Management and accountability - Our people

People strategies

DVA acknowledges the important role played by its people in delivering high quality results and efficient service delivery to the veteran and defence communities. In 2006, DVA developed two key documents that will help meet its future challenges, in particular the impact of changing demographics and needs of the Department’s client base on the size and makeup of DVA as a future employer.

DVA’s new three-year enterprise agreement encourages a partnership approach between Department and its employees for the future and by taking a proactive approach to matching workloads to people resources.

In summary, the enterprise agreement sees staff and DVA committing to a partnership that will:

deliver the significant organisational changes arising from the Review of Service Delivery Arrangements and the move to oneDVA;
implement a new integrated application framework (Cúram) to reduce the cost of ICT developments;
ensure resources are matched to workloads;
implement the Employee Self Service (ESS) system; and
deliver continuous improvement (CI).

The Department also has released its Workforce Strategy 2006-2009, providing a structured approach to meeting its future challenges by identifying areas where DVA will focus its people management efforts:

Teamwork,
Organisational health;
Skills development;
Recruitment; and
Retention.

The strategy also emphasises the need for robust workforce planning to be integrated into the way the Department operates.

People management policies

During 2005-06, DVA substantially revised a range of people management policies, to ensure they reflected good practice. The policies were:

Review of Actions;
Part-Time Work;
Managing Performance;
Home Based Work; and
Organisational Change.

Our workplace

Enterprise agreement

A new three-year enterprise agreement commenced operation on 1 January 2006. The agreement, oneDVA – Remembering the Past, Preparing for the Future, replaced three previous agreements: the DVA Enterprise Agreement; the VVCS - Veterans and Veterans Families Counselling Service Enterprise Agreement; and the Office of Australian War Graves (Field Staff) Enterprise Agreement. The agreement provided a 4 per cent per annum salary increase over three years.

The new enterprise agreement included the following productivity improvements:

implementation of the Review of Service Delivery Arrangements;
implementation of Cúram;
matching resources to workload;
continuing implementation of ESS; and
commitment to the CI framework.

Some innovative, low-cost initiatives were adopted including:

a health and fitness reimbursement subsidy of up to $100 per year;
reduction in the minimum long service leave usage from 15 to seven calendar days;
formalisation of the current policy of providing the same conditions for adoption as for maternity leave (ie, 12 weeks paid leave and two weeks personal leave); and
a commitment to achieving Breastfeeding Friendly Workplace Accreditation in suitable locations during the life of the agreement.

Australian Workplace Agreements (AWA)

Australian Workplace Agreements are available to DVA staff and provide access to some additional benefits including performance pay. More than 80 per cent of AWAs offered in the first half of 2006 were accepted.

AWAs provide for performance bonuses where staff meet agreed performance requirements during the relevant assessment period. The rate of performance pay is detailed in the AWA. An additional bonus may be paid at the Secretary’s discretion where performance has been assessed as exceptional.

Further information about DVA salary ranges and performance payments can be found at Appendix B.

Non-salary benefits provided to employees

DVA aims to provide a flexible, attractive and competitive remuneration package and conditions of employment to its employees. The SES staff remuneration package includes the use of a fully maintained, private plated vehicle or payment of an allowance in lieu, parking facilities at the workplace and airline lounge membership. All staff, including the SES, have access to Commonwealth superannuation arrangements as part of their remuneration entitlements. Staff also have access to flexible salary packaging administered by an external provider at no cost to DVA. In 2005-06, 145 of employees (5.9 per cent) used salary packaging.

Occupational health and safety (OH&S)

For details of the Workplace Injury Prevention and Management Strategy (WIPMS) see Appendix J.

Developing our people

Throughout 2005-06, a range of general skills development events were held. These included workshops about:

client service;
resume writing;
contract management;
building resilience;
self-management skills;
policy implementation; and
communication and writing.

National Leadership Development Program

The National Leadership Development Program has three components:

a Leadership Fundamentals program, designed to develop the leadership skills and capabilities of new and future managers. This program was held once during the year;
a Leadership Skills program, designed to enhance the leadership skills of existing managers. This program was held once in 2005-06; and
the DVA Leadership Forum, which provides an opportunity for managers to exchange information and develop ideas on key DVA corporate themes. The forum this year was held in April 2006 and the theme was the Review of Service Delivery Arrangements.

An evaluation of DVA’s leadership program is being conducted as the current suite of programs draws to a close. An exploration of leadership and cultural issues in DVA also commenced in March 2006, which will feed into development of a new range of leadership development activities during 2006-07.

Career Development Assessment Centre

During 2005-06, six staff were selected to participate in the Career Development Assessment Centre conducted by the Australian Public Service Commission.

Graduates

In 2006, DVA recruited 10 graduates, eight located in the ACT office and two located in the New South Wales office. The graduate program provides work experience that builds on the skills, knowledge and attributes of graduate who want to pursue a career in DVA and more broadly the APS.

The program comprises:

three work placements in different areas of the Department designed to provide an overview of departmental functions and activities;
an emphasis on on-the-job learning and development, complemented by relevant off-the-job learning; and
an end-of-year presentation to senior management on a work-related project.

DVA implemented a new on-line system for graduate recruitment (link opens in a new window) in early 2006.

Managing change

To meet the challenges associated with the move to a new organisational structure, DVA recognised that employees and managers would need to have clear advice and support in relation to change management. The approach taken was to provide a variety of resources and activities to engage employees in the change process, and supplement wider communication processes about the drivers and processes involved in DVA’s organisational change.

The approach adopted included:

publication of a DVA Framework for Managing Change, outlining the Department’s approach to managing change;
including key messages in the new enterprise agreement about how DVA will manage and respond to change;
providing a dedicated Intranet site containing relevant, updated policies, case studies, support mechanisms and contact points to provide advice and support;
providing change management workshops and a tool kit for all managers;
running an-all staff Change Survey on two occasions during 2005-06 and using the feedback to further refine the Department’s approaches to change management and communication about change;
developing a number of employees in all locations to take on a role as facilitators for change management within DVA;
using these facilitators to conduct Preparing for oneDVA workshops, available to all staff during 2006; and
offering team building workshops for managers and staff moving into geographically dispersed teams.

Social justice and equity

Workplace diversity

DVA recognises the importance of encouraging a diverse workforce in which the benefits of staff with varying backgrounds and skills are valued. A major review of the DVA Workplace Diversity policy was undertaken during the year, and resulted in the release of a new policy, the Workplace Diversity Policy and Action Plan 2005-2008. The policy sets out the responsibilities of managers and employees to ensure workplace diversity principles are incorporated into all aspects of human resource management, such as workforce planning, recruitment and selection, performance management, learning and development, leadership development, occupational health and safety, and workplace relations.

Employees with disabilities

The Department participated in the development of the Management Advisory Committee report on the employment of people with disabilities in the Australian Public Service, by organising employee focus groups. DVA continues to meet the performance requirements of its employer role as specified in the Commonwealth Disability Strategy and the Department’s commitment is set out in many employment documents, including the enterprise agreement and the workplace diversity plan. Appendix H reports on the Department’s current level of performance against this framework.

EEO in appointments

The following tables show statistical information about equal employment opportunity (EEO) in appointments to statutory and non-statutory bodies administered within the Veterans' Affairs portfolio. This information reflects only self-identified EEO target group members, as appointees have no obligation to disclose whether they are in an identified EEO target group. As at 30 June 2006, a total of 304 positions were filled.

Table 72: membership of statutory and non-statutory bodies
Total	Men	Women	ATSI	NESB	PWD
304	223	81	0	6	14

Table 73: EEO target group on statutory/non-statutory bodies
Position	Men	Women	NESB	PWD
Chairperson	21	3	0	2
Deputy Chair	3	0	1	0
Ex Officio	17	1	0	0
Member	181	77	5	12
Other	1	0	0	0

ATSI = Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander
NESB = Person from a non-English speaking background
PWD = Person with disabilities

Depending on the function of the non-statutory bodies, appointments are made:

on the nomination of peak professional bodies such as the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners and the Australian Medical Association, or ex-service organisations such as the Returned and Services League of Australia, the Vietnam Veterans Association of Australia and the War Widows' Guild; or
by invitation of either the Minister for Veterans' Affairs or the Department.

Performance information for Human Resource management

Note: For information about DVA’s OH&S performance, please see Appendix J.

Measure: People strategies - recruitment and turnover

During 2005–06, 124 new on-going employees commenced with DVA. During this period, 220 on-going employees left, representing an annual turnover of 9.5 per cent compared with an APS-wide turnover of 8 per cent in 2004–05 (the most recent figures available).

At 30 June 2006, there were 217 non-on-going employees who made up 8.8 per cent of the total workforce. During the year, 262 non-on-going employees commenced and 289 non-on-going employees ceased, including 57 non-on-going employees who changed their status to on-going. These 57 employees also are counted in the 124 on-going commencements reported above.

There was a total of 133 promotions in DVA. There was one review of a gazetted promotion and, as at 30 June 2006, the decision on this was pending.

DVA has pursued a strategy of managed employee reductions, in line with its reducing appropriations and falling workload, via controlled vacancy management and better targeted recruitment. The total number of employees reduced from 2 608 to 2 470 during 2005-06, resulting in a net reduction of 5.29 per cent.

Table 74: Recruitment and turnover of employees in 2005-06
	Employee Commencements		Employee Cessations
On-going	Moved within APS: Promoted	17	Moved within APS: Promoted/transferred	72
	Transferred	8
	On-going engagement of non-on-going	57
	Joined APS: Engaged	42	Left APS: Resigned/retired Voluntary redundancy	148
	Total on-going commencements	124	Total on-going ceased>	220
Non-on-going	Non-on-going commencements	262	Non-on-going cessations	289
All employees	All commencements	386	All cessations	509

Measure: Developing our people

Total expenditure on learning and development for 2005-06 was $4.09 million, which is 1.5 per cent of total operating expenditure and an increase on last year’s 1.2 per cent of total operating expenditure.

Measure: Percentage of unscheduled absence

The average rate of unscheduled absence for DVA employees Australia-wide in 2005-06 was 4 per cent, compared to the 2004-05 rate of 3.8 per cent. This represents 10.2 days unscheduled absence per full-time equivalent employee. Unscheduled absence includes periods of paid and unpaid leave up to 10 days for personal and miscellaneous purposes. Annual and long service leave is not included.