Australian Public Service (APS) Employee Census
Updated 22 / 11 / 2024
About the APS Employee Census
The APS Employee Census (the Census) is an annual survey designed to collect confidential attitude and opinion information from APS employees on various workplace issues. The Census is typically run over the month of May and closes early in early June each year. While participation is encouraged, completing the Census is voluntary.
The results of the Census help target strategies to build APS workplace capability now and, in the future, and inform the State of the Service report – the Australian Public Service Commissioner's annual report to Parliament on the state of the APS.
The Commission's results
The Census results assist the Commission in identifying areas of strong performance and opportunities for further development. They help to track how the Agency is progressing on key organisational strategies, initiatives, and workplace culture.
In 2024, the Census was completed by 95% of Commission staff, marking a 5% increase in participation from 2023 and reflecting greater staff engagement and increased data accuracy.
The Highlights report summarises the Productivity Commission’s Census results across various areas and includes aggregated agency data, noting all Census reporting is subject to strict privacy rules.
The Australian Public Service Commission’s website provides access to the APS overall results and agency-specific results, along with an explanatory guide on how to interpret the results. The guide also provides further information on the purpose of, and approach to gathering, Census data.
Action plan
The Productivity Commission has gained valuable insights from this year’s results and, through consultation with staff, has identified five key agency focus areas for the upcoming 12 months.
Our action plan outlines the areas we are proud of, our five focus areas and our commitment to improvement. The top five focus areas are:
- Change management
- SES leadership
- Workplace culture
- Innovation
- Collaboration, communication, and engagement.
Download the 2024 Census results and action plan
Previous years
2023
Note: Action plans were not required before 2023.