Appendix 11 - Management of Human Resources

Managing and developing DOCITA staff

Workforce planning

The Department introduced a workforce planning strategy to enable it to monitor its capacity to deliver the outcomes and outputs of the Department. A key part of the workforce planning strategy is to produce regular reliable quantitative and qualitative reports on DOCITA's workforce against key outcome and output related measures to assist better planning by managers. The Department's Executive Management Group considers reports on workforce planning.

Certified Agreements and Australian Workplace Agreements

The Department's current Certified Agreement (CA) was certified by the Australian Industrial Relations Commission (AIRC) in December 2000. The CA nominally expires on 30 June 2002.

This Agreement places increased emphasis on achieving high performance across the Department. Incentives are provided for staff who achieve very high performance levels and greater opportunities for leadership and management development. Provisions for managing under-performance were streamlined along with streamlining general employment conditions.

Number of APS employees covered by Certified Agreement/AWAs

Training and development

The Department developed a Core Capability Framework, based on the PSMPC's SES Leadership Framework, for APS1-EL2 level staff. This will enable those staff to identify the qualifications, capabilities and attributes necessary for them to progress in their careers.

At the same time, the Department identified core training to be undertaken by all staff. This has been integrated into the revised performance management agreement process. Participation in training and development activities also became a key factor in the two new mandatory key responsibilities 'Corporate and Team Contribution' and 'Leadership' in the revised performance agreement.

The Department also created a Leadership Development Strategy for EL1 and EL2 staff as required by the Certified Agreement.

Training courses are designed to meet development needs of staff identified through the performance management system. Courses are arranged in-house with the assistance of external providers and externally as appropriate. Subjects covered included:

• Presentation Skills, Project Management, Policy Formulation and Advice;
• The Parliamentary Process, Appearing Before Senate Committees, Legislation Process, Legal Awareness, Corporate Governance, Managing Contracts, Economics for Non-Economists, Managing Grant Deeds and Contracts;
• Research and Analysis;
• Financial Management;
• Interpersonal Skills, Conflict Negotiation and Meeting Skills; and
• Performance Management, Speed Reading, Effective Writing, Writing for the APS
  and Interview Skills.

Occupational health and safety performance

The Department contracted its OH&S services to SRC Solutions in September 1999. They have consistently managed a 98 per cent return-to-work rate since their contract commenced with DOCITA in September 1999. Approximately 100 workstation assessments have been conducted during 2000-2001.

At any given time there have been approximately 15 compensatable claims being managed. With the exception of two cases all are at work--with most on full duties and full hours. There are five staff on Graduated Return to Work Programs. It is expected these staff will be successfully returned to pre-injury duties and hours in the near future.

Classification and salary ranges

In addition to standard entitlements, all employees have access to reimbursement of up to $5 000 per annum towards the cost of approved courses of tertiary study.

The range of non-salary benefits available for employees covered by AWAs is variable, but can cover items such as: air lounge membership; professional memberships; IT packages; enhanced professional development provisions; and access to performance based payments.

Performance pay

Performance pay may be made available to staff though the establishment of Australian Workplace Agreements. The table below provides information on the amount of performance pay paid
during 2000-2001.

Performance pay DOCITA and ScreenSound Australia

Managing and developing Questacon staff

Under the Building an Even Better Questacon framework, Questacon has a People and Business performance management scheme and a Developing Q people human resource development plan.
The performance management scheme centres on individual work plans with each plan and performance against it reviewed on a six-monthly basis. Developing Q people features key attributes of Questacon staff and identifies priority skills for 2000-2001 both Centre-wide and team-specific.

Further information on Questacon's Management of its Human Resources is provided in its
Annual Report.

Questacon classification and salary ranges

* Includes the three Deputy Directors who were covered by Questacon's previous Certified Agreement
but have had Australian Workplace Agreements (AWAs) since 4 January 2001. Non-salary benefits under these AWAs include information technology, travel and professional publications.

Questacon's director is an SES officer with an individual AWA negotiated with the Secretary of the Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts.

Staff at Questacon do not receive performance pay; the organisation has developed other ways to acknowledge and reward staff.

Managing and developing ScreenSound Australia staff

ScreenSound Australia's 2000-2002 Certified Agreement, which was endorsed by 87 per cent of the staff who voted, provided for a pay increase of four per cent on certification, with a further three per cent from July 2001 being subject to staff agreement to a framework of performance indicators.
These indicators will be used to assess productivity and efficiency gains as the basis for assessing future pay increases. The framework was agreed to in June 2001 and includes a range of indicators relating to collection management and acquisitions, preservation, collection access and public programs, systems development and reporting.

The Certified Agreement also provides for the development of a Strategic Employee Development Plan. A plan was developed during the year and agreed to by the Management Employee Consultative Group. The plan provides for a three-tiered approach of corporate, branch and individual training.

Further information on ScreenSound Australia's Management of its Human Resources is provided in its Annual Report.

ScreenSound Australia classification and salary ranges

There is no provision for performance pay in the Certified Agreement. Pay outcomes are in terms of increment advancement.