Enabling innovation

Innovation drives performance, productivity and work outcomes. The Australian Public Service Employee Census Enabling Innovation Index measures both whether employees feel willing and able to be innovative, and whether their agency has a culture which enables them to be so.

APS Employee Census questions that contribute to the Enabling Innovation Index are:

• I believe that one of my responsibilities is to continually look for new ways to improve the way we work.
• My immediate supervisor encourages me to come up with new or better ways of doing things.
• People are recognised for coming up with new and innovative ways of working.
• My agency inspires me to come up with new or better ways of doing things.
• My agency recognises and supports the notion that failure is a part of innovation.

Figures AB 16 to AB 21 and tables AB 16 to AB 21 report on the index scores for agencies, by agency size, for APS respondents.

Figure AB 16: Enabling Innovation Index, by agency size

Source: APS Employee Census

Table AB 16: Enabling Innovation Index, by agency size

Source: APS Employee Census

Figure AB 17: Enabling Innovation Index, for extra-large agencies (10,000+ employees)

Source: APS Employee Census
Note: The National Disability Insurance Agency was a large agency in 2024.

Table AB 17: Enabling Innovation Index, for extra-large agencies (10,000+ employees)

Source: APS Employee Census
Note: The National Disability Insurance Agency was a large agency in 2024.

Figure AB 18: Enabling Innovation Index, for large agencies (1,001 to 10,000 employees)

Source: APS Employee Census
Note: Health and Aged Care is now Health, Disability and Ageing. Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts is now Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts. The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission was a medium agency in 2024.

Table AB 18: Enabling Innovation Index, for large agencies (1,001 to 10,000 employees)

Source: APS Employee Census
Note: Health and Aged Care is now Health, Disability and Ageing. Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts is now Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts. The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission was a medium agency in 2024.

Figure AB 19: Enabling Innovation Index, for medium agencies (251 to 1,000 employees)

Source: APS Employee Census
Note: The National Health and Medical Research Council, the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia, and the National Museum of Australia were small agencies in 2024. The Administrative Review Tribunal was called the Administrative Appeals Tribunal in 2024.

Table AB 19: Enabling Innovation Index, for medium agencies (251 to 1,000 employees)

Source: APS Employee Census
Note: The National Health and Medical Research Council, the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia, and the National Museum of Australia were small agencies in 2024. The Administrative Review Tribunal was called the Administrative Appeals Tribunal in 2024.

Figure AB 20: Enabling Innovation Index, for small agencies (101 to 250 employees)

Source: APS Employee Census
Note: The Net Zero Economy Authority was not an APS agency in 2024. The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority was a medium agency in 2024. The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care and the Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House were extra-small agencies in 2024.

Table AB 20: Enabling Innovation Index, for small agencies (101 to 250 employees)

Source: APS Employee Census
Note: The Net Zero Economy Authority was not an APS agency in 2024. The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority was a medium agency in 2024. The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care and the Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House were extra-small agencies in 2024.

Figure AB 21: Enabling Innovation Index, for extra-small agencies (20 to 100 employees)

Source: APS Employee Census
Note: The Office of the Special Investigator was a small agency in 2024. The High Speed Rail Authority did not participate in the APS Employee Census in 2024. Screen Australia and the Australian Law Reform Commission did not have reportable results in 2024.

Table AB 21: Enabling Innovation Index, for extra-small agencies (20 to 100 employees)

Source: APS Employee Census
Note: The Office of the Special Investigator was a small agency in 2024. The High Speed Rail Authority did not participate in the APS Employee Census in 2024. Screen Australia and the Australian Law Reform Commission did not have reportable results in 2024.