- Reaction score
- 19,613
- Points
- 1,280
Institute a 12-month restriction from post-military to Defence contractors, for those filling Defence civilian jobs. Prime (Canadian) example would be Calian in the medical system.
A departmental moratorium on contracting personnel who have recently separated from Defence for ‘Above the Line’ Defence contractor roles will come into effect on 7 August 2023.
The Secretary and the Chief of the Defence Force issued the moratorium through a Joint Directive. The Directive will restrict the engagement from the effective date of continuous part-time and full-time ADF members (SERCAT 6 and 7, respectively) and APS employees seeking to return to Defence as ‘Above the Line’ contractors within a 12-month period of their separation from Defence, into roles that should be undertaken by Defence people.
Defence is committed to supporting the Government’s plan to strengthen the public service and reduce reliance on external labour. This moratorium takes steps to restore the capacity and capability of the Australian Public Service (APS), and is one of the initiatives Defence is implementing as a part of the Defence ‘Above the Line’ Contractor Strategy, which supports these commitments.
An ‘Above the Line’ contractor is someone who is engaged to undertake work that would normally be performed within the APS. It is not someone who is working to deliver a capability for or on behalf of industry partners.
Exceptions to the moratorium may apply in circumstances of compassionate or special measure, commercial necessity to meet Defence capability needs, or if Defence personnel who intend on separating from Defence have negotiated a contract prior to the release of the Directive. These exceptions have been put in place to support both the Department’s management of capability requirements as well as Defence people.
The Directive will not apply to existing ‘Above the Line’ contracting arrangements that were in place before the effective date, or arrangements in relation to outsourced service provider contracts or to contracts with consultants providing specialist advice.
Defence will continue to support the employment of veterans. A register will be established to assist transitioning ADF members and veterans who are interested in APS roles. Further details regarding this register will be released soon.
Attracting, building and retaining the expertise and talent of Defence people is our priority. Work is underway to evolve our employee value proposition and career pathways to ensure Defence is an employer of choice.
Defence continues to value our industry partnerships and recognises the importance of these relationships in providing skills and expertise we need to meet our strategic priorities.
The Directive is available via the Joint Directives intranet site. Further communications will occur on the implementation, tracking and exception process. FAQs that provide more details are attached to this email.
For any questions, please contact the Contractor Taskforce defence.contractortaskforce@dpe.protected.mil.au.
Regards
Matt Yannopoulos, PSM
Associate Secretary
Department of Defence