Serving up a cohesive and effective public service

In the six years from 2018 to 2023 the APS ranks grew by over 20,000 employees. Beyond increasing headcount, the APS is now legally bound by the concept of stewardship. This means the APS must “look ahead and provide advice that considers the long term interests of Australians” and “maintain the knowledge and capability to support its functions.”

To meet the high standards of stewardship and accommodate for a significant new cohort, the APS must continuously refine its techniques and embrace the process of continuous improvement. This means experimenting, being comfortable with failing fast, adjusting, and always striving for better results to ensure outputs are of the highest quality.

Let’s imagine the APS as a gourmet kitchen. Each department is a specialised station, every public servant a skilled chef, and together they craft a complex, multi-course meal. The recent boost in APS capacity and the rebuilding of the Commonwealth public service is like a chef receiving a fresh set of high-quality ingredients. It’s an exciting opportunity to whip up something amazing, but it also presents challenges.

With renewed focus on professionalising and embracing the role of stewardship, driven by the Thodey review, departments and agencies are now set to advance a revitalised agenda. This is their chance to refine their approach for success.

A challenging operating environment

Those who’ve been working with and in the Australian Public Service for years understand the focus on building improved capability and capacity is not new. Yet recently, this focus has intensified. Amid this culinary transformation, the APS kitchen faces intense scrutiny and demands for transparency. Think of it as having food critics constantly peering over your shoulder.

High profile issues like Robodebt, FOI court rulings, and the personal price paid by those in power who are seen to misuse it, have turned up the heat, weighing heavily on public servants wary of taking risks. This has pushed decision-making further up the hierarchy, leaving the junior employees de-skilled and feeling underutilised and unmotivated.

Meanwhile, the APS is dealing with a revolving door of talent. Imagine trying to perfect a dish when your sous chefs keep leaving for other restaurants. The high competition for skilled workers makes it hard to maintain momentum and retain the know-how needed to keep everything running smoothly.

And let’s not forget the scrutiny over government consulting spend, which means any outside help must be hired with the utmost diligence in line with the Commonwealth Strategic Commissioning Framework.

A focus on continuous improvement

To tackle these challenges, agencies are setting up centres of excellence. Evaluation hubs, coordination units, and program offices are increasingly in the mix, each with a unique role but a shared goal: to provide strategic oversight, preserve corporate knowledge, and ensure a consistent and efficient approach. The main challenge is to blend these elements seamlessly with the core business activities, much like ensuring every ingredient in a dish complements the others.

For the APS to function like a well-oiled machine, its components must work together harmoniously to form a complex and unified whole with a specific purpose. This is where continuous improvement comes in. Every member of the team needs to engage in ongoing reflection and problem-solving.

Building capability successfully requires more than individual effort; it demands a combination of key ingredients: psychological safety, a growth mindset, a feedback culture, results-oriented management (not presenteeism), a shared organisational purpose, and strong leadership at all levels. When these elements come together, you get an Australian public service where innovation and excellence thrive.

Building capability and leveraging data and insights

With a culture of continuous improvement in place, the next step is to build the capability of everyone. This is critical in today’s world, where every government portfolio faces its own set of crises. Whether it’s environmental issues, national security, economic challenges, or social concerns, these complex problems require strategic and systemic solutions, and governments have limited time to make a real impact.

To make informed decisions, these departments must gather and preserve historical and corporate knowledge. Data helps decision-makers understand what works, for whom, and under what circumstances. It also standardises approaches and systematises processes to align with best practices, ensuring efficiency and consistency in operations.

Meeting the challenges ahead

As the government continues to enhance its data capabilities and invest in its people, systems, and culture, this approach drives corporate knowledge and alignment. With the right tools, data capture, and a mindset focused on continuous improvement, the APS can transform from a reliable kitchen serving up standard fare to a dynamic, innovative culinary powerhouse capable of creating bold, exciting flavours.

Proximity has the tools and know-how to ensure every government department is ready to meet the community’s needs and expectations. The APS is set to become a master chef in the 21st-century world, blending tradition with innovation to serve up the perfect dish every time.

About the authors: Samantha Mayes is a Special Advisor at Proximity, focusing on the intersection between social policy and social psychology at government clients. Cassandra Koch has close to 30 years of experience in senior and executive Australian public sector roles predominantly in law enforcement and national security.