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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
Kiah Consulting Kiah Consulting OUR COUNTRY NEEDS P U B L I C S E R V I C E S , W E J UST C A N ’ T A F F O R D PDF icon Download (2.97 MB)
Dr Sue Williamson Good evening Submission: Independent Review of the APS 3REDACTED PDF icon Download (1.68 MB)
Brian Coffey see attached Submission to Independent Review of the Australian Public Service (APS) PDF icon Download (38.8 KB)
Dr Lynette Molyneaux Please find my submission attached. Review of the Australian Public Service PDF icon Download (262.98 KB)
Dr Martin Dunn Submission on Recruitment and Promotion in the Australian Public Service attached. Recruitment and Promotion in the Australian Public Service File Download (33.33 KB)
Duncan Moody
Kerrie Purcell
Department of Home Affairs Please find attached submission from the Department of Home Affairs to the Independent Review of UNCLASSIFIED Submission into PDF icon Download (381.19 KB)
John Halligan Please find attached submission to the Independent Review of the Australian Public Service Submission to the APS Review John Halligan File Download (37.51 KB)
Office of the Registrar of Indigenous Corporations See attached submission from the Office of the Registrar of Indigenous Corporations to the Indepe oric.gov.au PO Box 29 Woden ACT 2606 ABN 18 108 001 191 3REDACTED PDF icon Download (90.63 KB)
NSW Dept of Premier and Cabinet NSW Department of Premier and Cabinet submission attached. Submission to the Independent Review of the PDF icon Download (134.81 KB)
Lachlan McCall Please find my submission attached. Establish dissent channels to promote contestability within agencies File Download (146.21 KB)
Paul Minogue Submission attached SUBMISSION TO THE INDEPENDENT REVIEW OF THE APS File Download (24.38 KB)
AIATSIS No answer Independent Review of the APS Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet PDF icon Download (403.34 KB)
Dr Alan Ryan The Secretariat Independent Review of the Australian Public Service Submission to the Independent Review of the Australian Public Service Dr Alan Ryan File Download (92.98 KB)
Australian Taxation Office The ATO submission is attached. ATO Submission Review of the Australian Public Service UNCLASSIFIED External File Download (781.34 KB)
Lachlan McCall Attached is a submission recommending the adoption of best-practice approaches to protecting and BUILDING INSTITUTIONAL MEMORY: Applying the McKinsey Approach File Download (25.8 KB)
Bruce Paine No answer File Download (128.24 KB)
Christiane Gerblinger My submission is attached as a pdf file. APS Review submission PDF icon Download (165.19 KB)
Cancer Council & OSWA Submission is attached. Independent Review of the Australia Public Service PDF icon Download (289.02 KB)
Community Council for Australi The attached submission outlines key areas of opportunity and concern for the Community Council f File Download (130.51 KB)
Universities Australia Please see document attached SUBMISSION TO THe Independent Review of the Australian public service July 2018 File Download (79.14 KB)
Mike Salvaris, Fiona Stanley, Document uploaded Submission to the Independent Review of the Australian Public Service File Download (541.74 KB)
Iceni Group Pty Ltd Iceni Group deeply believes in the purpose of the public sector and the role it plays in advancin APS Review Submission PDF icon Download (543.04 KB)
MJD Foundation Please see the attached document. Mr. David Thodey Chair Australian Public Service Review Canberra ACT 2600 PDF icon Download (3.55 MB)

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