Chapter Three - People > Workforce Overview > page 3 of 11
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Workforce Overview

Staffing by Average Strength

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. In 2003-04, Defence also set savings targets for Professional Service Providers positions and introduced a total workforce management framework, 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 framework, approval has been given for Group Heads to increase the civilian workforce by 378 positions, offset by a reduction of 378 Professional Service Provider positions, as detailed in Table 3.5.

Taking into account these substitutions, a reduction in health service providers ( 212) and a small number of additions in relation to Government-agreed budget measures (22 in 2004-05 reducing to two in 2006-07), Defence's Professional Service Provider workforce will reduce by 656 by 2006-07.

Table 3.5 Current Approved Professional Service Provider Strength
Year 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09
2002-03 Baseline 2,311 2,311 2,311 2,311 2,311 2,311
Additional Professional Service Providers from Government budget measures - 22 6 2 2 2
Substitution with civilian staff - -302 -378 -378 -378 -378
Reduction of Health Service Professional Service Providers -200 -212 -212 -212 -212 -212
Savings Program - -48 -68 -68 -68 -68
Revised Baseline Incorporating Savings 2,111 1,771 1,659 1,655 1,655 1,655
Actuals/Planned 1,878 1,913 1,659 1,655 1,655 1,655
Variation -233 142

In 2004-05, Defence spent $185.67m on Professional Service Providers, with these expenses funded from suppliers expenses, not employee expenses.

Table 3.6 shows the breakdown of personnel by Service and rank, including the APS.

Table 3.6 Breakdown of Average Funded Strength by Service and Rank
2003-04
Actual		 2004-05
Budget
Estimate		 2004-05
Revised
Estimate		 2004-05
Actual
Navy
Star ranked officers 34 36 36 36
Senior officers 434 439 439 433
Junior officers 2,446 2,378 2,378 2,480
Other ranks 10,219 10,314 10,314 10,140
Sub total Permanent Navy (1) 13,133 13,167 13,167 13,089
Reserves (2) 1,881 1,850 1,850 1,243
Sub total Navy 15,014 15,017 15,017 14,333
Army
Star ranked officers 49 48 51 51
Senior officers 576 505 606 603
Junior officers 4,524 4,948 4,769 4,626
Other ranks 20,297 20,534 20,309 20,076
Sub total Permanent Army (3) 25,446 26,035 25,735 25,356
Reserves (2) 16,445 16,700 16,700 15,845
Sub total Army 41,891 42,735 42,435 41,201
Air Force
Star ranked officers 36 37 37 38
Senior officers 518 521 512 515
Junior officers 3,550 3,550 3,525 3,511
Other ranks 9,351 9,562 9,319 9,305
Sub total Permanent Air Force (4) 13,455 13,670 13,393 13,368
Reserves (2) 2,162 2,160 2,577 2,187
Sub total Air Force 15,617 15,830 15,970 15,556
APS
Senior executives 102 113 110 110
Senior executive relief staff (5) 21 - 15 16
Senior officers (6) 3,649 3,850 4,047 3,814
Senior officer relief staff (5) 240 - - 262
Others 14,291 13,878 13,799 13,552
Sub total APS (7) 18,303 17,841 17,971 17,754
Professional Service Providers (8) 1,878 1,851 1,771 1,913
Total Workforce 92,703 93,274 93,164 90,757

Notes

  1. Correlates with Table 3.1.
  2. The 2004-05 Reserve strength represents Reservists who undertook paid service. Correlates with Table 3.2.
  3. Correlates with Table 3.1.
  4. Correlates with Table 3.1.
  5. 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.
  6. Senior Officers comprise substantive Executive Levels 1 and 2.
  7. Staffing numbers for APS are based on average full-time equivalent. Correlates with Table 3.3.
  8. Professional Service Providers are individuals under contract filling line positions.
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