This objective pursues policy, service and administration excellence and reform. It leads the public sector response to significant state issues, policy challenges and projects. It supports the effective administration of government. It supports the delivery of policy and projects that enables increased productivity and competitiveness in Victoria.
DPC’s outcomes on the following key initiatives have helped us achieve the High-performing DPC strategic objective.
Cultivating leaders and embedding a culture of flexibility and wellbeing
Leadership
In 2018–19 more than 150 DPC VPS6 managers attended Leading Edge, a leadership development program designed specifically for DPC. Through Leading Edge DPC managers have been exposed to strategies, frameworks and tools to support the move from manager to leader. This program recognises the vital role managers play in shaping performance and culture and has supported participants to confidently exercise leadership for improved personal, team and organisational performance.
DPC has also supported more than 35 executive officers to participate in the Victorian Leadership Academy development program. The program supports our leaders to respond to public sector priorities and challenges with agile, innovative and courageous leadership. The program experiences are designed to challenge leaders to explore and apply new ways of thinking - leading and working to deepen their understanding of their role as a VPS leader in a service culture.
Flexibility
DPC recognises that flexibility is an essential part of a diverse, adaptive and high-performing workforce. This year we have continued to provide a range of flexible working arrangements to support and empower our people to successfully manage work and life commitments.
There is a genuine appetite among our people to embrace flexibility, so in 2018–19 DPC delivered a number of initiatives including education and awareness sessions and substantial digital upgrades within the workplace to better support our people to work in an agile and flexible way.
Wellbeing
A focus area for 2018–19 has been on mental health and wellbeing, with the continued implementation of the VPS Mental Health and Wellbeing Charter. Initiatives have included:
- launching DPC’s Peer Support Program, which provides employees with access to local and trusted peers trained in psychological first aid and where they can reach out to the peers for confidential support for both work and non-work-related matters
- tailoring of DPC’s mandatory Mental Health and Wellbeing training for executives, managers and staff to ensure it is practical and fit for purpose, and ready for roll out in 2019–20
- continued promotion of positive wellbeing events and activities, including Health and Safety Month and Mental Health Week
Delivering diversity and inclusion initiatives
DPC is committed to promoting and embedding a diverse, inclusive and equitable workforce. In 2018–19 the Diversity and Inclusion Strategy 2019–2021 was developed in close consultation with staff. The strategy aims to position DPC as a leader in the VPS, ensuring our culture and day-to-day practices are as inclusive as possible for all staff members.
Under the strategy, DPC has embedded a suite of diversity action plans focusing on Aboriginal employment, cultural, linguistic and religious diversity, people with disabilities, gender equity and the LGBTIQ community.
In 2018–19 DPC supported the activities of the VPS Enablers Network and key targets in the VPS Getting to Work Disability Employment Action Plan 2018–2025.
Developing a portfolio governance framework
DPC is in the process of developing a Portfolio Entities Governance Framework that will provide advice and support to portfolio entities on their relationship with DPC and on developing good governance arrangements. The framework is expected to be completed during 2019–20 and will touch on:
- the differences between DPC administrative offices, portfolio agencies, and independent bodies
- entities’ relationships with the department and the responsible portfolio minister
- requirements for financial management, internal control, risk management and audit
- internal structures and arrangements that support good governance, strengthen decision-making and promote accountability and transparency.
Modernising our business systems to create efficiencies
In 2018–19 DPC delivered a comprehensive upgrade of computing environment and primary communication system. All staff were migrated from Lotus Notes and a Windows 7 standard operating environment (SOE) to Windows 10 SOE and the latest Microsoft Office 365 suite of applications. The staged rollout saw more than 1,300 users, 350 shared mailboxes and 500 distribution lists moved onto a cloud platform.
Major business system efficiencies DPC delivered in 2018–19 included the following:
- Implemented a new information classification framework in line with the Victorian Protective Data Security Framework, with the model set to be adopted by other departments.
- Introduced ‘Go Connect’ to the DPC SOE to enhance workforce flexibility and mobility. This service enables seamless and secure connectivity, ensuring staff can access DPC systems and information and collaborate with others when working away from the office. ‘Go Connect’ was part of the highly successful Digital Office Upgrade project, which has delivered improved information security, better performance and enhanced flexibility, and is the foundation for ongoing modernisation of DPC’s digital staff experience.
- Initiated the Human Capital Management (HCM) project with phase one to be delivered by October 2019 (Performance and Learning Modules), and phase two involving collaboration with stakeholders on the design of a whole of Victorian Government solution. Phase two will be delivered at a later date following extensive scoping and design of a whole of government solution (Recruitment, On-boarding and the core of the solution; Employee Central will be included in phase two). The HCM system will modernise and improve aged, standalone HR systems by consolidating them onto a centralised HR cloud solution aligned to the Victorian Government Statement of Direction.
- Simplified our ICT hardware asset management through migrating all assets onto a single management platform. As part of our Business Continuity Plan, we developed a solution based on the Salesforce cloud platform that is already used, which supports timely and effective communications at scale. During an unfolding incident DPC staff can now be easily contacted via mobile messaging and updated in close to real time.
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