| Recommendation: 11 | Strengthen APS partnerships with ministers by improving support and ensuring clear understanding of roles, needs and responsibilities | Overall status: Underway |
| Thodey guidance | Status | Delivery on Thodey |
|---|---|---|
| Secretaries Board and agencies to improve APS support for ministers, including by: providing common platforms for ministers and offices to collaborate with public servants and readily access APS advice and insight establishing portfolio and service-wide mechanisms for Ministers to provide periodic and real-time feedback to the APS, and training APS employees on how to support ministers and their offices effectively, including on the role of ministerial advisers. | Continuing | Agencies continue to support the development and rollout of new tools to support ministers, including work by the Digital First and CabNet+ teams of PM&C to develop platforms that provide readily accessible information and advice to ministers and offices. |
| APSC to update guidance on roles and responsibilities defining interactions between ministers, their advisers and public servants, to support induction and training for all parties. | Complete | The APSC published "Working with Ministers" guidance in 2021. The Strengthening Partnerships initiative led by the APSC is a new approach to understanding and emphasising the important collaboration between the APS and Ministers and their offices. It comprises development of guidance material for the APS on engaging effectively with Ministers and their advisers, and, through the APS Academy, development of a learning program targeted at SES officers. |
| Agency heads to support SES officers to work in ministerial offices and then return to the APS. | Continuing | The Secretaries Board and agency heads support senior public servants to work in a range of roles within ministerial offices. This support is part of broader APS mobility and talent development activities. |
| Amend the Members of Parliament (Staff) Act 1984 to establish a legislated code of conduct, with appropriate enforcement provisions, for advisers. | Underway | On 7 October 2022, Review of the MoP(S) Act was published to ensure the Act is fit for purpose to support a professional, high-performing, safe and respectful workplace for all Parliamentarians and their staff, and to prevent bullying, harassment and sexual harassment. The Review of the MoP(S) Act made 15 recommendations which the Government has agreed to in principle. Work is underway to implement related recommendations in the Set the Standard Report, including the establishment of a Code of Conduct through the Parliamentary Leadership Taskforce. On 17 October 2023, amendments to the Members of Parliament (Staff) Act 1984 commenced, implementing 11 of the Review’s 15 recommendations. The remaining 4 recommendations will be implemented by the statutory Parliamentary Workplace Support Service (PWSS) which commenced on 1 October 2023 |
| Government to set guidance for ministerial offices to have at least half of ministerial policy advisers with public service experience. | Closed | Many policy advisers have strong public service experience. The Government does not consider formal guidance about the number of public service-experienced advisers necessary to support the continuing effective work of Government. |