Governance
The Department of Employment and Industrial Relations was created on 1 October 2006 as a result of machinery-of-government changes after the Queensland state election. The department brought together the activities of the former Department of Industrial Relations and the Employment and Indigenous Initiatives Division of the former Department of Employment and Training.
This annual report presents whole-year information for the operation of the department's outputs.
Output linkages to whole-of- government outcomes
Organisational structure
Corporate governance
Information access and rights
Output linkages to whole-of- government outcomes
Output Name |
Government Outcome/ |
|---|---|
Employment Initiatives |
A strong diversified economy |
Private Sector Industrial Relations Services |
A strong diversified economy |
Administration of the Industrial Court and Commission System |
A strong diversified economy |
Workplace Health and Safety Services (including Workers' Compensation Policy) |
A strong diversified economy |
Electrical Safety Services |
Safe and secure communities |
Public Sector Industrial and Employee Relations Services |
Delivering responsive government |
Organisational structure
Corporate governance
The department uses its corporate governance systems to direct, manage and control the organisation's business and ensure that the department delivers its outputs efficiently, effectively and sustainably. The Department of Employment and Industrial Relations is committed to achieving a high level of accountability, transparency and rigour in all its processes.
Executive Business Team
The Executive Business Team (EBT) meets weekly to support and advise the Director-General in the governance, strategic direction and management of the department. EBT members are the senior managers of the department.
The team reinforces the Queensland Government priorities, outcomes and initiatives and considers resource management issues including budget decisions and the implications for the department's operations. EBT leads the implementation of the department's strategic planning framework and maintains a strong focus on managing the department's financial and non-financial performance.
EBT acts as the department's risk management committee. The Corporate Risk Register was reviewed and updated to improve risk management. The register is aligned to the department's strategic plan and integrates risk management with departmental business, reporting, organisational capability resources and planning. Each division develops localised risk registers to assist performance and accountability in managing risk effectively.
Whole-of-department governance committees
Business Improvement Strategy Steering Committee (BISSC)
The BISSC provides advice and support to the Director-General on business improvement initiatives and provides governance oversight of departmental wide business improvement projects. 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 processes, increasing revenue generating activities and reducing unnecessary or unplanned expenditure and waste.
Information and Communication Technology Business Systems Board (BSB)
The BSB guides the department's investment in information and communications technology (ICT) in accordance with the four-year ICT Resources Strategic Plan 2006–10 and provides support and advice to the Director-General relating to ICT resource issues. In the same way as the BISSC, the BSB provides governance oversight of departmental wide ICT specific projects.
Workforce Management Steering Committee (WMSC)
The WMSC oversees the development and implementation of the department's Workforce Management Plan (WFM). This plan sets the direction and priorities for managing workforce development and is focused on ensuring that staff capabilities meet the department's business needs. The WFM plan is underpinned by four key goals:
- fostering effective leadership and values
- undertaking workforce capability development which improves organisational performance
- developing and maintaining a high performance organisation culture
- maximising organisational sustainability.
The committee also oversees the development and implementation of the department's Diversity and Equity Plan. The Plan outlines goals, targeted strategies and performance indicators to improve diversity in DEIR's workforce.
Audit Committee
The Audit Committee is an independent advisory body to support the Director-General's financial management responsibilities under the Financial Administration and Audit Act 1977 and the Financial Management Standard 1997.
The Audit Committee is responsible for ensuring:
- the department meets its corporate governance obligations
- Internal Audit applies strategies to minimise the risk in formulating its audit plans and conducting audit reviews
- management action on audit recommendations is appropriate and timely
More information about the Audit Committee
Planning and reporting framework
The department's Strategic Plan sets its goals and the strategies the department will use to move the community towards those goals. The department uses an integrated planning and reporting system to monitor and manage its financial and non-financial performance.
Information access and rights
The department is committed to achieving a high level of accountability, transparency and rigour in its processes.
Freedom of Information
Under the Queensland Freedom of Information Act 1992, people have the right to access information held by government agencies (unless the information is exempt from release).
The department's Statement of Affairs provides information about the department's arrangements for community members to access and amend departmental documents. It also provides information about the kind of documents usually held by the agency and subscription services offered by the department.
Privacy
The department respects the privacy of clients, their families, our staff and business partners. Privacy is broader than the traditional concept of confidentiality and includes the collection, use, disclosure, security, quality, access, correction and openness of information. It includes informing individuals when information is collected about them and informing the community about the types of information collected.
During 2006–07, our departmental employees have undertaken additional privacy training throughout the metropolitan and regional areas of Queensland to ensure our education and compliance standards are achieved. The importance that is placed on the protection of personal information managed within the department has ensured that during this period, no privacy complaints have been received.
Complaints
In conjunction with the office of the Queensland Ombudsman, the department revised its complaint management system. This system is creating a culture in which complaints from members of the community dissatisfied with the department's services, products, actions or decisions are welcomed and used to contribute to service improvement. The complaint management policy aligns with the whole–of–government priority of responsive government and the department's commitment to lead policy development and service delivery that supports safe, fair and productive work environments.
Last updated 19 August 2009
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