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The Reform program is managing several overarching risk themes.
The APS Reform Office, in partnership with project teams across the service, works to identify and mitigate potential program delivery risks. Based on bottom-up reporting by project teams, this Section outlines the common overarching risks that have emerged in the first year of reform. Measures are in place to mitigate these risks and the APS Reform Office will work with agencies on an ongoing basis to ensure their efficacy. At a program-level, the prioritising, staging and sequencing of reform efforts is intended to minimise the cumulative effect of any of these risks.
Capacity of the APS to absorb reform
Despite a strong appetite for APS Reform, changing or competing priorities within agencies may challenge the capacity of the APS to absorb reforms. This risk is amplified if there is a perception that staff cannot see how the initiative applies to their role, or if there is a significant additional workload related to engagement, communication and implementation of an initiative. There is also a risk that some employees may experience ‘change fatigue’ in light of the rapidly evolving operating environment.
There are five mitigation strategies for agencies to improve their capacity to implement reforms. First, sharing and testing early findings and outcomes from initiatives with senior decision-makers, to receive feedback and direction for how the initiative should progress. Second, working collaboratively with other agencies and stakeholders across government, to design and implement initiatives so that they better reflect agency needs. Third, conducting workforce planning to address the expected increase in workload as some initiatives undertake full-scale implementation. Fourth, leveraging good governance practice through assessing implementation readiness in the early stages of development. Fifth, as times goes on, ensuring our delivery and communications demonstrate the benefit of an evolving and ongoing reform agenda.
Scale and complexity of work
As is common in large scale change programs, the scope and complexity of change is coming to the fore as project teams’ progress through their various stages of work. Mishandling the substantial scale and complexity of an initiative could result in the design and implementation of policies that lack the details and considerations necessary to meet intended outcomes.
There are five mitigation strategies to address the challenges of substantial scale and complexity. First, close engagement with initiative leads. Second, transparent monitoring and reporting that aligns with expectations. Third, establishing avenues for early intervention. Fourth, support if an initiative is off-track. Fifth, testing the scope and depth of the initiative with as broad an audience as applicable, to reduce the likelihood that the initiative fails to deliver lasting change.
Shared approach to implement initiatives
For initiatives to progress and achieve their full potential, all key parties must have a shared approach to developing and implementing it, including the scale, scope and timing of the reform activity. Some project teams report ongoing effort is required to establish shared approaches to change in their context. Unless addressed, discrepancies relating to a consistency and timeliness of implementation could impact the initiative’s ability to deliver on objectives.
There are three mitigation strategies in place to ensure a shared approach to implementing initiatives. First, providing open, clear and unambiguous advice to APS and Government decision-making bodies on the status and goals of the initiative. Second, providing timely and detailed briefing of challenges preventing progress on the initiative, including any emerging risks of scope creep or difficulty in developing a common solution to a problem experienced differently by agencies. Third, managing expectations about the potential to deliver the initiative on time and according to the shared ambition of the initiative.
Passage of legislation
Passage of legislation is a key enabler for enduring reforms for a number of initiatives. Passage of legislation with delay or significant unanticipated amendments may impact the successful and timely delivery of reform outcomes. In particular, the passage of the Public Service Amendment Bill 2023 is necessary for several initiatives. As at September 2023, the Bill is before the Parliament.
Strength and maturity of APS partnership and engagement models
Many initiatives require a robust approach to partnering with the community or other sectors to design or implement reforms. Immature partnership models may be reflected in the Australian community becoming disenfranchised with the process, disagreeing with the fundamental principles of the reform approach, lacking the capacity to engage, or pursuing opposing interests.
There are three mitigation strategies to facilitate more mature partnerships with the community and other sectors. First, engaging early and regularly to identify and pre-empt areas of anticipated disagreement, and ultimately build support for the initiative. Second, drawing on expert-feedback and surveying citizens to better understand the communities’ needs. Third, working across agencies to leverage access to community organisations and support partnership.