Our mission
The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet’s (PM&C’s) mission is to improve the lives of all Australians. We achieve this by delivering high-quality and timely advice to the Prime Minister, the Cabinet, and our Portfolio Ministers and Assistant Ministers. We draw upon the expertise of agencies in the Australian Public Service (APS), Australian jurisdictions and international partners, and we add unique value to these perspectives by leveraging our close understanding of the Prime Minister’s priorities, our whole-of-government perspective and the diverse skills and expertise of our people.
The Prime Minister has made clear his high expectations for the APS—a service that is professional, capable, flexible, technology-enabled, citizen-focused and open to outsiders; and that considers diverse viewpoints. The Prime Minister’s expectations are framed by his recognition that modern government is hard—that change is ever-present and public expectations have never been greater.
Because of this, the APS must evolve and adapt, and PM&C must be at the forefront of the evolution in its support of the Secretary who leads the APS. We must be purposeful and active, not passive. We must pull together our breadth of expertise, experience and exposure to ensure that the advice we provide is proactive, comprehensive and practical.
Our purposes
In 2019–20, our work to improve the lives of all Australians was guided by five key purposes:
- Creating economic growth and jobs
- Delivering for regional Australia and the environment
- Supporting individuals, families and communities to thrive
- Upholding national security and strategic interests
- Governing well.
Our role
We coordinate and provide high-quality advice that adds value and supports the Prime Minister, the Cabinet, Portfolio Ministers and Assistant Ministers developing and delivering government policies. Our span of influence extends across the Government and covers economic, domestic and international issues, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander affairs and APS stewardship.
We do this by:
- providing well-founded advice to the Prime Minister, the Cabinet, Portfolio Ministers and Assistant Ministers on national and global challenges and matters at the forefront of Government
- coordinating and shaping policy across Government with a focus on adding value consistent with our mission, ensuring consistency with the Prime Minister’s direction and Cabinet decisions as well as effective implementation
- fostering a high-performing public sector, working with the Australian Public Service Commission
- consulting across Government, the private sector, the not-for-profit sector and the community
- integrating the Australian Government’s strategic policy approach to preparedness and response to crisis situations, national disaster events and recovery with the Commonwealth emergency management operational expertise by harnessing the collective skills and resources of the APS.