2016 DEFENCE WHITE PAPER

Capability 23
People
The quality of our people is the foundation of Defence’s capability, effectiveness
and reputation. Defence is an integrated workforce with military and civilian
personnel working together across the spectrum of Defence activities. All
parts of the Defence workforce will need to upgrade their skills as part of
building a more capable, agile and potent future force. To meet the demands
of the higher‐technology future force set out in this Defence White Paper,
the Government will undertake the largest single rebalance of the Defence
workforce in a generation.
The Permanent ADF workforce will grow to around 62,400 over the next decade
to return it to its largest size since 1993. A new contemporary workforce
management model will increase the ability of ADF members to move between
the Permanent ADF and Reserves to better meet their individual circumstances
and best harness their skills and expertise. This will provide ADF members with
more opportunities to contribute to Australia’s defence.
This Defence White Paper provides for a future Australian Public Service
(APS) workforce of around 18,200 Full Time Staff Equivalent (FTE), down from
22,300 FTE in June 2012. This workforce will be rebalanced with around 1,200
new APS positions in areas critical to Defence’s future capability, including
intelligence, cyber security and space-based capabilities, offset by ongoing
reductions elsewhere in the APS workforce.
The strength of Defence’s leadership, and its ability to adapt and embrace a
more diverse and inclusive culture, will be critical to attracting and retaining
the workforce it needs for the future. Gender equality and increasing female
participation in the Defence workforce and in senior leadership roles is
fundamental to achieving Defence capability now and into the future. Defence
has confronted the need for behavioural and attitudinal change with the release
in 2012 of Pathway to Change: Evolving Defence Culture. The cultural change
program continues to strengthen Defence’s capability through creating an
organisational climate focused on diversity and inclusion that will attract the
best people for the job. Further details can be found in Chapter Six.
2016 DEFENCE WHITE PAPER