About Us
The Commissioner
The Commissioner for Public Sector Standards is an independent statutory officer established under Part 2 (Division 3) of the Public Sector Management Act 1994 (PSM Act). The Commissioner is appointed by the Western Australian Governor and reports directly to State Parliament, not the government of the day.
The Commissioner's functions are prescribed in sections 21-25, 45, 48 and 97 of the PSM Act. The Commissioner also has a number of functions under the Public Interest Disclosure Act 2003.
The Commissioner is the chief executive officer of the Office of the Public Sector Standards Commissioner (OPSSC). This is the employing authority for all staff; it is accountable for the organisation as a whole. OPSSC supports the Commissioner in their role and also includes the Office of Equal Employment Opportunity.
Dr Ruth Shean
Dr Ruth Shean was appointed Commissioner for Public Sector Standards in May 2007. Prior to this, she held the position of Director General, Disability Services Commission (1999-2006) and Acting Director General, Department for Child Protection (2006-2007). As Commissioner for Public Sector Standards, Dr Shean’s focus is major reform for the work of the office. She aims to make it relevant to and part of the business processes of public sector agencies. She is also concerned with accountability, governance, structural issues and customer service within OPSSC itself.
Dr Shean is committed to value adding over and above the work of line agencies and building the reputation of the public sector. As a former director general, Ruth knows only too well the pressure of working in a line agency. Core business takes precedence, and staff must see compliance as helpful rather than a hindrance.
Dr Shean holds a PhD and Master of Education from the University of Western Australia. She is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and a Justice of the Peace.
Having trouble opening PDF documents?
To view a document in Adobe PDF format, you may first need to download a free copy of the Adobe Acrobat reader (external website).
Page last updated: July 09 2009