The Queensland Public Service Commission (PSC) has presented its annual report to Parliament.
Acting Chair of the PSC, David Stewart said the Commission, in partnership with the Public Sector Reform Office in the Department of the Premier and Cabinet, had begun implementing recommendations from the review of public sector employment laws— A Fair and Responsive Public Service for All.
“Legislative changes will ensure Queensland has a Public Service that is fair, an employer of choice, and a leader in public administration,” Mr Stewart said.
“The Commission also led and completed a comprehensive review of Public Service legislation, the Code of Conduct for the Queensland Public Service, to ensure all Commission Chief Executive Directives and supporting resources are compatible with the Human Rights Act 2019.”
He said that in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Commission had refocused its efforts to provide effective stewardship and additional support to Departments as they navigated emerging workforce challenges.
“The Commission collaborated with Departments to rapidly implement an agile employment framework, mobilising employees to where they were most needed to undertake critical work,” Mr Stewart said.
“This demonstrates how the Commission’s service delivery is ever-evolving, working in new ways across the public sector … to ensure the public sector is equipped to respond to Government and community expectations.”
Chief Executive of the PSC, Robert Setter (pictured) said COVID-19 had triggered substantial change and required the public sector be adaptable and responsive.
“It saw the Commission significantly refocus its efforts in the second half of the 2019-20 year to support this response,” Mr Setter said.
“Even though our focus changed, the future-work initiatives we have been practicing, modelling and embedding across the public sector over the past years has meant we as an organisation — as well as the public sector — were able to respond quickly to the pandemic.”
He said as the PSC continued to navigate the crisis and its implications on the public sector, it had still made strides in meeting its strategic objectives, guided by Our Future State: Advancing Queensland Priorities.
The Commission’s 46-page Annual Report can be accessed at this PS News link.
