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Office of Fair and Safe Work Queensland
Department of Justice and Attorney-General
Home > Corporate Information > Corporate publications > Annual Report 2005-06 > Organisational capability

Organisational capability

Key elements

The Department of Industrial Relations has strong focus on organisational capability.

We strive to be a capable and accountable organisation equipped to lead policy and deliver responsive services.

Workforce

The department's strategic plan identified the importance of a highly skilled, motivated and adaptable workforce. To develop its workforce's capabilities, the department continued to deliver a range of programs and processes to its staff focussed on three key areas:

In addition to general induction processes, the department provided specialised induction programs for new staff working as inspectors (16 week program) and staff that joined the department as part of the Graduate Development Program (12 month program). Both programs have on and off the job components.

To enhance the technical skills of inspectors working with the Electrical Safety Office, Private Sector Industrial Relations and Workplace Health and Safety Queensland, the department delivered a range of in-house in-service development programs. The department maintained its status as a registered training organisation and continued to deliver a curriculum derived from the National Workplace Inspection competency standards (part of the Public Service Training Package).

To date 139 inspectors have completed the Diploma of Government (Workplace Inspection). This year the department also offered staff the opportunity to enrol in an Advanced Diploma of Government (Management).

In addition to technical skills associated with inspectorate activity, the department also offers staff access to a wide range of skills development programs targeting areas such as writing skills and policy skills. Staff undertaking further study are offered assistance through the Study and Research Assistance Scheme (SARAS).

This year the department continued to deliver its two-day Leadership Development Program. This program, available to all staff, focuses on developing self-awareness, influencing skills and an understanding of theoretical models underpinning leadership. The department also offers a Management Development Program that supports managers to enhance their people management skills.

The department's Diversity and Equity Plan outlines goals, targeted strategies and performance indicators to integrate diversity in its workforce. The department provides support networks and mentoring for the target groups: people of non-English speaking backgrounds (NESB), people with a disability, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, women and young people.

Department of Industrial Relations - Staffing profile

EEO target groups

Graph: EEO target groups

The department has a diverse workforce and is working towards achieving whole-of-government equal opportunity employment targets. The department met the public sector diversity targets for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and has made consistent improvements in the Women in Management - Middle and Upper Management category. At 30 June 2006, there were 29% women in this category, compared with 26% in June 2005. People with a disability represent 8% of the department's staffing.

Gender balance

Graph: gender balance 48% female, 52% male

A major challenge for the department in the coming years will be to manage the impact of its own ageing workforce. The department has implemented a phased retirement strategy where staff aged over 55 are eligible to work part-time to help support effective knowledge transfer.

Age distribution

Graph: age distribution

During the year, the department continued to promote health and wellbeing for staff as a cornerstone to building future capability and ensuring corporate sustainability. During the year, the staff were offered subsidised flu vaccinations, health assessments and a range of health improvement activity programs, including lunchbox education sessions on health and wellbeing topics.

The department continued to offer an Employee Assistance Service (a professional counselling service), intensive case management (Early Intervention Strategy) for psychological injury and stress matters and management training in the identification and managing of psychological injury and stress.

The department recognises the challenges employees face in managing their work, family and lifestyle responsibilities and offers a variety of initiatives to help staff improve their work-life balance. Initiatives include:

Performance and ethics

The department's performance and personal development planning framework focused on the organisational values and has a strong focus on organisational sustainability through individual and team capability.

The department's Code of Conduct promotes core public sector values of respect for the law and system of government, respect to persons, integrity, diligence, economy and efficiency in accordance with the Public Sector Ethics Act 1994. Staff training on the code is delivered through an online induction program. The code, and further information about ethics at work, is provided to all staff through the department's intranet site.

The department has guidelines available to all departmental staff about the protection of whistleblowers and the investigation of public interest disclosures.

Budget and resource management

The department's financial management systems help to ensure that resources are applied to maximise service delivery. The department's budget and resource management is overseen by the department's senior management group, the Executive Business Team. The Director-General is also advised by the Audit Committee.

For details about the department's financial performance go to the Financial Summary and the full Financial Statements (PDF, 1.2 MB).

The department's waste management strategic plan provides a framework for managing water, energy and general office waste. The plan has been developed in accordance with the Environmental Protection (Waste Management) Policy 2000. The department supports the Government Energy Management Strategy (GEMS) and is investigating ways to improve energy efficiency, particularly in the use of electricity, gas, water and fuel.

Information and communication technology (ICT), knowledge management and business improvement

The department has improved corporate business activity through a focus on:

The Business Improvement Strategy assisted the department's managers and decision-makers achieve productivity improvements through a combination of improving and/or reengineering specific business process, increasing revenue generating activities and reducing unnecessary or unplanned expenditure and waste. The Business Improvement Strategy Steering Committee provides advice and support the Director-General on business improvement initiatives and monitors business improvement project activities.

Knowledge management

The department is committed to improving its knowledge management capability. During the year, the department developed a knowledge management framework to provide a roadmap for improving information and knowledge management processes. Under the Operational Recordkeeping Implementation Plan (ORIP), the department working towards compliance with Information Standard 40: Recordkeeping and Information Standard 41: Managing technology dependant records.

This year the department:

Information and communication technology

The ICT Business Systems Board guides the department's investment in information and communications technology in accordance with the four-year Information and Communications Technology Resources Strategic Plan 2006-10. This plan sets the whole-of-department direction and the framework for planning, implementing and managing (including managing risk) the department's ICT resources and provides governance arrangements for informed decision-making to ensure the department's ICT investment remains affordable, sustainable and focused on achieving business outcomes.

During 2005-06 the department focused on the three strategies:

  1. ICT systems that support an 'enterprise-wide' approach for information and knowledge management, resource management, service delivery and community engagement
  2. a DIR ICT 'relationship model' that allows the department to concentrate on its core responsibilities and utilises the ICT skills and services of 'external' providers wherever possible
  3. good corporate governance of ICT.

Community engagement

Community engagement refers to the connections between governments, citizens and communities on a range of policy, program and service issues. The Department of Industrial Relations undertakes a wide range of community engagement activities as part of its policy leadership and service delivery activities.

Legislation administered by the department establishes ministerial advisory bodies such as the Workplace Health and Safety Board and Industry Sector Standing Committees and the Electrical Safety Board and committees. The department also undertook consultation as part of the process for making legislative changes.

The department has developed an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Program to improve and integrate government service delivery and create positive alliances with Indigenous communities and key stakeholders. An Indigenous planning committee has been established to support the program and develop a coherent and coordinated approach to moving the department's Indigenous agenda forward.

Workplace Health and Safety Queensland (WHSQ) has a Relationship Management Program (RMP) with to partners workplaces with 1,000 or more workers. The RMP has enabled organisations to have a single point of contact at a senior level in the department.

The department's Director-General is the Government Champion for the Cape York community of Laura. This role of Government Champion is established under Meeting Challenges, Making Choices, the Queensland Government strategy developed to address local community concerns, particularly alcohol abuse and violence.

Priorities for 2006-07

To achieve our goals, the department needs to be a capable and accountable organisation.

We will focus on our people with an emphasis on:

We will also maintain focus on our systems. In particular we will strengthen our frameworks and systems for knowledge and information management, business improvement and resource management.


Capability performance

Strategy

  • Strategic plan reviewed and enhanced to ensure close linkages to whole-of-government outcomes and reflect changes in the national agenda - especially industrial relations.
  • Strategic direction and alignment implemented through the department's planning framework - including whole-of-department plans for capability development and business plans for each division.

Finance

  • Effective financial management underpinned business planning and service delivery.
  • Financial statements received unqualified approval from the Queensland Audit Office.

Our clients and services

  • Strong client satisfaction with policy, information and inspection services.
  • Increasing use of departmental telephone and on-line information services.
  • Privacy and FOI policies and systems provide appropriate access to client information.

Our people

  • Strong commitment to on-going learning and development programs, health and wellbeing initiatives and a commitment to work/life balance.

Governance and stakeholders

  • Effective governance framework with the Director-General supported by an expert Executive Business Team, Audit Committee and organisational capability governance committees.
  • Community engagement framework includes ministerial advisory committees, community consultation activities and initiatives to improve service delivery.

Last updated November 9, 2006