Management and accountability
Management of human resources
Australian Public Service staff
All staff, except the Director, were employed under the Public Service Act 1999 and all but two ongoing staff were employed on a full-time basis.
During the year one staff member transferred to another department and another retired.
Table 3 shows the actual staff numbers in PSR as at 30 June 2007 and 30 June 2006. Table 4 shows all employees as at 30 June 2007 by classification and employment category.
| 2006–07 Actual | 2005–06 Actual |
|---|---|
| 15 | 15 |
| Classification | Gender | Employment category | Employment status | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Male | Female | Ongoing | Non-ongoing | Full-time | Part-time | ||
| SES Officer | – | 1 | 1 | – | 1 | – | 1 |
| EL 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | – | 4 | – | 4 |
| EL 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | – | 2 | – | 2 |
| APS 6 | 1 | 1 | 2 | – | 2 | – | 2 |
| APS 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | – | 2 | – | 2 |
| APS 4 | – | 3 | 3 | – | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| APS 3 | – | 1 | – | 1 | – | 1 | 1 |
| Total | 5 | 10 | 14 | 1 | 12 | 3 | 15 |
Key: SES = Senior Executive Service; APS = Australian Public Service; EL = Executive Level
Twenty per cent of staff are from non–English speaking backgrounds; there are no staff of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander origin, nor do any staff members have a disability.
Holders of full-time and part-time public office
The Director of PSR is a holder of full time public office whose remuneration and other benefits are set by the Remuneration Tribunal.
As at 30 June 2007, 133 PSR Panel Members including 21 Deputy Directors and 10 members of the Determining Authority were holders of part time public office. The Remuneration Tribunal sets the remuneration and benefits for panel members and Determining Authority members as it does for the Director.
Training and development
Staff training and development needs were identified through individual performance agreements. Identified needs were generally addressed through attendance at training activities delivered by educational institutions and other training providers.
During 2006–07 PSR staff undertook training and development activities including:
- Leadership skills, including courses delivered through the Australian Public Service Commission’s Integrated Leadership System and the Senior Executive Service development program
- Writing Skills
- Consulting skills for IT professionals
- Occupational Health and Safety Representative Training
- First Aid
- Government Legislative and Financial Management Framework.
In addition, two staff received study assistance to support their studies in the area of financial management.
During 2006–07 PSR undertook a major training initiative in the area of protective security. PSR entered into a memorandum of understanding with the Protective Security Coordination Centre, Attorney-General’s Department, to deliver an e-learning module to all staff in order to raise awareness of the Government’s Protective Security Policy framework. The training coincided with the release of the new PSR security policy ‘A Safe and Secure PSR’.
The expenditure devoted to training and development in 2006–07 was 3 per cent of salaries expenditure.
Deputy Directors’ Conference
In May 2007 a one-day conference for Deputy Directors was held in Sydney. Fourteen Deputy Directors and two Determining Authority members attended. The agenda covered:
- a review of the past year’s activities
- progress to date with the review of the PSR Scheme
- issues arising from meetings of the Determining Authority
- the amendment to the Health Insurance Act Regulations allowing referral to relevant regulatory bodies for failure to comply with professional standards
- recent court cases and the status of the Constitutional challenge
- the opportunity to provide feedback to PSR on matters such as support and training for panel members.
Workshop for PSR Panel Members
A workshop was held for panel members to coincide with their first participation in a PSR Committee. The workshop aimed to give new Committee members information and training tailored to the matter they were to investigate. The training covered:
- procedural and legal requirements
- understanding and analysing the issues raised in the Medicare Australia referral
- questioning techniques
- analysis of Medicare Australia data
- analysis of patient records.
The workshop was very successful and this format has been adopted as a model for future training exercises for panel members.
Certified Agreement and Australian Workplace Agreements
The PSR Certified Agreement expired on 31 December 2005. Staff elected not to negotiate another certified agreement and decided instead to negotiate individual Australian Workplace Agreements and to specify their conditions in policies and guidelines. Productivity and efficiency measures in the areas of information technology and core processes were able to be translated into pay increases for staff over the next three years. Table 5 represents PSR’s base salary ranges as at January 2007.
By 30 June 2007 all ongoing staff were on Australian Workplace Agreements. Non-ongoing employees are not currently offered Australian Workplace Agreements. The pay and conditions of non-ongoing employees continue to be governed by the terms of PSR’s Certified Agreement.
For those staff on Australian Workplace Agreements, the basic salary ranges in Table 5 form the starting point for negotiating salary rates.
| APS classification | Min. | Max. |
|---|---|---|
| APS 3 | $45,138 | $49,924 |
| APS 4 | $51,040 | $54,053 |
| APS 5 | $55,536 | $58,740 |
| APS 6 | $61,518 | $69,167 |
| EL 1 | $75,371 | $82,944 |
| EL 2 | $85,918 | $102,145 |
Key: APS = Australian Public Service; EL = Executive Level
Performance pay
Performance pay guidelines for individual staff are contained in their Australian Workplace Agreements and operate in conjunction with PSR’s Performance Development Scheme. This year PSR paid a total of $52,034 in performance pay to five staff.
Non salary related benefits
In order to attract and retain capable people, non-salary related benefits are provided to staff. These included:
- provision of paid car parking to all staff
- provision of an allowance for mobile phones for key personnel
- provision of home Internet access to allow connection through a virtual private network to enable staff to access PSR’s information technology network from home
- provision of Qantas club membership for staff travelling more than six times per year.
Occupational health and safety
During 2006–07 PSR remained committed to providing a healthy and safe working environment for all its employees and contractors. The OH&S Committee met quarterly during the year. The OH&S Committee regularly makes recommendations to the PSR Management Committee for consideration. In all cases the PSR Management Committee has supported the OH&S Committee recommendations.
During the year PSR undertook several health and safety initiatives including workstation assessments for new and current employees, influenza vaccinations for staff and their dependents, support for staff undertaking quit smoking programs and eyesight testing for staff.
PSR staff and their immediate families continued to have access to an employee assistance program through arrangements with the Department of Health and Ageing.
There were four OH&S incident reports in 2006–07. Two related to strains and sprains; one to slips, trips and falls; and one to bumps and bruises. No notices were issued or received under any of the relevant sections of the Occupational Health and Safety Act 1991 during the year.
PSR initiated an investigation into its office accommodation in response to reports from a number of staff of incidents of allergic reactions and skin irritations. Robson Laboratories Pty Ltd undertook the investigation, which found that the indoor air quality in PSR’s premises was acceptable in terms of all parameters measured, and no further action was recommended. The results of Robson Laboratories’ investigation were made available to all staff, and there have been no further reports of skin irritations. PSR will continue to monitor the situation.