Australian Public Service
Encyclopedia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n federal civil service
Civil service
The term civil service has two distinct meanings:* A branch of governmental service in which individuals are employed on the basis of professional merit as proven by competitive examinations....
, the group of people employed by federal departments, agencies and courts under the Government of Australia
Government of Australia
The Commonwealth of Australia is a federal constitutional monarchy under a parliamentary democracy. The Commonwealth of Australia was formed in 1901 as a result of an agreement among six self-governing British colonies, which became the six states...
, to administer the working of the public administration
Public administration
Public Administration houses the implementation of government policy and an academic discipline that studies this implementation and that prepares civil servants for this work. As a "field of inquiry with a diverse scope" its "fundamental goal.....
of the Commonwealth of Australia. Many more public servants are employed by the various Australian states, territories and local governments.
Profile
The Australian Public Service formally comprises all persons employed under the Public Service Act 1999. This includes all federal government departments, the federal court system and also some government agencies.In the 2009—10 financial year, there were 164,596 public servants employed under the Public Service Act This includes 150,871 ongoing (or permanent) employees and 13,725 non-ongoing (or contract) employees. The largest group of public servants are women (57.4%) and work in the Australian Capital Territory
Australian Capital Territory
The Australian Capital Territory, often abbreviated ACT, is the capital territory of the Commonwealth of Australia and is the smallest self-governing internal territory...
(38.8%).
The largest federal government agency is Centrelink
Centrelink
Centrelink is the trading name of the Commonwealth Service Delivery Agency , a statutory authority responsible for delivering human services on behalf of agencies of the Commonwealth Government of Australia. The majority of Centrelink's services are the disbursement of social security payments...
with 27,312 employees, followed by the Australian Taxation Office
Australian Taxation Office
The Australian Taxation Office is an Australian Government statutory agency and the principal revenue collection body for the Australian Government. The ATO has responsibility for administering the Australian federal taxation system and superannuation legislation...
(24,070) and the Department of Defence
Department of Defence (Australia)
The Australian Department of Defence is a Federal Government Department. It forms part of the Australian Defence Organisation along with the Australian Defence Force . The Defence mission is to defend Australia and its national interests...
(21,458).
Leadership
The Government has appointed a "Minister Assisting the Prime MinisterPrime Minister of Australia
The Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia is the highest minister of the Crown, leader of the Cabinet and Head of Her Majesty's Australian Government, holding office on commission from the Governor-General of Australia. The office of Prime Minister is, in practice, the most powerful...
for the Public Service" to whom is responsible the Public Service Commission
Australian Public Service Commission
The Australian Public Service Commission is a central agency that acts to ensure future capability and sustainability within the Public Service.-External links:*...
, led by a Commissioner, which promotes the APS Values, evaluates performance and compliance, and helps to build the capability of the Service. The Commissioner has both statutory powers (under the Public Service Act 1999) and policy responsibilities.
The Government also recognises a role for the Secretary of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet
Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (Australia)
The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet is an Australian Government department. The Department was first established in 1911...
for certain aspects of leadership of the APS.
Each Department is headed by a Secretary, and each independent authority by an appointed head, whose job description includes the administration of the people in that organisation.
Advancement
APS jobs are advertised throughout Australia by various means, including publication in the Government Gazette and various newspapers.APS Values
"The Australian Public Service:- is apolitical, performing its functions in an impartial and professional manner;
- is a public service in which employment decisions are based on merit;
- provides a workplace that is free from discrimination and recognises and utilises the diversity of the Australian community it serves;
- has the highest ethical standards;
- is openly accountable for its actions, within the framework of Ministerial responsibility to the Government, the Parliament and the Australian public;
- is responsive to the Government in providing frank, honest, comprehensive, accurate and timely advice and in implementing the Government's policies and programs;
- delivers services fairly, effectively, impartially and courteously to the Australian public and is sensitive to the diversity of the Australian public;
- has leadership of the highest quality;
- establishes workplace relations that value communication, consultation, co-operation and input from employees on matters that affect their workplace;
- provides a fair, flexible, safe and rewarding workplace;
- focuses on achieving results and managing performance;
- promotes equity in employment;
- provides a reasonable opportunity to all eligible members of the community to apply for APS employment;
- is a career-based service to enhance the effectiveness and cohesion of Australia's democratic system of government;
- provides a fair system of review of decisions taken in respect of employees."
Organisational Structure
The head of an Australian Government Department is the Secretary - like a CEO in the private sector. Secretaries are the pivotal advisors to Ministers on government policy, and lead the executive of their Departments.Deputy Secretaries (Dep Secs) are also part of Departmental executives. Deputy Secretaries hold the Public Service level of Senior Executive Service (SES) Band 3. A Department typically has between four and six Deputy Secretaries.
Deputy Secretaries directly supervise First Assistant Secretaries (FASes) (SES Band 2), each of whom oversees a Division of a Department.
Assistant Secretaries (ASes) (SES Band 1) manage Branches of Divisions.
Sections of Branches are headed by Directors (APS Executive Level 2), with the assistance of Assistant Directors (APS Executive Level 1).
Directors manage a group of departmental officers (levels APS 1 (being the lowest) to APS 6).
See also
- Australian Public Service CommissionAustralian Public Service CommissionThe Australian Public Service Commission is a central agency that acts to ensure future capability and sustainability within the Public Service.-External links:*...
- List of Australian Government Departments
- Australian court hierarchyAustralian court hierarchyThere are two streams within the hierarchy of Australian courts, the federal stream and the state and territory stream. While the federal courts and the court systems in each state and territory are separate, the High Court of Australia remains the ultimate court of appeal for the Australian...
- Public Service Medal (Australia)Public Service Medal (Australia)The Public Service Medal is a civil decoration awarded to Australian public servants for outstanding service. The PSM was introduced in 1991 and replaced the Imperial awards discontinued in 1975, supplementing the Order of Australia introduced that same year...
- British civil service
Concepts:
- BureaucracyBureaucracyA bureaucracy is an organization of non-elected officials of a governmental or organization who implement the rules, laws, and functions of their institution, and are occasionally characterized by officialism and red tape.-Weberian bureaucracy:...
- Public administrationPublic administrationPublic Administration houses the implementation of government policy and an academic discipline that studies this implementation and that prepares civil servants for this work. As a "field of inquiry with a diverse scope" its "fundamental goal.....
- Public policyPublic policyPublic policy as government action is generally the principled guide to action taken by the administrative or executive branches of the state with regard to a class of issues in a manner consistent with law and institutional customs. In general, the foundation is the pertinent national and...
- Public sectorPublic sectorThe public sector, sometimes referred to as the state sector, is a part of the state that deals with either the production, delivery and allocation of goods and services by and for the government or its citizens, whether national, regional or local/municipal.Examples of public sector activity range...
- Public servicesPublic servicesPublic services is a term usually used to mean services provided by government to its citizens, either directly or by financing private provision of services. The term is associated with a social consensus that certain services should be available to all, regardless of income...