Recommendation: 5

Recommendation: 5

Promote a shared understanding of the APS and its role alongside the Executive and Parliament

Overall status: Underway

Thodey guidance	Status	Delivery on Thodey
Finance, APSC and PM&C, working as appropriate with parliamentary departments, to develop induction and training material for APS employees, parliamentarians and their advisers that explains clearly the role of Australia’s democratic institutions, including the APS.	Underway	Finance has developed and delivered induction training to all new Parliamentarians and a new Members of Parliament (Staff) Act 1984 (MoP(S) Act) Employee induction. These training sessions include information about the parliamentary ecosystem and its interactions with the APS.
Amend the Public Service Act 1999 to: reflect key principles for the APS — apolitical, stewardship, openness, integrity and adherence to merit, and extend application of these principles and APS Values to other Commonwealth agencies not covered by the Public Service Act 1999.	Underway	Subject to the passage of legislation, changes to the Public Service Act 1999 are underway to enshrine a new APS Value of stewardship and apply it to all APS employees. A new APS Value on ‘Stewardship’ would strengthen the APS’s core values, and instil a unifying sense of service across the APS. Broad-based public consultation on ‘Stewardship’ as an APS Value was held between 24 March and 28 April 2023. Upon closing there were 1,502 responses received from the Australian community, and APS staff across the service.

Thodey guidance

Status

Delivery on Thodey

Finance, APSC and PM&C, working as appropriate with parliamentary departments, to develop induction and training material for APS employees, parliamentarians and their advisers that explains clearly the role of Australia’s democratic institutions, including the APS.

Underway

Finance has developed and delivered induction training to all new Parliamentarians and a new Members of Parliament (Staff) Act 1984 (MoP(S) Act) Employee induction. These training sessions include information about the parliamentary ecosystem and its interactions with the APS.

Amend the Public Service Act 1999 to: reflect key principles for the APS — apolitical, stewardship, openness, integrity and adherence to merit, and extend application of these principles and APS Values to other Commonwealth agencies not covered by the Public Service Act 1999.

Underway

Subject to the passage of legislation, changes to the Public Service Act 1999 are underway to enshrine a new APS Value of stewardship and apply it to all APS employees. A new APS Value on ‘Stewardship’ would strengthen the APS’s core values, and instil a unifying sense of service across the APS.

Broad-based public consultation on ‘Stewardship’ as an APS Value was held between 24 March and 28 April 2023. Upon closing there were 1,502 responses received from the Australian community, and APS staff across the service.