30 July 2013

New website lets you search for public servants

| Barcham
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Rioter Felix has let us know about a somewhat creepy site called APSindex.com that allows you to look up details about where people work.

APSindex.com allows you to search Australian Federal Public Servants by name. The database contains approximately 120,000 public servants who have been promoted, transferred, engaged or have retired from the APS since mid 2007. Read about the source of the data.

This site is based on the Gazette Notices which are published under a Creative Commons License.

This site is the free (ad-supported) version of https://www.APSjobs.info, which requires a subscription.

Both sites are created and published by company pivotal analytics.

It doesn’t seem to register casual employees, as I can’t find myself or many of my casual friends on there, but every full or part-time employee I’ve looked for is there.

I can’t help but wonder who wants this website and why?

I’m sure there’s a bunch of legitimate uses, but right now I feel like a creepy stalker playing with it.

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I’m not on it either, though I’m not sorry about that. We do have a few creepy ‘clients’.

Just tried this site with myself (recent VR) plus three others still in the circus, who were promoted or engaged within the past 4 years. Result 1 out of 4 found. Not that creepy and it only tells you which department they are working in, not “where” they work. Anyway, as the blurb says, it is regurgitating information already in the public domain.

Yogie said :

If I search on my surname only I turn up, but not if I search my full name. And is it a bit out of date. But yes, it does feel creepy.

it looks like a joke of a website.

if I search for my surname, only my wife comes up, not me.

even if I search my full name, I still do not come up.

If I search on my surname only I turn up, but not if I search my full name. And is it a bit out of date. But yes, it does feel creepy.

I am there, doesnt really give much into though.

It doesn’t appear to be very accurate, 3 years out of date for my record as it happens.

All permanent APS engagements are publicly available via the gazette. This information has always been publicly available, yet it seems a bit creepy when in a searchable format.

It makes it easier to find information that was already publicly available, and has been since the first public service Gazette. What is the problem?

You might have applied for a job that you heard was awarded to Joe Blow based on merit (insert cynical laugh here). So now you can jump on this database to check for Joe, and there it is. His promotion is listed along with other relevant information so that you can appeal because in your head, you think you are the ‘most efficient person for the job’. Last time I checked, you cannot appeal an appointment, or promotion above SOGC/EL1.

As for casuals, they don’t get listed in the existing APS Gazettes anyway. Unless they were appointed (made ‘ongoing’) for example. Nor do casual staff get promoted which might also require a notice of Gazettal. Many of these notices have origins in a little used process to ‘appeal’ against a promotion, long-term HDA

* Note – many of the terms used above are antiquated and may vary between ACTGS and APS.

But it isn’t complete as I am a permanent staff member and when I search by my own name, none of the results returned are me or reflect any position I have ever held. And I have been promoted and transferred between agencies at level since 2007.

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