APS Hierarchy and Classification Review
Overview
As part of the Australian Government’s APS reform agenda, Delivering for Australians, the Australian Public Service Commission (APSC) is commencing a review of SES and non‑SES classification levels against best practice and emerging workforce needs from early 2021. This is in line with key actions addressed in the APS Workforce Strategy.
The APS Hierarchy and Classification review will address the Independent Review of the Australian Public Service recommendation to streamline management and adopt best-practice ways of working to reduce hierarchy, improve decision-making, and bring the right APS expertise and resources (Recommendation 32).
An independent panel has been appointed to oversee the Review, bringing a wealth of experience and understanding of the APS operating environment. The panel is comprised of Dr Heather Smith PSM, Ms Kathryn Fagg AO FTSE and Mr Finn Pratt AO PSM. You can read more on the Terms of Reference page.
This panel will support the Commission’s project team to carry out strategic engagement and to draw on domestic and international learnings – including lessons from the APS’s role in supporting the Government’s response to, and recovery from, COVID-19.
The final report will be delivered in the second half of 2021.
For any questions on the Review, please contact the APSC at HCReview@apsc.gov.au.
Submissions
Thank you to everyone who has made a submission to APS Hierarchy and Classification Review. Your experiences and ideas have been invaluable to the Panel in preparing their recommendations.
About Submissions
At the close of our submission process on 7 of June 2021, the review had received 105 contributions over a four week period.
Most of the submissions received came from individuals, largely employees of the Australian Public Service. Submissions were also received from a number of government entities and staff associations.
Submissions can be viewed via Converlens APS Hierarchy and Classification Review Submissions - APS Hierarchy and Classification Review
Publishing Submissions
Authors chose if they wanted their submission to be published, and were also able to request anonymity (i.e. that their name not be published with the submission).
Of the total submissions:
- 74 were published
- 31 remain private
Of the published submissions:
- 18 are published named
- 55 are published unnamed
The published submissions exclude those that:
- indicated they did not want their submission published;
- contain offensive remarks; and/or
- include material manifestly unrelated to the review itself or blank submissions.
Submissions were checked for privacy requirements in our terms and conditions. Some were published with personal information or third party references redacted.
The submissions published on this page are owned by the relevant organisations and individuals, and as such they are responsible for the factual accuracy of these documents at the time of publishing. The views contained in these submissions represent the views of the authors and are not necessarily those of the APSC or the Australian Government.