Chapter 3 – Developing Our Leaders

A total of 45 Senior Executive Service (SES) vacancies were advertised across 13 agencies in 2016-17, attracting a total of 593 applications. Twenty-seven of these vacancies were filled in the reporting period.

Agencies also reported 20 officers were assigned to other SES offices as part of SES mobility arrangements, with seven of these officers moving between agencies.

Senior Executive Leadership Development Program

Continuing the work started in 2015-16, in response to the SES Workforce Skills Audit, in 2016-17 SSMO worked with a high-level, whole-of-service Reference Group to create a Senior Executive Leadership Development Program for delivery by the Australian and New Zealand School of Government (ANZSOG). The design of the program came from the results of the SES Skills Audit completed in 2015-16 and aims to increase SES capabilities in shaping strategic thinking and delivering results.

Manager Essentials Program

The whole-of-service Manager Essentials Program was launched at the end of the 2015-16 year, with the pilot Program’s half-day induction session taking place in May 2017 and attended by representatives from every agency. The Program is a high-quality, contemporary manager development program with the aim of improving the essential skills of managers across the State Service, and is fully supported and endorsed by Heads of Departments.

The Program is comprised of four active learning modules and has been well received by all agencies. Module 1 - Understanding self and developing others; the reflective mindset was delivered in June 2017, and the remaining three modules will be completed by December 2017.

Two further Program intakes will commence during the 2017-18 year.

Public Sector Management Program

The Public Sector Management Program (PSMP) celebrates its 25^th anniversary in 2017. The program is delivered nationally by Queensland University of Technology (QUT) with The Training Consortium (TTC) providing local support to ensure it remains relevant, and includes local case studies and guest speakers.

On 5 May 2017, 17 managers from across all three levels of government were awarded a Graduate Certificate in Business (Public Sector Management) at a graduation ceremony at Hobart Town Hall.

State Service Strategic Management Program (S3MP)

The State Service Strategic Management Program (S3MP) is a collaborative management and leadership development program coordinated by the Department of Police, Fire and Emergency Management (DPFEM), SSMO and the University of Tasmania. The intensive whole-of-service Program aims to increase management and leadership skills and capabilities of State Service employees and Police Officers ready for senior management roles. Participants can exit the program early with a Graduate Certificate (Public Sector Management Leadership) after completing two units, or be awarded a Professional Honours (Public Sector Management Leadership) or Research Honours (Public Sector Management Leadership) after completing four units.

The second cohort of 28 people, included 18 State Service employees, six Police Officers, three Department of Police, Fire and Emergency Management employees and one Police Officer from Victoria.

In recognition of the success of the Tasmanian program, the S3MP model has been adopted by the Victorian Police Department with a pilot run in late 2016.

Executive Forums and Australian and New Zealand School of Government Events

SSMO in partnership with The Training Consortium has supported a number of whole-of-service events aimed at building the capability of managers and leaders in 2016-17. This included presentations delivered through the continuing relationship between SSMO and ANZSOG, as well as Senior Executive Forums, like:

• ANZSOG Applied Learning Seminars;
  • Changing Behaviour: through appropriate government interventions, with Dr Liam Smith; and
  • Public Value with Professor Mark Moore, Harvard University.
• TSS Senior Executive Service Forums;
  • Sharing Information: within, between and beyond government;
  • Gender Equity in the TSS; and
  • Understanding Aboriginal culture within government.

TTC has also continued to provide senior leaders and managers with relevant courses, seminars and workshops to support their leadership development, including:

• ANZSOG Masterclasses & Leadership in Action Workshops;
• Diploma of Government (Policy);
• Performance Indicators for Government;
• Business Planning for Government;
• Critical Thinking and Problem Solving; and
• Women in Leadership.

SSMO also coordinated the delivery of a number of activities related to the professional learning and development of the senior executive service (SES) and managers. Leadership development within agencies focussed mainly on supporting involvement in whole-of-government initiatives.

Areas of leadership development that were focussed on in 2016-17 included:

• critical and strategic thinking;
• employee engagement and team building;
• strategic and operational planning;
• managing people and resources;
• diversity and inclusion;
• ethics and integrity;
• information security;
• accountability;
• the Code of Conduct;
• change management; and
• Work Health, Safety and Wellbeing.

Back to: Contents | Previous to: Chapter 2 | Next to: Chapter 4