Our mission

Our mission is to improve the lives of all Australians.

Our purposes

In 2020–21, our work to improve the lives of all Australians was guided by 6 key purposes:

• Growing our economy, incomes and creating jobs
• Vibrant and resilient regions
• Strengthening families and communities
• Enhancing Australia’s international and national security
• Governing well
• Preparing well to respond to critical issues.

Our role

The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (PM&C) performs a unique role within the Australian Public Service (APS). Our primary role is to serve the Prime Minister, support the Cabinet and work with colleagues across the APS enterprise to deliver the Government’s priorities that help improve the lives of all Australians. We take a whole-of-government and whole-of-nation perspective to tackle problems, identify opportunities and respond quickly when decisive action is necessary. This requires a thorough understanding of the Prime Minister’s and the Government’s priorities, working closely with our APS colleagues and helping them to succeed (when they succeed, we succeed), engaging with a diverse range of stakeholders, listening to the Australian community and balancing what matters now with what will be important in the future.

To this end, we:

• provide informed and impactful advice to the Prime Minister, the Cabinet, Portfolio Ministers and Assistant Ministers to assist in the design, development and delivery of Government policies, strategies and services
• enable a well-functioning Cabinet and good governance by providing effective support processes that also help agencies achieve quality outcomes
• coordinate and shape policy across government and the APS enterprise with a focus on adding coherency and value consistent with our mission, ensuring consistency with the Prime Minister’s direction and Cabinet decisions, and ensuring effective implementation. We work with the APS enterprise to ensure Government policies are implemented on time and to the highest standard
• support the Prime Minister’s engagement with international leaders and other nations, helping to advance Australia’s interests and keep our country safe
• focus on engaging, communicating and collaborating – a core part of our business. Our advice and services are more robust and effective when we seek the views and opinions of a diverse range of stakeholders across government, private, public, not-for-profit and community sectors
• support the Secretary as the head of the APS enterprise in advancing a high-performing public sector through an agenda that also contains reform and capability building
• are ready to respond 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.