Public Sector Standards (HRM)
What are the standards?
The Public Sector Standards in Human Resource Management (PDF, 371Kb) (the standards) are binding, minimum requirements for all Western Australian public sector bodies and their employees.
The standards reflect the Public Sector Management Act 1994 key human resource management principles that processes, decisions and actions are:
- based on a proper assessment of merit, equity and diversity;
- free from bias, nepotism and patronage;
- fair and consistent, and employees are not subject to arbitrary or capricious administrative acts;
- open, competitive and impartial; and
- transparent and capable of review.
The standards support the translation of the key human resource management principles into sound and workable policies and processes.
There are three options for agencies to approach meeting the Public Sector Standards in Human Resource Management:
- comply with the standard;
- develop a business case to articulate variation from whole or any part of the standard; or
- apply for an exemption from whole or any part of the standard.
Review of the Standards
In 2009 OPSSC undertook a review of the standards. The review arose from a need to encourage a more principle based approach to human resource management within the sector. The Department of the Premier and Cabinet’s discussion paper Rethinking Recruitment and the Office of the Auditor General’s publication Help Wanted were considered during the review process. Both publications highlighted the time taken by the sector to recruit and the often bureaucratic approach to recruitment taken by agencies.
OPSSC developed the Standards Framework to:
- simplify the Standards;
- improve the Standards, by ensuring the principles are consistent across the Standards; and
- provide a framework to assist agencies to develop innovative, flexible and responsive human resource processes.
For more information on the review of the Standards see the Standards Framework (Word 1.78MB).
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Page last updated: July 13 2009