While the Government agreed with the majority of recommendations of the Independent Review of the Australian Public Service (APS), many proposals were rejected.
Those overlooked included a move toward common pay and conditions for the APS, removal of a staffing cap and a call for closer working relationships with States and Territories.
The Review recommended the APS move toward common core conditions and pay scales over time to reduce complexity, improve efficiency and enable the APS to be a “united high-performing organisation”.
This recommendation was not agreed to, with the Government saying that pay and conditions were working effectively and in an efficient manner.
“The Government accepts the Secretaries Board advice not to proceed with service-wide pay points and will continue with the existing APS Enterprise Bargaining Framework,” the official response said.
It said the Secretaries Board would consider options to “inject greater discipline” in SES remuneration as a means of facilitating greater SES mobility.
Also rejected was a recommendation that the APS work more closely with States and Territories to jointly deliver improved services and outcomes, the response saying the Government had no intention of altering current interstate cooperation arrangements.
The Review recommended that a whole-of-service workforce strategy be developed to build and sustain the way the APS attracted, developed and utilised its staff.
While agreed in part, the response said the APS Commissioner would release the first APS Workforce Strategy in 2020 and continue to manage the size of the APS through the Average Staffing Level rule.
It noted the Review recommendation that it abolish the Average Staffing Level rule, however said it considered the rule to be working effectively.
A further recommendation to improve digital functions across the APS was agreed in part, with the Government outlining its support of the Digital Transformation Agency (DTA) and noting the proposal that, in the long-term, it consider moving the DTA to become a stand-alone central Department.
The Report also recommended amendments to the Public Service Act 1999 and Charter of Budget Honesty Act 1998 – the Government did not agree with either.
The Government’s 26-page response can be accessed at this PS News link.
