Overview

The Directorate provided a central agency policy and advisory role for ACTPS employment.  Areas of responsibility covered government employment, industrial relations, human resources, accountability and learning and development.  The Group 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 Directorate managed the ACT Government accident and incident data repository and was responsible for the management and prevention of workplace injuries in the ACTPS, including return to work and injury management programs for the ACT Government.  It provided health and safety consultancy services and safety system improvement programs to directorates.  CMTD was also responsible for the development and implementation of the ACTPS Workers' Compensation and Work Safety Improvement Plan.

Highlights

Against this Output in 2013-14 the Directorate:

• reviewed the Public Sector Management Act 1994, to develop a modern, flexible, consistent and streamlined employment framework for the ACT Public Sector;
• implemented new learning and development requirements for the graduate program so that participants now receive a graduate certificate qualification;
• made arrangements for the design and distribution of the first ACT public sector all staff survey;
• assisted the Commissioner for Public Administration to coordinate whole of government input for the review the Public Interest Disclosure Guidelines;
• facilitated the implementation of a whole of government public interest disclosure tracking system to all public sector entities; and
• commenced a three stage review of the ACTPS Respect Equity and Diversity Framework (RED Framework):
  • stage one, completed in April 2014,  involved a governance and environment review to elicit the Services' views on how the RED Framework sits in the contemporary integrity environment,
  • stage two commenced with the release of discussion papers in May 2014 to obtain qualitative data from internal and external stakeholders in order to make an assessment of whether the RED Framework has met its objectives,
  • stage three will provide a final report on the review following analysis of data received in Stages One and Two and provide recommendations for the future direction of the Respect Equity and Diversity Framework;
• continued to implement the ACTPS Workers' Compensation and Work Safety Improvement Plan, which is designed to reduce work health and safety risks, and improve health and return to work outcomes of ACTPS injured workers;
• commenced the incremental implementation of the electronic accident and incident reporting system (RiskMan) which facilitates timely responses to incidents and early intervention by the ACTPS injury management team to assist injured workers;
• finalised and implemented the ACTPS Performance Framework, whose objectives are to:
  • support employee effectiveness for the benefit of the ACTPS through a consistent and sustainable approach to achieving high performance,
  • support the ACTPS Values and Signature Behaviours,
  • provide a consistent approach to the way in which the ACTPS holds its employees accountable for their work performance, and
  • embed performance discussions as a familiar and supportive part of working life in the ACTPS;
• provided whole of government case management services to injured workers and their directorates/agencies;
• implemented ACTPS capacity building programs for line managers/supervisors;
• undertook a procurement process for a whole of government early intervention physiotherapy initiative and rehabilitation provider panel;
• reviewed and modernised the following whole of government work health safety and injury management policies in consultation with ACTPS stakeholders:
  • Alcohol and Other Drugs Policy,
  • Work Health and Safety Risk Management,
  • First Aid in the Workplace,
  • Workplace Health & Safety Act 2011 –Responsibilities,
  • Fire Safety & Emergency Planning, and
  • PersonalProtective Equipment;
• commenced a review of the ACT Government workers' compensation premium devolution model;
• developed and commenced implementation of health and wellbeing workplace initiatives across government under the Healthy Weight Action Plan;
• established a Steering Committee for the Healthy Weight Initiative and refined its governance arrangements in collaboration with the Health Directorate;
• negotiated the introduction of a new enterprise agreement structure of service wide employee category stream based agreements which replaced the previously predominant directorate identified enterprise agreements, which will enable the ACTPS to be more responsive to changing Government priorities and will lead to an enhanced capacity and capability to undertake policy development and service delivery;
• negotiated common terms and conditions including pay increases for most of the ACTPS for 2013-17;
• introduced a new leave type of domestic violence leave for staff to provide for up to 20 days paid leave for staff who are experiencing domestic violence, to attend counselling, court and police appointments, and to find alternative accommodation;
• introduced important changes to the staff behavioural sections of enterprise agreements giving prominence to counselling, dispute resolution and proper preliminary assessment which should significantly reduce the number of matters that are formally sent to investigation; and
• assisted arrangements for a future transition of Government services to the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) by negotiating a Memorandum of Understanding with relevant unions regarding the retention of staff entitlements and redeployment and redundancy processes that will be adopted.

Five of the seven accountability indicators for this Output were met.  Work is continuing on one indicator, the Review of the ACTPS Respect Equity and Diversity Framework, which was due to be completed by April 2014 and is now scheduled to be finished before the end of 2014 with a final report covering the analysis of data received during the review and recommendations for the future direction of the RED Framework. 

The other unmet accountability indicator related to the update of the ACTPS Recruitment Guidelines.  This project has been deferred to allow completion of the review of the Public Sector Management Act 1994 and the implementation of the new act.

Future Directions

In 2014-15, the Directorate will:

• finalise and implement new public sector legislation;
• finalise the review of the Respect Equity and Diversity Framework;
• modernise the government agency annual reporting requirements;
• seek out administrative efficiencies in the engagement and management of staff across the public service;
• update the ACTPS Recruitment Guidelines;
• implement new initiatives under the ACTPS Workers' Compensation and Work Safety Improvement Plan aimed at early physiotherapy intervention, supervisor training programs to manage psychological injury risks, mental health and wellbeing awareness resources and workplace mediation and conflict resolution strategies;
• develop and roll out enhanced performance monitoring for work injury and hazard reduction;
• complete the implementation of RiskMan;
• implement workplace focused Healthy Weight Action Plan deliverables and develop healthy lifestyle initiatives for the ACT public sector;
• implement service-wide enterprise agreement 2013-17 negotiated outcomes;
• develop and provide directorates with an ACTPS Complaints Handling and Investigations Manual;
• coordinate the selection of a default superannuation fund provider for the ACTPS;
• draft a modern enterprise award for the ACTPS and represent the Government in Fair Work Commission full bench modern enterprise award hearings;
• advise government and directorates on any change to federal industrial related law which can impact on the ACTPS including the paid parental leave scheme, employer  superannuation contribution rates, the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cwlth) and associated regulations; and
• commence work on the development of new ACTPS workplace level standards.

Further Information can be obtained from:

Bronwen Overton-Clarke
Acting Deputy Director-General
Workforce Capability and Governance
+61 2 6205 5147

Michael Young
Executive Director
Continuous Improvement and Workers' Compensation
+61 2 6207 0796