Output 1.2 Public Sector Management
Overview
The directorate continued to provide support to the Head of Service as the central agency policy and advisory role for ACTPS employment. Areas of responsibility included across service employment, industrial relations, human resources, learning and development, investigations, and accountability. The directorate also provided support to the statutory office of the Commissioner for Public Administration, the ACT Remuneration Tribunal, the ACTPS Joint Council and the People and Performance Council.
The Professional Standards Unit (PSU) was formed following ratification of a proposal presented to Strategic Board on 8 December 2015. Misconduct investigations in the ACTPS will be conducted by the PSU under the auspices of the Commissioner for Public Administration. Investigations will be conducted in accordance with the provisions of the relevant ACTPS Enterprise Agreement, the Public Sector Management Act 1994 and the Public Sector Management Standards 2006.
Further, the directorate continued to implement the Healthy Weight Initiative (HWI). The HWI is a whole of government approach focused on addressing the rising rates of overweight and obesity by making improvements in active living and food environments across the ACT. An overarching Steering Committee monitors and coordinates policy and program actions across six key themes: schools, workplaces, urban planning, food environment, social inclusion, and information and data.
The Activity Based Work (ABW) project team was transferred from Output 1.1 to Output 1.2 on 1 January 2016.
The Learning and Development Unit was transferred from Output 6.1 (Shared Services Human Resources) into this Output in February 2016 to facilitate a strategic approach to learning and development across the ACTPS.
Highlights
Against this output in 2015-16 the directorate:
- adopted a new approach to the ACTPS Graduate Program where front-end support is provided to People with Disability and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People to allow those people to compete on merit in a mainstream program;
- undertook a review of the ACTPS Graduate Program resulting in changes in the learning and development component from 2017;
- embedded the role of the whole of service inclusion officers, including a significant effort in providing pastoral care to participants of inclusion employment programs;
- supported the Head of Service to monitor and report on diversity employment targets through quarterly reports to Directors-General;
- finalised the Shared Capability Framework which describes the skills, knowledge and behaviour that can universally be expected of every ACT public servant at different organisational levels and in every workplace across the service;
- published an improved ACTPS State of the Service Report which streamlined and improved the validity and usefulness of whole of Service employment data;
- continued to support an ongoing Executive Development program, which builds the capability of leaders in the ACTPS and has focused on alignment and collaborative practice;
- developed a renewed employment framework to support an agile and responsive public service which was introduced into the ACT Legislative Assembly;
- developed and implemented whole of service employment and workplace relations policies concerning the new Attraction and Retention Initiative (ARln) Framework, and resolving workplace issues including guidance on workplace bullying and harassment and discrimination, and guidance on misconduct and associated investigation procedure;
- updated the ACTPS Recruitment Guidelines and the Use of Mobile Devices policy;
- updated the ACTPS Executive Employment Handbook and finalised the Executive Induction package for release in early 2016-17;
- implemented recommendations coming out of the Review of the Respect, Equity and Diversity Framework;
- refreshed the ACTPS Performance and Development Framework Planning Discussion Plan (PDP) templates to make them easier to complete;
- undertook a process to have an ACTPS Administrative Review Investigations Panel in place;
- supported the Human Resource Directors' Group and the People and Performance Council, including collaborative forums and specific workshops on the agency survey section of the State of the Service Report and the role of RED Contact Officers;
- supported LGBTIQ initiatives across the service;
- continued to manage and maintain the ACTPS Panel of Training Providers;
- continued to implement the Healthy Weight Initiative with a progress report being released in June 2016 (see www.act.gov.au/healthyliving);
- established an Activity Based Work (ABW) trial for approximately 130 staff in the Nara Centre, including post-implementation evaluation of the trial;
- developed a whole of government policy for ABW for the Strategic Office Accommodation Committee;
- assisted Access Canberra to transition staff towards ABW environments in Woden;
- achieved ratification of a whole of service policy for the establishment of ABW in all new leases and refurbishments across the ACTPS;
- supported the ACT Remuneration Tribunal to undertake a review of Part-Time Public Office Holders; and
- continued to implement health and wellbeing workplace activities across government under the Healthy Weight Initiative and collaborate with the Healthier Work team in Access Canberra on the delivery of joint activities for ACT workers.
The directorate met all of its 2015-16 accountability targets against this output, exceeding target (d) by developing an ACTPS Leadership and Development Framework earlier than originally forecast.
Future Direction
In 2016-17, the directorate will:
- pilot a Disability Traineeship which provides guaranteed full-time employment at the successful completion of the program;
- implement a retention program for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees;
- expand the Nara Centre ABW trial to include an additional floor with a further 100 participants;
- develop a whole of service Change Management Strategy for transitioning to ABW;
- provide advice and support to ABW initiatives in Access Canberra;
- develop with directorates and other stakeholders an agenda from which the Government can decide upon parameters for the next round of ACT public sector enterprise agreement bargaining;
- commence negotiations with staff (including with their bargaining representatives) over the making of new public sector enterprise agreements in accordance with the Government bargaining parameters and associated logs of claims;
- conduct a review of the remuneration levels of senior administrative officer grades and make recommendations on a suitable classification structure;
- undertake procurement of a Performance and Learning Management System for the whole of the service;
- expand the existing ACTPS Panel of Training Providers by adding three training categories;
- maintain the momentum of supporting the Executive Development Program, focussed on alignment and collaborative practice by launching the Leaders Leading Learning Program, which will be piloted for Band 2 ACTPS Executives, with plans to extend the training to Band 1 ACTPS Executives and Senior Managers;
- continue to develop the capability of the Professional Standards Unit, including the phasing in of a strategic analytical function to enhance investigative processes, trend identification and statistical reporting;
- finalise the ACTPS Learning Strategy;
- implement health and wellbeing workplace activities under the Healthy Weight Initiative, particularly the ACT Public Sector Healthy Food and Drink Choices Policy and continue to partner with Healthier Work on initiatives for ACT workers;
- continue to provide support to Executive Members of the ACT Legislative Assembly; and
- ongoing embedding of the ACTPS Capability Framework, the ACTPS Performance Framework and the ACTPS Code of Conduct.
For further information contact:
Bronwen Overton-Clarke
Deputy Director-General
Workplace Capability and Governance
+61 2 6205 5147
Bronwen.OvertonClarke@act.gov.au
