We support the government’s priorities, working with strong networks across the public service to deliver positive outcomes for Victorians.
Our vision
To be recognised and respected leaders in whole-of-government policy and performance.
Our mission
We support the people of Victoria by:
- helping government achieve its strategic objectives
- providing leadership to the public sector to improve its effectiveness and
- promoting collaboration across government to drive performance and improve outcomes.
Our values
We uphold the Victorian public sector values as enshrined in the Public Administration Act 2004 by demonstrating:
- Accountability: working to clear objectives in a transparent manner, accepting responsibility for our decisions and actions, seeking to achieve best use of resources, and submitting ourselves to appropriate scrutiny.
- Human Rights: making decisions and providing advice consistent with the human rights set out in the Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities Act 2006, and actively implementing, promoting and supporting human rights.
- Impartiality: making decisions and providing advice on merit without bias, caprice, favouritism or self-interest, acting fairly by objectively considering all relevant facts and applying fair criteria, implementing government policies and programs equitably.
- Integrity: being honest, open and transparent in our dealings, using powers responsibly, reporting improper conduct, and avoiding real or apparent conflicts of interest, striving to earn and sustain public trust of a high level.
- Leadership: actively implementing, promoting and supporting these values.
- Respect: treating others fairly and objectively, ensuring freedom from discrimination, harassment and bullying, using views to improve outcomes on an ongoing basis.
- Responsiveness: providing frank, impartial and timely advice to the government, providing high-quality services to the Victorian community, identifying and promoting best practice.
Our Ministers
We support the following five Ministers
- Premier, The Hon Jacinta Allan MP
- Deputy Premier, The Hon Ben Carroll MP
- Minister for Government Services, The Hon Danny Pearson MP
- Minister for Industrial Relations, Tim Pallas MP
- Minister for Treaty and First Peoples, Gabrielle Williams MP
Our groups
To best support the government, we manage our functions across the following groups:
Cabinet, Legal and Governance
The Cabinet, Legal, and Governance group delivers public sector legal, legislation and governance expertise.
Through the Cabinet Office, the group provides timely and practical guidance on the operation of Cabinet, Cabinet Committees and the Executive Council. This work supports government decision-making and facilitates consideration of the issues of most relevance to the State and the Victorian community.
The Office of the General Counsel provides legal and policy advice, including in the areas of administrative, constitutional and corporate law. The office advises on the government’s legislative agenda and supports the department in developing legislative and regulatory proposals. It also manages the department’s freedom of information and privacy functions.
Governance Branch unifies the department’s efforts to promote good governance and public administration, high-quality decision-making and policy-making, government integrity and accountability, and trust in public institutions. It also supports the critical work of the Victorian Independent Remuneration Tribunal.
Economic Policy and State Productivity
The Economic Policy and State Productivity group leads the provision of economic policy advice to the Premier. The group works in collaboration with relevant departments and agencies to support a coordinated whole-of-government approach to policy and projects in the areas of economic development, including in fiscal policy; regional and suburban development; local government; regulatory reform; consumer affairs; racing; WorkSafe and TAC; insurance; government services; creative industries; tourism, sport and major events; industry and innovation; small business; employment; skills, higher education and training; international engagement; trade and investment; infrastructure; planning; public transport; agriculture; resources; energy, climate change; and water and the environment. The group also provides advice to the Deputy Premier on precincts and land coordination.
First Peoples–State Relations
First Peoples - State Relations is responsible for an extensive program of nation leading work in the areas of cultural rights, land justice, self-determination, treaty and truth with First Peoples. The group recognises Victoria’s First Peoples as the self-determining drivers of Aboriginal affairs in Victoria and is committed to building ongoing, just and respectful relationships between self-determining First Peoples and the State. The group is also committed to promoting Aboriginal leadership.
Industrial Relations Victoria
Industrial Relations Victoria provides strategic industrial relations legislative, policy and technical advice to government and departments. The group engages with Victorian employers, employees and their representatives to support a positive industrial relations environment and to advocate for fair and productive workplaces, secure work and gender pay equity. This includes overseeing specific gender equality targets in the construction sector by administering the government’s Building Equality Policy. The group also oversees industrial relations matters and enterprise bargaining policy and processes across the Victorian public sector.
Industrial Relations Victoria consists of the Private Sector Industrial Relations Branch, the Public Sector Industrial Relations Branch and the Office of the Deputy Secretary. The group supports three portfolio entities: the Labour Hire Authority, the Portable Long Service Authority and the Wage Inspectorate Victoria. The recently established Gig Worker Support Service currently operates within the Private Sector Industrial Relations Branch.
Social Policy and Intergovernmental Relations
The Social Policy and Intergovernmental Relations group is responsible for providing advice on social policy matters including health, mental health and alcohol and other drugs, education, justice, community security and emergency management, and families, fairness and housing. The group also leads oversight and coordination of whole-of-government intergovernmental relations.
Branches in the Office of the Secretary
In addition to the five groups above, the Strategic Communications, Engagement and Protocol Branch and the Delivery and Strategy Branch report to the Secretary.
The Strategic Communications, Engagement and Protocol Branch provides specialist communication and protocol advice and support to the department and the Premier. The branch’s work includes leading a coordinated approach to communication policy and practice across government; advising on communication and digital strategies, media, and issues management; coordinating government advertising; advising on protocol matters and delivering major events of state significance; providing photography and video production services; and providing research, media monitoring services, media strategy and insights.
The Delivery and Strategy Branch tracks and supports delivery of priority government initiatives and works with policy branches to support strategic policy development of cross-portfolio issues. The branch comprises Delivery Tracking, which monitors implementation of government priority initiatives and commitments, and supports identification and resolution of risks and blockages; Strategy, a project-based team that works closely with the department’s policy branches and delivery agencies, employing consulting and strategy approaches to resolve priority policy and delivery issues; and the Behavioural Insights Unit, which collaborates across the public sector to deliver behaviourally-informed policy, communications and services.
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