Finance and Strategic Services
Director: Russell Cox
- Responsible for:
- - Financial and management accounting;
- Installation and maintenance of computer networks and systems;
- Property maintenance and administration; and
- Corporate management services. - Comprises Financial Services, Capital Works Unit, Strategic Services and Information Technology Branch.
Corporate Human Resources Division
Director: Karen Wallace
- Provides professional and specialist services for:
- - Human resources management;
- Industrial relations;
- Training and development;
- Client service strategies;
- Corporate planning; and
- Organisational and policy development and implementation. - Comprises the Human Resources Branch, Corporate Development and Training Unit, Quality Unit, Disability Unit and Norimbah (Aboriginal) Unit.
Corporate Communications Unit
Acting Manager: Jonathan Halls
- Provides a multi-media communication service to the Department in order to improve communication with staff, clients and the community.
Improving resource and corporate management
The Finance and Strategic Services Division provided improved financial management through the development of new reporting systems. The Division ensured that the Department maintained its sound financial position by developing strategies to achieve required budget savings and successfully implementing a daily cash system to maximise interest revenue. The Department’s financial statements were unqualified.
The Division also ensured that the Department had strong controls in place through the management of the internal audit program.
The Division’s Capital Works Unit (CWU) worked on a number of maintenance, building and refurbishment projects during the year. These projects included:
- Commencing the construction of a new court house with two courtrooms at Toronto. The new facility is due to be completed in March 2000;
- Completing the construction of a Children’s Court wing at the historic Campbelltown courthouse, providing significant improvements to regional facilities for children’s matters; and
- Refurbishing the existing court building at Campbelltown courthouse, as well as seven other court buildings across NSW.
The CWU also negotiated a major building contract to substantially improve and expand court facilities at Bega. This new facility is also due to open in March 2000.
In other developments designed to improve corporate management, the CWU:
- Completed a Strategic Procurement Review in April 1999, identifying areas where savings and efficiencies could be achieved, particularly for common use goods across the Department;
- Initiated a Fleet Insurance Review and investigated opportunities to reduce the cost of insuring the Department’s fleet of vehicles;
- Continued to work towards reducing energy consumption as part of the Sustainable Energy Development Authority’s Energy Smart Program; and
- Developed a Waste Management and Purchasing Plan to comply with a government policy requiring agencies to adopt environmentally responsible waste reduction and purchasing practices. This plan was approved by the Environment Protection Agency.
The Information Technology Branch (IT) continued to expand the Department’s technology infrastructure, increasing the number of computers in courts and increasing the number of people with access to email facilities. In addition, IT and the Corporate Communications Unit expanded the Department’s Internet facilities, making information about the Department and its services more accessible to the public.
At the end of the reporting year, 3,100 computer work stations were connected to 75 sites on the Wide Area Network with 60 metropolitan and regional courts now operating their own Local Area Network. In early 1999, remote users were given access to Local Area Networks via Remote Area Servers located at Wagga Wagga, Tamworth and Sydney. Users dial into their nearest server to get email and Internet access.
Over the past year an additional 400 laptop computers were purchased to improve computer support provided to the judiciary.
The Department continued its Y2K compliance program to minimise the risk posed by the Year 2000 software problem. $4.7 million was allocated by the Government to the Attorney General’s Department to obtain rectification and compliance. Compliance and rectification projects included the remediation of the Department’s Courtnet system ($500,000) and the Department’s jury roll system ($1.8 million), both of which came in on budget. The Department was rated ‘acceptable’ by the Office of Information Technology for all six phases of its business risk analysis. External certification was obtained on its compliance to the process.
The Department improved and refined its corporate and business planning processes during the year through the work of the Corporate Development and Training Unit. This included a review of the Corporate Plan and the development of more appropriate performance indicators.
The Corporate Human Resources Division (CHR) reviewed and updated a number of existing human resources policies during the year. CHR also introduced new policies on areas such as internal reporting, part-time work, temporary staffing and flexible work practices. Work commenced on a new policy to provide staff with guidelines for recruiting people with disabilities. This policy will be finalised in the coming year.
As part of the Department’s commitment to implementing flexible work practices, the hours necessary for staffing the Office of the Protective Commissioner (OPC) were reviewed by a working party. A pilot arrangement incorporating flexible working hours at OPC was subsequently implemented.
The Corporate Services Reform Unit of the Premier’s Department coordinated a Corporate Services Review across the Public Sector to identify potential savings across a broad range of corporate service areas. Finance and Strategic Services is still analysing the results to determine if procedures and processes currently being applied successfully in some cost centres can be extended to the Department generally.
Managing our people
A number of initiatives were introduced during the year by the Corporate Human Resources Division (CHR) to provide staff with a safe and productive work environment.
An Employment Assistance Program was established in December 1998. As part of this program, professional counselling service Davidson Trahaire has been appointed to provide 24 hour telephone counselling services, face-to-face counselling, group counselling and critical incident debriefing for staff.
CHR continued to implement a number of other initiatives for staff during the year, including the Legal Eagles Vacation Care Program, a mentoring program for Aboriginal staff, the Spokeswomen Program and an Induction Program.
The implementation of a Performance Planning and Development system was a priority for the Department during 1998/99. As part of this process, a ‘Workplace Communication Survey’ was conducted to focus on the quality and frequency of supervisors and staff discussion and feedback. Forty one-day workshops on ‘Giving and Receiving Balanced Feedback Skills’ were presented to 538 participants.
The Department continued to implement its Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Employment Strategy. The strategy facilitates Aboriginal employment, career development and workplace support. The Department currently has 58 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff, representing approximately 1.65 per cent of staff.
The second Aboriginal Staff Network meeting was held during July 1998 and was attended by 58 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff from 15 different cost centres and various work locations around the State. Delegates discussed current Aboriginal issues and examined how the Department can further build and develop its Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander network as an important resource both for providing support to Aboriginal staff and developing Aboriginal issues within the Department.
Improving the skill and knowledge of employees
The Corporate Human Resources Division provided a range of consultancy services during the year to improve the skill and knowledge of staff through the Corporate Development and Training Unit (CDT).
Over the reporting year, around 2,700 staff participated in more than 50 courses offered by CDT. Training and development services were provided in a range of areas, including business planning, executive development, workplace programs, client services, quality management, supervision and management and information technology.
A number of executive development programs were conducted for senior management in consultation with the Director General and Executive. These included bi-monthly Senior Managers’ Meetings for the exchange of key Departmental information and skill development, and a Leadership Conference for senior staff.
Cross-cultural training in indigenous issues was provided for senior managers and staff during the year. More than one hundred people attended the two-day sessions which aimed to improve service delivery to indigenous clients, as well as the work environment for indigenous staff.
During the year an organisational review of CDT was undertaken to ensure that the Unit has appropriate resources to meet the Department’s future needs. CDT also investigated the application of Competency Based Training to the Department and examined the possibility of becoming a registered training organisation.
Providing flexible and responsive services
The Corporate Human Resources Division (CHR) coordinated the implementation of the Disability Strategic Plan (DSP) for the Department. The DSP is a comprehensive plan to improve access for people with disabilities to all the services, programs and workplaces of the Department.
A Disability Advisory Council, chaired by the Director General met quarterly to advise on and assist with the implementation and evaluation of the DSP.
The Department focussed on four priority areas from DSP:
- Providing staff and judicial officers with disability awareness training;
- Improving the physical access to our courts, offices and workplaces;
- Increasing access to courtroom procedures; and
- Developing and promoting flexible service delivery to clients.
As part of the DSP, 50 of the State’s major courthouses were audited for their physical access provisions for people with disabilities. These audits inform the efforts of Capital Works maintenance programs.
In conjunction with the NSW Judicial Commission, the training of judicial officers in disability awareness is almost complete. Training of staff across the Department has also been an integral part of the DSP’s implementation.
Other achievements under the DSP include the following:
- Twelve TTY’s (telecommunications devices for the deaf) were purchased and installed in business units which have an extensive public interface;
- Recruitment and selection guidelines for people with disabilities has been developed in consultation with staff and people with disabilities; and
- A strategic quality team was sponsored by the Coordinator of Disability Strategic Plan to provide advice on improving “in-court” procedures for people with disabilities.
The Capital Works Unit improved access for persons with a disability at courthouses across the State. This included enhancing the toilet facilities in 14 locations and improving access to toilets at another 14 facilities. Seven Remote Witness Video (closed circuit television) facilities were also installed or upgraded to allow evidence to be given in court hearings without the need for a witness to appear in a courtroom in the presence of defendants.
A database established by the Information Technology Branch has allowed the publication of judgments from various courts and tribunals to a new part of the Department’s website. This new service, called CaseLaw NSW, provides public access to judgments from the Supreme Court, the Land and Environment Court and the Administrative Decisions Tribunal. Judgments are generally available online soon after they have been handed down.
Implementing the Quality Program
The Department continued to implement quality management as a priority during 1998/99.
Training in quality principles and tools was provided to 180 team members. Ten per cent of the Department’s staff have now received training in quality management.
In 1998/99 the Quality Program was expanded to include a review of key strategic processes across the justice system. 12 strategic quality teams were formed with representatives from key client and stakeholder groups including the judiciary, Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, NSW Law Society, NSW Police Service, NSW Corrective Services and groups representing people with disabilities participated. 30 key processes are under review by these strategic quality teams.
The Department completed a second guided self assessment during the year. 350 staff representing a cross section of all areas and levels of the Department, participated. The results showed a marked improvement from 1996 across the seven areas assessed, which included strategic planning, leadership, people, customers and service delivery. The results from this year’s guided self assessment have highlighted that data collection, communication and customer service will need to be priorities for the coming year.
Membership of strategic teams
Departmental Staff (83%)
Magistrates (3%)
Representatives from external agencies (14%)
Improving communication
The Corporate Communications Unit (CCU) continued to assist the Department to develop publications for both internal and external clients. During the year, staff assisted business units in writing, editing, designing and coordinating the production of more than 50 brochures, reports and information packages. This included assisting the Supreme Court to develop a new brochure series launched at its 175th anniversary celebrations, and the Registry of Births Deaths and Marriages booklets on Family History and its popular Baby Names booklet.
CCU continued to produce the Department’s monthly internal newsletter, Agenda, making improvements based on a comprehensive reader survey. It also assisted other business units to produce more locally-based newsletters.
A framework was developed during the year for an internal communication audit. It concentrated on making communication improvements in work areas based on survey information and confidential information from staff. A consultant was engaged by the Department to conduct a survey in three cost centres. A report will be presented to the Director General in the next reporting period.
LawLink NSW, the Department’s web site, was launched by the Attorney General at Malvina High School in July 1998. LawLink NSW gives the people of NSW a ‘one-stop shop’ for access to legal information and services provided by over 40 NSW legal agencies and courts. It is the largest provider of secondary legal information in Australia. This includes:
- Factsheets on discrimination from the Anti-Discrimination Board;
- Guardianship policies from the Office of Public Guardian;
- Information on how to lodge an application with the Land and Environment Court; and
- Information for victims of crime.
LawLink NSW also provides extensive links to other reliable information sources on legal rights and responsibilities in NSW.
Since its launch, LawLink NSW has continued to play a vital role in the Department’s client communication strategy. Between June 1998 and June 1999, LawLink NSW experienced a substantial increase in usage, rising from 152,238 pages viewed per month in July 1998 to 751,165 pages viewed in July 1999. In April 1999 LawLink NSW peaked at 920,449 pages viewed. LawLink NSW and sites hosted by LawLink NSW, have been selected as semi-finalists in the Australian Internet Awards in 1998 and 1999.
The year ahead
The Finance and Strategic Services Division will:
- Develop the Capital Investment Strategic Plan 2000/01 – 2004/05 outlining capital priorities for future planning;
- Undertake the re-design of a number of corporate processes identified as areas where efficiencies can be achieved at both the business unit and corporate level;
- Implement activity-based costing and a financial executive information system to provide more strategic financial management information for decision-making by business units;
- Implement the Waste Management and Purchasing Plan to comply with a Government policy initiative that requires the Department to adopt environmentally responsible waste reduction and purchasing practices;
- Implement the Department’s Procurement Review recommendations;
- Identify the relevant tax and processing issues related to the Goods and Services Tax, and prepare and implement a strategy plan;
- Ensure the Department’s systems are Y2K compliant to minimise risk, especially with the development of risk minimisation plans; and
- Extend Internet technologies to include electronic commerce strategies for providing on-line services to users of the legal system.
The Corporate Human Resources Division will:
- Develop a Human Resources Strategic Plan for the Department;
- Develop and implement a Workplace Safety Improvement Plan for occupational health and safety and workers’ compensation;
- Continue with the implementation of the Disability Strategic Plan and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Employment Strategy;
- Implement management development programs and strategies;
- Continue implementation of the Performance Planning and Development system; and
- Undertake an employee survey for the Department.
The Corporate Communications Unit will:
- Develop a series of public brochures and factsheets for court users in partnership with Local Courts, the District Court and Community Relations Division;
- Develop guidelines for the Department on communication standards including tips for making communication more accessible to people with disabilities, people from non-English speaking background and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island people;
- Integrate strategic communication initiatives into the broader role of the new Executive and Strategic Services Unit; and
- Work in partnership with Information Technology to extend and develop new electronic services over the Internet and Intranet.