The federal government's ill-fated Shared Services Centre was leaderless in the weeks before its takeover by the Finance Department was announced.
The centre's chief executive, Delaine Wilson, was away from her job for several weeks before the announcement a week ago that Finance would take over its functions, causing "panic" among the centre's workforce.
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Some public servants have been told Ms Wilson is away on sick leave, while others were left completely in the dark and it fell to the bosses of the education and employment departments, Michele Bruniges and Renée Leon, to break the news of the changes on September 12.
Ms Wilson referred inquiries to the Employment Department's media team.
Spokesman Greg Doolan indicated that his department would not answer questions about the Shared Services Centre chief executive.
"The department does not comment on personnel arrangements for individual APS employees," Mr Doolan said.
Ms Wilson was appointed to lead the centre in September 2014 after stints as accounting shared services manager at Auckland Council and general manager of shared services at New Zealand Post.
Her future role at Canberra's Shared Service Centre is unclear.
The chief executive's absence is not the only issue facing the centre; an audit by the Australian National Audit Office of the centre's administration was due to be tabled in Parliament this month but has been put back to October.
The audit was to assess the effectiveness of the Department of Employment and Department of Education and Training's running of the Shared Services Centre and its success in delivering efficiencies and value for money.
