APS Hierarchy and Classification
Review – public submission
07/06/2021

This submission is based on my work as an APS 6 veterinarian for the Department of
Agriculture, Water and the Environment (‘the department’).

I joined the department immediately after graduating from my veterinary course, and
therefore have had the opportunity to compare my career progression with that of my
friends as graduates in industries and reflect on the nature of APS as an employer against
private/industry employers.

Below are some of my perceptions as an employee from a high-performing STEM
background.

APS lags in adopting agile practices in comparison to the private employers, and its
hierarchical structure impedes fast evolution and innovation of the workforce. The gap
between 2-3 APS/SES classification levels is much larger than comparable positions in the
private sector. For example, there are no frequent, intimate collaborations between APS
6/EL 1/SES positions to discuss directions of projects and how to align future projects with
the department’s vision. In private firms, senior associates and managers would be
collaborating frequently and appropriately designate duties to steer projects in the direction
of the company’s vision. In APS, there is a ‘go-down, go-up’ working structure – the SES are
heavily involved in the department’s visions, which get handed down to the APS 6 and
below via the EL. Then APS workforce’s productivity is managed by the EL, which is overseen
by SES. Even though APS 6 is a classification capable of leading a team, they’re not given the
opportunity to completely participate in shaping the work and vision of the department as
the SES do.

As an APS 6 employee, I had applied for a couple of EL 1 positions. In APS we are not
rewarded relatively to our performance, as is the case in private sectors – so we must
actively apply for higher positions for increase in salary and responsibilities. There is no work
culture which promotes high performance and skill development, but rather a stagnant (or
stable if you’re feeling positive) culture of filling in and occupying gaps. As part of my job, I
am technically overseeing a couple of APS 4 employees. However, I do not officially manage
them and it is up to another employee is officially their supervisor on the department HR
system. This not only creates redundancy but deprives me of opportunity to exercise
legitimate leadership skill and knowledge. The rejection feedback for my EL 1 application
was that I had no concrete evidence of team leadership to offer. Even though I was
overseeing these employees, I was still not viewed by the APS as their leader.

Similarly, APS does not foster an environment of learning and development. As a young,
ambitious APS 6 employee who has been watching their friends go through rigorous
professional development provided by their respective employers (all private), I felt that I
was left behind. APS offered no extra training, no further study opportunities (due to the
very narrow funding criteria, although a commerce degree in addition to my STEM degree
would have equipped me to be a great asset to an agile team), and no leadership
development. Meanwhile, anytime I tried to apply for a higher position, I was rejected for
lacking in experience that my employer did not provide, and EL employees told me that
since I was in a good position, there was no reason for me to move up. Once, I was told that
the only way to move up within the APS classification was to move sideways (i.e. to the
same APS classification) to gain more experience. The last point highlights several problems
I see within the APS: 1. Employer is not actively providing training and upskilling its
employees; 2. Employer refuses to acknowledge high-performing STEM employees and their
need for professional development; 3. Employer does not foster a healthy competitive
working environment that encourages leadership, but rather opts for a stagnant
environment where function is prioritised. During the period where I have received any
significant upskilling and have stayed in the position, my friends in the industry have
received pay rises and had the opportunity to successfully apply for multiple promotions.

Overall, my observations and recommendations are:

• The gap between APS 6 and SES needs to be reduced, and there needs to be more frequent
collaboration (not just communication) between these levels. This not only creates more
inclusive job delegation but promotes leadership within APS.
• APS employees need to be acknowledged as leaders, not just those in EL/SES positions.
• APS is not an environment where young STEM professionals are provided with upskilling
opportunities.
• STEM employees need to have their specialisation acknowledged and be ideally led by
someone with similar background and understanding of the nature of their work, to create
an environment where professional development is more easily encouraged.
• APS would rather fill in a position indefinitely with the same person, than encouraging their
development and eventually moving them higher up.
• APS must acknowledge that employees who seek training in other fields are not pursuing
something ‘irrelevant’ or ‘inapplicable’ to their job. APS must embrace these opportunities
to create employees with broader perspectives who fit better into an agile environment.
• APS needs to embrace employees who want to move higher up in the classification, and
provide opportunities for employees who seek professional development.

Thank you for this opportunity to provide a feedback on the review.