Stronger controls on SES welcomed, but experts call for bolder APS reform

The changes are part of a "stepped" reform program for the Australian Public Service, which will aim to rebuild capability in the wake of robodebt and scandals around consultancies.

Government agencies will be required to bring performance requirements for senior leaders in line with a standard set by the commission, and report back on the "maturity" of their current procedures.

An eventual version of the framework would also introduce more oversight into the process for SES employees transferring to roles in other agencies. Questions have been raised about this practice since the controversial appointment of Kathryn Campbell to a $900,000 AUKUS advisor role.

Agency heads would be required to review performance feedback from their previous agency, though the employee could opt out of this.

From October, Public Service Commissioner Gordon de Brouwer will also take a more active role in recruitment processes for all SES staff, extending his oversight beyond just the top band.

Former Public Service Commissioner Andrew Podger welcomed the changes as a "useful strengthening" but called for legislated change to the appointments of agency heads and Public Service Commissioner.

"It's good to see Gordon de Brouwer taking it even further, to have the commissioner making sure that the merit principle is being applied very rigorously for SES and being personally involved at the deputy level in particular," he said.

"There are certainly serious problems in the capability of the service, discovered not only in the robodebt case, but in a number of other recent cases that need to be addressed," Professor Podger said.

Prof Podger, who served as commissioner from 2002 to 2004, argued reforms should go further, and be legislated, to future-proof the APS against political influence, he argued.

He recommends the Public Service Commissioner play the lead role in advising the Prime Minister on secretaries' appointments and terminations. Where the Prime Minister deviates from this advice, they should be required to report this to parliament.

The Opposition Leader should also be consulted in appointing the APS Commissioner.

"If you have those things at the very top for the commissioners appointment and the appointment of secretaries, then you can be more confident of the continuing arrangements of the commissioner about the SES," Prof Podger said.

"You take away those processes about the commissioner, and you can't have confidence that a future commissioner will continue to do what the current commissioner is doing."

Senior lecturer at the UNSW School of Business, Fiona Buick, said the changes indicated a "renewed focus on SES".

"It certainly seems like there's a renewed focus on the SES and certainly seems to be focused on what's needed to reduce political interference with SES appointments and performance management, which I think is a positive move for the APS particularly given recent issues with robodebt and so forth," Dr Buick said.

While the public service is "heading in the right direction", cultural change will take time and practical approaches, she said.

"There's so much emphasis on the need for leadership and particularly through the SES ... it seems to be assumed, they can just do it," she said.

"But when we're talking about exhibiting behaviours that are very different to what's been encouraged in the past ... it's going to involve them having to unlearn practices that have probably led to them being promoted."

The reforms to the Senior Executive Service come following recommendations made in the robodebt royal commission and a recent capability review that the APS Commission should have a more authoritative role.

Speaking at an event on August 28, Public Service Minister Katy Gallagher indicated the government would "raise the role of the commission".

"It's been a more devolved kind of operation where portfolio departments have taken on some of the responsibilities, and we want to build the commission back to what it should be, which is really the expertise and sort of central force within the APS," Senator Gallagher said.

"You'll see increasingly, I think, a bigger role for the [Australian Public Service Commission]."

In a statement, Senator Gallagher said the changes were "simply a reflection of contemporary practices that you would expect in workplaces around the country and the APS should be no different".

"It also aligns with the charter of leadership behaviours that was announced last August," she said.

"The government is currently considering the robodebt royal commission and will respond to the report in due course."

A spokesperson for the Public Service Commission called the latest changes "important initiatives intended to further [embed] integrity in the APS".

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They added future reforms could consider recommendations from the robodebt royal commission report.

"The government has committed to a large program of work to deliver lasting change," the spokesperson said.

"This program cannot be successfully delivered all in one go.

"It will be important that this is achieved through a sustainable, stepped process, with initiatives building and accelerating towards delivery on the government's reform priorities and outcomes."

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