In Principle
Agency size matters
A new method of reporting by OPSSC has identified a link between the size of public sector agencies and their ability to manage and implement governance, human resource and policy issues.
Released in November 2008, the State of the Service Report is the first compliance report produced by OPSSC that covers the practice and promotion of, and compliance with, both the Public Sector Management Act 1994 and the Public Interest Disclosure Act 2003 (PID Act). It compares data from responses to the OPSSC CEO Annual Agency Survey and Employee Perceptions Survey to report on the leadership, conduct and perceptions of those whose work entails serving the public of Western Australia.
An important theme relating to the implications of agency size emerged from the key findings of State of the Service Report. The findings indicate that larger agencies have a greater capacity to develop systems and frameworks. They do not perform as well, however, with respect to policy implementation and communication.
Small and medium size agencies tend to communicate well but have less capacity to plan strategically as well as develop and implement specific policies or training initiatives.
Launching the State of the Service Report: OPSSC staff (from left) Communications Manager Phil Torrisi; Director, Evaluation and Reporting Dr Chris Stansbury; and Executive Director, Public Sector Practice Penny Bird.
The findings also show that agency size plays a significant role when it comes to championing the PID Act and raising awareness amongst staff. Agencies of all sizes considered this to be the responsibility of the CEO. When asked to nominate if it was the responsibility of senior management, however, agencies with fewer than 20 staff were much less likely to agree.
Commissioner for Public Sector Standards Dr Ruth Shean said that the findings have important implications for agency heads.
"All public sector agencies have vulnerabilities as a function of size," Dr Shean said.
"The findings of the State of the Service Report suggest that CEOs should make themselves alert to those risks which relate to their size and take appropriate action, seeking assistance where necessary. Advice and assistance in this respect is readily available from OPSSC."