B.1 Organisational Overview

The ACT Public Service (ACTPS) manages the responsibilities of the ACT Government and provides our community with responsive and accessible services for the benefit of all Canberrans.

On 1 July 2017, the Administrative Arrangements 2017 (No. 1) issued by the Chief Minister came into effect. These arrangements reflect the ACT Government’s commitment to the following priorities:

The ACTPS is divided into seven directorates. Each directorate specialises in different functions for the ACT Government. The directorates are arranged into clusters to strengthen our performance as a Service. The clusters emphasise key collaborative relationships.

For 2017-18:

In addition to these directorates, there are a number of specialised agencies that form part of the broader ACT Public Sector.

The Head of Service is responsible for overarching management of the ACTPS. The position provides direction and coordination across the ACTPS on policy and strategy.

Head of Service

Section 31 of the Public Sector Management Act 1994 (the PSM Act), provides that the Chief Minister may engage an eligible person as the Head of Service. Under section 17 of the PSM Act, the Head of Service has leadership functions across the ACTPS in relation to:

In addition, the Head of Service has a number of management functions under the PSM Act and the Public Sector Management Standards 2016 (the PSM Standards) which include:

The Head of Service also holds powers and/or obligations under the following legislation:

These powers have been delegated as appropriate to relevant Directors-General.

The Head of Service is also the Principal Officer under the Territory Records Act 2002. This involves ensuring that the ACTPS complies with the Territory Records Act in relation to its records. The key compliance mechanism established by the Territory Records Act is the development of a Records Management Program, which is intended to ensure that directorates and agencies have policies, procedures and resources in place to adequately manage the records of their activities.

The Principal Officer powers have been delegated to Directors-General.

The Head of Service is also the Director-General, Chief Minister, Treasury and Economic Development Directorate and has responsibilities of a Director-General under section 19 of the PSM Act.

How the Role was occupied during 2017-18

The role of the Head of Service was occupied by Ms Kathy Leigh, who also served as the Director-General of the Chief Minister, Treasury and Economic Development Directorate (CMTEDD) for the reporting period.

The role of Head of Service was occupied by Mr David Nicol, Under Treasurer, who also served as Director-General CMTEDD from 17 January 2018 to 28 January 2018, and 21 February 2018 to 2 March 2018.

Summary of Key Work, Working Arrangements and Core Focus during 2017-18

2017-18 Priorities

The focus for the Head of Service over 2017-18 was to:

This was achieved by:

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Reporting

The focus on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employment continued to be championed by the Head of Service and all Directors-General throughout the 2017-18 reporting period. The range of programs, projects and initiatives included:

Further information is provided in section B.2 (Performance Analysis).

Significant Committees and their Roles

Strategic Board

The Head of Service is the chair of the Strategic Board, comprising all Directors-General and other Whole of Government roles, including the Deputy Director-General, Workforce Capability and Governance, the Deputy Director-General, Policy and Cabinet and the Chief Digital Officer. The Strategic Board provides Whole of Government leadership and strategic direction to the ACTPS, including in relation to the management and development of the workforce. Strategic Board meetings are held on a fortnightly basis.

The Strategic Board is the peak ACTPS forum which leads the delivery of cross-directorate and strategic issues. It takes a Whole of Government strategic approach to its role.

The Strategic Board strives to aid the delivery of Government priorities and policies through:

The priority areas for the Strategic Board during 2017-18 were to:

  1. drive the growth and diversification of the ACT economy (including by reforming our regulatory approach);
  2. lead the digital transition in the ACT;
  3. drive social inclusion and domestic violence prevention and responses;
  4. position the ACT within the region and nation;
  5. (1) build an agile, streamlined and engaged ACT Public Service;
    (2) create agile procurement processes and deliver on capital works in a timely manner; and
  6. support the Government to engage the ACT community.

Joint Council

The Head of Service, or their delegate, co-chairs the ACTPS Joint Council (Joint Council) with the unions. Established under the PSM Act, Joint Council is the peak union and management consultative committee for the ACTPS, meeting twice a year. Joint Council provides a forum for the consideration of and exchange of information on matters of strategic interest to ACTPS employees and employee organisations.

Joint Council considers significant issues that have, or might have, a multi-directorate impact on the employment of ACTPS employees. These matters include:

Important matters discussed at Joint Council within the reporting period included:

Institute of Public Administration Australia (IPAA) Council

The Head of Service is a council member of the IPAA Council. IPAA promotes excellence and professionalism in public service.

The council advises on key initiatives that drive the direction of IPAA under four overarching pillars:

As a representative of the ACTPS on the IPAA Council, the Head of Service provides the ACTPS with a voice on the future direction of best practice public administration within Australia.

Council of the Order of Australia

The Head of Service sits on the Council of the Order of Australia as a representative of the ACT.

The Order of Australia is the principal and most prestigious means of recognising outstanding members of the community at a national level.

As a member of the Council of the Order of Australia, the Head of Service provides a voice for celebrating the achievements of the people of the ACT at a national level.

Outlook for 2018-19

The Head of Service will continue to build on the current set of priorities with a core focus on continuing to build the capability of the ACTPS. In particular, the Head of Service will:

2017-18 Significant Awards and Recognition

Throughout 2017-18, teams and individuals from the ACTPS were recognised for outstanding achievements and significant contributions made to the community. Recognition was given in the form of awards both within directorates and by external bodies. Each directorate administered an awards process internally, providing recognition at the local level.

At the whole of service level, the ACTPS Awards for Excellence are held annually to recognise outstanding contributions within the Service under the categories of Respect, Integrity, Collaboration, Innovation, Leadership and the Bill Harris Executive Leadership Award.

The winners of the ACTPS Awards, presented in August 2017 were:

Some of the significant external awards and award nominations received across the sector include:

Chief Minister, Treasury and Economic Development Directorate

Justice and Community Safety Directorate

Environment, Planning and Sustainable Development Directorate

Suburban Land Agency

City Renewal Authority

Parks and Conservation Service

Climate Change and Sustainability

Public Housing Renewal

Education Directorate

ACT Awards

ACT Health

Canberra Institute of Technology (CIT)

ACT Electoral Commission