26 September 2023

APS meeting multiple challenges

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The Australian Public Service Commissioner has spoken about the challenges facing the Public Service at the APS Wide Conference in Canberra.

In a wide-ranging address, Peter Woolcott said he wanted to reflect on the events of the current summer and the efforts of APS staff.

“Everyone in this room has probably been impacted one way or another — whether it be the devastating bushfires or the hailstorm that ripped through Canberra only a matter of weeks ago,” Mr Woolcott said.

“As difficult as this period has been, you have a great deal to be proud of and you should not forget this as we go about our business.”

Giving examples, he said Services Australia had reduced a 17-page Disaster Recovery Payment form to five pages, meaning Australians affected by the bushfires didn’t need to fill out endless forms to receive payments.

“Health and Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade employees are navigating one of the most complex geopolitical environments to evacuate Australians from Wuhan,” Mr Woolcott said.

“While all this was going on, you professionally delivered significant structural changes to the APS with no disruption to services.”

He said Services Australia continued to field more than 120,000 calls from Australians who were experiencing devastation.

Turning to the Thodey Review of the APS, he said much of the report was about cultural change — “and that takes time and co-ordinated leadership”.

“It is also about structure and how we acquire and develop our capability,” Mr Woolcott said.

He said the Government agreed with the majority of the review’s 40 recommendations and had asked the Secretaries Board to take them forward.

“This was to begin with a rapid planning phase – this is underway.”

“The APS is well positioned to meet the challenges it is thrown.”

“The experience we have had over summer has demonstrated that very clearly,” he said.

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