Institute of Public Administration Australia (ACT) Limited

Andrew Kefford PSM was appointed Deputy Secretary Policy & Programs in the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) in August 2023. In this role he is responsible for the Department’s service design and delivery functions, claims decision making, and DVA’s policy functions.

Mr Kefford joined DVA from the Department of Home Affairs following a brief secondment to the Department of Parliamentary Services where he served as Deputy Secretary. In Home Affairs, Mr Kefford served as Deputy Secretary Social Cohesion and Citizenship during which period he was concurrently appointed as the Commonwealth Counter-Terrorism Coordinator and National Counter Foreign Interference Coordinator. Before taking up those roles, he served as Deputy Secretary Immigration and Settlement Services.

Mr Kefford re-joined the Australian Public Service in August 2017 following nearly ten years in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Public Service, most recently serving as Head of the ACT Government’s Asbestos Response Taskforce where he led the $1 billion buyback and demolition program for over one thousand Canberra houses contaminated with loose fill (Mr Fluffy) asbestos insulation under the Loose Fill Asbestos Insulation Eradication Scheme.

Mr Kefford is a graduate of the University of Western Australia and holds degrees in Arts with honours in history and in law. He also holds an Executive Master of Public Administration from the Australia and New Zealand School of Government.

Mr Kefford was awarded the Public Service Medal in the Australia Day 2017 Honours List for outstanding public service to the community of the ACT through administrative roles.