeing.
On 6 November, participating agencies convened to share their findings and reflect on the pilot’s outcomes. Agencies involved included:
- Treasury
- Department of Education
- National Disability Insurance Agency
- National Indigenous Australians Agency
- Parliamentary Workplace Support Services
- Department of Veterans’ Affairs
- Australian Taxation Office.
The day opened with a Chief People Officer panel discussion facilitated by Kristen Owen featuring Alison Stott from the ATO and Jasna Blackwell from the Department of Education. This set the tone for a collaborative exchange of insights and experiences.
Each agency presented its self-assessment outcomes, followed by Kristen’s summary of cumulative results. The workshop highlighted common themes and opportunities for growth across the APS.
Importantly, the session also focused on identifying impactful next steps to improve maturity in workforce planning, recruitment and capability. These recommendations will be considered by the APS HRPS SES Advisory Group before the end of 2025.
A forward-looking component of the workshop explored how the maturity model findings could inform the identification of AI use cases in HR, and the skills and capabilities needed to support this transformation. This aligns with the OECD’s emphasis on preparing HR functions for a digitally enabled future, as outlined in the Aspirational level of the model.
The pilot has demonstrated the value of structured self-assessment in fostering strategic HR development. It has also reinforced the importance of cross-agency collaboration in building a resilient, future-ready APS workforce.
Thank you to everyone who supported the event launch including Ben McKendry, Daniela Adzioska and Karina Buffier from the ATO People Strategy Branch.
OECD HR Maturity Model Pilot agency representatives