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Annual Report 06–07
Output 1: Core Department—Management and accountability
People
Staffing statistics
At 30 June 2007, the Core Department employed 230 people. Of these, 216 were ongoing and 14 were non-ongoing.
Detailed information on staffing is provided in Appendix 1.
Human resource management
Attracting and retaining staff
In 2006–07, there was a significant growth of 150 per cent in the number of staff employed by the Core Department on either an ongoing or non-ongoing basis, corresponding with the growth in Human Services programmes and initiatives.
Throughout 2006–07, the Core Department also continued to benefit from agency staff on temporary transfers. The use of temporary transfers built collegiality across the Human Services agencies and allowed the Core Department to draw on a wealth of diverse experience.
Promoting a safe and supportive workplace
The Core Department participated in the Human Services cross-agency working group to identify, develop and implement consistent strategies to address occupational health and safety (OH&S) requirements.
During 2006–07, the Core Department provided training for health and safety representatives, continuing its commitment under the OH&S legislation to promote and provide a safe and supportive work environment for employees.
During the Core Department’s Health Week 2006–07, 47 employees accepted the offer of free influenza vaccinations. Education and information packages on various health and lifestyle issues were also distributed.
The Core Department has trained and appointed eight first aid officers to cover the Core Department’s sites.
Workstation assessments were conducted for all new employees and for existing employees whose physical work circumstances had altered (for example, through a change of work location). Employees were assessed by CRS Australia professionals who provided one-on-one assessments and consultation in regard to individual circumstances and requirements.
Appendix 7 provides details of OH&S performance in 2006–07.
Remuneration
Australian Workplace Agreements
All ongoing and non-ongoing staff of the Core Department are employed on Australian Workplace Agreements (AWAs). Remuneration arrangements are based on the principles that remuneration must be:
- fair and competitive;
- sufficiently flexible to reflect the particular skills, experience and work responsibilities of individual employees;
- designed to reward and remunerate employees reasonably and appropriately for their performance;
- accountable for efficiency gains, including any reductions in administrative complexity and cost; and
- achieved through the simplification of rules governing employment.
Salary ranges for Core Department employees are provided in Appendix 1.
Performance pay
All Core Department staff are employed on AWAs which include an eligibility provision for performance bonuses.
The Core Department’s Performance Management Scheme draws extensively on the Integrated Leadership System developed by the APSC. Under this scheme, all staff are required to have performance agreements, including learning and development plans, in place for each year.
Performance assessments are used to determine eligibility for performance bonuses, which are paid when an employee receives a rating of four (superior) or five (outstanding) on a scale of five. Bonuses totalling $407,173 were paid to employees in the 2006–07 financial year. This amount does not include any bonus paid to the Secretary.
In total, 104 Core Department employees were eligible for performance bonuses, including employees who had separated from the department before the end of the financial year.
The performance bonuses paid in financial year 2006–07 for performance during the 2005–06 financial year are set out in Table 5.
| Level | Staff eligible | Staff paid | Amount paid ($) | Average ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australian Public Service | 17 | 11 | 27,785 | 2,525 |
| Executive Level | 73 | 48 | 186,781 | 3,891 |
| Senior Executive Service | 14 | 13 | 192,605 | 14,815 |
| Totala | 104 | 72 | 407,173 |
a Does not include any bonus paid to the Secretary.
Learning and development
Workforce capability requirements in 2006–07 were identified through various sources, including the organisational learning needs analysis conducted for the Australian Public Service Commission’s (APSC’s) 2005–06 State of the Service Report, a staff survey, individual learning and development plans, and advice from the People and Leadership Committee.
During 2006–07, the Core Department delivered skill development and learning opportunities to:
- 82 staff members to equip them with further technical skills to perform in their specific roles; and
- 22 staff members to increase organisational capability through leadership and strategic planning.
The Core Department utilised the APSC’s flagship programmes, such as the Career Development Assessment Centre and Indigenous recruitment initiatives, outbound programmes involving Human Services agencies, mentoring and coaching, and other programmes related to specific technical learning needs.
The Core Department’s induction programme effectively introduced all new staff members to the workplace culture, expectations and values, and prepared them to formulate their performance agreements.
As a strategy of the Core Department’s Performance Management Scheme, 11 officers commenced formal executive coaching to enhance their leadership development. Four Senior Executive Service officers attended the APSC Senior Executive Service Band 1 Orientation Programme and a number of other courses related to their roles. Two SES officers also attended the APSC Senior Executive Service Band 2 Leading Across Boundaries Programme.
The Core Department conducted a regular seminar series designed to raise staff understanding of service delivery innovation. Speakers included the Australian Public Service Commissioner Lynelle Briggs, former senior Defence officer General John Baker (retired), and DHS Indigenous Ambassador Bo de la Cruz.
Nine Core Department staff attended Centrelink’s outbound programme to gain a better understanding of Centrelink’s operations and customer needs, and six staff members received support to pursue external studies.
Workplace diversity
The Core Department continued to demonstrate its commitment to providing a fair and equitable environment for all staff. The DHS Diversity Plan incorporates the Indigenous employment strategy, the disability strategy and the diversity strategy, and makes sure that equity and diversity are considered in all aspects of the Core Department’s work, particularly in recruitment and people management strategies.
As part of its Reconciliation Action Plan, the Core Department took part in advertisements promoting the Human Services Portfolio as an employer of choice for Indigenous Australians. The Core Department employed three Indigenous staff in 2006–07, including one university graduate.