Realities and challenges of implementing merit protection frameworks: Australian Capital Territory, Queensland and Aotearoa New Zealand

Merit is a foundational principle that underpins public sector employment. This report, commissioned by the Australia and New Zealand School of Government (ANZSOG) and the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) government details key findings about understandings of merit, with reference to contemporary challenges that aim to integrate suitability and diversity alongside efficiency. This executive summary highlights key findings from the second stage of a research project. The research was carried out by researchers at the Public Service Research Group at UNSW Canberra and

Victoria University of Wellington. It is based on interviews with 76 public servants in the ACT, Queensland (QLD) and Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ) public sectors.

The report compares the merit frameworks of the 3 jurisdictions, illustrating how understandings of merit are context dependent. The report makes 7 findings:

1. Integrating ‘merit’ with ‘suitability’ entails a change process

2. Fit and potential are prominent in emerging views of ‘merit’

3. Tensions surrounding merit and diversity abound in practice

4. Merit practices are transitioning to integrate suitability and diversity, but challenges exist

5. Information and knowledge asymmetry is evident in merit and suitability processes

6. Merit selection processes can be time consuming

7. Workplace planning has the potential to improve merit practices, but it is rarely done