Who we heard from

We had 1,502 engage in the consultation between 24 March and 28 April 2023. Responses were from Commonwealth agencies; non-government entities; current public servants; former public servants; and the public, including business and industry.

Consultation participants were primarily APS employees comprising 97.5% of total respondents.

Response rate to the survey by APS levels and non-APS respondents. APS 1-4: 10.2%. APS 5-6: 35.5%. EL1-2: 46.1%. SES B1-3: 2.9%. Non-APS: 2.5%. Graduate/Trainee: 1.2%.

The responses were compared by APS level and the proportion of APS staff overall at that classification level.

Responses to the survey by APS levels in comparison to the number of people in the APS. SES B1-3: 2.9% vs 1.9%. EL1: 46.1% vs 28.5%. APS 5-6 response: 35.5% vs 36.6%. APS 1-4 10.2% vs 31.2%. Graduate/Trainee: 1.2% vs 1.7%.

There was a spread of geographical locations in the respondents, with responses received from across Australia.

Location of respondents. ACT: 43.1%. NSW: 14.2%. VIC: 13.9%. QLD: 13.1%. WA: 4.1%. TAS: 3.1%. NT: 0.9%. Other: 1.3%.
Area of respondents. Capital city: 80%. Other: 20%.

Your ideas

Thank you for your submissions, you’re helping to create Stewardship as an APS Value. We’ve listened and your contributions have been invaluable.

What we have heard

Stewardship as an APS Value resonates strongly with public servants.

Overwhelmingly, the responses focussed on ‘stewardship’ representing the need of the APS to look ahead and provide advice that considers the long-term interests of Australians. Responses emphasised the need for the APS to maintain the knowledge and capability to support its functions.

A majority of respondents suggested that stewardship means:

  • Taking care
  • Long-term
  • Future generations
  • Maintaining knowledge
  • Responsible management.

A majority of respondents suggested that “acting like stewards” was: 

  • Sharing knowledge
  • Providing frank, fearless advice on long-term impacts
  • Supporting staff to grow capability to meet challenges
  • Maintaining information and good record keeping
  • Building better and lasting systems. 

A small minority of respondents (<5%) expressed some concerns, these related to:

  • ‘Stewardship’ as an APS Value would be difficult to translate into action
  • APS Values are not front and centre for some workers, they can’t list them and so they won’t know this new one
  • ‘Stewardship’ is a role and not an APS Value, and it is already captured as a role for Secretaries and Agency Heads.

The following supporting statement for the new APS Value of Stewardship was developed using the key themes that emerged from this consultation:

The APS builds its capability and institutional knowledge, and supports the public interest now and into the future, by understanding the long-term impacts of what it does.  

Stewardship as an APS Value will be enshrined in the Act and is part of the broader APS Reform agenda. A consultation process on the Public Service Amendment Bill is currently underway.