APS Level and Executive Level Classifications

Work level standards differences

Purpose
This document summarises some of the key responsibilities and requirements that differentiates each classification level from the others. For each
classification level, the list describes role characteristics that are introduced at that level or that increase in complexity relative to the classification level
below. The document is not an exhaustive list of job tasks, rather, it focuses on those activities that differentiate job levels.

APS 1 APS 2 APS 3 APS 4 APS 5 APS 6 EL 1 EL 2

Knowledge Functional Functional Technical Expertise and Expertise across a Strategic level of
expertise that expertise in a expertise that technical broad range of specialist,
contributes to specific area that contributes to knowledge in a activities professional
team goals contributes to business unit specialist area potentially and/or technical
team goals outcomes relating to the expertise
work of different potentially
program areas relating to the
work of different
program or
discipline areas
Advice Provide Provide advice on Provide advice Provide sound Provide Provide accurate Provide expert Provide advice
procedural advice procedural and using established advice which professional and specialist advice advice internally that influences
and respond to technical issues policy and influences policy advice and externally to strategic direction
straightforward relating to procedures as a decisions by within an area of the organisation
requests for immediate work guide others specialisation
information area
APS 1 APS 2 APS 3 APS 4 APS 5 APS 6 EL 1 EL 2
 Work Level Standards Differences

Results Complete allocated tasks, within Set priorities, Complete Accountable for Set priorities and Responsible for Anticipate and
required timeframes and compliant complete allocated tasks, tasks and ensure quality of the achievement establish
with set procedures allocated tasks, monitor work decisions. outputs for the of own and team priorities, monitor
make decisions flow and review Support less work area outcomes, progress and
within defined work of less experienced monitor team work to deliver
parameters experienced employees to progress and agency functions
relating to the employees achieve goals by follow through to or a program
area of providing deliver quality within an area of
responsibility guidance and outcomes responsibility
quality assurance
Planning Plan for the Contribute ideas Responsible for Participate in Develop Develop Determine Contribute to
achievement of to the planning own strategic planning objectives for objectives for strategic direction agency wide
own results development of work goals and and decision short-term tasks short-term tasks for the work area strategic
work area goals priorities that making within the and participate in and contribute to and align longer- planning. Set
and objectives align with and work area strategic planning strategic planning term planning strategic
achieve own and for longer-term for longer-term with agency goals direction, develop
team outcomes initiatives initiatives and objectives long-term plans
and implement
strategies for
work area
Innovation, Participate in the Contribute ideas Contribute to the Contribute new Apply innovative Propose and Generate new Identify and lead
Change & implementation and participate in improvement of ideas and identify initiatives and facilitate ideas approaches innovation
Business of change and the quality and opportunities to contribute to innovation and strategies. solutions. Provide
Improvement contribute to the implementation efficiency of improve the change and to the initiatives and Implement leadership in
improvement of of change in the services efficiency of improvement in contribute to change and implementing and
quality and workplace business quality and business business promoting change
efficiency of processes efficiency of improvement improvement and continuous
services and work services strategies and strategies in the improvement in
processes change in the workplace the workplace
workplace

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 Work Level Standards Differences

APS 1 APS 2 APS 3 APS 4 APS 5 APS 6 EL 1 EL 2

Risk Identify and manage risks that affect Perform risk Identify and Assist with Perform quality Undertake risk Identify and
Management day-to-day tasks analysis activities mitigate risks maintaining risk assurance of risks management and manage risk in all
and develop which impact of management and treatments assessment areas of decision-
compliance own and team programs for area of activities for area making
strategies outcomes responsibility of responsibility
Complexity Required to Required to Required to Required to Required to Required to Required to Required to
undertake basic undertake undertake undertake tasks undertake work undertake work undertake work undertake work
and routine tasks straightforward straightforward of moderate that is that is complex in that is very with a high level
tasks tasks. Some tasks complexity moderately nature complex or of complexity or
may have an complex to sensitive sensitivity
element of complex in nature
complexity
Legislation Have basic understanding of relevant Understand Have a good Maintain a well- Have an in-depth Have an extensive Have an excellent
legislation and policy frameworks relevant understanding of developed understanding of understanding understanding
legislation and relevant understanding of and compliance and compliance and articulate
policy legislation and relevant with relevant with relevant legislative,
frameworks policy legislation and legislation and legislation and financial and
frameworks policy policy policy administrative
frameworks frameworks frameworks frameworks and
government
decision-making

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 Work Level Standards Differences

Guidance Works under Works under Works under Works under Works under Works under Operates under Operates under
close supervision direct guidance general general direction. limited direction limited direction broad direction broad direction
and direction against supervision and Exercises some and makes with opportunity exercising a and exercises a
against clearly established direction against discretion with independent for autonomy and considerable significant degree
defined and priorities and established respect to how decisions relating accountability in degree of of independence
established procedures priorities and procedures and to an area of interpreting independence
priorities and procedures. guidelines and responsibility policy and the
procedures Exercise some interpreted and application of
autonomy about applied practices and
how work tasks procedures
are performed
APS 1 APS 2 APS 3 APS 4 APS 5 APS 6 EL 1 EL 2

Decisions Make decisions Make decisions of Make decisions Make decisions Make decisions Make decisions Make decisions Make balanced
that are based on a procedural or within defined within defined within defined using good that are based on decisions using
defined administrative parameters and parameters parameters and judgement, professional professional
outcomes, nature following relating to the sets new expertise and judgement, judgement,
priorities and established area of precedents based knowledge. Is evaluating risks evaluating
performance procedures and responsibility on sound subject governed by the and in the context ambiguous and
standards protocols matter application of of a complex and incomplete
knowledge and regulations, best changing information,
professional practice principles environment factoring in risks
judgement or the agency’s and being
operating sensitive to the
instructions and context
procedures

Impact of Decisions Decisions have a Decisions are Decisions impact Decisions may Decisions have a Decisions have a Decisions may
decisions made generally have a low impact on the likely to impact on the work area impact on the medium to high high level of have significant
minor impact on work area or the work area or or specific overall outcomes level of impact on impact on the impact on the
own work area specific function specific function function for the work area the work area; functional area day-to-day
however, the and the potential operation of the
impact on agency to impact more work area and
operations and broadly on other parts of the
resources is agency agency; and/or a

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 Work Level Standards Differences

usually limited operations and direct and

externally significant impact
on the outcome
of a program or
major project for
the agency

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 Work Level Standards Differences

APS 1 APS 2 APS 3 APS 4 APS 5 APS 6 EL 1 EL 2

Research Roles may play an Roles may Roles may Roles may Perform objective Perform research Work with a focus Undertake
administrative undertake undertake some conduct research and systematic and analysis to on research, complex analysis
support role to preliminary work research and and analysis research and make decisions analysis and and
other employees for research tasks analysis activities activities and analysis to obtain that involve judgement to interpretation
involved in in a specific area report on findings accurate complex or manage complex and apply
research and of knowledge or conclusions based escalated issues, issues significant
investigative work specialisation on evidence longer-term judgement in
planning and choosing a course
liaison with other of action to
sections on manage highly
policy, project or complex and/or
operational issues sensitive issues
Stakeholder Support effective Support and Cultivate effective Build rapport and Develop and Develop and Develop and Develop and
relationships stakeholder maintain effective stakeholder maintain maintain internal support complex manage a range manage key
relationships. stakeholder relationships. stakeholder and external relationships with of stakeholder strategic
Liaise with relationships. Liaise with relationships. relationships. internal and relationships. relationships with
stakeholders and Liaise and stakeholders and Liaise with Liaise with external Engage and a broad range of
respond to respond to assist to resolve stakeholders and stakeholders on stakeholders. collaborate with stakeholders,
routine matters routine enquiries straightforward assist to resolve policy, project or Manage key stakeholders promoting the
or matters moderately operational issues relationships with to identify agency’s business
straightforward complex issues responding to stakeholders to opportunities, objectives and
matters stakeholder achieve work area achieve outcomes communicating
needs and and agency goals. and facilitate the strategic
expectations Anticipate and cooperation direction and
respond to vision of the
stakeholder agency
needs and
expectations

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 Work Level Standards Differences

APS 1 APS 2 APS 3 APS 4 APS 5 APS 6 EL 1 EL 2

Represent the Represent the Represent the Represent the Represent the Represent and Represent and
agency work area at work area at work area or agency by explain the views negotiate on
internal meetings internal and agency at promoting its of the agency at behalf of the
external meeting meeting, interests at cross-agency agency to
and conferences conferences or community and meetings and advance the
seminars cross-agency other forums agency’s interests
levels in cross-agency,
inter-
jurisdictional,
international and
other forums
Supervision / Roles have no Roles have a Roles may Roles may be Role may be Roles may be Roles may be Role may be
Management supervisory minimal provide responsible for responsible for responsible for responsible for accountable for
function, supervisory mentoring, on- coaching and identifying the supervision building capability developing,
although may function but may the-job training, mentoring and training needs for and development in a team coaching and
assist others to provide on-the- and provide identifying a team, and of lower environment mentoring
become familiar job training to advice and training needs for participating in classification through coaching employees,
with routine work develop the skills guidance on a team performance levels; building others, providing performance
practices and of lower procedural management team capacity performance management,
tasks classification matters to a team processes, through coaching, feedback, conflict conflict
levels on routine including performance resolution and resolution, and
work matters and providing feedback; and encouraging identification of
practices performance encouraging career training needs
feedback career development
development

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