Public Service Minister Katy Gallagher announced the agency report cards, which were halted in 2016, would be brought back in order to identify what areas need to be developed for the future.

The Australian Public Service Commission has volunteered to be the first to have its capability assessed, to be overseen by the Prime Minister and Cabinet's Department, but will then take charge of the process.

The central agency's commissioner Peter Woolcott said he saw a lot of value in consistent assessments over departments' abilities to respond to emerging challenges.

The reboot of capability reviews is another recommendation from the landmark 2019 public service report, delivered by business leader David Thodey.

But unlike the often-scathing audit reports by the Australian National Audit Office, the commission's probes will be looking at making agencies fighting fit for future challenges.

"A capability review is different to performance evaluations or audits which seek to measure compliance with procedures and processes," Mr Woolcott told The Canberra Times.

"Capability reviews are forward-looking and help to facilitate discussions around an agency's desired future state, highlight organisational capability gaps and identify opportunities to address them.

"I therefore see this is a great opportunity to work through what we need to address internally in the commission to enable us to meet future challenges."

While the commissioner was quick to focus on the positives, the assessments often showed a frank and fearless picture of the reality within the bureaucracy.

Capability reviews undertaken by the APSC in the early 2010s revealed central departments, including Treasury, Finance and Foreign Affairs and Trade, had to work on their reputations.

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Treasury was deemed as appearing too insular a capability review found in 2013.

''There is a widespread view among stakeholders and line agencies that Treasury is closed to external experience and expertise and that practical implications are not always given sufficient consideration in forming policy advice,'' the commission's report said.

Another report indicated the Foreign Affairs Department struggled to tell outsiders what it actually did.