Management of human resources
The People and Organisational Strategy Division, within the Corporate Strategy and Services Group, has primary responsibility for the Treasury’s people management. The Division assists the department to set and deliver on its strategic direction and to provide a work environment that enables our people to be productive. It provides advice and delivers on organisational strategies, change management, workforce planning, organisational development and wellbeing, performance management, recruitment, people strategies, governance and audit, learning and development and employee services and policies.
In 2012-13, the key outcomes were:
- facilitating behavioural, organisational and cultural change by progressing the implementation of the recommendations from the 2011 Strategic Review and the Progressing Women initiative;
- continuing the implementation of the Graduate Development Program review to enhance workforce capability and to strengthen talent management within the department;
- ongoing development of the workforce planning framework to drive the development of strategies to attract, retain and develop a targeted, skilled and diverse workforce within a context of reducing overall resources;
- undertaking a consultative process with internal business groups to determine a comprehensive risk profile for Work Health and Safety hazards following the implementation of the Work Health and Safety Act 2011;
- refreshing the department’s Performance Management System to ensure it continues to support and drive individual and organisational performance including mandatory performance management training for all staff; and
- producing regular workforce reports identifying trends and emerging issues along with improved data capture and workforce metrics analysis to assist with staff resource management across the Treasury.
The Treasury Management Model
The Treasury Management Model seeks to maximise the Treasury’s effectiveness by ensuring that the department has the right people in the right jobs doing the right work. The Treasury Management Model underpins accountability and governance frameworks and incorporates the Treasury’s mission and values, the approach to organising the department to achieve desired objectives, the key people systems and the development of management capability.
The Treasury Management Model includes people management principles that encourage open, two-way communication at all levels, clearly defined accountabilities, fair and transparent processes and the facilitation of work and private life balance.
People management systems
All recruitment, promotion, mobility, resource planning and development processes within the Treasury are aligned with the Treasury Management Model, and the Performance Management and Career Development Systems. The Treasury regularly monitors and reviews these systems to ensure they are meeting the desired outcomes.
Performance Management System
The Treasury’s Performance Management System underpins the department’s capacity to achieve its mission by strengthening individual capabilities and aligning individual values and behaviours with shared corporate values and behaviours. Performance management in the Treasury provides a means for improving individual and organisational performance, as well as supporting individual skills development and career planning.
Performance is measured through a defined capability framework called the Work Value Matrix which outlines a set of behavioural standards expected across specified criteria at each classification level. Performance for non-SES staff is assessed against seven criteria outlined in the Work Value Matrix. Performance for SES officers is assessed against the five criteria outlined in the Senior Executive Leadership Capability Framework. These frameworks provide the basis for appraisals, and also underpin recruitment processes, the Professional Development Framework and the Career Development System.
All appraisals are subject to oversight by review panels. Review panels are held at the divisional level to examine the outcomes of appraisals to ensure consistency in the application of the framework across each division. Cross-group representatives ensure objectivity and consistency in the application of the Work Value Matrix and ratings across the department.
Feedback is sought on managers by the manager-one-removed to inform their appraisals.
During 2012-13, mandatory performance management training was rolled out to all staff.
Career Development System
The Career Development System is a part of the Treasury’s people management system and seeks to foster a shared individual and organisational responsibility for career development. The system provides staff with the opportunity to consider and clarify career aspirations and receive career development guidance from their manager-one-removed. The Career Development System will be refined as part of the roll out of the People Development System in 2013-14 to enhance the effectiveness of the process including clarifying purpose, process and role/responsibility.
Workplace relations
The Treasury Workplace Agreement 2011-14 came into operation from 1 July 2011 and nominally expires on 30 June 2014.
The Workplace Agreement operates in conjunction with Commonwealth legislation and Treasury policies, manuals and guidelines to define the terms and conditions of employment for staff.
The Treasury consults with staff on workplace matters, and the Workplace Agreement reinforces staff involvement in decision making. Consultation mechanisms include the Workplace Relations Committee, elected by Treasury staff and comprising eight members. Terms of reference for the Workplace Relations Committee reflect a principles-based approach to workplace relations.
The Treasury Workplace Agreement and individual arrangements provide access to procedures to resolve disputes and directly consult with staff as appropriate.
Recruitment and succession planning
The Treasury’s recruitment activity in 2012-13 included two major recruitment campaigns, selection processes for senior executives at the Band 1, Band 2 and Band 3 levels, a graduate campaign, and participation in the indigenous cadetship and indigenous graduate programs. A total of 43 recruitment processes were advertised in 2012-13 and a total of 104 employment opportunities were filled from advertised vacancies. The Treasury recruited 37 policy and corporate graduates in 2012-13. Two formal departmental transfer rounds were run in 2012-13 and 51 internal expressions of interest were managed centrally in 2012-13.
Job seekers can access selection documentation and lodge applications via the Treasury’s internet careers portal. The portal also allows candidates to register for non-ongoing employment, and former staff to register as alumni for short-term employment and project work.
The Treasury continues to utilise the recruitment service provider’s panel for scribing services, placement of non-ongoing staff and executive search functions.
The number of secondments both to and from the Treasury increased during 2012-13. Staff were seconded to the Treasury for various policy initiatives, such as the G20 taskforce and in specialist taxation and superannuation areas. Secondees from the Treasury continue to work on a variety of initiatives across a number of agencies both within the APS and private sectors.
Learning and development
The Treasury develops staff and organisational capability by offering a variety of internal and external learning and development opportunities to employees. The total investment in learning and development activities in 2012-13 was over $2 million. This figure represents costs associated with the design, development and delivery of internal tra
ining courses; payment for executive coaching services; registration fees associated with external programs; and financial assistance for employee study. (This figure does not include overheads, such as venue hire, catering and travel.)
The learning and development opportunities which the Treasury makes available to staff form part of the overarching People Development System (PDS). This was approved by the Inclusive Workplace Committee during 2012-13. The PDS recognises the importance of the 70:20:10 principle, which emphasises the role of on-the-job learning, coaching and feedback.
During 2012-13, Treasury implemented a Learning Management System (Treasury Learning). Treasury Learning hosts a range of eLearning courses, which include Induction modules, Microsoft products, organisational wellbeing modules, Treasury-specific training, workplace skills, and specialist and technical training. This system will also be used to manage face-to-face training.
The Graduate Development Program continued to combine on-the-job training with formal in-house courses. Some of these were delivered centrally; others were delivered on a group-by-group basis. The program also included external courses, such as Introduction to the Senate, and participation in key events such as the budget lockup and post budget question time.
Broadly speaking, learning and development opportunities made available to Treasury staff fall under four headings:
- core skills;
- technical training;
- leadership and coaching; and
- assistance for post-graduate study.
Core skills
Capability development in core skills is primarily targeted via one or two-day workshops which are delivered in-house, mainly by external providers. During 2012-13 the Treasury’s learning and development calendar included workshops on APS and Treasury accountabilities, writing and grammar, presentation and representation, financial management, negotiation skills, and providing oral advice. Two-day policy advising workshops delivered by senior internal and external presenters used case studies and hypotheticals to develop policy advising capabilities of analysts and executive level staff. All workshops were tailored to the Treasury’s current operating environment.
The ability of all staff to engage with the Treasury’s Performance Management System (PMS) was enhanced through talking performance workshops. These half-day sessions were initially developed as part of the PMS Refresh project, and are designed to equip all staff, whether in managerial or non-managerial roles, with specific skills and knowledge which will enable them to make the most of the PMS. Attendance at these workshops was mandatory for all staff at the time of the PMS refresh; further sessions are held in January and July each year to cater for staff who have joined the Treasury since the PMS refresh.
In addition, as part of the broader Progressing Women initiative, unrecognised bias awareness training was available to all SES and EL2 employees. These workshops, and the follow-up coaching, were designed to assist staff to identify and understand common and unrecognised biases on the part of men and women that may impact on judgements of management, leadership styles and the allocation of work. These workshops will be rolled out to EL1 staff during 2013-14.
Technical training
During 2012-13 semester-long introduction to law and introduction to economics courses were delivered inhouse by the Australian National University. The aim of these programs was to provide an understanding of the fundamental principles of law and economics to staff without tertiary qualifications in these fields. Evaluations for both programs reflected high levels of satisfaction with the quality of teaching and impact on staff knowledge and understanding.
The Treasury Certificate in Business Services Program was again offered to Treasury staff at the APS 3-6 level. The aim of this program is to provide participants with an understanding of the Treasury environment and how they contribute to its business. Participants also develop skills that are directly related to the Work Value Matrix. In 2012-13, participants also had the opportunity to complete the Certificate IV in Government as a result of their participation in the program; in total, 10 employees applied for recognition of specific competencies towards this qualification.
Twelve Treasury staff participated in the courses offered by the National Security College in 2012-13. The National Security College is a joint venture between the Commonwealth Government and the Australian National University. The college aims to enhance the functioning of the national security community and strengthen networks and policy capability within the APS by building partnerships with academia, research institutions, and the community and private sectors.
The Treasury Seminar Series continued with a variety of prominent external guest speakers presenting perspectives on current economic and public policy issues. The Treasury’s policy groups also continued to offer seminars on specific policy issues.
In addition to these programs, Treasury staff attended a wide variety of external workshops, conferences and seminars targeting capability development in a variety of domains, including (but not limited to), economics, modelling, law, project management, IT, human resources, taxation, languages other than English, first aid, workplace health and safety, and superannuation.
Leadership
The Treasury offers a number of programs to support leadership and management development. The Management Development Program is designed to provide new and emerging managers with the practical tools and skills to equip them to fulfil their roles under the Treasury Management Model and assist in building their capability for future advancement. Twenty-five staff participated in the program during 2012. Feedback on the program was extremely positive; all participants indicated that the program met or exceeded their expectations.
Treasury staff also participated in a variety of Australian Public Service Commission leadership programs, including the Career Development Assessment Centre (two EL2s), SES Orientation (six SES1s), SES Talent Development (one SES2 and one SES3), and SES Leadership (one SES1).
One Treasury SES1 employee attended the Cranlana Public Service Colloquium during 2012-13. The colloquium is designed to enable participants to define and understand the principles that lie at the heart of leadership and decision-making.
As part of the broader Progressing Women agenda, a formal mentoring program was introduced in 2012-13. The objective of the program is to offer mentoring to high performing, high potential women and men at the EL and SES levels to assist them to develop to their full potential, both personally and professionally. Capability development workshops were initially delivered to SES officers who had expressed interest in acting as mentors; this training was subsequently made available to all SES officers.
SES officers are also able to access executive coaching services, delivered in-house by a variety of providers.
Seminars delivered as part of the Treasury Leadership Series continued throughout 2012-13. The seminars, which are held quarterly, are designed to provide staff with valuable perspectives and insights on leadership from high profile leaders in the public and private sectors.
Assistance for post-graduate study
The Treasury assists employees who wish to undertake formal post-graduate study in a number of ways. Studies Assistance provides financial assistance and study leave for staff undertaking approved study relevant to the Treasury. A total of 141 staff were approved for Studies Assistance in 2012-13, mainly for study undertaken in economics, law, commerce and public policy.
The Treasury also provides a limited number of Post Graduate Study Awards (PGSAs) for
high-performing staff who wish to take leave without pay to pursue post-graduate study. Six PGSAs were awarded for study commencing in 2013, including two awards for employees wishing to study overseas.
The Sir Roland Wilson Foundation PhD scholarships are designed to nurture future senior leaders in the APS and strengthen ties between academia and the Australian Public Service. One Treasury employee was awarded a scholarship in the 2012 round for a course of study commencing at the ANU in February 2013.
The two-year Graduate Diploma in Economic Studies, which commenced in March 2011, continued with 25 participants, including 14 participants from other agencies. The course is delivered by Monash University and is tailored to public sector agencies, with a focus on public policy. The course is designed for staff qualified in disciplines other than economics and facilitates an understanding of economic frameworks and public policy issues.
Wellbeing
The Treasury measures and monitors staff wellbeing through the State of the Service results, exit survey reports and human resource data. Performance is also benchmarked against the broader APS and similar private sector organisations. The People and Organisational Strategy Division provides regular reports to the Executive Board, the People Committee, the Workplace Relations Committee, the Inclusive Workplace Committee, the Work Health and Safety Committee, that include the results and strategies developed to improve performance.
Stress Management program
Treasury’s managers were invited to attend workshops to assist them with identifying and managing acute and chronic staff stress. Managers were provided with information on the physiological, psychological and behavioural consequences of chronic and sustained stress and how these can impact on work performance, productivity and team morale. Through a practical workshop, managers gained skills to identify the early warning signs of stress and were provided with tools they could use to address this appropriately. Sixty-three managers participated in the workshops.
Employee assistance program
The Treasury provides staff and their immediate family members with access to an employee assistance program. The program provides a free professional and confidential counselling service to assist staff experiencing work-related or personal problems. The employee assistance service collects generic data that provides guidance for departmental wellbeing strategies. To compliment this service, the employee assistance service also offers an online wellbeing resource which provides interactive and user-friendly information and guidance on work and personal issues. Managers and executives may seek advice and support on managerial issues through a dedicated and confidential program.
The usage rate for new staff referrals to the program was 4.28 per cent, which is slightly lower than the average 2012-13 APS usage rate of 6.83 per cent.
Child care centre
Treasury staff have access to onsite childcare facilities in the Abacus Childcare and Education Centre which is managed by Communities@Work.
As at 30 June 2013 there were 85 children from Treasury families enrolled at the Abacus Childcare and Education Centre. The centre can accommodate a total of 143 child care places.
Health and wellbeing program
The Treasury promotes a workplace culture that values, supports and improves the health and wellbeing of employees. Several health and wellbeing activities were arranged during 2012-13 including 386 influenza vaccinations, 136 workstation assessments and 130 contacts with the employee assistance program. Resilience coaching was also available to staff who were experiencing difficulty in managing stress. The resilience coaching covers several key concepts in promoting emotional resilience and self-care and covers topics such as developing resilience, physiological balance, stress management and developing a personal action plan. Staff have the opportunity to participate in health and fitness activities during lunch times with lockers and shower facilities available onsite.
Lifestyle payment and corporate gym memberships
In recognition of the benefit that can be achieved by staff undertaking their own initiatives to achieve a healthy lifestyle, the Treasury’s Workplace Agreement 2011-14 provides eligible non-SES staff with the option of applying for a single lifestyle contribution payment of $600. The lifestyle payment is available for activities such as gym memberships, sporting apparel and relaxation programs. From 1 July to 31 December 2012, 19 lifestyle payments were made and from 1 January 2013 to 30 June 2013, 850 lifestyle payments were made.
Treasury staff can access discounted gym and health club memberships through participating providers. There were five providers that agreed to offer discounted memberships.
Staffing information
Ongoing and non-ongoing employee numbers in the Treasury decreased from 988 in 2011-12 to 949 in 2012-13 (Table 2).
Due to natural attrition, there was a decrease in staff numbers across all levels, except at the APS4 level and the EL1 level, where this figure increased by 10 and 8 respectively. The most significant decrease was at the APS5 level, where staffing numbers reduced by 25. The number of APS3 and EL2 employees decreased by 22 and 9 respectively.
Part-time employees increased from 11.03 per cent in 2011-12 to 13.4 per cent in 2012-13. Part-time females at the EL1 level increased from 30 in 2011-12 to 38 in 2012-13. Part-time EL2 level females reduced from 24 to 21.
| Ongoing | Non-ongoing | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full-time | Part-time | Full-time | Part-time | ||||||||||
| Classification | Male | Female | Male | Female | Male | Female | Male | Female | Total | ||||
| Cadet | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||
| APS1 | |||||||||||||
| APS2 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||
| APS3 | 30 | 24 | 2 | 1 | 57 | ||||||||
| APS4 | 19 | 32 | 14 | 3 | 1 | 69 | |||||||
| APS5 | 55 | 64 | 3 | 9 | 131 | ||||||||
| APS6 | 111 | 94 | 4 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 221 | ||||||
| EL1 | 103 | 62 | 4 | 38 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 214 | |||||
| EL2 | 80 | 50 | 10 | 21 | 3 | 1 | 165 | ||||||
| SES Band 1 | 44 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 62 | ||||||
| SES Band 2 | 12 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 21 | |||||||
| SES Band 3 | 5 | 1 | 6 | ||||||||||
| Secretary | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||
| Total | 460 | 344 | 25 | 98 | 12 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 949 | ||||
Note: Staff paid by other agencies are not included.
| SES % female representation | 24.4% |
| ‘CEO’ minus one % female representation | 16.7% |
| ‘CEO’ minus two % female representation | 35.0% |
| ‘CEO’ minus three % female representation | 21.7% |
The three layers of management below the Secretary, articulated as CEO minus one, CEO minus two and CEO minus three.
| Overseas post | SES Band 2 | SES Band 1 | EL2 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beijing | – | 1 | – | 1 |
| India | – | 1 | 1 | |
| Jakarta | – | 1 | – | 1 |
| London | – | 1 | – | 1 |
| Paris | – | 1 | – | 1 |
| Tokyo | – | 1 | – | 1 |
| Washington | – | 1 | – | 1 |
| Total | – | 7 | – | 7 |
Note: Locally engaged staff are not included.
Senior Executive Service remuneration
Remuneration and conditions for the Treasury’s Senior Executive Service (SES) are determined under AWAs and section 24(1) determinations, supported by a remuneration model that determines pay levels within each SES level, based on performance (Table 5). The Treasury does not offer performance pay.
| September 2011 | September 2012 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Classification | Minimum $ |
Maximum $ |
Minimum $ |
Maximum $ |
|
| SES Band 1 | 180,614 | 209,913 | 185,129 | 215,161 | |
| SES Band 2 | 221,366 | 259,099 | 226,900 | 265,576 | |
| SES Band 3 | 286,876 | 335,976 | 294,048 | 344,375 | |
Senior Executive Service staff are appraised using the APSC Senior Executive Leadership Capability Framework to assess performance and rank each employee relative to their peers. An increase in relative ranking can lead to an increase in base salary.
Remuneration — non-SES employees
The Treasury Workplace Agreement 2011-14 determines salary rates for all non-SES staff (Table 6). The Treasury does not offer performance bonuses.
| July 2011 | July 2012 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Classification | Minimum $ |
Maximum $ |
Minimum $ |
Maximum $ |
|
| APS1 | 41,068 | 44,597 | 42,094 | 45,712 | |
| APS2 | 47,338 | 50,471 | 48,521 | 51,733 | |
| APS3 | 53,605 | 56,736 | 54,945 | 58,155 | |
| APS4 | 59,871 | 63,003 | 61,367 | 64,578 | |
| APS5 | 67,314 | 71,624 | 68,997 | 73,414 | |
| APS6 | 75,932 | 91,994 | 77,831 | 94,294 | |
| EL1 | 99,045 | 113,617 | 101,522 | 116,457 | |
| EL2 | 120,981 | 138,845 | 124,006 | 142,316 | |
Under the Treasury Workplace Agreement 2011-14, access to some pay points for APS6, EL1 and EL2 staff can only be determined by the remuneration committee process and are based on sustained performance under the Treasury’s Performance Management System.
Senior management changes
Several senior management movements occurred in 2012-13 (Table 7).
| Reason | SES Band 3 | SES Band 2 | SES Band 1 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engagement | 3 | 3 | ||
| External promotion | 1 | 1 | ||
| Internal promotion | 1 | 5 | 10 | 16 |
| Resignation | ||||
| Retirement | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Transfer to another department | 2 | 2 | ||
| Promoted to another department | ||||
| Total | 2 | 7 | 16 | 25 |
During 2012-13 four SES commenced in the Treasury.
Ms Leesa Croke was promoted to an SES band 2 from the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs.
There were three retirements at the SES level during 2012-13.
There were sixteen internal promotions at the SES level during 2012-13, including Ms Jan Harris who joined the Executive board, promoted to the SES band 3 level.