These are the performance standards we expect of employees at their classification level in all branches.
These expectations do not replace – but are aligned with – the APSC Work Level Standards and the National Archives Capability Framework.
APS 1
General capabilities
Drive for results
- Keeps track of how tasks are progressing and acts to address obstacles to delivering results.
- Adheres to relevant quality standards in completion of work.
- Manages their own time effectively to accomplish tasks.
Flexible thinking
- Is open to new information and views from diverse standpoints.
- Accepts new work, using skills to support the team.
- Asks for assistance when needed.
Self confidence
- Consults with their supervisor to clarify work goals.
- Raises issues with their supervisor as soon as they arise.
Collaborative working
- Shares all relevant or useful information.
- Supports team decisions, is a valued team player, respects others, does their share of the work.
- Supports effective stakeholder relationships.
Leadership capabilities
Strategic insight
- Can identify the key people, processes and technologies that are essential for their role.
- Has a basic understanding of the agency’s role and functions.
Build organisational capability
- Participates in the development of work area goals and objectives.
- Upholds the APS Values, Code of Conduct and Employment Principles.
Lead people through change
- Participates in the implementation of change.
APS 2
General capabilities
Drive for results
- Takes action that leads to the delivery of agreed performance targets, goals or service standards.
- Shows determination to meet the objectives set by others.
- Follows their supervisor’s direction.
Flexible thinking
- Is open to and aware of relevant technological changes.
- Modifies their own thinking, and assumptions, to take account of new and diverse viewpoints.
- Responds flexibly to changes in team plans and schedules.
Self confidence
- Accepts new work, applying skills flexibly to meet demands.
- Consults others when problems arise, seeking approval from their supervisor before implementing solutions.
Collaborative working
- Keeps other team members informed and up to date about what is happening in the group.
- Supports and maintains effective stakeholder relationships.
- Builds relationships within their team to work as a supportive and co-operative team member.
Leadership capabilities
Strategic insight
- Understands how different areas within the agency are related and who the key people are.
- Has a general understanding of the role and functions of the agency; is aware of issues that may impact on the delivery of allocated work tasks.
Build organisational capability
- Contributes ideas to the development of work area goals and objectives.
- Upholds the APS Values, Code of Conduct and Employment Principles.
Lead people through change
- Contributes ideas and participates in the implementation of change in the workplace.
APS 3
General capabilities
Drive for results
- Is constantly looking for ways to do things better.
- Makes specific changes in their own work methods to improve performance.
- Makes administrative and operational decisions relating to their area of responsibility and following established procedures and protocols.
- Finds workable solutions to problems, seeking advice from supervisor on the best course of action.
Flexible thinking
- Demonstrates a willingness to change ideas and perceptions based on new information.
- Has a general understanding of technological changes.
- Accepts new work, applying skills flexibly to meet a range of demands.
- Seeks advice about where to find information required to complete tasks.
Self confidence
- Draws on their own relevant experience.
- Takes responsibility for seeing their own work tasks through to completion.
- Works as directed to achieve outcomes, even in difficult circumstances.
Collaborative working
- Speaks of team members in positive terms, either to the team member directly or to a third party.
- Cultivates effective stakeholder relationships.
- Shares facts, knowledge and experience appropriately with others.
Leadership capabilities
Strategic insight
- Understands what the role of the agency is, how it is organised and how it fits within the Australian Government sector.
- Understands the role and functions of the agency, and is aware of issues that may impact on allocated work tasks.
Build organisational capability
- Has responsibility for planning their own work goals and priorities that align with and achieve their own and team outcomes.
- Upholds the APS Values, Code of Conduct and Employment Principles.
Lead people through change
- Maximises the benefits of change and contributes to improved service quality and efficiency.
APS 4
General capabilities
Drive for results
- Wants to do more than the minimum required, setting goals that are achievable but that challenge them to do better than before.
- Takes actions that lead to quantifiable improvements in processes or systems.
- Identifies barriers to completing their own work and comes up with solutions.
- Makes decisions relating to their area of responsibility that impact on the work area or specific function.
Flexible thinking
- Makes sense of disparate information; sees patterns and trends.
- Identifies the implications and impacts of technology.
- Informs their supervisor when work processes could be simplified and/or improved, sharing ideas about how this could be achieved.
- Adjusts behaviour to suit new goals when team priorities change.
- Knows where to find information required to complete tasks.
Self confidence
- Sees themselves as a ‘can do’ person, and is positive about their own ability to succeed.
- Demonstrates sound judgement, escalating issues appropriately.
- Works productively to achieve goals, even in difficult circumstances.
- Searches for solutions, experiments with different ways of doing things, and tries to work things out.
Collaborative working
- Cooperates with others to achieve objectives in the broader organisation.
- Builds rapport and maintains stakeholder relationships.
- Seeks input and keeps their supervisor informed about work progress.
- Builds relationships with their team and other peers to work as a supportive and co-operative colleague.
Leadership capabilities
Strategic insight
- Understands the impact of the work area on strategic, political or operational outcomes for the agency.
- Has a sound general knowledge of the role and functions of the agency and an understanding of how these relate to a specific work area.
- Recognises how tasks contribute to achieving team goals.
Build organisational capability
- Provides suggestions and support focused on helping people handle certain situations.
- Values specialist expertise and creates an environment which facilitates the sharing and effective use of professional knowledge and skills.
- Upholds the APS Values, Code of Conduct and Employment Principles.
Lead people through change
- Contributes new ideas and maximises the benefits of change, including the identification of opportunities to improve the efficiency of business processes.
- Sets up regular communications with the team (e.g. through team meetings) and makes sure the team is kept informed of what is happening.
- Explains the reasons behind key decisions.
APS 5
General capabilities
Drive for results
- Overcomes obstacles to achieving goals and, when things don’t go as expected, uses this as an opportunity to learn.
- Makes decisions within defined parameters and sets new precedents based on sound subject knowledge and professional judgement.
- Self-evaluates their own performance, benchmarking against feedback from their supervisor and relevant others.
- Develops plans and objectives for short-term tasks of the work area and contributes to strategic planning for longer-term initiatives of the section.
Flexible thinking
- Crystallises key points from a mass of disparate information and makes sense of complex situations.
- Applies innovation to maximise the benefits of change and contributes to the improvement in service quality and efficiency, including the use of new technologies.
- Remains open to new challenges, applying skills flexibly in a range of situations.
- Is aware of the way things have been customarily done and uses this understanding to manage and pace change and to implement improvements to the way the agency operates.
Self confidence
- Knows their own strengths, and development needs and is transparent about them when working with others.
- Is able to absorb and deal constructively with criticism, seeking support as necessary.
- Remains engaged and productive during challenging times.
- Sets self and others stretching goals.
Collaborative working
- Displays willingness to learn from others, including subordinates and peers.
- Solicits ideas and opinions to help form specific decisions or plans.
- Develops and maintains internal and external relationships.
- Uses communication channels effectively and appropriately.
Leadership capabilities
Strategic insight
- Thinks of new ways to support current strategies, deploying existing resources and technologies to solve current issues.
- Understands the organisation’s strategy and the implications for various work areas.
- Is aware of changes in the broader work environment that may impact on work objectives.
- Understands the impact of the work area on longer-term strategic, political or operational outcomes for the agency.
Build organisational capability
- Collaborates across teams to achieve improvements and greater economies of operation.
- Develops and oversees the implementation of improvement and change initiatives.
- Gathers and critically analyses information from diverse sources to explore ideas and complete tasks.
- Upholds the APS Values, Code of Conduct and Employment Principles.
Lead people through change
- Facilitates the effectiveness of a group by obtaining and providing them with the right resource or information.
- Recognises and acknowledges individuals when they are doing a good job and reinforces the significance or impact of what they do for the agency.
- Applies innovation to maximise the benefits of change and contributes to the improvement in service quality and efficiency.
- Secures needed support or development for the benefit of both individuals and the team as a whole.
APS 6
General capabilities
Drive for results
- Encourages and supports others to find ways of improving working methods so as to improve how the agency operates.
- Takes the necessary actions to meet goals; identifies and applies measures to track and quantify achievement.
- Makes decisions using good judgement, expertise and knowledge, under limited guidance.
- Generates innovative solutions to problems, producing a range of options for consideration.
Flexible thinking
- Shows innovation in finding ways of developing improvements, including the use of new technologies.
- Comes up with new ways of explaining something complex, or seeing beyond the obvious, so that others are able to understand it.
- Proposes and facilitates innovation and contributes to business improvement strategies and changes in workplace practices.
- Demonstrates a flexible approach to work, displaying willingness to explore opportunities as they arise.
Self confidence
- Feels able to succeed and is prepared to stand up and be counted.
- Has the confidence to involve others in support of a particular goal.
- Shows initiative and judgment in the interpretation of policy and in applying practices and procedures.
- Evaluates the effectiveness of risk management and risk assessment activities within their area of responsibility.
- Understands their own strengths and development needs, and seeks opportunities for personal development and to address performance shortfalls appropriately.
Collaborative working
- Summarises progress, taking account of differing viewpoints, to clarify understanding and to establish common ground.
- Develops and supports complex relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
- Selects and uses communication channels appropriately and effectively.
- Collaborates effectively within team and with other work areas as required.
Leadership capabilities
Strategic insight
- Recognises opportunities that have a significant impact on the agency or that affect multiple systems and/or business processes.
- Understands organisational strategy as it relates to team and agency goals and adapts current strategy by anticipating changes based on an insightful understanding of the agency’s operating context.
- Understands the broader governance framework of the Australian Government sector and how it impacts on the operation of the agency.
- Has an in-depth knowledge of the role and functions of the agency and an understanding of how these relate to a work area.
Build organisational capability
- Builds team capacity through coaching, performance feedback; and encouraging career development.
- Understands the longer term and contributes to ensure the sustainability of initiatives.
- Builds corporate knowledge and expertise by guiding, coaching and mentoring others.
- Upholds the APS Values, Code of Conduct and Employment Principles.
Lead people through change
- Gets input from others to promote the effectiveness of a team or process.
- Acts to build team spirit to promote team effectiveness.
- Contributes to managing change and uncertainty in the workplace.
- Creates the conditions that enable a team to perform at its best (provides the right structure and gets the right people doing the right things).
EL 1
General capabilities
Drive for results
- Analyses on the basis of the outcomes and risks for the agency.
- Takes responsibility for the achievements of their own and team outcomes, monitors progress and follows through to deliver quality outcomes.
- Exercises sound judgement, making independent decisions.
- Takes responsibility for timely delivery of individual and team outcomes.
Flexible thinking
- Works through obstacles and is resourceful to get back on track.
- Encourages others to be innovative, in finding ways of developing improvements, including the use of new technologies.
- Provides a significant contribution to innovation and business improvement strategies.
- Contributes to the development of an agile workforce by applying skills in a range of situations and coaching others to use skills flexibly.
Self confidence
- Rises to, and relishes, a range of challenges.
- Is prepared to actively support others who are acting consistently with the core values of the agency and the APS and challenge those who aren't.
- Engages with risk, including the conduct of risk assessment and risk management activities for areas of responsibility.
- Develops solutions with an orientation to the future, balancing immediate business needs with medium and long-term objectives.
Collaborative working
- Builds good morale or co-operation within the team, including creating symbols of group identity or other actions to build cohesiveness.
- Encourages and empowers others and promotes co-operative work practices.
- Develops and manages a range of stakeholder relationships and seeks input from team, colleagues and other stakeholders.
- Is well aware of relevant interest groups and networks that influence key stakeholders and uses this understanding for the benefit of the agency.
Leadership capabilities
Strategic insight
- Creates new strategies for the agency by applying insights from other organisations or practices and/or theories.
- Coordinates and undertakes detailed or sensitive projects that impact on strategic, political or operational outcomes for the agency.
- Considers and effectively manages competing priorities and strategic directions when achieving team planning and project outcomes in line with agency goals and objectives.
- Undertakes work activities with an awareness of their possible impact on strategic, political or operational outcomes for the agency.
Build organisational capability
- Successfully addresses people or process alignment problems between teams with peers and senior leaders.
- Looks to the longer term and takes action to ensure the sustainability of initiatives.
- Maintains a continuous improvement approach to individual and team work.
- Upholds and models the APS Values, Code of Conduct and Employment Principles.
Lead people through change
- Gives people a sense that changes are achievable and that their contribution matters.
- Explains the rationale for changes and key priorities.
- Implements change and manages ambiguity in the workplace.
- Supports others to maintain focus and productivity, encouraging them to embrace emerging opportunities.
- Manages and implements cultural change.
EL 2
General capabilities
Drive for results
- Makes decisions, sets priorities, or sets goals on the basis of calculated inputs and outputs.
- Commits themselves (in the face of uncertainty) to the pursuit of improved performance and the achievement of a challenging goal.
- Identifies and leads innovative solutions and communicates the implications of decisions and actions on the agency’s business objectives.
- Makes high level decisions and uses sound judgement about priorities, balancing short, medium and long-term goals.
Flexible thinking
- Demonstrates a flexible approach to work, displaying willingness to meet evolving organisational needs.
- Works through obstacles and is resourceful to get back on track.
- Leads the way in developing improvements, including the use of new technologies.
- Promotes openness to new information, approaches and ideas.
- Manages resource allocation responsively to ensure achievement of team and organisational objectives.
Self confidence
- Takes on very stretching challenges that others may back away from.
- May be a 'lone voice' challenging the status quo, but will always be able to back up their position with evidence that the action is aimed at achieving the goals of the agency.
- Identifies, manages and evaluates risk in all decision making and delivery of outcomes.
- Develops, understands and promotes organisational strategy as it relates to the achievement of team, agency and government objectives.
Collaborative working
- Responds flexibly to various stakeholder requirements and changing circumstances as they arise, varying deployment of resources within imposed constraints.
- Develops and communicates the strategic direction and vision of the agency to stakeholders.
- Initiates, establishes and maintains key strategic internal and external networks.
- Demonstrates flexibility and sound judgement in use of communication channels to influence outcomes, deliver results and support organisational strategy.
Leadership capabilities
Strategic insight
- Understands the strategic relationships with an organisation and applies and maintains an extensive understanding of the role and responsibilities of the agency.
- Sets strategic direction, develops long-term plans and implements operational strategies aimed at achieving specific agency objectives.
- Develops strategies that fundamentally change the way the agency operates and provides a strategic level of specialist, professional and/or technical expertise.
- Maintains a comprehensive understanding of the agency’s impact on the wider political and community context in which it operates.
Build organisational capability
- Builds capability in a team environment through coaching others, providing performance feedback, conflict resolution and encouraging career development.
- Delegates tasks appropriately to facilitate employee development and build team capability.
- Leads and manages change, analyses performance and takes responsibility for continuous improvement processes.
- Upholds and models the APS Values, Code of Conduct and Employment Principles.
Lead people through change
- Engages and manages stakeholders through change, resolving conflict and managing sensitivities.
- Gets buy-in and commitment to the vision within the organisation and across government, involving a diverse range of stakeholders.
- Inspires people to contribute to and lead change initiatives.
- Provides leadership in implementing and promoting a climate of change and continuous improvement.
- Takes responsibility for shaping organisational culture.