www.nsw.ipaa.org.au
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The Institute of Public Administration Australia (IPAA) NSW is the professional association for people who work in and with the public sector Our mission is to build the capabilities and connections of our members and support the development of a high-performing public sector We work hard to advance the profession of public administration through learning and development programs, events and thought leadership
The past twelve months have seen IPAA NSW begin the transition from being a wellperforming small business to a medium-sized enterprise . Externally, this transition has been marked by an expansion of the types of events and learning and development opportunities that we offer the sector Internally, as we signalled in last year’s annual report, this transition has required major investment in our backroom capabilities, most significantly through the development of an integrated technology platform that brings
together our member contacts, events, online training and thought leadership functions
We have also developed a new strategic plan for the period 2018-21 It is a roadmap for the future, outlining the Council’s overarching vision and strategy for the organisation . It was developed following consultation with IPAA’s members and the broader public sector community I want to express my thanks to all those who contributed to this important strategic outline You can read the strategic plan at www nsw ipaa org au/strategicplan
Together with building stronger relationships with our cluster and alliance partners, this work positions IPAA NSW to take the next big steps in our development The challenge during this transition is to make sure it does not interfere with our business-as-usual functions, including the services we provide to our members and the sector The financial statements and the list of activities detailed in this report show that we have very largely met these objectives
Martin Hoffman President, IPAA NSW
A Council of members guides IPAA NSW to achieve our strategic goals, with 18 professional members elected or co-opted as Councillors The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) is an ex-officio member and there is provision to co-opt additional members to the Council All elected Council positions are honorary and elected Councillors do not receive a stipend for their work
PRESIDENT
1 Martin Hoffman FIPAA Secretary, NSW Department of Finance, Services & Innovation
VICE PRESIDENTS
2 Carolyn Burlew FIPAA Consultant (In Vice President position until January 2018)
3 Claudine Lyons Director, Infrastructure & Policy, NSW Department of Premier & Cabinet
4 John Hubby Deputy Secretary, Corporate Services, NSW Department of Family & Community Services
5 Mark Webb
Chief Executive, NSW Department of Parliamentary Services, NSW Parliament (from January 2018)
EX-OFFICIO COUNCILLOR
6 Madeleine Culbert (ex-officio) CEO, IPAA NSW
YOUNG PROFESSIONAL COUNCILLORS
7 Renee Attard Senior Policy Officer, Behavioural Insights Unit, NSW Department of Premier & Cabinet (until November 2017)
8 Iona Krefel Manager, Industry Support, NSW Office of Liquor, Gaming & Racing (until November 2017)
9 Joshua Michael Project Officer, Program Management Office, Prison Bed Capacity Program, Corrective Services NSW, NSW Department of Justice (from November 2017)
10 Ruo Yan
Strategy & Planning Analyst, WSA Co Limited (from November 2017)
CO-OPTED COUNCILLOR
11 Robert Alder
Transition Manager, Reform Group, NSW Department of Justice
12 Dr Teresa Anderson AM FIPAA Chief Executive, Sydney Local Health District, NSW Ministry of Health
13 Jim Betts CEO, Infrastructure NSW (until November 2017)
14 Margaret Crawford FIPAA Auditor-General of NSW, NSW Audit Office
15 Glenn King FIPAA
NSW Customer Service Commissioner and Deputy Secretary, Premier’s Implementation Unit, NSW Department of Premier & Cabinet
16 Mary-Ann O’Loughlin AM FIPAA Deputy Secretary, Social Policy Group, NSW Department of Premier & Cabinet (until November 2017)
17 Tim Hume Consultant
18 Murat Dizdar PSM Deputy Secretary, School Operations & Performance, NSW Department of Education (from November 2017)
19 Caralee McLiesh PSM Deputy Secretary, Fiscal and Economic Group, NSW Treasury (from November 2017)
20 Elizabeth Mildwater Deputy Secretary, People & Corporate Services, Transport for NSW (from November 2017)
21 Simon Officer Chief Financial & Operating Officer, NSW Department of Planning & Environment (from November 2017)
22 Janet Schorer NSW Children’s Guardian (from November 2017)
23 Shaun Smith Deputy Secretary, Corporate Services Partners, NSW Department of Industry (from November 2017)
Robert Alder
Anderson
Renee Attard
Jim Betts
Carolyn Burlew
Margaret Crawford
Madeleine Culbert
Murat Dizdar
Martin Hoffman
John Hubby
Tim Hume
Glenn King
Iona Krefel
Claudine Lyons
Joshua Michael
Caralee McLiesh
Elizabeth Mildwater
Simon Officer
Mary-Ann O’Loughlin
Janet Schorer
Shaun Smith
Mark Webb
Ruo Yan
This year, IPAA NSW began transitioning from a small business to a mediumsized enterprise This involved significant growth in the type and number of events and learning and development opportunities that we offer the sector . A major investment has been required to set up an effective structure and enable this transition
As noted in the attached financial report, we recorded a loss of $96,000 in 2017–18, which includes a historical adjustment of $77,805 identified in the transition to the new platform This amount reflects the cumulative total of prior financial years’ overstatement of revenue, in the process of recognising deferred income The previous software platform presented challenges in recognising income This fault has since been rectified with the new software installation in December 2017
The two principle factors that contributed to the total loss were:
• Additional costs associated with our new Learning and Development Reform Program, which resulted in a total cost of $118,000 This major reform was based on recommendations from a review conducted in 2016–17 Its implementation means that our learning framework and curriculum now better align with the NSW Public Sector Capability Framework Further details about the Learning and Development Reform Program are provided in a separate section of this annual report (see page 11)
• The introduction of our new integrated technology platform, which brings together our member contacts, events, online training and thought leadership functions While this project was delivered within budget, its rollout within a relatively small office temporarily shifted the focus away from business-as-usual
activities This, in turn, negatively affected revenue, particularly from events
As a not-for-profit, member-owned, professional association, IPAA NSW does not aim to generate excessive surpluses beyond those needed to ensure our longterm sustainability The Council is confident that this loss relates to a series of strategic investments in our organisational capabilities and that these investments will contribute towards IPAA NSW’s long term sustainability
Over the last months, our program has helped our members and the sector engage with important issues in public administration theory and practice We have provided more than 200 articles of interest through our
weekly newsletter, Ignite Our events have covered topics such as the ethics of public sector office; using performance management tools to improve service delivery; and the ways in which public sector workplaces, work and workforces are changing
We have also continued to deliver our major flagship programs, including our annual Women’s Executive Luncheon, Spann Oration, the members’ Picnic in the Park, our International Women’s Day celebration, our CEO and Young Professionals Breakfast, the State Conference, the Budget Briefing Breakfast and our Stewards of the Public Sector – On the Couch series of events These flagship events have attracted more than 1,800 attendees
IPAA NSW’s events form a vital component of capability development, offering unique opportunities for networking, mentoring and thought leadership Event attendance is high, with 90 per cent of events at capacity; event satisfaction is also high at 89 9 per cent
Highlighted events in 2017–18 include:
• Westminister – The View Behind the Curtain
• Stewards of the Public Sector – On the Couch with Sonja Steward
• Women’s Executive Luncheon
• Stewards of the Public Sector – On the Couch with Deidre Mulkerin
• Deliverology series
• Spann Oration with Sir Michael Barber
• State of the Sector with Blair Comley
• The Ethics of Office in the Public Service with the Whitlam Institute
• Picnic in the Park
• International Women’s Day
• CEO and Young Professionals Breakfast
• Winter is Coming: Lessons for Public Servants from Westeros
• Stewards of the Public Sector – On the Couch with Damon Rees
• Getting Results in Government Masterclass with Leigh Sandals
• State Conference
• Budget Briefing Breakfast
The reform of IPAA NSW’s capability development services throughout 2017–18 was a strategic move to ensure IPAA remains relevant to the changing nature of the public sector These reforms included moving to a contemporary learning and development program, with a blend of online and face-to-face content Other business improvements included procuring a best-ofbreed membership engagement system IPAA also worked more closely with learning and development directors in the public sector to increase capability
IPAA NSW’s membership grew over the 2017–18 financial year through continuing partnership agreements and the recently added alliance partnership agreements
IPAA NSW now partners with the following clusters and organisations:
• NSW Department of Family and Community Services
• NSW Department of Justice
• NSW Department of Industry, Skills and Regional Development
• Transport for NSW
• NSW Department of Planning and Environment
• NSW Department of Finance, Services and Innovation
• NSW Health
• NSW Department of Education
• NSW Department of Premier and Cabinet
• NSW Treasury
• NSW Public Service Commission and a number of other agencies
• Service NSW
• Parliament of NSW
Partnering with IPAA NSW demonstrates an organisation’s commitment to the continuous development of its staff It also supports the NSW Government’s mission to make the state’s public sector a world leader IPAA NSW also has numerous agency partners and works closely with the NSW Public Service Commission
Our membership growth in 2017–18 was mainly due to our ongoing partnership arrangements During this period, IPAA NSW continued its partnerships with the NSW Government clusters, agencies and alliance partners, increasing our professional and affiliate membership An IPAA NSW partnership provides an opportunity for the stewards of the public sector, and those who work with the public sector, to collaborate with IPAA NSW to enrich the professional development opportunities available to their staff
In 2017–18, we renewed our partnership agreements, including the allocation of individual and affiliate memberships as part of the agreements in place The clusters were represented at all of IPAA NSW’s flagship events, including the CEO and Young Professionals Breakfast, the Budget Briefing Breakfast and the State Conference
IPAA NSW worked in partnership with each cluster’s Head of Corporate Services via a Program Advisory Committee to ensure content covered the big issues they are grappling with, including the skills needed for the future and where they see capability is lacking
IPAA NSW’s Young Professionals Network (YPN) works to provide professional development and networking opportunities for members who are aged 34 or under The YPN refreshed its co-ordinating committee and appointed a new, enthusiastic chair It is now working to add another flagship event to our events program calendar – a yearly informal networking opportunity following the CEO and Young Professionals Breakfast It is also working towards growing the YPN by reaching out to those who have shown interest in the YPN The Women’s Executive Luncheon and International Women’s Day were delivered by the Women’s Leadership Network as part of our commitment to increasing the representation of women in senior leadership
Throughout 2017–18, IPAA NSW repositioned itself as a relevant organisation with a holistic product offering that helps to develop people’s capabilities and networks, and facilitate their mobility across the sector
Measures to reform the learning and development area of the business aim to ensure the consistent capability and performance of NSW as a world-class public sector IPAA NSW undertook a major reform, based on recommendations from the review conducted in 2016–17
The new learning framework now better aligns with the NSW Public Sector Capability Framework
Phases two to four of IPAA NSW’s four-phase Learning and Development Reform project were delivered on time
Key work completed by the end of the financial year included:
• Creating a Learning Strategy and Learning Roadmap to 2020
• Conducting an expression of interest process for learning providers
• Introducing a new curriculum based on all levels and behaviours in the Capability Framework
• Creating a learning and development business plan and a marketing and communications plan
• Revising the website structure
IPAA NSW’s Program Advisory Committee developed a program design framework to better understand how we consider the ideas and input from the sector and how we schedule activities in our learning and development events and thought leadership program The Committee also agreed to meet quarterly, rather than bi-annually, due to the critical role it plays in shaping the program
The Program Advisory Committee was responsible for identifying four broad themes for IPAA NSW’s events:
• Stewardship
• Innovation
• Digital and Data
• Beyond the Five-Year Future
In 2017–18, the Program Advisory Committee consisted of:
• John Hubby, Department of Family & Community Services (Chair)
• David de Carvalho, NSW Education Standards Authority
• Brigitte Fairbank, NSW Treasury (until March 2018)
• Anat Hassner, NSW Department of Industry
• Andrew Hubrechsen-Yung, NSW Treasury (from March 2018)
• Belinda Lawn, NSW Department of Finance, Services & Innovation
• Simon Officer, Department of Planning and Environment
• Annette Solman, NSW Health
• Kirsten Watson, Transport for NSW
IPAA NSW’s digital platform, Illuminate, has been successfully integrated with our new website structure and integrated technology platform
Online training continued to exceed budgeted profit NSW public sector employees have taken advantage of the free Introduction to NSW Public Sector Procurement online learning program The introduction of blended learning programs has seen a major increase in the use of Illuminate Learners can log in and access their training materials before attending their face to face courses
During 2017–18, a substantial amount of time was devoted to meeting with agency secretaries, deputy secretaries, and learning and development executives We gained a deeper understanding of their organisation’s capability development needs and looked at how IPAA can be a more important resource for them to draw from in the future
Discussions have continued with the cluster heads of human resources exploring how IPAA can work with these departments to develop a baseline suite of training courses aimed at achieving consistent capabilities across the sector This will help us to develop a public sector fundamentals program, which will be recognised across the sector
During the year, engagement with our public and private sector partners allowed us to significantly expand the range and quality of events and services we offer .
IPAA NSW would like to formally acknowledge the support we have received from Bendelta, Cliftons, EY, First State Super, Gilbert + Tobin, Holding Redlich, Watermark, Nous Group, MinterEllison, PPB Advisory, Hudson, University of New England Partnerships and the University of New South Wales
A major focus of IPAA NSW in the last twelve months has been the transition to our new membership engagement platform Such transitions are always complex and we offer our thanks to our members and supporters for their patience during this process Our new platform will give us a substantially increased ability to capture and analyse customer data generated from our website and make it possible for us to offer more tailored online and face-to-face services to our members, service users and partners
More than 2,800 people attended 20 events during the 2017–18 financial year, including:
• Women’s Executive Luncheon –4 September 2017
• Spann Oration delivered by Sir Michael Barber – 9 November 2017
• Picnic in the Park – 8 February 2018
• International Women’s Day –7 March 2018
• CEO and Young Professionals Breakfast –20 March 2018
• Stewards of the Public Sector – On the Couch with Damon Rees – 5 April 2018
• Deliverology Forum with international expert Leigh Sandals – 1 May 2018
• State Conference – 16 May 2018
• Budget Briefing Breakfast – 21 June 2018
More than 750 CEOs and young professionals attended the 16th Annual CEO and Young Professionals Breakfast on 20 March 2018, with the theme ‘Building expertise or increasing mobility – what’s the pathway for success?’
Speakers included Deputy Secretaries MaryAnn O’Loughlin, Department of Premier and Cabinet, and Tony Braxton-Smith, Transport for NSW, and young professionals Gareth Williams, Contracts Delivery Specialist, Sydney Trains, and Paige Labone, Senior Internal Engagement Officer, State Insurance Regulatory Authority The event was hosted by Tom Clark, Senior Project Officer, NSW Department of Planning and Environment
The speakers were on two teams and presented ideas about the benefits and limitations of a public sector that encourages mobility across the public and private sectors versus developing deep expertise in a singular area of public sector work .
The breakfast was held at the International Convention Centre Sydney and made possible by the support of our partner Watermark
The annual State Conference was held on 16 May 2018 The theme of the conference was ‘Being Human in our Time: Critical Capabilities for the 21st Century Public Servant’
The conference focused on:
• Leading significant, successful change across the sector
• Building a learning culture within an organisation
• Co-ordinating complex projects and programs across the sector
• Developing a high-performing team to deliver a result
• Navigating a career across departments and agencies, and between the public and private sectors
The conference program was developed with input from a wide range of public sector leaders and reflected our sector’s unique working environment The program also aligned with the NSW Public Sector Capability Framework This event was made possible by the support of our partner EY
1 Tim Reardon, Secretary, Department of Premier & Cabinet
2 NSW Cluster Secretaries with conference speakers
3 Keynote Address from Adam Fennessy
4 Margaret Crawford, FIPAA, NSW Auditor General
The 2018–19 year will see further major developments in IPAA NSW’s activities, in line with the objectives of transitioning from a small business to a medium-sized enterprise This work will be shaped by our new strategic plan, which establishes four major areas of strategic priorities each with a series of strategies and metrics to deliver on these priorities
Strengthen the reputation of public administration as a confident and capable profession by:
• Positioning the public sector as a profession that makes a positive contribution to NSW, its citizens and the political class
• Increasing the awareness of the future and best practice of public administration
• Providing a mechanism to debate public sector policy and practice
• Developing measures of competency and consistent capabilities
• Celebrating public administration excellence and achievements
Implement a membership strategy that meets the contemporary needs of those working in and with the NSW public sector by:
• Developing and promoting a membership model that enables all NSW public servants to be IPAA members
• Growing individual membership engagement
• Facilitating connections, contributions and collaborations across the NSW public sector and with those who support it
• Connecting, developing and giving a voice to the next generation of public sector professionals
Create a customer-centric approach to the design and delivery of our services by:
• Transforming the online and offline customer experience
• Delivering events, learning and thought leadership content that is responsive to the evolving needs of the sector and builds capability
• Reflecting the diversity in public administration in our services
• Delivering flexible products and services that reach non-CBD based customers
Enhance IPAA’s productivity and profitability by:
• Developing a culture of continuous learning
• Supporting staff to realise their potential and contribute to IPAA’s success
• Achieving continued financial sustainability by sound fiscal management
• Providing responsible governance
Key outcomes from this work will include:
• Developing our new membership strategy
• Establishing a consistent baseline skills certificate for the NSW public sector
• Reviewing our business and administration support program
• Building stronger connections with learning and development Directors across the sector
• Introducing a new series of events targeting Executive Directors and Directors
• Deepening our training in the use of deliverology principles to improve service delivery
• Reviewing and refreshing our Women’s Leadership Network
• Rolling out a range of new services and opportunities for our members and for the sector, including bespoke learning programs, new young professional events, and online groups that allow and encourage post-event discussions
The 2017–18 year was one of reform in major areas of our organisation, including our learning and development services, events program and IT system At the same time, we have continued to strengthen our relationships with our cluster and alliance partners
As anyone who has been involved in a major IT system project will know, it can be easy for the transition to new technology systems to interfere with the ongoing delivery of core services The ability of IPAA NSW to successfully make this transition is in no small measure due to the dedication and skills of our relatively small, hardworking team
Just as importantly, it is also due to the extraordinary networks that IPAA NSW is able to draw on for advice and insight in almost everything that we do from the topics and speakers that we offer at our events and learning opportunities, to the systems and service tools that we use to support our members
The strength of any professional association is a direct function of these networks Therefore, I want to formally record my thanks to our Board, our advisory groups, our partners, our course facilitators and, most importantly, our members for the support they provide to IPAA NSW
I also want to offer my appreciation to the many people who spoke and asked questions at our events, and in doing so, helped to share their knowledge and ideas with the NSW public sector
Madeleine Culbert Chief Executive Officer IPAA NSW