CHAPTER 10 | accountability and management

People management

During 2003–04 the Ombudsman's office managed its employees in accordance with the conditions of our Certified Agreement and a number of Australian Workplace Agreements (AWAs), as well as with our obligations under the Public Service Act 1999.

Statutory appointment details for the Ombudsman and Deputy Ombudsman are:

Workplace relations

The Australian Industrial Relations Commission certified a new Certified Agreement on 22 October 2003. The new agreement remains in force until 30 September 2005.

The agreement focuses on people, remuneration and employment arrangements, working environment and lifestyle, further streamlining of personnel practices and processes, and performance management and improvement to underpin salary increases. These are also characteristic of the AWAs in place for a small number of employees. Full details are in Table 10.1 (the office's two statutory officers are not included).

APS = Australian Public Service; SES = Senior Executive Service

Non-salary benefits provided to staff under the Certified Agreement include:

• employer-sponsored superannuation
• dependant care costs arising from arrangements that are required in specific circumstances.

The Certified Agreement and the non-SES AWAs do not make provision for performance pay. Salary advancement through pay points within each classification is linked to performance, in accordance with the policy parameters for agreement-making in the Australian Public Service. SES AWAs provide for annual salary advancement within the range based on performance.

The Workplace Relations Committee continues to provide a forum for discussion of issues surrounding implementation and operation of the agreement. It also provides a consultative, advisory and information-sharing mechanism between management and employees on matters affecting employment conditions in the office.

Career development and training

Key areas of staff development during the year were:

• investigations training
• performance management training
• orientation training
• general information sessions.

Career development and training focused on continuous improvement of organisational performance through analysis of needs. The office developed and managed an Introductory Investigations Course in August 2003 and an Advanced Investigations Course in March 2004. The courses were designed to cater for investigation and compliance officers and senior investigation officers, respectively. Course participants were attracted from other agencies and overseas Ombudsman offices. These courses are to be conducted each year as part of the Ombudsman's commitment to improving the skills of investigation officers.

A new Performance Management Program was developed and implemented in 2003–04, with all staff receiving training in performance management principles and the new program.

An Orientation Program was held during the year to give all new employees from State Offices and the National Office a consolidated overview of the organisation and its functions.

The office also contributed to the development of its staff by providing study assistance.

Staffing profile

During 2003–04, 14 employees (13 of whom were women) were engaged on an ongoing basis.

Nine ongoing employees left the office during the year, equating to a turnover rate of 10%. Given the nature of the office's work and the fact that we run eight offices throughout Australia, this turnover rate is relatively modest.

Staffing levels

The actual number of employees at 30 June 2004 was 92, which included the Ombudsman and Deputy Ombudsman, who are statutory appointments. The full-time equivalent number of employees for the year was 89.5. The numbers of ongoing and non-ongoing employees, by gender and APS classification, are shown in Table 10.2. Five employees on long-term leave without pay under the Prime Minister's Directions 1999 are not included in the table. Table 10.3 provides the office's staffing profile by location.

*Includes two statutory officers

*Includes two statutory officers