Public service not broken: commissioner

Australia's public service commissioner has signalled a warning about changes that could come out of a wide-ranging review into the sector.

Former Telstra chief David Thodey is heading the largest review of the Australian Public Service since a royal commission more than 40 years ago and will report back to the government in mid-2019.

APS commissioner Peter Woolcott says changes are needed, but the public service is not in crisis and any overhaul has to be "managed carefully".

"The APS is not broken, but it does need to be ready to respond quickly to government and changing community needs," he said.

Mr Woolcott's first commissioner's overview in the State of the Service report openly details the challenges facing the APS.

A former chief of staff for Malcolm Turnbull, he was only appointed as commissioner in July following John Lloyd's resignation.

While the review's final report could be more than six months away, Mr Woolcott said change was already happening by focusing on culture, capability and leadership.

"The APS does not need to wait for the outcomes of the review to work on improving its performance," he said.

"The APS no longer has the monopoly it once had.

"As an enduring institution, the APS still has authority, but it is working in a much more contested environment."