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Workforce Overview

Professional Service Providers

In addition to military and civilian employees, Defence engages as part of its total workforce Professional Service Providers, who are individuals with specialist skills contracted to fill an APS line position usually because of Defence's inability to recruit or retain civilian staff with these skills. Professional Service Providers are not Defence employees but are employed under contractual arrangements. In 2003-04, Defence spent $201m on Professional Service Providers, which is expensed in the financial statements comprising health expenses ($68.2m) and supply of goods and services ($132.8m).

At the commencement of 2003-04 Defence employed the full-time equivalent of 2,311 Professional Service Providers. In response to a growth in both the civilian and Professional Service Provider workforces, Defence instituted a savings program over a three-year period as a contribution towards Defence's Program of Administrative Savings. At the same time, Defence introduced a total workforce concept, which allowed Group Heads to substitute more costly Professional Service Providers with civilian positions, in order to grow Defence's skills base and obtain more cost effective outcomes. As part of this concept, approval has been given for Group Heads to increase the civilian workforce by 360 positions, offset by a reduction of 360 Professional Service Provider positions, as detailed in Table 5.4.

Taking into account these substitutions, a reduction in health service providers (-200) and a small number of additions in relation to Government agreed budget measures (22 in 2004-05 reducing to 2 in 2006-07), Defence's Professional Service Provider workforce will reduce by 626 by 2006-07.

Table 5.4 Current Approved Professional Service Provider Strength
Year 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08
Original Savings Targets 2,311 2,277 2,243 2,243 2,243
Additional Professional Service Providers from Government budget measures - 22 6 2 2
Reduction of Health Service Professional Service Providers -200 -200 -200 -200 -200
Substitution with civilian staff -95 -359 -360 -360 -360
Current Approved Professional Service Provider Strength 2,016 1,740 1,689 1,685 1,685
Reduction from 2002-03 baseline -295 -571 -622 -626 -626

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Achievement of Civilian Savings

Chart 5.1 shows that since the peak in civilian numbers at pay 18 in 2002-03, actual numbers have decreased by 594 from 18,845 to 18,251. Further ongoing savings will be achieved in 2004-05, especially as Defence Integrated Distribution System staff transition out of the organisation. When the 95 Professional Service Provider substitutions approved in 2003-04 are taken into account, the underlying actual reduction total of 689, with further savings expected in 2004-05 and 2005-06.

Chart 5.1 Movements in Actual Civilian Personnel Numbers from Pay 1 2002-03 to Pay 26 2003-04

Chart 5.1 - select to access source table

Table 5.5 Breakdown of Average Funded Strengths by Service and Rank
  2002-03
Actual		 2003-04
Budget
Estimate		 2003-04
Revised
Estimate		 2003-04
Projected
Result		 2003-04
Actual
Navy
Star-ranked officers 35 35 35 36 34
Senior officers 432 430 420 439 434
Junior officers 2,380 2,378 2,372 2,362 2,446
Other ranks 10,000 10,157 10,294 10,284 10,219
Sub-total permanent Navy 12,847 13,000 13,121 13,121 13,133
Reserves 1,404 2,087 1,850 1,850 1,881
Sub-total Navy 14,251 15,087 14,971 14,971 15,014
Army
Star-ranked officers 50 56 56 49 49
Senior officers 558 557 557 588 576
Junior officers 4,458 4,669 4,637 4,499 4,524
Other ranks 20,521 20,659 20,481 20,487 20,297
Sub-total permanent Army 25,587 25,941 25,731 25,623 25,446
Reserves 16,211 16,700 16,700 16,982 16,445
Sub-total Army 41,798 42,641 42,431 42,605 41,891
Air Force
Star-ranked officers 35 37 37 37 36
Senior officers 517 500 514 521 518
Junior officers 3,489 3,411 3,557 3,551 3,550
Other ranks 9,605 9,452 9,352 9,372 9,351
Sub-total permanent Air Force 13,646 13,400 13,460 13,481 13,455
Reserves(1) 2,005 1,658 2,160 2,032 2,162
Sub-total Air Force 15,651 15,058 15,620 15,513 15,617
APS
Senior executives 110 117 117 115 102
Senior executive relief staff(3)(5) 20 9 9 - 21
Senior officers(2) 3,539 3,120 3,562 3860 3,649
Senior officer relief staff(3)(5) 295 276 288 - 240
Others 14,421 13,855 14,413 14,381 14,291
Sub-total APS 18,385 17,377 18,389 18,356 18,303
Professional Service Providers(4)(6) - 2,311 2,000 2,000 1,878
Total Workforce 90,085 92,474 93,411 93,445 92,703

Notes

  1. The 2003-04 Reserve strength represents Reservists who undertook paid service.
  2. Senior Officers comprise substantive Executive Levels 1 and 2.
  3. Relief staff represent the full-time average of personnel acting within a higher classification for short duration pending permanent filling action or while the incumbents are taking leave, acting in higher positions or are on secondment to other agencies.
  4. Professional Service Providers are individuals under contract filling line positions.
  5. No split between substantive and relief staff was available for the projected result.
  6. Professional Service Provider numbers were not tracked until 2003-04.

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