Branching Out - Improving Mobility across the APS

About Branching Out

The Australian Public Service (APS) wants to encourage the mobility of APS employees across the Service to gain additional skills and experience. Branching Out is a register specifically for current ongoing APS employees interested in moving to other APS agencies either as an ongoing move at level or a temporary move.

Current ongoing APS employees

You can start your registration for Branching Out at any time. Once logged in, just follow the simple five-step process to enter your details including qualifications, experience, skills and work preferences. You can always come back to it later if you do not have all the information available, or if your details change.

When registering on Branching Out, you should make yourself aware of your obligations in relation to moves between and within APS agencies, particularly regulations 3.9 and 3.9A of the Public Service Regulations 1999. Key points to note are:

• Ongoing moves at level (below SES) take effect four weeks from the date you notify your current agency (or on another agreed date)
• Ongoing moves at level (at SES level) can only take effect with the agreement of your current agency head
• Non-ongoing moves (temporary transfers) can only take effect with an agreement between your current agency, your new agency and yourself
• If a non-ongoing move takes place without your current agency’s approval, the move is considered to be an ongoing move and you have no right of return to your former agency

Agency Users

Agencies need to ensure that all employment decisions are consistent with the legislative framework, particularly merit. A decision to move someone at level is based on merit if the agency has made an assessment of a person’s work-related qualities and the work-related qualities required for efficient and effective organisational performance.

Branching Out register: Agencies can use the Branching Out database to help identify potential employees already employed in the APS and encourage mobility across the Service.

Agency Users can search the database using criteria that include security clearance, classification level, job categories, keywords and work preferences. Candidates matching the search criteria will be listed in the search results along with a summary of their details.

Each summary is linked to the candidate's full resume which the Agency User can assess to determine suitability for the role. It is the agency's responsibility to contact job seekers, assess their suitability, and complete any pre-employment checks or other employment arrangements.

Branching Out advertisements: This section is for agencies looking to advertise temporary transfer opportunities to APS employees, to attract a wider field than in their own agency. It aims to promote mobility of staff across the APS and to notify them of temporary job opportunities.

Agencies can also search the Branching Out database for APS employees seeking to move on an ongoing or temporary basis.

Note: Advertising a job in this section does not meet the legislative requirements for gazettal. If you have an ongoing vacancy, or the resulting action is a promotion or engagement, you will need to notify the opportunity in the Gazette.