The Department of Finance is establishing a Whole of Australian Government (WoAG) mandatory coordinated procurement involving Recruitment and Search Services, Labour Hire Services and Contractor Services (the People Panel).

It is intended that the procurement process to establish the People Panel will be undertaken in phases, with each phase conducted through separate open approaches to the market published on AusTender as a separate Requests for Tender (RFTs).

The Service Areas covered by the Panel are:

Phase 1 - Recruitment and Search Services

Recruitment of Australian Public Service (APS) personnel required by an agency for ongoing or non-ongoing positions, and search activities relating to board positions.

Service Categories include:

• General Recruitment (APS1 – EL2 and equivalent);
• Executive Recruitment Services (SES Band 1 to Band 3 and equivalent);
• Specialist Recruitment Services (for specialist positions e.g. medical, scientific, allied health);
• Candidate Sourcing Services (identifying and sourcing highly skilled candidates to fill advertised vacancies at any level); and
• Board Search Services (undertaking searches to fill vacancies on boards or other statutory appointments).

Note: it is intended that providers who are successful in any approach to market for Phase 1 – Recruitment and Search Services can be approved to provide one or more Service Categories under the Phase 1 Head Agreement, however there will be no approval to provide only Candidate Sourcing Services.

It is intended that subsequent phases of the People Panel will include:

• Labour Hire Services; and
• Contractor Services.

Interested parties are invited to provide feedback on the following documents relevant to

Phase 1 – Recruitment and Search Services:

• Draft Head Agreement (Attachment A)
• Draft Scope of Services (Attachment B)

Similar to other WoAG panel arrangements, it is Finance’s intention to make compliance with the Recruitment and Search Services Head Agreement a Condition for Participation in any approach to market. It is intended that the Draft Head Agreement at Attachment A will be used as a basis for any eventual Recruitment and Search Services Head Agreement, however this remains subject to change at the discretion of Finance.

Note: unlike the recent Management Advisory Services WoAG panel, the head agreement for Recruitment and Search Services panel will be different to the head agreement for subsequent phases. At this stage, feedback is only being sought on the draft head agreement for Recruitment and Search Services.

Industry information session

Industry information sessions will be held on Wednesday 24 November 2021. This will be an opportunity to ask Finance and its advisers questions on the proposed Recruitment and Search panel.

Interested parties are invited to register by 5pm AEDT Tuesday 23 November 2021 for one of two virtual sessions:

• morning session register
• afternoon session register

Note: participation in industry information sessions may be subject to compliance with conditions, which if applicable will be communicated to participants by Finance.

Feedback Response

Feedback must be provided in the form provided at Attachment C – ‘Industry Feedback Form’ by no later than 11am AEDT on Monday 29 November 2021

Note: Industry Feedback Form response must be returned in Excel format.

Proposed Timeline

Indicative timeframes for the People Panel Phase 1 – Recruitment and Search Services are:

• Friday 3 December 2021 – RFT released on the portal
• 10-14 December 2021 – Industry briefings, virtual and in-person in Canberra
• Mid-February 2022 – RFT closes.

Note: all timeframes remain subject to change by Finance in its discretion.