After publishing the most and least recommended large agencies from the 2022 APS Employee Census last week, many readers reached out to highlight that the small and medium sized agencies where they work had impressive results too.
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We hear you. In fact, the most popular agency in the list we published, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, wouldn't be the top ranked at 89 per cent if all sized APS organisations were included.
To give a more complete picture of which APS agencies are the most favoured by their own staff, here are the top three within other size categories.
Medium agency staff favourites
- Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (95 per cent)
- Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre, better known as AUSTRAC (88 per cent)
- Murray-Darling Basin Authority (87 per cent)
Small agency staff favourites
- Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (85 per cent)
- Australian Building and Construction Commission (84 per cent)
- Office of Parliamentary Counsel (82 per cent)
Extra small agency staff favourites
- Organ and Tissue Authority (100 per cent)
- Commonwealth Grants Commission (96 per cent)
- Old Parliament House (90 per cent)
It's worth noting that extra small agencies are defined as having fewer than 100 employees.
The full list of all agencies is at the bottom of this article.
Of the decently sized agencies, the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, with a little over 600 employees, comes out as the most beloved. Chief executive Rob Heferen, who has headed the organisation for a year, had previous experience as a deputy secretary in Industry, Treasury and Families portfolios.
Sadly for the black-tie and ballgown retailers of Canberra, the Australian Public Service Commission does not hold an awards night for employee census results. But we decided to ask Mr Heferen what made AIHW such a great place to work anyway.
"Staff at the AIHW take pride in our role to provide analysis and evidence that helps inform decision-makers to improve the health and wellbeing of Australians," he said.
"We have flexible working arrangements and an inclusive workplace that promotes collaboration."
While the Department of Home Affairs was the least recommended among the agencies that have 1000 or more employees, three agencies had lower staff recommendation ratings when looking at the full list of census-participating agencies.
- Australian Skills Quality Authority (31 per cent)
- Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (31 per cent)
- National Disability Insurance Scheme Quality and Safeguards Commission (46 per cent)
'Bomber Beazley' takes the throne
The Australian War Memorial's board has elected its newest chair after a brief stint by former-director, then former chair Brendan Nelson departed his post.
Kim Beazley will replace Dr Nelson in what appears to be a trend of former defence ministers taking up the $80,000 a year role.
But the two share a lot more in common than just holding the same portfolio in their political careers.
Dr Nelson's departure followed the announcement he will take on the role of president of Boeing International - a serious promotion from his current position as president of the arms producers' Australian operation.
Fear not, however. The war memorial board will retain its expertise and understanding of the world's top weapons suppliers.
Mr Beazley himself was appointed to the board of Lockheed Martin Australia - the local outfit for the world's top supplier in the space.
It makes sense when you remember he earned himself the early-career nickname "Bomber Beazley" for his enthusiasm in military hardware.
See no evil, hear no evil
While eyes have been on the Robodebt Royal Commission, another campaign is underway behind the scenes to figure out how the unlawful scheme became a reality.
Transparency advocate, and general FOI enthusiast, Justin Warren lodged a request with Services Australia, then-Department of Human Services, back in 2017 to unearth early business plans.
Mr Warren believes the documents, if they ever see the light of day, will show what senior ministers at the time, including Scott Morrison, Christian Porter and Alan Tudge, knew at the time.
But disappointingly, the five-year tussle has hit another road block. The Administrative Appeals Tribunal last week decided only a single document of the requested 12 should be released.
The team are considering their appeal but are keeping an eye on what comes out of the Robodebt hearings, especially with Mr Morrison and Marise Payne expected to appear this week.
'Fear is toxic'
The philosophy that failure is a part of innovation is hardly new, but it's only recently begun to be measured in the APS via a question in the census that asks employees if their agency supports the notion.
It will surprise nobody that the results are dismal. The departments of Home Affairs and Foreign Affairs and Trade scored particularly poorly, with barely a quarter agreeing. IP Australia managed to crack above 50 per cent, just.
PM&C boss Glyn Davis made a pointed reference last week to the failure of the COVIDsafe app and needing to learn from those examples.
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Jim Betts, who joined the APS as secretary of the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts in July this year, went a step further saying when it comes to a focus on reprisals instead of learning after failure, "fear is toxic" and leads the public service to lose its creativity and capacity to innovate.
"I think leaders have a role in driving fear out of their organizations such that people are rewarded for putting their hands up when things go wrong, and taking accountability for that," he told the IPAA ACT end-of-year event.
"Fear is toxic, it stops the real conversations taking place. It stops people trying new things. Whether it's a risk of failure, we have to embrace the capacity to fail."
His department ranks a very middle-of-the-road 35 per cent when it comes to recognising the role of failure in innovation, as judged by employees. One to watch in next year's results.
Over to you
- Have your bosses ever backed you after a failure or when things did not go as hoped?
- ps@canberratimes.com.au
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