DPC Corporate Plan 2023-27

The Department of Premier and Cabinet’s (DPC) Corporate Plan 2023–27 outlines our key priorities for the years ahead, as we continue to provide leadership to the Victorian Public Service and support the Victorian Government to achieve its strategic objectives.

The department will continue its support for the Premier, leading the way in whole-of-government policy and reform. In addition, we will provide ongoing support for the Deputy Premier, the Minister for Industrial Relations, the Minister for Government Services, and the Minister for Treaty and First Peoples portfolios. This includes further strengthening of DPC’s First Peoples - State Relations group to enhance land justice and traditional owner settlement functions.

The department has undertaken significant changes since the start of 2023, with the department now consisting of the following five groups:

• Cabinet, Legal and Governance
• Economic Policy and State Productivity
• First Peoples – State Relations
• Industrial Relations Victoria
• Social Policy and Intergovernmental Relations

These changes in DPC’s structure align with the government's priorities and aim to achieve the best outcomes for the Victorian community. The department remains committed to safeguarding and advancing Victoria's interests through sophisticated policy development, advocacy and implementation.

A new function focused on precincts and land coordination has been established, reporting to the Deputy Premier. This function will ensure a comprehensive approach to precinct development, as well as guide the land acquisition processes necessary for delivering the government's infrastructure commitments.

Our commitment to a high-performing public service is as strong and resolute as ever. As a central agency of government, we want our staff to be leaders in promoting excellence in public administration, so we can serve the best interests of the Victorian people. We will also work with our public service colleagues to deliver the government’s four-step fiscal strategy.

I look forward to working with DPC staff to implement this plan and embrace the challenges ahead.

Jeremi Moule
Secretary

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.

Administrative offices

DPC is responsible for the effective, efficient, and economical management of the following administrative offices and have included their key initiatives in this Corporate Plan:

Office of the Chief Parliamentary Counsel

The Office of the Chief Parliamentary Counsel transforms policy into legislation, advises the government on its legislative program and drafts legislation for the government and the Parliament of Victoria. The office is responsible for ensuring up-to-date public access to authorised Victorian legislation and is also the Government Printer for Victoria, responsible for publishing Victorian legislation.

Office of the Governor

The Office of the Governor provides support to the Governor of Victoria in carrying out all aspects of their official duties for the benefit of the Victorian community and maintains Government House and grounds as a unique heritage community asset. The Governor’s role as the constitutional Head of State in Victoria includes constitutional and ceremonial duties, community and international engagement, as well as official municipal and regional visits.

Public entities and special bodies

The department supports the Premier and our Ministers in their responsibilities for the following public entities and special bodies:

• Labour Hire Authority
• Portable Long Service Authority
• Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Council
• Victorian Electoral Commission, including Electoral Boundaries Commission
• Victorian Independent Remuneration Tribunal
• Victorian Public Sector Commission
• Wage Inspectorate Victoria.

Key initiatives for the Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Council, Victorian Independent Remuneration Tribunal and Wage Inspectorate Victoria are included in this Corporate Plan, on the basis that their performance against key initiatives will be consolidated into the department’s annual report.

Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Council

The Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Council is established under the Aboriginal Heritage Act 2006 to ensure the preservation and protection of Victoria’s rich Aboriginal cultural heritage. With important decision-making responsibilities and entirely Victorian Traditional Owner membership, the Council is the only statutory body of its kind in Victoria.

The Council is made up of 11 Traditional Owners who are appointed by the Minister for Treaty and First Peoples. The Council recognises Traditional Owners as the primary guardians, keepers and knowledge holders of their culture. The Council’s vision is of a community that understands and respects Aboriginal cultural heritage and the cultural responsibilities of Traditional Owners.

The Council plays an important role in the implementation of the Aboriginal Heritage Act 2006, with its principal functions being to: make decisions on Registered Aboriginal Party applications and monitor them; protect Ancestors’ resting places and return Ancestors to Country; manage Secret or Sacred Objects in Victoria; manage the Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Fund: and implement measures to promote awareness and understanding of Aboriginal cultural heritage.

Victorian Independent Remuneration Tribunal

The Victorian Independent Remuneration Tribunal was established under the Victorian Independent Remuneration Tribunal and Improving Parliamentary Standards Act 2019 to support transparent, accountable and evidence-based decision-making in relation to the remuneration of members of the Parliament of Victoria, Victorian public sector executives and Victorian local government mayors, deputy mayors and councillors.

The Tribunal is required by its legislation to independently inquire into and make determinations in relation to salaries and allowances for Members of Parliament, remuneration bands for executives employed in public service bodies, remuneration bands for executives employed in prescribed public entities and allowances provided to mayors, deputy mayors and councillors in local government.

Two independent compliance officers, attached to the Tribunal, hear and determine appeals from Members of Parliament in relation to the use of parliamentary allowances and the separation payment. The Tribunal and the compliance officers are supported by a secretariat that sits within the department.

Wage Inspectorate Victoria

The Wage Inspectorate Victoria promotes and enforces Victoria’s wage theft laws, child employment laws, long service leave entitlements, owner driver, forestry contractor, hirer and freight broker obligations.

The Wage Inspectorate Victoria gives practical advice, information and support to employees and employers. It conducts targeted information campaigns and investigates complaints. The Wage Inspectorate Victoria carries out a range of enforcement functions to ensure the laws are being followed. It works with other government agencies to ensure fair employment conditions.

The department provides advice and support to the Premier, Deputy Premier, our Ministers and Cabinet and responds to government priorities by supporting our Secretary as the leader of the Victorian Public Service.

As a first minister’s department, DPC will continue to protect and advance Victoria’s interests through sophisticated policy development, advocacy and implementation. We work with departments and agencies to support the government as it implements strategic programs to benefit the Victorian community.

The government’s focus in 2023–24 is on strengthening Victoria’s health system and the economy. It is continuing to invest in infrastructure, while providing cost-of-living relief given the challenging environment for some Victorians with high inflation and rising interest rates.

However, unprecedented spending to deliver response measures and support arrangements during the pandemic has meant Victoria’s debt compared to the size of the economy has risen. To address the COVID-19 spend debt, the government has introduced a temporary COVID Debt Repayment Plan.

DPC and other government departments are contributing to the COVID Debt Repayment Plan by taking steps to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of their spending, while maintaining a focus on key service delivery priorities. There will also be a reduction in public service staff across departments in 2023–24. The department will apply prudent financial and vacancy management going forward.

Following the November 2022 State election, the government made the decision to expand the number of departments from nine to ten by introducing the Department of Government Services (DGS). This reform has resulted in changes to DPC's operating structure. DGS is providing corporate services to DPC and the Department of Treasury and Finance under a shared services model. DPC will support DGS to establish the first integrated shared services in government.

DPC will responsibly manage the challenging operating environment and continue to align our efforts with the government’s priorities, commitments and policy objectives.

The department’s primary goal is to oversee the operations of government and provide stewardship in public administration, in order to build trust in transparent and accountable government institutions. We do this by promoting a comprehensive approach to governance and collaboration, and actively engaging with various government bodies, including the Commonwealth and local governments, to ensure effective coordination.

In addition, the department maintains close working relationships with stakeholders from the private sector, community sector, and academia. We actively engage with the community through our service delivery and ministerial portfolio responsibilities. This includes collaborating with Victoria's First Peoples, unions such as the Community and Public Sector Union and employer organisations.

The department leads and facilitates communication among numerous interdepartmental groups and committees, with particular emphasis on the Victorian Secretaries' Board, which is responsible for strategic oversight of public administration in Victoria. The department will continue to provide leadership to the Victorian Secretaries' Board, working alongside department secretaries, the Chief Commissioner of Police and the Victorian Public Sector Commissioner. This collaborative effort ensures the effective coordination of major policy initiatives across the entire public sector.

We are focused on maintaining an agile and high-performing workforce where our people are empowered, supported and engaged to deliver policy outcomes that meet the evolving needs of Victorians. Through our people, processes and technology, we ensure we have the capability to undertake our functions and deliver on our purpose.

People strategy

The department is committed to maintaining a contemporary workforce and continuing to focus on key workforce risks. This includes our ability to attract and recruit a capable workforce, enhancing employee development, accessing technologically-enabled systems that provide effective and efficient people services and strengthening workplace strategies that support engagement and retention of staff.

Proactive strategic workforce planning capability will be enhanced to identify current and future workforce needs against strategy and deliverables, and to plan for and mitigate workforce risks arising from identified workforce gaps.

Developing an employee value proposition in 2023–24 will be a key feature in our attraction strategy. This will assist the department to establish a strong brand as an ‘employer of choice’ in a challenging labour market. The employee value proposition will feature across all recruitment campaigns and support the retention of existing departmental staff.

Diverse and inclusive workplace

The department is committed to building a compassionate, inclusive and positive culture and a workforce that is reflective of our community. We continue to invest in attracting, developing and retaining a diverse workforce, with program initiatives continuing to be developed and implemented to broaden diversity, equity and inclusion in our workplace. The department is committed to holding equal representation of women in senior leadership positions and gender diversity within the workforce, including trans and gender-diverse people, who may require specific approaches to ensure their inclusion and access to opportunity.

Health, safety and wellbeing

We are committed to providing a safe and healthy working environment for our people. Our Health and Wellbeing Strategy, due to be released in 2023–24, will support the health and wellbeing of our people through education, awareness and communication. The strategy will include initiatives to ensure our workplace continues to be physically and psychologically safe and to ensure we maintain our safe systems of work. The strategy will support and enhance a health and safety culture within the department, where people understand their obligations and actively engage to manage work health and safety risks.

Developing our people

Our people are encouraged to go beyond classroom training opportunities and apply the department’s Experience, Exposure and Education (70/20/10) Learning Model to access a wide range of development opportunities. It is imperative to focus on growing talent through access to shared-service learning, performance platforms and structured career pathways. This will ensure critical functions are maintained, resulting in high-performance outcomes at all levels within the department.

The department remains committed to building and fostering a high-performance culture that drives engagement, to ensure our people contribute to delivering for Victorians. We will continue to enhance our high-performance culture through active engagement in regular and constructive conversations on our performance.

Workforce profile

We are managing our workforce profile and composition to ensure we have the optimum mix of talent at the right levels across the department. This includes ensuring analysis of organisational needs against the available funding for policy, program and enabling areas.

The department is committed to good risk-management practice, supported by leaders who foster an operating environment that balances well-managed risk-taking against the achievement of objectives.

We will prioritise those initiatives that support the continual improvement of risk-management practices, including the further integration of risk management into business planning and the development of strategic objectives.

DPC aims to build a positive risk culture in which risk is routinely considered at all levels of the department. DPC’s leaders are responsible for driving the risk culture, through strong leadership that provides clarity on the department’s direction, its values and purpose.

As the first minister’s department, DPC will continue to prioritise the protection and advancement of Victoria’s interests through policy development, advocacy and service delivery. The department commits to uphold the values of the Victorian public sector and build public trust and confidence in government.

We need to anticipate and respond to changing environments and scenarios. Strong risk management supports the department to deliver important social and economic reforms and pursue policy options that will deliver long-term benefits. The department’s commitment to risk management means that:

• risks are regularly identified, assessed and monitored at all levels of the department and considered against DPC’s risk appetite
• risk management is integrated into other departmental business processes, including in policy formulation, business planning, decision making and project management
• risks are managed by those best placed to manage risks, guided by the department’s risk appetite
• branches and project teams identify and manage risks and take appropriate steps to escalate risks to senior executives if the risk requires additional mitigation or exceeds DPC’s risk appetite
• executives escalate the management of risks that exceed the department’s risk appetite to ensure that appropriate mitigations are in place
• regular communication is provided to executives and key stakeholders regarding risks.

Risk principles

We apply the following principles against our risk categories when making complex decisions:

Strategic

Adopt a confident approach when taking risks that support significant policy reform and improve outcomes for Victorians. Reduce exposure to risks that could negatively impact the achievement of long-term strategic objectives.

Operational / service delivery

Be confident when making improvements to service delivery and performance, acknowledging the potential for short-term disruptions in the pursuit of long-term benefits.

Reputation

Work collaboratively across the public service at all levels, to ensure consistent communication and delivery of programs and reforms that achieve departmental and government objectives. Avoid options and decisions that may result in sustained or material loss of public or government trust.

Financial

Manage within budgets and avoid the risk of cost overruns by reallocating existing resources to deliver priority work. Always comply with ministerial financial management directions or relevant financial requirements.

Compliance and legal

Comply with the department’s legal and statutory obligations. Misbehaviour and intentional non-compliance are taken seriously at all levels.

People

Foster and promote professional public administration, good governance and accountability to achieve public value, whilst being responsive to government demands. All employees are required to always adhere to the Code of Conduct for Victorian Public Sector Employees.

All staff are responsible for risk management at DPC. Staff also support efforts to identify and manage shared or state significant risks.

Stronger policy outcomes for Victoria

First Peoples in Victoria are strong and self-determining

Improved public administration and support for the Victorian public service

The department aims to deliver the following key initiatives. We will report on achievements against them and progress towards meeting our objectives in the department’s 2023–24 annual report.

Stronger policy outcomes for Victoria

Economic Policy and State Productivity

• Provide advice on current and future economic challenges and opportunities, including the government’s budgeting and financial management, as well as efficient government operations, including the digitising of government services.
• Provide advice to support the efficient operation of markets, while maintaining appropriate protections for consumers.
• Provide advice to deliver a renewable energy transition and emissions reduction, including the State Electricity Commission, support delivery of the government’s environmental and agricultural priorities, and maintain the sustainable use of Victoria’s natural resources in a changing climate.
• Support delivery of the government’s infrastructure program and coordinate a range of reforms to improve the safety, liveability and sustainability of Victoria’s built environment.
• Coordinate the whole-of-government approach to land and precincts.
• Support delivery of the government’s industry and innovation agenda, including driving investment in commercialisation and jobs outcomes. Provide advice to deliver the government’s skills and workforce priorities.
• Facilitate engagement with international stakeholders in Victoria and overseas, particularly by the Premier and the Governor, that promote trade, foreign investment and other priority whole-of-government objectives.

Social Policy and Intergovernmental Relations

• Ensure strategic-decision makers are supported in their efforts to undertake key reforms to the justice system and strengthen the disaster resilience and security of all Victorians, including through implementing the recommendations of state and national reviews and inquiries.
• Support the delivery of critical social policy reforms to improve outcomes for vulnerable Victorians, including the Big Housing Build, reform in the children and families system and continuing implementation of family-violence reform.
• Support the Victorian Government to deliver key commitments to improve the health and wellbeing of Victorians, including the record health-infrastructure pipeline, as well as supporting health-system reform and performance.
• Support the Victorian Government to deliver critical education policy reforms, including negotiating the new National School Reform Agreement and implementing Best Start, Best Life reforms alongside the continued roll out of Three-Year-Old Kindergarten.
• Support the ongoing implementation of recommendations from the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System, to deliver a reformed and integrated mental health and wellbeing system with community at its core, as well as the progression of critical alcohol and other drug system reforms.
• Advocate for Victorian interests in intergovernmental relations and work collaboratively with other jurisdictions and the Commonwealth Government on National Cabinet priorities, including on health reform and productivity enhancing proposals.

Industrial Relations Victoria

• Drive co-operative and productive workplace relations in the Victorian public sector by developing and facilitating compliance with the Victorian Government’s industrial relations policy and overseeing the timely and efficient resolution of enterprise bargaining.
• Deliver and support policy and legislative reform, including through engagement with the Commonwealth Government and other Australian jurisdictions, that contributes to fair, productive and equitable Victorian workplaces, and promotes gender pay equity.
• Promote access to secure, ongoing and meaningful employment for Victorian workers, including through advocating to the Commonwealth Government for reforms to the Fair Work Act 2009.
• Monitor significant public and private sector industrial relations matters and disputes and provide timely and strategic advice to government.
• Support industrial relations portfolio entities and authorities to deliver their legislative obligations, including in relation to wage theft, long service leave, labour hire, child employment and on-demand workers.

Wage Inspectorate Victoria

• Influence Victorian workplaces to achieve enduring compliance with Victorian law covering child employment, long service leave and contractors in transport and forestry.
• Drive operations of wage-theft compliance, enforcement and education activities to continue to protect workers from exploitation.

Ensuring First Peoples in Victoria are strong and self-determining

First Peoples-State Relations

• Support strong policy outcomes for First Peoples that promote self-determination and address injustice, by driving whole-of-government policy and reform in the Treaty and First Peoples portfolio.
• Coordinate implementation across government of the National Agreement on Closing the Gap, including supporting the Partnership Forum on Closing the Gap as the Victorian Government’s formal shared decision-making forum.
• Advance Aboriginal self-determination and improved outcomes in line with commitments made by the Victorian Government.
• Prepare to embark on the next phase of the landmark Treaty process and commence formal Treaty negotiations with Victoria’s Traditional Owners and First Peoples.
• Drive and support strong cultural heritage management and protection under Victoria’s Aboriginal cultural heritage system.
• Support non-formally recognised Traditional Owner groups to access the independent legal and research services required to gain recognition and activate rights.
• Work with First Peoples and support the Minister for Treaty and First Peoples to respond to native title claims made in the Federal Court of Australia.
• Negotiate and implement agreements between the State and Traditional Owner Groups, under the Traditional Owner Settlement Act 2010.
• Lead the whole-of-government response to the Yoorrook Justice Commission, the nation’s first truth-telling inquiry into historic and ongoing systemic injustices committed against Aboriginal Victorians since colonisation.
• Support Aboriginal organisations to build, repair, refurbish or expand community infrastructure.
• Deliver the Munarra Centre for Regional Excellence in accordance with self-determined decision-making processes.
• Support self-governance and self-determination activities at the Lake Tyers and Framlingham Aboriginal Trusts.
• Recognise the achievements of Aboriginal Victorians and celebrate the diversity of Aboriginal cultures in Victoria through Aboriginal cultural events and awards.
• Support the Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Council to progress and fulfil its statutory functions.

Improved public administration and support for the Victorian public service

Cabinet, Legal and Governance

• Provide legal and policy advice to support the Premier, DPC’s Ministers and the department more broadly.
• Provide clear, timely and practical guidance, expertise and support to our stakeholders in relation to Cabinet, Parliament, legislation, Executive Council and ministerial correspondence-related matters.
• Enhance public sector integrity and governance capability, including through:
  • shadowing the Victorian Public Sector Commission to ensure that the public sector operates in accordance with the highest expectations of trust
  • supporting the Premier and the Minister for Government Services to respond to key integrity agency reports and improve Victoria’s parliamentary integrity and standards regime.
• Provide guidance and advice on public sector executive workforce policies to ensure consistent and transparent executive employment and remuneration practices across the public sector.
• Support the Victorian Independent Remuneration Tribunal to uphold integrity and trust in remuneration arrangements for Members of Parliament, senior public officials and elected local government officials.

Strategic Communications, Engagement and Protocol

• Lead and advise Victorian government departments and agencies on best practice and setting standards in advertising and research governance, strategic communications, media strategy and insights.
• Provide advice on protocol matters to the public service and deliver events of major state significance.
• Develop a whole-of-government communications strategy to improve access to information for people with disability.

Office of the Chief Parliamentary Counsel

• Continue implementing a new work management system to deliver efficiencies and enhanced services to stakeholders and the public.

Office of the Governor

• Support the Governor to carry out the role for the benefit of Victoria.

DPC operating statement

The operating statement is an estimate for the period 2023–24 to 2026–27, with the estimates representing the allocation of resources that enable the delivery of the department’s key priorities and ongoing delivery of outputs.

We are forecasting an operating deficit of $5.1 million for 2023–24, primarily due to utilising funds from existing trust balances to fund certain initiatives.

The machinery of government changes, effective 1 January 2023, resulted in operations including Service Victoria, Digital Victoria, Public Record Office Victoria and Cenitex, as well as key corporate support functions, transferring out from DPC to the newly formed DGS. These transfers have reduced DPC’s operating income and expenses accordingly.

The department’s output appropriation funding in 2023–24 includes $218.7 million of funding provided through the 2023–24 State Budget. The government’s 2023–24 budget decisions that relate to DPC are detailed on pages 3–5 and 93–95 of the Victorian Budget 2023–24: Budget Paper No. 3 Service Delivery.

($ million)

Source: Victorian Budget 2023/24: Budget Paper No. 5 Statement of Finances

DPC capital program 2023–24

New projects

The government does not have any new capital projects in the 2023–24 State Budget for us to deliver.

Existing projects

($ million)

Source: Victorian Budget 2023/24: Budget Paper No. 4 State Capital Program

Completed projects

($ million)

Source: Victorian Budget 2023/24: Budget Paper No. 4 State Capital Program