By Deputy Commissioner, Head of APS Academy and Capability, APSC
The Australian Public Service Academy is emphasising the critical link between capability building, public trust and organisational culture as it marks 5 years of operation, according to remarks by Deputy Commissioner Subho Banerjee.
Speaking at The Mandarin conference on 17 June 2026, Mr Banerjee outlined how the APS Academy is working to strengthen the service through focused capability development across 3 key themes: APS Craft, practitioner-led learning, and a networked partnership model connecting expertise across the service.
‘Trust is built when public institutions deliver well and with integrity, and it is strengthened when people feel heard’.
Subho Banerjee
The remarks reflect extensive research showing Australians are more likely to trust public institutions that deliver services effectively, fairly and professionally while demonstrating they understand and respond to community needs.
Scaling capability development
Demand for APS Academy learning offerings has tripled in the past 3 years, with more than 150,000 engagements now occurring annually across all channels. The Academy offers formal facilitated courses, e-learning platforms, workshops and events, while also supporting tailored offerings developed by individual departments and agencies.
Beyond direct delivery, the APS Academy provides macro-level analysis of capability requirements and futures analysis to help the service prepare for emerging challenges. It also partners with APS Professions in specialised areas including HR, data, digital, evaluation, complex project management and procurement.
Delivering well and doing it right
A new delivery leadership program, developed with consultation from agencies including the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet; Department of Treasury; Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Cities and Regional Development; Department of Social Services; Department of Health, Disability and Ageing; and Department of Home Affairs, focuses on equipping leaders to navigate government's complex operating environment.
‘Success in government work comes from getting stuff done, while being very mindful of how it is being done’.
Subho Banerjee
The program teaches leaders to work closely with stakeholders under pressure, assess risk with confidence and navigate multi-jurisdictional delivery systems – all while maintaining financial discipline and parliamentary accountability.
The APS Academy has also developed new offerings supporting genuine partnerships with business and communities. Workshops developed in collaboration with the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies and the National Indigenous Australians Agency, empower public servants to engage authentically with Indigenous communities, building understanding of delivery contexts and fostering collaborative problem-solving.
Leadership and culture
Sustainable high performance depends on establishing the right culture, with effective leadership at its centre. Leaders shape how organisations respond to challenges and create conditions for learning, innovation and performance.
This thinking is reflected in ongoing efforts to strengthen senior leadership expectations, including the SES Performance Leadership framework which places equal emphasis on delivery and behaviours.
‘High-performing leaders are not defined solely by the results they achieve. They are also defined by the way they achieve them: through integrity, collaboration, stewardship, inclusion and respect,’.
Subho Banerjee
The APS Academy has expanded leadership development beyond senior executive service to ‘leadership at all levels,’ recognising that all APS officers should consider how they contribute to workplace culture. The APS Graduate Development program now includes a specific leadership focus, exposing learners to different public service tools and approaches while encouraging reflection and peer learning.
Learning as an everyday practice
Future readiness is not a destination but an ongoing process of learning, adaptation and improvement, Mr Banerjee emphasised. The most effective organisations remain curious, seek feedback, learn from experience and continuously refine their practices.
This ‘craft learning’ occurs primarily in the workplace through effective feedback, coaching and self-reflection. The APS Academy continues to strengthen partnerships beyond the service, drawing on expertise from academia, professional bodies and other sectors.
‘When capability, leadership and culture come together, they create the conditions for something every public institution depends upon – trust,’ Mr Banerjee concluded.
Want to find out more, visit the APS Academy to enhance your APS learning.