Key performance indicators (KPIs) for the public sector in 2023

About the KPIs

In consultation with department secretaries, we have created these KPIs to monitor public sector performance, progress and improvement areas for the coming years.

Why they’re important

It’s important to recognise and celebrate the public sector’s strengths in how it:

delivers for the community as a provider
creates a thriving workplace as an employer.

But there are always ways to improve.

Monitoring progress over time is one way to look for opportunities to grow and evolve.

Our workforce is best placed to deliver for Victorians when it’s engaged, acts with integrity, reflects the diversity of the community it serves and has high levels of wellbeing.

How we developed them

To track these KPIs, we compare the 2023 results with:

2021 People matter survey data — the data we collect through the annual employee opinion survey
2022 workforce data — the data we collect from public sector payroll and HR systems.

We compare 2023 People matter survey data with 2021 data because the same organisations did the survey in those years.

In 2022, the list of organisations was smaller and therefore not comparable.

We break down the KPIs in 2 ways:

Victorian Public Service (VPS) — the 10 departments, Victoria Police and 46 authorities and offices defined to be public service employers under the Public Administration Act 2004
Whole public sector — the VPS combined with all other public sector bodies outside of the VPS that have a public function.

Participation in the People matter survey

Insights from the People matter survey benefit all Victorian government organisations.

Higher participation rates give us better insights into what we’re doing right and where we need to improve.

Employees who did the survey (Victorian Public Service)62%+12% from 50% in 2021
Employees who did the survey (whole public sector)42%+3% from 39% in 2021

Diversity and inclusion

The Victorian community is one of the most diverse societies in the world.

Our public sector should reflect the community it serves.

Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander employees

Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander employees bring unique knowledge, skills, insights and expertise on the needs and aspirations of the Aboriginal community.

The Victorian public sector launched the 5-year Aboriginal Employment Strategy Barring Djinang in 2017.

The strategy has a target for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander employees to make up 2% of the VPS by June 2022. There is no target for the public sector.

We estimate the number of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander employees using workforce data and the People matter survey 2023 results for the public sector.

The whole public sector results for 2023 don’t include government schools.

Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander employees (Victorian Public Service)705 (1.2%)+23 from 682 (1.2%) in 2021
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander employees (whole public sector)3,241 (1.2%)+571 from 2,670 (1%) in 2021

Employees with disability

Getting to work is Victoria’s long-term employment plan for people with disability in the public sector.

The plan supports a target of 6% representation of people with disability in the Victorian Public Service by 2020 and 12% by 2025.

We estimate the number of employees with disability using workforce data and the People matter survey 2023 results.

The whole public sector results for 2023 don’t include government schools.

Employees with disability (Victorian Public Service)6,500 (8.5%)+3,227 from 3,273 (5.6%) in 2021
Employees with disability (whole public sector)26,256 (6.1%)+8,271 from 17,985 (5.2%) in 2021

Gender equality

Victoria’s Gender Equality Strategy and Action Plan 2023 to 2027 is designed to create a gender-equal state.

We use the overall pay gap between women and men as a way to measure workplace gender equality.

Median gender pay gap (Victorian Public Service)1.8%+1.8% from 0% in 2022
Median gender pay gap (whole public sector)10.1%-0.8% from 10.9% in 2022

Integrity

A public sector that operates with integrity is critical to building trust and delivering services for the Victorian community.

We measure integrity as:

being fair, honest and transparent
providing frank and impartial advice
creating an environment where employees feel safe to raise issues or challenge inappropriate behaviour.

Organisational integrity

Organisations demonstrate integrity by:

having fair recruitment and promotion processes
addressing negative behaviours and improper conduct
acting in the best interests of Victorians.

This includes:

Organisations being committed to earning a high level of public trust.
Organisations refusing to tolerate improper conduct.
Organisations taking steps to eliminate bullying, harassment and discrimination.
Organisations encouraging respectful workplace behaviours.
Organisations ensuring recruitment and promotion is fair.
Organisations ensuring everyone has a fair chance at promotion.
Organisations encouraging behaviours consistent with human rights.

Employees who agree their organisation is committed to integrity (Victorian Public Service)67%-7% from 74% in 2021
Employees who agree their organisation is committed to integrity (whole public sector)67%-5% from 72% in 2021

Providing frank and fearless advice to managers and leaders

Public sector employees demonstrate integrity by providing frank, impartial and timely advice to their managers, senior leaders and the Victorian Government.

Employees who agree their workgroup gives frank and fearless advice (Victorian Public Service)58%Not asked before 2023

Creating a culture where it’s safe to speak up

Employees feel safe to speak up in an environment where they can raise issues and challenge inappropriate behaviours without fear of retribution.

Employees who feel safe to speak up (Victorian Public Service)73%+3% from 70% in 2021
Employees who feel safe to speak up (whole public sector)71%+4% from 67% in 2021

To come up with the safe to speak up KPI, we have combined employee responses to these 2 statements:

I feel safe to challenge inappropriate behaviour at work
People in my workgroup are able to bring up problems and tough issues.

Victorian Public Service responses

73% agreed or strongly agreed.
14% neither agreed or disagreed.
13% disagreed or strongly disagreed.

Victorian public sector responses

71% agreed or strongly agreed.
15% neither agreed nor disagreed.
14% disagreed or strongly disagreed.

Due to rounding, not all numbers will add up to 100.

Employee engagement

A high employee engagement score shows employees are committed to and enthusiastic about their work. It leads to improved wellbeing, higher productivity and job satisfaction.

The employee engagement index is a score out of 100.

Engagement index (Victorian Public Service)68-2 from 70 in 2021
Engagement index (whole public sector)68-2 from 70 in 2021

The engagement statements are:

My organisation motivates me to help achieve its objectives
My organisation inspires me to do the best in my job
I would recommend my organisation as a good place to work
I feel a strong personal attachment to my organisation
I am proud to tell others I work for my organisation.

The weightings for each engagement response are:

strongly agree is 100 points
agree is 75 points
neither agree nor disagree is 50 points
disagree is 25 points
strongly disagree is 0 points.

The index is the average of these scores.

Health, safety and wellbeing in the workplace

Safe and healthy work environments benefit employees, employers and the Victorian community.

A safe workplace is a key outcome of the Victorian public sector mental health and wellbeing charter.

Employee wellbeing

This measures the degree to which public sector employees are:

enthusiastic and happy at work
rarely worried and miserable.

Positive wellbeing leads to higher levels of engagement and productivity. This then contributes to improved motivation and retention.

Wellbeing (Victorian Public Service)46%+1% from 45% in 2021
Wellbeing (whole public sector)47%+3% from 2021 (44%)

To come up with the employee wellbeing KPI, we have combined employee responses in the People matter survey about positive and negative emotions.

Victorian Public Service responses

Employees who feel enthusiastic or happy at work:

51% often, very often or always.
35% sometimes.
14% rarely, very rarely or never.

Employees who feel worried or miserable at work:

43% often, very often or always.
33% sometimes.
25% rarely, very rarely or never.

Victorian public sector responses

Employees who feel enthusiastic at work:

49% often, very often or always.
37% sometimes.
14% rarely, very rarely or never.

Employees who feel worried or miserable at work:

44% often, very often or always.
32% sometimes.
24% rarely, very rarely or never.

Due to rounding, not all numbers will add up to 100.

Experiencing negative behaviours in the workplace

Negative behaviours like bullying, discrimination, sexual harassment and aggression or violence have an impact on the health, wellbeing, behaviour and performance of employees. This can contribute to high-to-severe stress.

Employees who experienced one or more negative behaviour (Victorian Public Service)20%-1% from 21% in 2021
Employees who experienced one or more negative behaviour (whole public sector)30%-1% from 31% in 2021