Output 2: Leadership, performance and development in the APS

Delivery of programs in the regions

A particular focus for the Commission in 2002—03 has been to expand its leadership, performance and development activities in the regions outside Canberra.

Leadership

Leadership at the most senior regional levels was facilitated by the Commissioner visiting Melbourne, Perth, Darwin and Alice Springs, Brisbane and North Queensland (Townsville) to meet and talk to Regional Directors and other regional staff. This is re-enforced by the provision of such programs as SES Updates, delivered by the Deputy Commissioner (or on occasion by the Merit Protection Commissioner) at least once in each state and territory during the year, and occasional briefings by Agency Heads. An example of the latter is the Commissioner, the Secretary of AFFA (Mike Taylor), and a Deputy Secretary from PM&C (Jeff Whalan), addressing performance management issues (based on the MAC Report) at a Melbourne seminar, with a similar session being run in Sydney, including the Secretary of DEWR (Peter Boxall). Agency Heads are also often keynote speakers at annual conferences organised for the Regional Director Networks–Sue Vardon and Allan Hawke were guest speakers at ExecNet in Brisbane in 2002—03.

Commission staff also facilitate the development of regional leadership through being active on a variety of regional networks, as members of management committees and/or by providing secretariat or other support, as follows:

Regional heads and senior staff

Regional heads and senior staff networks specifically cater for regional APS leaders in each state or territory. These networks hold functions throughout the year (for example an annual conference and other activities such as one-off breakfasts, ‘Meet and Greets’, and similar briefing/networking opportunities) that enable their members to enhance their leadership and other management skills.

In Queensland, the Commission’s Regional Director is a member of the Management Committee of the Regional Heads’ Forum, the Commission is represented on the Annual Government Business Conference Committee, and strongly supports the ExecNet group, a forum of almost 500 executive level employees across all tiers of government.

In addition, the Brisbane office of the Commission maintains strong links with the Regional Directors’ Group in Townsville (NQNet), to assist them with provision of leadership training. The NSW network is the Forum of Commonwealth Agencies, and Commission staff chair the training committee and are active members of other committees.

In addition to active membership of the Commonwealth Executive Forum group in Victoria, under a MOU, Commission staff provide the Forum and its program with ongoing secretariat support. This arrangement has also been negotiated with the Commonwealth Heads Executive Committee in WA, to take effect from 1 July 2003. The Commission is a member of the Executive group of NetCom, the Tasmanian Regional Heads group. South Australia has a Commonwealth Executive Forum for which the Commission provides support by maintaining the database and other administrative functions. The Northern Territory has a Commonwealth Club of which the Commission is a member.

In WA, the relationship of the Commission with the Regional Head group has broadened, so that the Commission has joint responsibility with the Commonwealth Heads (and with IPAA-WA and Curtin University) for a Public Sector Fellowship, the first of which was awarded to an APS employee from the Child Support Agency in WA this year. Under the MOU with the WA Commonwealth Heads Executive Committee, the Commission is also providing the secretariat support to a WA agency interchange program.

(L to R) Anna Le Thanh, Lindsay Gilbert, Michael Corke, Sue Davidson and Jane Quin in the Sydney Regional Office

Human Resource and line manager networks

These networks are designed to allow APS staff who have responsibilities in these areas to exchange ideas, hear speakers and generally improve the practice of HR in the APS.

New South Wales has two networks. The first, the Professional Development Forum, run by the Commission, meets three times a year and is particularly focused on senior line managers with human resource management responsibilities. The second network caters for human resource professionals, and is generally run in conjunction with the Driving Change program (see below). The Commission in Queensland runs an HR network that provides guest speakers at 3—4 functions per year and information such as relevant training opportunities and focus group meetings.

The Victorian HR network, strongly supported by Commission staff, meets bi-monthly and invites guest speakers to talk on topics that interest the group. South Australia also runs a strong HR and Learning and Development network. Commission staff are on the organising committee of the WA managers’ group, the Commonwealth Managers’ Network.

Indigenous networks

In support of the Commission’s Indigenous Employment Strategy, in mid-2002 the Victorian office supported and facilitated the development of an APS Indigenous Development Network Committee (Vic), which organised the very successful ‘Us Gov’ment Mob’ forum held in October 2002. Findings and recommendations from the forum, which was attended by 100 (predominantly Indigenous) APS staff, were provided to the APS Commission in Canberra as well as all Agency heads in Victoria. Using the feedback and information from the forum, the Victorian Committee is currently planning further activities and projects for 2003—04, which may include an Us Gov’ment Mob Achievement Lunch, and a Professional Development Day Series specifically for Indigenous staff. A similar committee has been established in WA, and is being established in SA, and regionally specific activities and projects which complement the national strategy are being planned for 2003—04 for those states (including the NT, to be organised via the SA office).

NSW has also established an Indigenous network that is being run by the Indigenous members with secretariat support being provided by the Commission. In Queensland focus groups were held for Indigenous staff and their managers in Brisbane and in Townsville, which provided input to the Indigenous Employment Strategy. Staff from the Brisbane office facilitated sessions at an Indigenous Careers Workshop held in Brisbane in late May.

Diversity

These networks have long been established (initially as Equity networks) in most states and territories, but the Commission is moving to refocus them on the wider range of issues comprehended by diversity. Victoria has a diversity network that meets every six weeks to provide information-sharing and support for staff with diversity and equity responsibilities in their organisations, and guest speakers on diversity, disability or equity issues are invited twice a year.

Work has also commenced in Victoria on a Disability Employment Strategy–this commenced with a Disability Workshop in March 2003, and there has been some research (by a SWIM participant) on the value of providing agencies in Victoria with a resource kit. New South Wales runs a diversity network and provides administrative support for this group. Membership is open to staff who have diversity responsibilities in their agencies.

Several states support active Harassment Contact Officer Networks, and maintain appropriate contact lists. The Sydney office is also active in the NSW EEO Practitioners Network, which has a strong State Government and private sector membership, and the Queensland office is a member of EROPA.

Organisational performance

Organisational performance at a regional level has also facilitated by a range of systemic or one-off activities, which ensure that regional staff are kept abreast of major changes and better practice in public administration. Some systemic initiatives and activities supported by Commission offices are as follows:

• Elements of the Driving Change program are run in the major capital cities.
• Commission staff are normally on the Local Management Groups that oversee the operation of the Public Sector Management Program in each of the States.
• Increasing liaison with IPAA Councils at state level is leading to one-off initiatives, such as the WA Commonwealth Heads Group being invited to join the IPAA CEO Forum (made up of the Secretaries and CEOs of State Government Agencies).
• Several states host and organise International Women’s Day lunches.

These activities have been supplemented by a range of one-off activities, such as:

• "About the House" Seminars, organised with and on behalf of the Department of the House of Representatives, in Sydney and Melbourne
• "Termination of Employment" seminars, on recent directions in AIRC decisions as they impact on APS employment practices
• sessions on the recent MAC Report Organisational Renewal presented by senior staff from the Commission and from DoFA for Regional Heads and other senior staff in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Hobart.

Learning and development programs

Regional programs support the broad thrust of the Commission’s Canberra programs for SES and non-SES staff in the States and Territories. Figure 9 indicates the top 15 programs in terms of participant numbers for 2002—03, which have been facilitated through the Commission’s offices in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, but have actually occurred in a wider range of regional settings including Hobart, Darwin, and Townsville. A full list of programs and participants is included in Table 17 at Appendix E.

Figure 9: Regional delivery of learning and development–top 15 programs by participant numbers in 2002—03

Completed regional development activities for APS managers and staff (including in-house activities) measured for Portfolio Budget Statement purposes exceeded the 2002—03 estimate of 285, with the delivery of an actual figure of 394, a 45% increase on last year’s activities. This regional activity increase is widely based, with 101 public programs and 293 in house programs being run in 2002—03.

Due to a particular focus in 2002—03, this increase is particularly evident in Tasmania and the Northern Territory–regions where the Commission does not have an office. Compared with 2001—02 program delivery in Tasmania went up to 22 (from 5) and in the NT 12 programs were delivered (previously 10).

Notwithstanding this relative success, the Commission has recognised the difficulties of servicing the smaller states and outlying regional areas, and has looked for options to improve the access of APS employees in these areas to quality learning and development programs. With relatively low APS employee numbers in Tasmania a cross-jurisdictional approach has been adopted, and the Melbourne Office has successfully negotiated an arrangement with the State Service Commission (SSC), Tasmania. This arrangement is covered by an MOU and Deed of Agreement between the two Commissions, and enables the SSC to access development programs and activities conducted by the APS Commission. These are then made available to the APS agencies in Hobart through the SSC. Costs to local APS agencies has been reduced through the negotiation of a group membership to the SSC’s Training Consortium, and in 2003—04 for the first time APS employees will be able to access a much wider range of quality, APS Commission approved learning and development programs.

In addition to the Commission’s general public programs, which can also be delivered under contract to regional agencies as special in-house programs, the Commission’s regional offices have also been able to help design in-house courses that are specifically tailored to meet specific agency needs by incorporating their policies, practices and culture into presentation of the APS-wide requirements. Reflecting the Canberra trend, there has been increasing interest from agencies in the provision of APS Values and Code of Conduct training and Harassment Contact Officer training and refresher courses (refer to Figure 9). There has been increasing interest in "practical" Values training, and in understanding the practice of "ethics" in public administration.

Figure 10: Price for facilitating leadership, performance and development in the APS