Governing the City State - Chief Minister and Treasury Directorate ...

of the service – without being concerned their remuneration or entitlements willregress if they do so. 373There is significant opportunity to improve how the ACTPS works cohesively towardscommon outcomes. Many of the challenges facing the ACT public sector are common togovernments around Australia and the world. The Scottish Executive, for example,highlights a number of issues that resonate well with the ACT experience:But there is no doubt that our public services have to be more responsive andeffective and that we face a number of long-term challenges over the next 20 years,which we cannot meet unless we accelerate the pace of modernisation and reform:• We have a more diverse and individualistic society with different aspirations andexpectations. People are better equipped to make assessments of service quality and tojudge service quality against the best elsewhere, and they expect services tailored totheir needs …• We are experiencing unprecedented technological change – with opportunities todeliver services in new ways, but also risks of increased inequality.• The proportion of people of working age in the population is shrinking. The fact that somany of us are living longer is a cause for celebration, but we cannot deny that it willput public services under increasing pressure if we do not reform.” 374During the consultation process, ACTPS staff provided extensive input as to what cultural,structural and legislative conditions would support a high functioning, innovative and agilepublic sector. Officials saw the current employment framework as a key inhibitor toachieving a sustainable high performance culture.Feedback from officials indicates that a core outcome of the employment framework shouldbe a One ACTPS approach that attracts, develops and maintains a high quality workforce.Critically, officials desired an employment framework that allows for flexible employmentand engagement practices and one that allows greater mobility across the Service (includingto and from the Commonwealth).History of the Employment FrameworkThe ACTPS was established in 1994 under the Public Sector Management Act 1994 (thePSM Act) – an Act derived from the Commonwealth Public Service Act 1922 (nowrepealed). Prior to establishment of the ACTPS under a Territory Act the ACT public sectorwas an agency established under Commonwealth Law to provide services to the newlyestablished body politic.373 Cappie-Wood, A. (2009) Submission by the Administering Chief Executive on behalf of the ACT Government to the AdvisoryGroup on Reform of Australian Government Administration.http://www.dpmc.gov.au/consultation/aga_reform/pdfs/0093%20Mr%20Andrew%20Cappie-Wood,%20on%20behalf%20of%20the%20ACT%20Government.pdf374 Scottish Government (2006), p.5.Capability, Capacity and Effectiveness: 281