A report by the Auditor-General has found that recent crisis management experiences such as COVID-19 and natural disasters had reinforced the need for the State’s public sector to be flexible and work in a more unified way.
The Auditor-General, Brendan Worrall said that while those conditions had challenged the public sector, it had also presented an opportunity for it to build a diverse and collaborative workforce capable of agile, flexible, and innovative working practices.
Mr Worrall’s report, Managing Workforce Agility in the Queensland Public Sector, examined the effectiveness of the Public Service’s workforce planning to support changing needs and Government priorities.
“We explored the key areas of workforce planning and leadership, workforce transformation, and attracting and retaining talent,” Mr Worrall said.
“We made recommendations to the Public Service Commission and all Queensland Government Departments, designed to help them shape their planning and processes into the future,” he said.
“We found that workforce planning in the Queensland public sector is not sophisticated enough to grow and build a workforce that can meet changing needs and priorities.”
He said changing citizen demographics and expectations of Government services, digital transformation, and increasing demand for skills and talent in a highly competitive labour market were all affecting the sector.
“Employee expectations are also changing, demanding different work and workforce models,” the Auditor-General said.
“More needs to be done to assess and respond to the impact of emerging technology and opportunities presented through data and digital transformation.”
As a result, there was a need to move away from traditional ways of operating, along with more systemic leadership and a more coordinated approach to workforce planning.
The 37-page audit report can be accessed at this PS News link.
