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Submissions

Thank you to everyone who has made a submission to this review of Australia’s public service. Your analysis, experiences and ideas are invaluable.

About submissions

At the close of our call for public submissions on 31 July 2018, the review had received 668 contributions over 8 weeks.

We value all input and continued to accept submissions — bringing us to well over 700.

We stopped accepting submissions on 31 May 2019. And encourage you to read more of the ideas received during this review.

Of all the submissions to this review:

  • 80% came from individuals, with the largest group being employees of the Australian Public Service, as well as people using government services and others with public sector expertise
  • 18% came from organisations including small and large business, government and industry or interest groups
  • contributions came from every Australian state and territory, as well as some international jurisdictions
  • and some entities sent in more than 1 submission

What we heard

It’s clear public servants are passionate about their work but there is a sense the service is not always reaching its potential, meeting expectations or being as proactive as it would like.

Public servants and their organisations are grappling with:

  • a lack of confidence
  • divergent priorities
  • working relationships which can be fragile and distrusting
  • structures and processes that can get in the way of doing a good job
  • getting and keeping the people they need

People told us they want:

  • a clear purpose and culture shared across the public service
  • a valued and respected institution
  • skills and capabilities that are developed, maintained and renewed among employees
  • better understanding of the changing nature of leadership and expertise
  • new ways of working embedded in the system
  • an inventive and nimble public service focused on outcomes modern structures, processes and organisations
  • a focus on the needs of the people of Australia

Publishing submissions

Authors chose if they wanted their submission to be published, and were also able to be anonymous if they wished.

Of the total submissions:

  • 77% were published
  • 23% remain private

Of the published submissions:

  • 57% were named
  • 43% were anonymous

Submissions were checked carefully against legal and privacy requirements in our terms and conditions. Some were published with personal information or third party references redacted.

The views in these submissions belong to their authors. They also provided us with insights to different experiences with the public service and help to inform a public discussion.

Submissions

Title Submission Transcript Attachment
Anonymous Thank you for the opportunity to comment. APS Review 2018 Submission Background File Download (39.88 KB)
Anonymous Please see attached document. Thank you for the opportunity to provide a submission to the APS Review. File Download (32.19 KB)
Anonymous Please see attached document. The focus of this submission is on the APS’s capability to provide high quality policy advice, no File Download (29.45 KB)
Anonymous ICT APS staff In the ICT space, reduction in ASL caps, and annual efficiency dividends, with increasing governm File Download (27.67 KB)
Anonymous Please see attached uploaded document. Committee Secretary Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet PO Box 6500 PDF icon Download (276.66 KB)
Anonymous Submission attached APS SUBMISSION File Download (27.4 KB)
Anonymous Everyone that I know whom hears the word 'Centrelink', just release a big sigh. Everyone that I know whom hears the word 'Centrelink', just release a big sigh. File Download (24.6 KB)
Anonymous Document uploaded. Improving citizens’ experience of government and delivering fair outcomes for them. File Download (28.07 KB)
Anonymous Please see attachment. Submission to the Independent Review of the Australian Public Service Issue: File Download (30.75 KB)
Anonymous Thank you for the opportunity to provide a submission to your review of the APS. To whom it may concern, File Download (30.46 KB)
Anonymous Submission uploaded as document File Download (37.29 KB)
Anonymous Submission uploaded SUBMISSION TO THE APS REVIEW 2018 File Download (29.32 KB)
Anonymous Please see attached. Submission to the APS review: Introduction PDF icon Download (21.81 KB)
Anonymous See attached submission from a group of blind and vision impaired persons working in the APS Submission to the 2018 Review of the Australian Public Service from blind and vision impaired peo File Download (116.15 KB)
Anonymous I have worked for the Department of Defence for a little over a decade in a technical role. APS Review Submission File Download (31.14 KB)
APS Review Submission What does public sector stewardship mean to you?
Adam Teske The APS needs a new refreshed approach and model for articulating the capabilities (skills, knowl
Australia and New Zealand School of Government No answer Indigenous values for the APS00 File Download (322.44 KB)
Science & Technology Australia Please see attached file Review of the Australian Public Service PDF icon Download (263.64 KB)
NSW Treasury No answer Independent review of the APS – Working better with other jurisdictions PDF icon Download (103.44 KB)
Michael Keating No answer RESPONSE TO APS REVIEW ‘PRIORITIES FOR CHANGE’ Michael Keating, AC File Download (40.89 KB)
John Austen No answer Independent review of the APS Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet File Download (67.99 KB)
John Austen No answer Independent review of the APS Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet File Download (71.62 KB)
Kenneth Coghill & Romina Carfi No answer Comment on Proposal 5, APS Review Priorities for change by Ken Coghill & Romina Carfi PDF icon Download (678.11 KB)
Kenneth Coghill & David Spratt No answer Comment on Proposal 2, APS Review Priorities for change by Ken Coghill. PDF icon Download (419.91 KB)

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