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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
Andrew Podger No answer Response to David Thodey’s Speech to ACT IPAA, 7 November 2018 Andrew Podger AO File Download (26.42 KB)
NEM Australia No answer APS Review Submission March 2019 PDF icon Download (1.48 MB)
Dr Mark R. Diamond & Dr Angela O'Brien-Malone No answer Looking for Lazarus:Rust or Renewal in the Australian Public Service File Download (131.52 KB)
Professionals Australia No answer 6 November 2018 Unit 4, 7 Napier Close Deakin, ACT, 2600 PDF icon Download (207.48 KB)
Renata Sain No answer Review of the Australian Public Service (APS) File Download (37.93 KB)
Andrew Podger No answer RESPONSE TO REQUEST FROM MR DAVID THODEY AO Andrew Podger AO 6 December 2018 File Download (44.37 KB)
Australian Human Rights Commission Please see attached submission by the Australian Human Rights Commission. Independent review of the Australian Public Service File Download (307.06 KB)
Eddy Robert Rosenstraus How to improve the APS - 2nd submission by Eddy Robert Rosenstraus I WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS EACH OF YOUR SUBJECT POINTS. File Download (33.97 KB)
UNSW Centre for Social Impact and Public Service Research Group No answer Submission to the Independent Review of the Australian Public Service File Download (137.77 KB)
Anthony Boyd No answer Please make sure your review is not just focused on inputs from business & consultancy from c
Department of Industry, Innovation and Science Please find attached submission to the Independent Review of the Australian Public Service from t Submission to the APS Review Office of the Chief Economist August 2018 File Download (376.13 KB)
Department of Human Services Please see the attached submission. Department of Human Services PDF icon Download (833.21 KB)
David B Gillett I have attached a paper which I have co-authored with three other people. Discussion Paper To:The Hon Kelly O’Dwyer MP File Download (39.52 KB)
Anonymous No answer This is a great opportunity to provide feedback (thank you)! File Download (25.62 KB)
M van Steel I offer my contribution to the Independent Review of the APS as both a customer of Government ser “The APS has a critical role in assisting government manage and respond to new and emerging PDF icon Download (104.45 KB)
Edwina Barton Please see my submission attached. 1 APS review submission by Edwina Barton 10 July 2018 Introduction PDF icon Download (217.55 KB)
Wayne Pryor Break the deadlock in bargaining new agreements by introducing into Enterprise Agreements ongoing Submission to the APSC Review 20183 July 2018 How to break the deadlock! File Download (26.19 KB)
Dr John P Weldon My submission is uploaded as a Word .docx document. Independent Review of the Australian Federal Public Service File Download (38.52 KB)
Leith Dewis please see attached document An Indigenous Experience and Perspective In the Australian Public Service File Download (27.76 KB)
ian Andrew Kaye See attached submission PDF icon Download (439.94 KB)
Kevin Beck A cooperative approach to Digital Transformation and Security across every sector down to the ind Date: June 2018 Kevin Beck, Melbourne Victoria DEVELOPING A COOPERATIVE APPROACH PDF icon Download (163.68 KB)
Volunteering Australia Volunteering Australia welcomes the opportunity to provide a submission to the Australian Governm Independent Review of the Australian Public Service Australian Government PDF icon Download (247.47 KB)
Save the Children Australia Correspondence attached from Paul Ronalds, CEO. Save the Children 33 Lincoln Square Carlton, 3053 Victoria PDF icon Download (900.7 KB)
Better Intelligence Pty Ltd Dear Review Panel Optimising APS financial management settings and practices Recommendation PDF icon Download (235.67 KB)
ACCESS2 Submission attached Attached is a Submission to the Independent Review of the Australian Public Service PDF icon Download (193.49 KB)

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