Contents
- Letter of transmittal
- Abbreviations and acronyms
- About this report
- 1. The year in review
- 2. River Murray Water
- 3. Natural Resource Management
- 4. Corporate services
- 5. Corporate governance
- 6. Financial statements
- Appendixes
- Community Advisory Committee Annual Report 2004–2005
- Glossary
- List of figures and tables
4. Corporate services
Support services to the Murray-Darling Basin Ministerial Council and the Murray-Darling Basin Commission are provided through the Secretariat. Along with the full range of secretariat services to the Council and Commission, in 2004–05 the Secretariat began providing support to the high-level committees within the Commission office – the Finance Committee, the Audit Committee, the River Murray Water Advisory Board and The Living Murray Board.
Ministerial Council met in November 2004 and again in April 2005, the latter including a joint meeting with the Community Advisory Committee. The Commission met in September 2004, November 2004, March 2005 and June 2005. Twelve high-level committee meetings were supported throughout the year.
In addition, the Secretariat manages out-of-session decision-making processes for Council, Commission and high-level committees. The corporate record of all agendas, papers, minutes and reports for these committees is maintained by the Secretariat along with membership details for the Council and Commission. Appendixes A and C detail the membership of Ministerial Council and the Commission respectively.
From early 2004, the Secretariat commenced a coordinating role for the management of the Murray-Darling Basin Agreement, including tracking the progress of amendments through the parliaments of partner governments. A master copy of the Agreement is maintained and public versions issued as amendments are incorporated. Amendments agreed in 2001 and 2002 were in train, with tabling processes in the partner governments begun but not finalised by June 2005.
The Manager Secretariat is also the Executive Officer of the Community Advisory Committee and, along with the staff of the Secretariat, supports the activities of the CAC (reported on separately).
Overview
The priority for the Human Resources team in 2004–05 was the development and implementation of contemporary human resources policies and procedures to support the operational needs of the MDBC and the development of a Human Resources Strategic Plan for the future.
Workforce planning, recruitment and retention
A number of senior positions in the Commission were filled in 2004–05 including the Chief Executive, General Manager Natural Resources, Director Water Policy Coordination and Director River Murray Environmental Management. There were significant changes in the structure of the Natural Resource Management Division to better align with the overall natural resource management priorities of the Commission.
In 2004–05 the total number of fixed-term employees employed by the Commission was 123 and the attrition rate was approximately 10 per cent.
The majority of staff are employed in the Natural Resource Management Division, illustrated in Figure 4.1.
Figure 4.1: MDBC employees by division
The Commission's salary structure is based on six broad salary bands (Professional Officer (PO) levels 1–6). Figure 4.2 shows the number of employees classified according to salary bands.
Figure 4.2: MDBC employees by classification bands
Female employees constitute 53 per cent of Commission employees; the average age of employees is 41 years.
Senior Executives
All Senior Executives are employed under five-year contracts that specify their conditions of employment. In 2004–05 Executive pay rises were aligned with the 4 per cent increase provided for all staff in the Commission's Certified Agreement.
Performance management
A key highlight for 2004–05 was the implementation of the refreshed Performance Management and Development Scheme (PMDS) and a review of individual career development plans. The system is now on an annual cycle with all performance assessments to be completed by the end of May each year. Individual employees' PMDSs will reflect the goals set out in the Commission's Strategic Plan.
Occupational health, safety and welfare
The Commission continues to promote improved work practices and attitudes for a sustainable health and safe work environment. The Employee Assistance Program commenced in September 2004 and OSA Group was selected as the successful contractor to provide this service.
An OH&S audit of the Commission Office was conducted in September 2004 and all audit recommendations were implemented by June 2005. The Commission held OH&S training for all managers and staff and training for staff in manual handling and ergonomic assessments as preventative measures for workplace injuries during the year.
The Commission continues to promote a healthy balance between work and private life through the use of flexitime, time off in lieu for senior officers, personal carers' leave, provision of lunchtime 'yogalates' classes, support for employees in sporting events, inclusion of family members at work functions and training of employees in the resolution of workplace harassment. The healthy workplace culture of the Commission is supported by the normal use of sick leave and by the fact that there have been no stress compensation claims.
Rewards and recognition
The Commission held its inaugural rewards and recognition ceremony for employees in March 2005, demonstrating its commitment to building a modern, flexible workplace where individual, team and organisational achievement is practised and valued. The Commission recognises the significant benefits in investing in its people consistent with the benefits available to other partner contracting governments.
Awards were presented for outstanding contribution by a team or employee, outstanding contribution to safety, outstanding contribution by a support employee, leadership and service to the community. The rewards and recognition policy also promotes informal awards throughout the year that recognise the high achievements of individual staff members or teams.
Learning and development
The Commission's Learning and Development Framework, which supports the Commission's goals to be a learning organisation, was endorsed in December 2004.
The Commission provides professional development opportunities and supports employees in undertaking development activities. There is alignment between learning and development activities and the Commission's business planning processes through the Performance Management and Development Scheme.
The Commission's learning and development framework concentrates on five distinct but complementary elements:
- external studies support (study leave)
- specialised training relating to a specific project or program
- corporate initiatives including leadership programs
- attendance and participation at significant conferences/seminars
- the MDBC management development program.
The Commission will monitor and evaluate its learning and development strategy in 2005–06 to ensure it remains effective in meeting key organisation goals.
Chief Executive's awards
The Rewards and Recognition Initiatives were identified during 2004 as part of a series of inter-related HR policies for implementation within the Commission. Their development involved the cooperation and assistance of the Workplace Consultative Committee (WCC) and reflected the desire of the WCC and management to put in place a suitable arrangement for acknowledging the efforts of staff generally. The winner of the award for outstanding contribution by a team or employee was the RMW Production Team.
When nominated, the team was noted for providing an effective 24/7 service in a difficult year. It demonstrated a commitment to 'not waste a drop' during a prolonged and severe drought. The team, which is fundamental to the Commission's reputation as a competent and respected water manager, undertook a number of new initiatives during the year. It also demonstrated a willingness and enthusiasm to train new members and devolve responsibilities as individuals' skills developed.
The Outstanding Service awards are designed to acknowledge both performance and commitment to the Commission over the longer term.
Workplace relations
The Commission and employees continue to work cooperatively through the Workplace Consultative Committee (WCC) to improve workplace relations in the Commission. Executive Management of the Commission and staff representatives meet regularly to address workplace relations matters. The WCC will play a pivotal role in forthcoming negotiations for the next Certified Agreement.
Information and communication technology
Strategic Plan
A high-level ICT Strategic Plan was completed in December 2004. Key recommendations of the plan have been implemented and have resulted in:
- establishment of the Information Management Committee (IMC) to oversee ICT governance and risk management
- establishment of an ICT Reference Panel to advise the IMC and to manage, document and communicate the Commission's Enterprise Architecture
- increased resource levels within the ICT Services unit to mitigate identified risks to service continuity.
The ICT Strategic Plan will be updated to support the Commission's Strategic Plan and will be underpinned by operational plans for each of the areas in the Commission responsible for delivering ICT services.
Infrastructure
Three key infrastructure initiatives commenced in 2004–05.
- Storage consolidation based on the purchase of a base level Storage Area Network. This investment will enable storage to be managed independently of servers. It allows the integration of Unix-based and Windows-based storage, and it represents a scalable storage solution which can grow to cater for future information storage needs.
- Server consolidation based on virtual servers. Like most organisations, the Commission has experienced significant growth in the number of physical servers required to support application and information requirements. This initiative allows a single physical server to host many virtual servers, providing efficiencies in terms of capital and operating costs and providing improved management capabilities.
- Infrastructure to establish a Commission extranet. This will support new initiatives like the Sustainable Rivers Audit that require the Commission to collaborate with stakeholders located outside of the Commission Office.
This year has also seen the introduction of the use of personal digital assistant (PDA) devices in the form of the Blackberry, providing staff with mobile access to voice and email services.
The level of resources and effort needed to secure the Commission's ICT systems has grown significantly. New measures are being considered to:
- improve identity management
- secure and protect information
- improve defences against viruses and spy ware
- defend client workstations and laptops.
Applications
A lot of effort has gone into improving the records management capabilities of the Commission Office. The records management policies of the Commission have been updated through consultation with staff. A new business classification scheme has been developed and an information container structure implemented consistent with this scheme. This has been done in parallel with a migration to the latest version of the Commission's records management software and has been accompanied by extensive staff training.
Applications supporting the human resource function have been upgraded providing improved executive reporting capability and additional functionality. A web-based interface to the application, which will provide staff with ready access to their personal information and streamline processes such as application for leave, is scheduled for implementation.
New and upgraded financial applications have been established to support improved financial management and reporting.
Client services
Additional resources have been established to support ICT incident management and problem resolution. The new help desk software that has been implemented to document incidents, problems and resolutions will lead to improved service levels and reporting capability.
Media relations
Issues management through the use of a comprehensive media tracking log has improved the MDBC's ability to focus on, manage and build on specific areas of communication throughout 2004–05. The log was used to identify journalists and their specific requirements so that media relations became more proactive.
The ongoing use of video news releases using contemporary and archived footage enabled the MDBC to portray the Basin and its natural resource management issues in a visual format more closely aligned to its and its partner governments' perception, rather than the often sensational broader media industry view.
Media contact networks were maintained and the number of media releases issued remained stable at about two or three per month.
Two internal two-day media and presentation skills workshops were conducted using consultants Econnect. Working journalists from television, radio and print were guest professionals during these workshops.
Media protocols and other communications requirements were re-iterated to staff both through media training and the MDBC email system.
Several events that took place during 2004–05 provided the MDBC with opportunities to build upon relationships with partner governments. An informal network of natural resource management communicators was started to maximise opportunities, reduce duplication and streamline aspects of common projects.
MDBC website
The number of visitors to the MDBC website and the number of pages they viewed during 2004–05 increased steadily to nearly double the previous year. Hits were regularly over one million a month, pages viewed averaged about 130 000 per month, and individual visits about 25 000 per month. The most consistently sought-after areas throughout the year were River Murray Water weekly reports, media releases, the online encyclopaedia (especially wildlife, mining and agriculture pages) and general information on natural resources, environmental issues and salinity.
In response to changing needs of stakeholders, a new, re-developed version of the website was initiated. The new site will be driven by an open source content management system which will allow individual areas of the MDBC to update their own subject areas. A prototype was completed within the reporting period with the final version due to replace the current site in 2005–06.
E-letter
The Commission's monthly email newsletter was re-designed in html format with a hyperlinked menu. By the end of the reporting period, subscriptions totalled 830, an increase of more than a third on the previous year. The newsletter continued to reflect important developments and initiatives within the Commission and throughout the Basin. Towards the end of 2004–05 items from the newsletter were being used in a trial commercial radio segment project called 'Basin News'.
MDBC library
MDBC maintains a small specialised library, staffed part-time, offering loan and reference services to staff and external clients. The library operates within the MDBC Communications team, working to complement an efficient information provision service. The collection comprises more than 12 200 items, with steady growth, in particular, over recent years. Between November 2002 and June 2005, 4300 items were added to the collection.
The collection continues to be a valuable technical source for information, with 113 requests for information recorded between October 2004 and June 2005.
All MDBC publications continued to be sent to 166 libraries throughout the basin, including school, university, public and council libraries, ensuring that stakeholders have ready access to hardcopy. While this increases the MDBC's profile and product among the community, it also encourages a good working relationship between Basin libraries and the MDBC library.
The library continued working on a project to restore the MDBC's historical images. The project will continue to encapsulate the restoration and access to the remainder of these images, as well as the storage, access and indexing of audiovisual material. This project foreshadows a disaster management plan to be undertaken in 2005–06.
From October 2004 the librarian also contributed to the production of Newscan, a weekly selective compilation of newspaper stories taken from the major dailies and regional papers across the Basin. Articles are copyright cleared and are arranged within the following broad subject categories: integrated catchment management, water quality, water sharing, riverine ecosystem health and terrestrial biodiversity. This free information service is distributed each week to some 400 subscribers.
Marking Sturt's epic Murray-Darling journey
The Commission sponsored several activities to commemorate the 175th anniversary of the arrival of Captain Charles Sturt at the junction of the mighty Murray and Darling rivers at Wentworth on 23 January 1830.
The celebrations began in Merbein and travelled down the Murray, just like Sturt, to historic Wentworth. The Commission saw the anniversary as a way to bolster and deepen a sense of local and Basin history within the community. The main organisations involved were the PS Ruby Board of Management, the Wentworth and Merbein Historical Society, local service clubs and the Wentworth Main Street Events Committee.
The poster pictured below was used to publicise the events.
