IPAA SA in collaboration with the Department of the Premier and Cabinet (DPC) brings you the third High Performance Framework (HPF) seminar – Leadership.
The previous seminars in 2012 focused on customer and citizen focused organisations, and innovation and continuous improvement. These successful seminars attracted over 1,000 public sector employees.
This seminar is the flagship of the series and will address the crucial HPF characteristic of Leadership; in particular ‘High performing organisations are well led’. The seminar presents a unique opportunity to hear from recognised leaders who will provide an insight to the factors in successful leadership.
Key note speaker, Tim Jarvis AM, is one of the world’s leading explorers and possesses an extraordinary adventure and leadership resume’. He is a best-selling author, film-maker and has a fascinating leadership story to tell.
This event will:
The HPF Community of Practice is a space for all public sector employees who work in or have an interest in performance evaluation, innovation, leadership, or continuous improvement. The community maintains an online presence using SAGE, the SA Government’s collaboration platform, at www.sage.sa.gov.au/display/HPF. Please note that this space is only accessible through the SA Government’s network (StateNet).
For more information about the SA Government’s High Performance Framework, please click on the following link: http://www.hpf.sa.gov.au
Did You Know? Under the Work Health and Safety Act 2012 (SA) (WHS Act) an ‘Officer’ includes a person who makes or participates in making decisions that affect the whole or a substantial part of a public authority. This will most commonly include the position of Chief Executive Officer but may also include Executives and Managers from the SAES and Feeder Group. Whether you would be considered an ‘Officer’ as deemed under the WHS Act depends on a number of factors such as seniority, delegations, financial sign-off and reporting structures.
Why is this important for your department? The new WHS Act imposes greater responsibilities and legal requirements on you as an Executive, particularly if you are an ‘Officer’. This is because the WHS act requires ‘Officers’ to exercise ‘due diligence’ to ensure that the health and safety duties of the person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU) are being met.
Why is this important for you? ‘Officers’ can be held personally responsible for contraventions of WHS laws. An ‘Officer’ has a duty to exercise due diligence to ensure a PCBU meets its health and safety obligations. This duty cannot be delegated and failure to comply is a criminal offence, which can carry severe penalties.
The Institute of Public Administration Australia (IPAA SA), with the support of SafeWork SA, have designed a forum exclusively for Public Sector Executives who are likely to be considered an ‘Officer’ under the WHS Act.
The forum will provide a concise overview of the new WHS legislation and will include a discussion of the general safety principles (many of which are not new) along with a discussion of key changes. We will discuss how you can determine whether you are an ‘Officer’ for the purposes of the WHS Act and, if you are, what you can do to ensure you meet your obligations.
Topics to be covered include:
You may have already attended a WHS workshop, however, this forum is different as it will have a strong practical focus specifically on the elements that matter to Public Sector Executives. It will focus on your obligations as an individual and how you can meet those obligations with non-onerous guidelines.
This forum will be facilitated by Michael Kay, a specialist Employment/WHS Lawyer plus you will have the opportunity to direct your questions in a Q&A panel session involving:
As Premier of South Australia, Don Dunstan set new directions for public administration that had far-reaching national impacts. Shortly before his death in 1998, Don Dunstan entrusted to the Institute of Public Administration Australia (IPAA), the key advocate for effective public administration, the honour of carriage of the annual Don Dunstan Oration on Public Administration, and was in fact its first Orator.
Raymond Spencer is head of the SA Government’s leading economic advisory board and he will present this year’s Don Dunstan Oration on the future of culture and performance in the South Australian Public Sector.
Raymond has been a key figure in the establishment of the Public Sector Renewal Program. The Program aims to provide the South Australian Public Sector with the knowledge and change management tools needed to deliver better outcomes in economic, social and environmental policy; it is about embracing a culture of innovation, community empowerment, and sustainability. The Program is central to realising the policy ambitions of the Government and it will be rolled out across all major agencies during 2013.
Raymond will share with attendees his views on the future of the South Australian public sector, the fundamental thinking behind the Public Sector Renewal Program, and the critical role that each public servant will play in building a revitalised and empowered working culture.
Erma Ranieri is the Deputy Chief Executive of Department for Manufacturing, Innovation, Trade, Resources and Energy (DIMTRE) and Chief Executive of the Public Sector Renewal Program, and has been appointed by Premier Jay Weatherill to lead the Taskforce for the Public Sector Renewal Program and will be the Master of Ceremonies for this Oration.
Don’t miss the opportunity to hear this inspirational and influential speaker in the keynote address for IPAA SA’s 2012 season. A networking session including drinks and finger food will follow.
The Commissioner for Public Sector Employment Office of the Public Employment and Review in collaboration with the Institute of Public Administration Australia (IPAA) held a forum on Mental Health and the Workplace.
This forum considered mental health in the workplace, strategies to aid Employees and Managers and also covered relevant public sector legislation and policy. The South Australian Public Sector has a workforce of approximately 100,000 people. Based on Statistics from the Australian Bureau of Statistics 2008 (National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing) – this means that 6,200 of those people may be suffering from depression and 14,400 may be suffering from an anxiety disorder.
A mentally healthy workplace protects and promotes mental health and empowers people to seek help for depression and anxiety, for the benefits of the individual, organisation and community.
The Hon Minister O’Brien, Minister for the Public Sector and Minister for Finance will open this forum and the MC, speakers and panellists are as follows:
This forum considered strategies to aid employees and managers and also cover relevant Public Sector legislation and policy. Referring an employee for a medical examination, particularly in the case of mental incapacity, can be distressing for the employee and colleagues and sometimes for the family of the employee. It can however be a useful strategy to inform the formulation of management options best fitted to the circumstances and possible limitations of the employee.
Some questions that will be answered during the Mental health and the Workplace forum are:
Mr Warren McCann, Commissioner for Public Sector Employment will introduce the new Guidelines that have been prepared to assist Chief Executives and Managers involved in the consideration of possible reliance on Section 56.
Mental Health and the Workplace
Depression and anxiety disorders are common. Each year in Australia about one million adults experience depression and two million experience an anxiety disorder.
It can be difficult for people to admit they have depression or an anxiety disorder, and many people with these conditions are afraid to speak up at work in case they are treated differently. The actions of colleagues and managers can make a real difference to a person with a mental health problem.
The South Australian Public Sector has a workforce of approximately 100,000 people. Based on Statistics from the Australian Bureau of Statistics 2008 (National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing)- this means that 6,200 of those people may be suffering from depression and 14,400 may be suffering from an anxiety disorder.
A mentally healthy workplace protects and promotes mental health and empowers people to seek help for depression and anxiety, for the benefits of the individual, organisation and community.
The forum will consider mental health in the workplace, strategies to aid employees and managers and also cover relevant public sector legislation and policy. The forum is targeted at public sector human resource professionals and managers.
The Workplace
Legislation and Policy
Section 56 of the Public Sector Act 2009 enables the Chief Executive of an agency (or their delegate) to require an employee to undergo a medical examination by a medical practitioner in circumstances where they believe that the employee’s unsatisfactory performance may be caused by a mental or physical incapacity. Other public sector employment legislation in South Australia contains similar provisions. The power is a discretionary one.
The Commissioner for Public Sector Employment has prepared a guideline to assist Chief Executives and managers involved in the consideration of possible reliance on Section 56. Referring an employee for a medical examination, particularly in the case of mental incapacity, can be distressing for the employee and colleagues and sometimes for the family of the employee. It can however be a useful strategy to inform the formulation of management options best fitted to the circumstances and possible limitations of the employee.
How can this best be handled? Should a medical examination be an option of last resort or can it be a useful tool to provide support to employees? What about confidentiality, natural justice, process and procedural fairness?