Flexible work saving government millions annually, study finds
Flexible work is boosting productivity and women's participation in the workforce, according to a report released over the weekend. Read More
Vic Department of Environment Land Water and Planning
Flex talk, more than action
Agencies have the language around flexible work down pat, but many aren't walking the talk. A recent panel looked at how individuals are making flex work, and where the barriers still lie. Read More
Queenslander to take over from Adam Fennessy at DELWP
Former Queensland DPC head John Bradley will be the new boss at Victoria's Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning. Read More
Adam Fennessy to leave public service
DELWP secretary Adam Fennessy will head to the private sector next month. Deputy secretary Christine Wyatt will act in the role until a replacement is found. Read More
Finding gender balance: looking beyond the usual (male) suspects
Conscious effort and willingness to recruit from varied professional backgrounds have put a lot more women on Victoria’s water boards — even in far-flung rural areas. Diversity requires looking beyond the usual suspects. Read More
Flextime: rigid staff embrace flexibility — with selfies
Encouraging staff to post selfies of how they use their flextime — picking up the kids from school, walking the dog, coaching a footy team — is a useful way to demonstrate the benefits of increasing workplace flexibility. Senior staff participation in particular lends legitimacy. Read More
Explain the facts, not the politics, but talk to the public (and media) more
Secretaries weigh in: bureaucrats have to be more visible. In a world rife with spin, public service leaders are increasingly seeing the value in providing a disinterested perspective on the work of government to a distrustful public. Read More
‘Huge increase’ in quality job applicants: the diversity dividend
Clear leadership in embracing diversity has led to a larger and stronger field of job applicants at DELWP, says Claire Foo. The only female CIO in a Victorian government department argues women need to back themselves more often. Read More
Why the Environment and Energy merger makes sense
Some are worried putting the Environment and Energy portfolios together under a Liberal minister is setting the cat among the pigeons. But there's a good case for merging the portfolios — and recent precedent in Victoria. Read More
Collaboration prepares fertile ground for green shoots of innovation
CASE STUDY: Agents of change must build a culture of collaboration as a precursor to innovation. Tips from a Victorian public service success story that went from 'why doesn't someone fix this?' to 'let's fix this together'. Read More
How to really shake up innovation: ask the crowd, let them fail
CASE STUDY: Engaging staff is the key to real innovation in government. A unique crowdsourcing project conducted by a Victorian department is an example in creating a playing field where it's safe to fail. Read More
Govt workers offered free cancer screenings after chemical inquiry
The announcement of free health screenings for former government weed sprayers came after an inquiry found a plausible link between cancers found among the workers and pesticides they were exposed to. Read More
Victoria’s plan to keep struggling local councils from failing
As the screws turn on Victorian local councils, with an upcoming rate cap and additional reporting obligations, smaller councils are calling out to the state bureaucracy for help. Those calls will be answered. Read More
Adam Fennessy: how — and why — to say sorry in government
PART TWO: Admitting mistakes and better consulting not only leads to happier citizens but better outcomes, DELWP secretary Adam Fennessy tells The Mandarin. Plus why super departments need better collaboration. Read More
Adam Fennessy: going part-time didn’t kill this secretary’s career
The secretary of Victoria's DELWP talks to The Mandarin about disruption, rolling out flexible working across the VPS, and how his path to becoming a departmental secretary confused his male colleagues. Read More