2. Innovative & Responsive: People Planning for the Future
2.1 Workforce Planning
Efficient and effective workforce planning is key in supporting the ACTPS to manage its workforce to meet current and future demands, anticipate future challenges, and to put in place strategies to mitigate risk.
As discussed in Section B2 of the Head of Service Annual Report, considerable work has been progressed during 2016-17 to build the capability of the ACTPS workforce. In 2015 the development of a Strategic Workforce Planning Framework was endorsed by Strategic Board. This was to assist directorates to align people planning activities to strategic business objectives and build future workforces around key service delivery. In 2016-17 the ADAPT Toolkit was developed, piloted and launched to support workforce planning activities across the ACTPS.
The ADAPT Toolkit includes guidance and tools designed to step users through each stage of the workforce planning process. Smart-form technology assists users to build evidence and ensure that workforce planning is tied to their strategic context and desired future states. Through using strategic workforce planning senior managers and executives are able to:
- create workforces which meet future demands of ACTPS provision; and
- adopt a consistent strategic workforce planning approach that anchors ‘people planning’ to the achievement of strategic priorities.
Work will continue in 2017-18 on whole of government succession and talent strategies to create the systematic attraction, identification, development and retention of high-performing individuals.
In the 2017 Agency Survey directorates were asked to report whether their directorate had a workforce plan in place. Of the seven directorates, four had a workforce plan in place at June 2017 while the other three did not.
Of the four directorates who had a workforce plan in place, all identified that their workforce plan was informed by issues specific to their directorate. CSD identified Responsiveness, Agility, Flexibility and Quality Outcomes as key drivers of their People Strategy 2017-2020. CMTEDD noted the importance of defining and strengthening the core capabilities required of employees in order for the directorate to fulfil its strategic objectives. CMTEDD identified building capability of the management cohort to lead through change as something that will be particularly critical as the ACTPS moves to a more dynamic working environment.
JACS identified that workforce plans and/or capability strategies are widely used by business units across the directorate to ensure that the growing and changing needs of the workforces are met. Within JACS, the ACT Emergency Services Agency is implementing their Strategic Plan for 2015-2020 which incorporates the development of a strategic workforce plan to shape their workforce. The ACT Human Rights Commission is implementing their Strategic Plan 2017-2020, which has a focus on developing its workforce capability to support the vision of “an inclusive community that respects and realises everyone’s rights”. As a whole, JACS has developed a three year Workforce Strategy for implementation from July 2017. This strategy will provide a platform to ensure the directorate’s workforce is engaged, enabled and empowered to achieve JACS’ future strategic goals and operational imperatives.
Snapshot: Workforce Planning
Chief Minister, Treasury and Economic Development Directorate
CMTEDD has developed a Core Capability Framework (the Framework) to compliment the ACTPS Shared Capability Framework. The Framework details the key behaviours, skills and knowledge required of CMTEDD employees to fulfil the directorate’s strategic objectives and meet the challenges of the future. Through improving consistency in people management practices across the directorate, the Framework aims to support CMTEDD in meeting future workforce demands.T
he Framework provides an integrated approach to a range of HR initiatives and processes that: informs the development of training initiatives, improves recruitment outcomes through consistent selection criteria and terminology, and acts as a guide to individual development during performance and development plan discussions. CMTEDD employees can use the Framework to assist with personal career planning and personal development.
The Framework has been piloted within the directorate and endorsed by the CMTEDD Executive Management Group, and will be formally launched across the directorate in the second half of 2017.
2.2 Employment Growth
The ACTPS experienced a small growth in employment during the 2016-17 reporting period. From June 2016 to June 2017 the total number of employees (headcount) in the ACTPS grew by 2.5 per cent, or 531 employees. FTE employment grew by 2.0 per cent (372.2 FTE) over this same period. At 2.5 per cent, the employment growth of the ACTPS was slightly higher than the 2.0 per cent growth in the Australian labour force and the 0.5 per cent growth in the ACT labour force over the same period.
Table 3 displays the ACTPS employment growth by directorate for the June 2016 to June 2017 period. As can be seen, four of the seven directorates experienced growth during the period while the other three directorates saw a reduction in employee headcount numbers. Health experienced a small increase of 2.9 per cent, followed by Education at 4.1 per cent and JACS at 5.0 per cent. EPSDD experienced the largest growth in employment over the reporting period, with a significant increase of 81.4 per cent. This increase in employment is the result of significant Machinery of Government changes which occurred on 1 July 2016, seeing the EPSDD gain the Asbestos Response Taskforce from the CMTEDD, along with employees from TAMS’s Parks and Conservation business units.
The Independent Competition and Regulatory Commission also experienced significant employment growth over the period (66.7 per cent), however this is not statistically relevant given their small headcount numbers.
The CSD’s workforce continues to gradually decrease as a result of the continued transition to the National Disability Insurance Scheme. During the June 2016 to June 2017 period, CSD experienced a reduction in employment of 14.7 per cent (154 headcount). This reduction in headcount numbers is due to the phased withdrawal of Therapy ACT and Disability ACT. In 2016, CSD identified that many existing CSD employees have a desire to remain within the ACTPS. Importantly, CSD continue to redeploy employees to other areas within the directorate where there are appropriate positions available.
Table 3 – ACT Public Service Employment Growth by Directorate (June 2016 – June 2017)
Headcount | FTE | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Directorate | June 2016 | June 2017 | Change (%) | June 2016 | June 2017 | Change (%) |
Chief Minister, Treasury and Economic Development | 2,532 | 2,457 | -3.0% | 2,443.3 | 2,362.3 | -3.3% |
ACT Insurance Authority | 16 | 18 | 12.5% | 15.6 | 17.6 | 12.8% |
Independent Competition and Regulatory Commission | 6 | 10 | 66.7% | 6.0 | 9.6 | 60.7% |
Land Development Agency | 99 | 112 | 13.1% | 96.8 | 109.6 | 13.2% |
Long Service Leave Authority | 12 | 14 | 16.7% | 12.0 | 13.7 | 13.8% |
Community Services | 1,046 | 892 | -14.7% | 971.6 | 835.9 | -14.0% |
Education | 6,316 | 6,578 | 4.1% | 5,245.3 | 5,438.0 | 3.7% |
ACT Teacher Quality Institute | 13 | 12 | -7.7% | 12.0 | 11.8 | -1.2% |
Environment, Planning and Sustainable Development | 328 | 595 | 81.4% | 307.3 | 561.1 | 82.6% |
Health | 7,195 | 7,403 | 2.9% | 6,324.2 | 6,476.3 | 2.4% |
Justice and Community Safety | 1,731 | 1,818 | 5.0% | 1,665.1 | 1,729.5 | 3.9% |
Transport Canberra and City Services | 1,966 | 1,882 | -4.3% | 1,805.3 | 1,711.3 | -5.2% |
ACTPS Total | 21,260 | 21,791 | 2.5% | 18,904.5 | 19,276.7 | 2.0% |
As shown in Table 4, over the 2016-17 reporting period, employment growth was seen in just over three fifths of all ACTPS classification groups. The largest growth in employment was seen in Health Assistants at 20.6 per cent, followed by Legal Officers at 12.3 per cent and Ambulance Officers at 9.4 per cent. Notably, the number of Disability Officers in the ACTPS dropped dramatically from June 2016 to June 2017. This is likely explained by the ongoing reduction in CSD’s workforce, where the majority of Disability Officers are employed.
Table 4 – ACT Public Service Employment Growth by Classification (June 2016 – June 2017)
Classification group | Headcount | ||
|---|---|---|---|
June 2016 | June 2017 | Change (%) | |
Administrative Officers | 5,170 | 5,391 | 4.3% |
Ambulance Officers | 213 | 233 | 9.4% |
Bus Operators | 692 | 716 | 3.5% |
Correctional Officers | 199 | 213 | 7.0% |
Dentists/Dental Officers | 16 | 17 | 6.3% |
Disability Officers | 81 | 4 | -95.1% |
Executives | 229 | 235 | 2.6% |
Fire and Rescue Officers | 342 | 334 | -2.3% |
General Service Officers & Equivalent | 1,194 | 1,206 | 1.0% |
Health Assistant | 102 | 123 | 20.6% |
Health Professional Officers | 1,413 | 1,430 | 1.2% |
Information Technology Officer | 164 | 164 | 0.0% |
Judicial Officers | 15 | 15 | 0.0% |
Legal Officers | 106 | 119 | 12.3% |
Legal Support | 19 | 20 | 5.3% |
Linen Production & Maintenance | 62 | 58 | -6.5% |
Medical Officer | 904 | 914 | 1.1% |
Nursing and Midwifery | 2,973 | 3,108 | 4.5% |
Professional Officers | 231 | 228 | -1.3% |
Prosecutors | 37 | 39 | 5.4% |
Rangers | 47 | 41 | -12.8% |
School Leaders | 762 | 750 | -1.6% |
Senior Officers | 2,362 | 2,422 | 2.5% |
Statutory Office Holders | 11 | 12 | 9.1% |
Teacher | 3,516 | 3,626 | 3.1% |
Technical Officers | 280 | 280 | 0.0% |
Trainees and Apprentices | 78 | 48 | -38.5% |
Transport Officers | 42 | 45 | 7.1% |
Total | 21,260 | 21,791 | 2.5% |
Table 5 displays the ACTPS appointments and promotions for the years June 2013 to June 2017. As shown, the ACTPS continues to experience a small but gradual increase in the percentage of promotions from Higher Duties Arrangements (HDA). The percentage of appointments from external, percentage of appointments from temporary contracts and percentage of permanent transfers and promotions has remained fairly consistent over the past five year period.
From June 2013 to June 2017 the ACTPS had a total of 14,722 appointments, promotions and transfers, with
32.9 per cent of those being an appointment from a temporary contract, 30.5 per cent being through a permanent transfer or promotion, 20.7 per cent through promotion from HDA and 15.9 per cent through appointment from external to the ACTPS.
Financial Year | Total Appointment / Promotion/ Transfers | Appointment From External | Appointment from Temp Contract | Promotion from HDA | Permanent Transfer/ Promotion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2012-13 | 3,157 | 18.2% | 31.5% | 20.7% | 29.6% |
2013-14 | 2,829 | 15.5% | 34.5% | 18.7% | 31.4% |
2014-15 | 2,738 | 15.1% | 33.4% | 19.8% | 31.8% |
2015-16 | 2,927 | 14.9% | 32.6% | 21.1% | 31.4% |
2016-17 | 3,071 | 15.8% | 33.0% | 22.9% | 28.4% |
Total | 14,722 | 15.9% | 32.9% | 20.7% | 30.5% |