An analysis of changes to the Australian Public Service under the coalition government 1996-2001

Abstract

This report considers the changes in the size and composition of the Australian Public Service (APS) during the Coalition government 1996-2001 as an example of whole of government policy implementation. The report explores whether the Coalition government has successfully implemented its APS policy by addressing the following questions. How has the Coalition changed the APS? Do these changes reflect Coalition policy and goals? How do these changes relate to APS outcomes under previous Labor governments? The report describes the Howard government’s vision for the APS and, through a critical consideration of its policy statements on the APS (media releases, speeches, parliamentary debate and legislation), distils the outcomes and five measurable outputs sought by the Coalition, namely to: * decrease the role of unions in the APS * decrease the size of the APS * decrease the reliance on ongoing staff in the APS * increase labour market access to APS employment * increase staff mobility within the APS. Using statistical data on the APS (from the Public Service and Merit Protection Commission and the Australian Bureau of Statistics), the report concludes that the Coalition has succeeded in achieving the first four outputs, but has been less successful in achieving the fifth output, increased staff mobility. The report demonstrates that the most of the changes to the APS sought by the Howard government were a continuation of trends evident under the previous Labor governments. In conclusion, the report explores the difficulties associated with evaluations of public sector reforms. Show more