Ahead of the Game: Blueprint for Reform of Australian Government Administration
Part 5 – Conclusion
‘The creation of a more cohesive and collaborative APS will require cultural change. Practical measures to foster a single APS are of course important, but underlying these measures must be a genuine commitment by government and employees of all levels in the APS to the change process.’
Community and Public Sector Union, submission 177, p.4.
This Blueprint outlines an ambitious reform agenda for placing the APS ahead of the game. It provides a useful guide to future challenges on the basis of the current state of the APS. Collectively the nine reforms and associated recommendations, set out in Appendix 4, provide a comprehensive strategy for sustainable change.
First and foremost the Blueprint aims to improve outcomes for citizens, through more integrated services, better policy advice, maximising value for taxpayer’s money and a closer alignment of government activity to the community’s preferences. A package of measures is recommended to achieve these goals, through changes to systems, structures and practices.
The Blueprint also recognises that, at its core, the APS is a network of people. The reforms seek to boost and support the APS workforce and to embed new forms of behaviour into the APS culture. Workforce capability is addressed through reforms directed at areas of longstanding concern, such as performance management and workforce planning, as well as areas that must evolve to meet new challenges, such as learning and development and recruitment.
Changing the culture of the APS is a more complex proposition. The Blueprint identifies APS leadership practices as a necessary catalyst for change. For employees to embrace the reforms, leaders must demonstrate new behaviours. The proposed establishment of a Secretaries Board and APS 200 leadership group will encourage senior leaders to own and carry forward the reforms.
The Blueprint also proposes a number of accountability measures, including the introduction of cross-portfolio outcomes, new performance assessment for Secretaries, regular agency capability reviews, human capital benchmarking and a focus on data collection. Such measures are necessary for the reform agenda to succeed.
There are elements of central planning in the reforms, but this should not be read as a centralist agenda. The intention is to improve central frameworks, particularly around people management, in order to improve decision-making in agencies. Collective responsibility is also encouraged, both for policy outcomes and the management of the APS, through the strengthened accountability of Secretaries.
Given the lack of evidence on the performance of the APS and public services worldwide, a number of recommendations identify improved data collection to help build an evidence base. The proposed reforms seek to transform the APS into a self-improving organisation – an organisation that is strategic and forward looking with an intrinsic culture of evaluation and innovation.
Ultimately the success of the reforms rests with APS employees. This Blueprint seeks to ensure the excellence of their work, for the lasting benefit of Australian Government administration and the Australian people.