Broader Horizons: Agile Global Diverse

Broader Horizons: Agile Global Diverse

Attorney-General’s DepartmentStrategic Workforce Plan 2017-2020

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Contents

Message from the Secretary

Broader Horizons model

About this document

Guidance for users

Embedding Broader Horizons

Our influences

Our priorities

Changing external environment

Where we are heading

Our people

Agile Global Diverse

Performance expectations we meet

Skills we have and maintain

Experience and knowledge we have and expand

New approaches we develop and pursue

Role of the Workforce Planning Committee

Achieving our future workforce

Message from the Secretary

The department operates in a diverse and complex environment to address challenging and diverse issues. Our highly skilled and engaged workforce is central to achieving our future objectives.

We continue to need specialists and practitioners in government law, national security, civil and criminal justice, and emergency management and an experienced body of policy, program and administrative employees.

Our current people strategies and programs, including our performance expectations, diversity strategy, recruitment and recognition programs, aim to attract, develop and retain a workforce that addresses our current priorities.

Our future success is dependent on a workforce that is also agile, outward looking, engaging more effectively with risk and responding flexibly to our changing environment.

Broader Horizons:Agile Global Diverse, AGD’s Workforce Plan 2017-2020 responds to the challenges we are facing by articulating the workforce we need for the future. It outlines the attributes and skills we need and value. These include:

• external ideas and perspectives
• working cooperatively with other organisations on crosssectoral problems
• experience across different parts of the organisation
• exploring new ideas and trialling new ways of delivery

This workforce plan for AGD is equally relevant to our executive, leaders and managers, and individual employees in the department. Other components of Broader Horizons include tools and guides for managers, teams and individuals.

I encourage everyone to consider these workforce challenges and response strategies, and play an active part in implementing local solutions to deliver ourfuture workforce.

Chris Moraitis PSM

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Broader Horizons model

We will achieve our future workforce through four areas of focus. Everyone has a part to play in building our future workforce and each circle outlines the accountabilities for individuals, managers, and the SES. The circles on the left represent our current workforce moving towards the future workforce as we build on our strong foundation with new skills and approaches.

We will develop Broader Horizons tools and guides that link with the department’s key people strategies, including diversity, learning and development, performance management, and reward and recognition. An action plan, tools and guides will help to embed Broader Horizons within the department.

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About this document

Broader Horizons positions the department to deliver its objectives by focusing on the workforce capability needed today and into the future. In this way, Broader Horizons:

• anticipates future workforce needs and capabilities based on the changing external environment and the objectives of the department
• identifies the changes needed to transition from the current to the anticipated future workforce
• identifies response strategies needed to shape and maintain the desired future workforce.

The responses shaping our future workforce to achieve Broader Horizons encompass:

• performance expectations we meet
• skills we have and maintain
• experience and knowledge we apply and expand
• new approaches we develop and pursue

A more formal approach to workforce planning will ensure:

• workforce responses align with the department’s strategic priorities and business objectives
• actions taken today by leaders and managers on workforce matters contribute to the workforce of the future
• we have a practical vehicle for achieving other workforce and people priorities including:
• the Australian Public Service Commission management structures, job families frameworks
• diversity and inclusion, flexible working, learning and development
• responding to forward year budget impacts on staffing levels development.

Guidance for users

Executives, managers and leaders, and individuals have a role to play in achieving our future workforce. Broader Horizons provides a practical point of reference for executives, managers and leaders when:

• developing annual division, branch and team business plans
• focusing performance agreements and discussions on our future workforce needs
• supporting targeted learning and development opportunities in core and professional skills
• assessing opportunities for movement across sections, branches and divisions
• coaching their people for high team performance
• guiding staff selection to achieve the appropriate focus on current and future workforce needs
• identifying on-the-job development opportunities with their people
• responding to priorities and new initiatives when forming or reshaping teams, and changing or creating roles.

Broader Horizons provides individuals with a practical point of reference when:

• seeking clarity about performance expectations, and the core and professional skills needed for current and future roles
• gaining insight into performance outcomes or capability gaps
• identifying the opportunity for career development through mobility
• responding to development needs including through on-the-job tasks, learning programs, different roles, and/or new work experiences.

Embedding Broader Horizons

To embed Broader Horizons within the department:

• The Workforce Planning Committee will adopt a modified role.
• HR Branch will develop and implement a communication plan to raise awareness of the roles of individuals, managers and SES.
• HR Branch will realign key people strategies to ensure they support the future workforce outcomes.
• HR Branch will develop tools and guides that link with the department’s key people strategies including diversity, learning and development, performance management, reward and recognition.
• Individuals, managers and executives will need to actively embrace the workforce outcomes of Broader Horizons within their day to day activities.
• HR Branch will engage with divisions and branches to help them define targeted actions and integrate them with their business planning.

To assist the above, HR Branch will develop an action plan that identifies key implementation activities, responsibilities and timing.

Our influences

Our priorities

Our strategic priorities for 2016-20[1] are:

• Support the Attorney-General as First Law Officer by providing high-quality legal services to the Commonwealth.
• Protect Australia by delivering effective national security policies, legislation and programmes.
• Maintain an efficient and effective Commonwealth justice system.
• Pursue national responses to serious and organised crime and improve community safety
• Enable a free society with balanced rights, freedoms and responsibilities.
• Provide national leadership in emergency management.

These strategic priorities are informed[2] by:

• government national and international policy priorities in law, justice, security and emergencies
• national and global social and political environments
• our resources and capabilities
• the needs and capabilities of our partners
• the need to manage riskappropriately

While these priorities and their context remain familiar, other factors will have a profound impact on our ability to maintain and refresh a highly professional and skilled workforce. In particular, a workforce that can respond to an operating environment increasingly characterised by:

• strong government appetite for legislative responses to complex matters
• the need to provide high quality legal services and advice on complex legal matters
• the need to establish and resource Royal Commissions, taskforces and inquiries
• a focus on innovative responses to national security issues and related incidents
• the need to respond to natural disasters that, based on trends and forecasts, will occur more frequently and with greater intensity
• the need to harness technology opportunities.

In addition, understanding what attracts people to and what keeps them in the public sector is important.

The Australian Public Service (APS) competes for skilled people. As such, it is important to understand what attracts people to working in the public sector and what factors cause people to leave. Since 2013, the Commission has managed entry and exit surveys to assist agencies to obtain information about engagement, retention and staff movements.

The most common reason for joining the APS during 2015–16 was the type of work available. Long-term career progression and development opportunities also featured highly in reasons for joining or remaining in the APS. Most employees taking up ongoing positions expected to stay with their new agencies for at least two years.

The exit surveys show that it is imperative to provide attractive and flexible work environments.[3]

This also reflects the department’s experience.

Consistent with this feedback, to achieve the desired workforce shift while also responding to the needs of current employees, we will implement a range of response strategies.

Broader Horizons positions us to foster a responsive and agile workforce that meets our current and emerging objectives.

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Broader Horizons: Agile Global DiverseAGD Strategic Workforce Plan 2017-20

Changing external environment

Global megatrends[4] – changes affecting governments, societies and economies over a long period – are affecting our operating environment. We need to understand how these megatrends will influence our work, and respond proactively by taking steps today to shape our future workforce.

Description / Implications for AGD
Impact of technology / Rapid technology change is enabling radical changes to business models and approaches. Exponential growth in technology including device, connectivity, data volumes, computing speed as well as rapid advances in automated systems and artificial intelligence, means that robotic devices can perform many tasks more quickly, safely and efficiently than humans.
This change is transforming supply chains, reshaping the workforce and redefining jobs. / Given our role in areas such as cyber security, national security and emergency management, our people capabilities must keep pace with this fast changing digital environment.
We also need to take advantage of opportunities to reshape jobs arising from automation of our work.
Platform Economics / The peer-to-peer economy is expanding, and freelancing is a large (and growing) employment model in other countries.
Companies may opt for staffing models that include a smaller number of core people, with many other roles provided by the freelancer or portfolio worker community. / Platform economics reflects an expectation for greater workplace autonomy and employment flexibility.
Our working environment needs to respond to this expectation.
Entrepreneurism / There is an increasing trend of individuals creating their own job. This may be because:

• the ‘ideal’ job in a large organisation is no longer there
• digital technology enables lean innovation (the fast/fail approach) to establishing new enterprises
• people are seeking greater flexibility than that offered by traditional organisations

/ Our success in attracting and retaining people is dependent on our ability to implement responsive flexible working arrangements.
Diversity / The need to address increasingly complex and cross-jurisdictional challenges will continue. Emphasis on innovative responses will increase. Organisations will foster innovation by increasing workforce diversity to inject different perspectives into problem solving and to achieve market competiveness. / We need to achieve the workforce outcomes of our diversity agenda. We also need to change how we work by engaging with others who have diverse perspectives and increase their involvement in our work.
Changing Demographics / Australia’s population is ageing and life expectancies are growing. Retirement ages will continue to increase because of several factors including financial market impacts, and improved health outcomes that allow people to continue productive work. However, nearly one in five Australians is expected to be over 65 years old in 2035, compared with one-sixth of the population today[5].
Younger people entering the workforce are connected, technologically advanced, creative and entrepreneurial. They have new perspectives on desirable work environments, ethical issues and communication styles. / These changing demographics will generate increasingly diverse needs within our workforce. Our leaders and managers need to be adept at responding to these diverse needs.
Automation / Increasing automation of systems is raising the complexity of tasks and requiring higher skill levels for entry-level positions. Income growth in Asia is associated with increased educational and skills levels, as well as growing competition for Australia’s labour force.
Many low-skilled jobs will move offshore or be automated. / This may result in raising the skills and education bar for entry into professions and occupations. Our challenge is to ensure we manage any tendency to ‘over qualify’ roles.
Growth in Services Sector / Employment growth in services sectors, particularly education and healthcare, is driving job creation.This is expected to continue as Australia moves to a knowledge economy.
Service sector jobs requiring social interaction skills and emotional intelligence will become increasingly important. / This growth in services may increase the workforce competition we face if we are unable to provide the level of social interaction people in our workplace are seeking.

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Broader Horizons: Agile Global DiverseAGD Strategic Workforce Plan 2017-20

Where we are heading

Our people

Today, we are recognised for our high quality and professional people. We are a highly capable workforce that continues to respond to shifting priorities, structural changes and a challenging environment.

To continue to meet current needs and respond to the future, our people need to:

• value external ideas and perspectives
• work cooperatively with other organisations on cross sectoral problems
• have experience in different parts of the organisation
• be comfortable operating within multidisciplinary networks, partnerships and clusters
• have diverse backgrounds and experiences
• be willing to explore new ideas and trial new ways of delivery
• make decisions and exercise good judgement.

In achieving this shift, we need to understand our current workforce. Our ‘typical’ female employee is 28, and an APS6, working in a legal or policy role and has been with the department 1-3 years. Our ‘typical’ male employee is 30, an APS6, working in a policy role and has been with the department for 1-3 years.

The required shift in our workforce is the extent to which the current and future workforces differ.

To achieve the desired workforce we need to:

• participate in agile team arrangements such as scrums and task groups
• broaden the experience of individuals at level
• facilitate professional development and career planning for individuals
• continue to provide an attractive and flexible working environment
• foster leadership, responsibility and empowerment at all levels.

Agile Global Diverse

To achieve our Agile Global Diverse workforce, we need people with a combination of the following capabilities:

Agile / Values breadth of knowledge
Leverages business and commercial acumen
Captures and transfers knowledge
Adopts different ways of working
Global / Sustains a global view and is outwards looking
Leverages technology to do business differently
Diverse / Fosters a respectful and positive workforce culture
Values innovation
Embraces diversity

The department’s response to achieving our future workforce has four areas of focus:

• performance expectations we meet
• skills we have and maintain
• experience and knowledge we apply and expand
• new approaches we develop and pursue.

Performanceexpectations we meet

The AGD Performance Expectations are a key component of Broader Horizons. The AGD Performance Expectations outline the capability needs of our people and guide consistent performance at each classification level:

• creates solutions
• demonstrates agility
• communicates effectively
• leads with commitment
• collaborates with purpose
• accountable for quality outcomes

We will continue to value and foster theAGD Performance Expectations.

Skills we have and maintain

To achieve the Broader Horizons outcomes, we will continue to value people who demonstrateall the following skills:

• leads at all levels
• manages people, resources and tasks
• solves problems
• nurtures productive working relationships
• engages with stakeholders
• mitigates risks
• utilises technology effectively
• operates efficiently

Experience and knowledge we have and expand

We will recognise and nurture experience and knowledge in:

• accounting and finance
• administration
• commerce and economics
• ICT literacy
• international partnerships
• law and legal expertise
• people management
• policy
• program management.

New approaches we develop and pursue

We will also develop, attract and retain those who display the following approaches to their work:

• fosters industry and community engagement and knowledge
• mobilises data and makes evidence-based decisions
• deploys innovative visual communication strategies
• keeps the end-user in mind
• embraces possibility.

Role of the Workforce Planning Committee

The Workforce Planning Committee (WPC) will adopt a strategic and forward-looking role by overseeing implementation of our workforce plan and facilitating our progress to the future state workforce.

In particular, the WPC will:

• focus on identifying and developing internal talent
• foster a positive and agile workforce culture including by being the focal point for flexible working policies
• forecast workplace pressures on capability and capacity, and provide guidance on required people capabilities and resourcing priorities
• act as custodians of the principles that underpin recruitment decisions for SES across the department
• shape investment in our workforce including through workplace conditions, work design, and our leadership capability and capacity
• oversee the implementation of our workforce plan
• evaluate our people and workforce outcomes and strategies.

WPC will continue to have a hybrid role determining both department-wide operational and strategic decisions. The WPC will take a whole-of-department approach to workforce affordability and average salary level (ASL), providing leaders a framework within which to operate.