The State of the service report 2020–21 identifies year-to-year trends in workforce participation and capability across the Australian Public Service (APS). This is the 24th annual report on the state of the APS presented to Parliament.

Evidence to this inquiry has reiterated the now well-established position that the APS is suffering from a lack of investment in its people, its policy development and its digital and ICT capabilities. This is resulting in direct and adverse impacts on the APS’s ability to deliver for the community.

This interim report looks at insecurity in publicly-funded jobs and is focussed primarily on those jobs where the Australian government—also referred to as the Commonwealth—is the funder, or primary funder.

This report synthesises the literature of the last decade, with a focus on literature emerging since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic to identify issues that will affect working in the Australian Public Service (APS). It focuses on teleworking, but also examines activity-based working and remote working hubs.

This strategy document highlights the need for a one-Australian Public Service (APS) approach to lifting the skills and capability of their workforce to ensure a high performing, driven and trusted APS.