Government Appointments and Public Entities Database (GAPED) Administrative Guideline

As of 2 January 2019, departments are required to enter data about entities and appointments into the Government Appointments and Public Entities Database (GAPED).

An administrative guideline below explains what information departments need to include.

What is GAPED?

GAPED is a Victorian Government database maintained by the Victorian Public Sector Commission. GAPED is used to manage, keep track of and report on government entities and appointments. Some of this information is available on the Public Board Appointments Victoria website.

What are departments required to do?

Departments must:

• ensure information about their entities and appointments in GAPED is accurate
• update their information within a month of a significant change occurring

If a department is not following the guideline, its secretary must explain why in writing to the Secretary of DPC.

Download the administrative guideline

Read the Administrative Guideline in HTML format:

Government Appointments and Public Entities Database (GAPED) Administrative Guideline

1. Introduction
   1. Victoria has a large number of non-departmental entities, which play an important role in service delivery, regulation, asset management, stewardship, and providing advice to government. Non-departmental entities include, but are not limited to, statutory authorities, state owned corporations, committees and councils, and panels.
   2. The Victorian Public Sector Commission (VPSC) administers the Government Appointments and Public Entities Database (GAPED), which is the central source of information used to manage, monitor and report on all non-departmental entities and public appointments in Victoria. GAPED is intended to provide accurate, comprehensive and current whole of Victorian Government information on non-departmental entities and appointments.
   3. GAPED data is currently used for a number of purposes, including:
      • monitoring upcoming vacancies and appointments;
      • public reporting on appointments to non-departmental entities via the Public Board Appointments Victoria website (https://www.publicboards.vic.gov.au/);
      • monitoring and reporting on the representation of people from diverse backgrounds in appointments to non-departmental entities;
      • communicating with non-departmental entities about whole of government initiatives and policies;
      • reporting on the acquittal of the Women on Boards commitment; and
      • being a primary data source for the State of the Public Sector in Victoria report.
   4. Departments are responsible for inputting information relating to appointments to entities within their portfolios and ensuring this information is kept up to date.
2. Purpose of this Guideline
   1. This Guideline outlines the requirements for Departments to enter and maintain specified data in GAPED for non-departmental entities and appointments within their portfolios. This is to ensure that GAPED remains a reliable and comprehensive source of information on Victorian Government non-departmental entities and public appointments.
3. Application and commencement
   1. This Administrative Guideline applies to all Departments.
   2. This Administrative Guideline commences from 22 March 2024.
   3. This Guideline is issued pursuant to section 36A of the Public Administration Act 2004. If a Department operates, or intends to operate, in a manner that is inconsistent with this Guideline, the Secretary of that Department is required by the Public Administration Act 2004 to provide written reasons for doing so to the Secretary, Department of Premier and Cabinet.
4. Definitions
   1. Department means a Department existing by virtue of an Order made under section 10 of the Public Administration Act 2004.
   2. Mandatory Data Fields means the fields listed in Schedule 1. These fields are also marked as mandatory in the GAPED Data Specification.
   3. Mandatory Entities means:
      1. public entities (as defined by section 5 of the Public Administration Act 2004);
      2. special bodies (as defined by section 6 of the Public Administration Act 2004);
      3. statutory offices, being an office established by or under an Act to which the right to appoint is vested in the Governor in Council or a Minister (including VCAT and Court appointments);
      4. appointments to a panel or a pool from which a member or some of the members are drawn to undertake a hearing or assessment or provide advice as empowered by statute, on a case by case basis;
      5. prerogative offices, being an office under the Crown, other than a statutory office, to which the right to appoint is vested in the Governor in Council (for example, the Commissioner for Better Regulation);
      6. ministerial advisory committees, being:
         1. a committee established by a Minister that meets the definition of a public entity under section 5(1)(d) of the Public Administration Act 2004, or
         2. a committee that operates for a period longer than one year but does not meet the definition of a public entity only because it has not been declared as such in accordance with section 5(1)(d)(iii) of the Public Administration Act 2004;
      7. exempt bodies (as defined under section 4 of the Public Administration Act 2004) where the body has a board to which at least one member is appointed by a Minister or the Governor in Council (for example, Universities and inter-jurisdiction bodies such as the Australia and New Zealand School of Government); and
      8. bodies that are not public entities, that are a body corporate and have a board to which at least one member is appointed by a Minister or the Governor in Council (for example, Victorian Opera).
         
         but excludes:
         
      9. parliamentary committees;
      10. local government;
      11. school councils; and
      12. Departments, Administrative Offices and a department of the Parliament of Victoria.
5. Departments are required to ensure GAPED is comprehensive and accurate
   1. Departments are required to complete all Mandatory Data Fields in GAPED in relation to Mandatory Entities and appointments to Mandatory Entities in their portfolio(s). An overview of the types of entities and appointments that need to be entered into GAPED is provided at Attachment A.
   2. To ensure GAPED is accurate and reliable, Departments must update GAPED within one month of any change to a Mandatory Entity or an appointment to a Mandatory Entity in their portfolio(s). For example:
      1. an entity being established;
      2. an entity being abolished or ceasing operation;
      3. an appointment commencing or coming to an end
      4. a change made to the terms of an appointment, including changes to an appointee’s remuneration (including application of any annual remuneration adjustment) or
      5. any other change that results in the data previously entered into GAPED being inaccurate or misleading.

Note that the VPSC will extract data from GAPED for reporting purposes on the first working day of each month.

6. Mandatory Entities that are the responsibility of two or more departments
   1. If a Mandatory Entity is a portfolio entity of two or more Departments, the Departments must agree who will be responsible for entering entity and appointments data into GAPED.
7. Departments are encouraged to complete the non-mandatory fields for entities
   1. In addition to the Mandatory Data Fields, Departments may complete non-mandatory data fields (as specified in the GAPED Data Specification). To ensure that GAPED is accurate and reliable, any change to data entered into non-mandatory fields must be updated within one month of that change.
8. Non-mandatory entities may be added into GAPED
   1. Departments may also enter data on other Ministerial or Governor in Council appointments, including to any related entities within their portfolio(s) that are not mandatory entities. If the entity is not a Mandatory Entity, information on members that are not appointed by the Minister or Governor in Council should not be included.
   2. To ensure GAPED is accurate and reliable, any change to data entered in relation to non-mandatory entities must be updated within one month of that change.
   3. Data on Departments, Administrative Offices and a department of the Parliament of Victoria should not be entered into GAPED.
9. Privacy obligations
   1. Where the appointee has applied to a role via Join a Public Board, the Privacy Collection Notice on Join a Public Board informs the appointee how their personal information will be handled in accordance with the Privacy and Data Protection Act 2014.
   2. Where recruitment to a role has not been undertaken via Join a Public Board, Departments must ensure that the appointees’ personal information has been collected in accordance with the Privacy and Data Protection Act 2014.
10. Data is to be entered consistently with the User Guide and Data Specification
    1. Data must be entered into GAPED consistently with the GAPED User Guide and the GAPED Data Specification. Copies of the GAPED User Guide and GAPED Data Specification can be obtained by contact the VPSC at reports@vpsc.vic.gov.au
11. Support and training
    1. For information regarding GAPED, the interpretation of this Guideline or for training on the use of GAPED please contact the VPSC at reports@vpsc.vic.gov.au

SCHEDULE 1

MANDATORY DATA FIELDS

Board Summary information

Overview details

Entity name

Ministerial portfolio

Public Administration Act Status, i.e. public entity, Statutory Office, Special body, Exempt body etc

Purpose, i.e. a summary of the role or function of the body

DPC Board Classification

Maximum number of board members

Minimum number of board members

Body Commencement date

Body end date (if inactive)

Enabling legislation

Entity status

Region/Division (department)

Branch of Department, i.e. Branch of Department that is responsible for the Board

Public entity details

Relationship status, i.e. flag indicating if body is a subsidiary or parent of a subsidiary

Parent Board if Body is a subsidiary

Name of primary contact for board/entity. The contact should have a direct relationship with the board. i.e. the secretariat, relationship manager, or CEO.

Primary Contact:

• Mail address
• Phone number
• Email address
• Web site

Chief Executive Officer name (Only mandatory where an entity has a Chief Executive Officer)

Member / Candidate details

Salutation

First name

Last name

Date of Birth

Email

Home postcode

Gender

Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander

Disability status

Country of birth

Parents’ country of birth

Languages other than English spoken at home

From a culturally and/or linguistically diverse background?

Identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans or gender diverse, queer or intersex (LGBTIQ+)

Appointment information

Position details

Position type, i.e. Chair or member

Position title

Nominated by, i.e., source of appointment nomination e.g. Minister, Board etc

Work Type, Full time or part time

Position status, Active or inactive

Appointment details

Chair start date, i.e. date when appointee commenced as chair

Chair end date, i.e. date appointment ends as chair

Appointee name

Type of appointment, i.e. Appointed, elected, ex officio

Appointed by, i.e. Minister, GIC etc

Public Sector employee, i.e. flag to indicate the appointee a public sector employee

Appointment start date

Appointment end date

Remuneration (amount)

Remuneration frequency

Visible to the Public, i.e. flag to indicate that details can appear on the public access Public Boards and Appointments Victoria (PBAV) site