DEEWR Strategic Plan 2011-2014

DEEWR mission

DEEWR brings together people and services to support the Australian Government’s agenda on education, employment and workplace relations. The department makes a difference through the stages of an individual’s life: early childhood care and development; quality education at all levels; a skilled workforce with greater participation; safe workplaces and an inclusive society. Everyone in DEEWR is working towards our vision—a productive and inclusive Australia.

The diverse functions of the department are linked and enable worthwhile collaboration and learning. Across the department we all contribute to closing the gap for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, improving services in regional Australia and for people experiencing disadvantage.

By providing support and creating opportunities everyone in DEEWR works to improve the lives of citizens.

• The work we do
• Supporting our department
• The way we work
• Our performance
• The environment we work in
• Indigenous business is everyone’s business.

The work we do

The goals outline the activities and provide direction for the department to achieve the DEEWR vision. The department delivers the Australian Government’s priorities through the development and implementation of policies and programs. The goals are achieved in conjunction with the state and regional network, and through engagement with key stakeholders.

• Provide a positive start in life
• Offer a brighter future through education
• Develop a highly skilled, educated and productive community
• Ensure a safe, fair, productive and successful workplace
• Promote a participative and inclusive society

Key links:

• DEEWR website
• Portfolio Budget Statements
• Annual Report
• Ministers

Provide a positive start in life

Children have access to culturally appropriate support, care and education throughout early childhood that will equip them for life and learning.

• Continue to implement and promote the Early Childhood Development Strategy as the overarching policy framework for early childhood development in Australia.
• Implement agreed national standards through the National Quality Framework for Early childhood education and care, and invest in programs and infrastructure to improve access to quality early childhood learning and child care services.
• Develop a workforce strategy to increase the supply and improve the quality of teaching and care in early childhood across all settings.
• Assist parents and carers to access affordable child care and support them in their key roles as early childhood educators and carers.
• Continue to lead the action on the Early Childhood Closing the Gap target by implementing policies and strategies to improve the access to quality early childhood education and care services by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and their families.

Key links:

• Office of Early Childhood Education and Childcare
• National Quality Framework
• Early Childhood programs
• mychild.gov.au

Offer a brighter future through education

Enable all students to acquire the knowledge and skills to participate effectively in society and employment in a globalised economy and make successful transitions to further education, training and work.

• Support students to improve learning outcomes, including increased literacy and numeracy performance.
• Support school communities to achieve improved learning outcomes, including increased literacy and numeracy.
• Increase access to quality training pathways which incorporate workplace learning and enhanced career advice for young people.
• Support schools to promote an inclusive society through a culture of aspiration and student resilience.

Key links:

• Schooling
• Myschool.edu.au
• Ministerial Council for Education, Early Childhood Development and Youth Affairs
• Education reform agenda
• NAPLAN

Develop a highly skilled, educated and productive community

Through world class higher education and vocational education and training, people can achieve their full potential and become productive participants in the modern labour market.

• Enable people to acquire skills and qualifications needed to participate in competitive domestic and global labour markets to meet the needs of industry and society.
• Improve the quality of teaching, learning and infrastructure in the tertiary sector and support a diverse range of educational providers.
• Focus on removing barriers between the higher education and vocational education and training sectors to enable people to create their own learning pathways to meet individual and industry needs.
• Improve the responsiveness of the tertiary sector to current and emerging issues in the labour market by providing industry with a mechanism to direct skills investment to areas of need, drive industry partnerships and co-invest in funding workforce development priorities.
• Focus on building education and training sectors with further development in international linkages and creating a globally connected education and training system.
• Facilitate people to achieve their full potential through world-class higher education and vocational education and training and enable them to become productive participants in the modern labour market.

Key links:

• Higher education
• International
• Skills Australia
• Endeavour Awards
• Youth.gov.au

Ensure a safe, fair, productive and successful workplace

Employers and employees are supported to adopt flexible and modern arrangements that lead to mutually beneficial outcomes in Australian workplaces and for the economy.

• Ensure the national workplace relations system is operating as intended, including through involvement in key cases before courts and tribunals.
• Promote the flexibility which the national workplace relations system provides, particularly the opportunities to enhance productivity and build safe, fair, productive, harmonious and sustainable workplaces through good faith collective bargaining at the enterprise level.
• Lead the development and implementation of harmonised workplace health and safety arrangements.
• Maintain clear and enforceable minimum national employment standards.
• Build awareness of workplace rights and obligations.

Key links:

• Workplace Relations
• Fair Work Australia
• Safe Work Australia
• Fair Work Ombudsman
• Office of the Federal Safety Commissioner

Promote a participative and inclusive society

People from all backgrounds have access to a range of services and financial support that help them overcome barriers, develop new skills and knowledge, gain employment and participate in society.

• Ensure people are equipped to participate effectively in the labour market, with industry and business harnessing and developing their skills and abilities.
• Ensure effective access to financial support, modern employment services and other assistance to help individuals and families overcome barriers, reduce joblessness and enable participation in employment, education, training and society.
• Implement and continue to improve employment services to meet the current and future needs of job seekers and employers.
• Ensure policies and programs are targeted to close the gaps for the most disadvantaged Australians in employment, education, training and society.
• Provide access to a range of services and financial support that help people overcome barriers, develop new skills and knowledge, gain employment and participate in society.
• Work across all DEEWR programs with State and Territories through COAG and national agreements to improve outcomes for Indigenous Australians.

Key links:

• Employment
• Job Services Australia
• Disability Employment Services
• Council of Australian Governments

Supporting our department

Our corporate and enabling groups provide core services and support the business areas to deliver on the department’s goals. Their work includes building the future capability and ensuring the reputation and accountability of the department.

These groups support the department to:

provide resources and tools, to empower and assist DEEWR employees, and build capabilities. use evidence based options to develop, implement and review programs and policies including mapping, reports and data ensure effective governance through responsible decision making, planning and reporting assist to manage resources within the allocated budget and timeframes through infrastructure, service provision, information and training be more efficient and effective through streamlined, improved and refined processes and systems provide high level services, support and information to our Ministers and Parliamentary Secretaries establish frameworks and networks to strengthen relationships with stakeholders report and communicate the work of the department deliver a range of legal and investigation services to enable business priorities through legal, fraud and risk mitigation maintain, invest and build systems to gather information, capture data and provide reports.

Areas which support the department in achieving the goals are:

• Departmental overview
• DEEWR jobs
• Contact us

The way we work

DEEWR’s people are the centre of the department’s ability to support the government and meet the needs of the community. We work in partnership with citizens, across government and with stakeholders to achieve the vision. We model the APS Values, demonstrate leadership and take personal responsibility to build the department’s capabilities. These behaviours define the department’s culture.

People

• be the best we can be
• respect diversity and the contribution of others
• promote wellbeing and work/life balance

Delivery

• find innovative and practical solutions
• develop and implement evidence based options
• save time and money

Relationships

• consult, connect and work together
• effectively communicate openly and regularly
• empower and delegate to balance responsibilities.

People

The department supports its people to build strong teams and create a workplace where we care for the whole person. This strengthens the department capability to ensure our success.

be the best we can be

• develop skills through on the job training, mobility, relationships and formal learning courses
• increase your knowledge and share learnings
• use departmental capabilities and resources

respect diversity and the contribution of others

• value different perspectives
• learn from the experiences of others
• acknowledge contributions and use good ideas

promote wellbeing and work/life balance

• balance work and personal life
• use policies and arrangements which provide employees with support
• provide and seek opportunities to be challenged, motivated and valued at work.

Key links

• APS values
• APS Code of Conduct
• Integrated Leadership System

Delivery

The department uses best practice, emerging and global research to strengthen innovative and cost effective service delivery, and meet the needs of the community.

find innovative and practical solutions

• investigate innovative approaches to achieve your goals
• be open to new ways of doing things
• review and evaluate processes and incorporate results

develop and implement evidence based options

• learn from research, evaluation and analysis
• use place based solutions to meet the needs of the community
• learn from similar situations in the department, government, in Australia and on a global level

save time and money

• look for ways to remove duplication, and build efficiencies
• understand and manage budget, legislation and risk
• implement improvement processes in your work.

Key links:

• APS Innovation Plan
• Parliament House
• Department of Finance and Deregulation
• ANAO publications

Relationships

By working together with stakeholders, the community and across government the department strengthens its ability to provide effective solutions and minimise duplication.

consult with each other and our stakeholders

• identify and build relationships with people who may be impacted by your work
• collaborate and discuss your approach and keep people informed
• use and share information, knowledge and resources

communicate with citizens and across the department

• have open ongoing discussions with your peers, colleagues and managers
• communicate regularly with stakeholders across the department, government and community
• inform, update and seek endorsement through the organisational structure

empower and delegate to balance responsibilities

• provide and seek opportunities to learn new skills and perspectives
• support people to build capabilities; and share information, tools and resources
• assign responsibilities which include accountability.

Key links:

• Contact DEEWR
• Latest news
• Departmental sites
• Organisational chart

Our performance

DEEWR is transparent and accountable in the way we work and the work we do. Our frameworks integrate performance measurements, and ensure this is combined with planning and reporting.

The DEEWR governance structure provides for efficient and effective decision making. This is supported by:

• information outlined in the Portfolio Budget Statements and Annual Report
• mitigating fraud and risk, and internal audit processes
• internal planning and reporting
• stakeholder satisfaction surveys
• organisational performance benchmarking.

Key links:

• Portfolio Budget Statements
• Annual Report
• Australian National Audit Office
• Freedom of Information
• DEEWR Fraud Policy

The environment we work in

The department considers our operating environment and the influence of external factors such as the APS reform agenda and financial constraints.

We implement budget priorities, place based solutions and respond to emerging and global issues which effect the Government and the community in Australia.

By using innovative approaches we improve services to people across Australia and contribute to closing the gap for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Key links:

• Australian Government, Ministers and Parliamentary Sitting Timetable
• Budget papers
• APS Reform Agenda
• State of the Service
• Management Advisory Committee
• Australian National Institute of Public Policy
• Council of Australian Governments
• Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development

Indigenous business is everyone’s business

Closing the Gap

In December 2007 the Council of Australian Governments agreed to a partnership between all levels of government to work with Indigenous communities to achieve the target of closing the gap in Indigenous disadvantage.

DEEWR has lead responsibility for four of the six Closing the Gap targets. The department implements policies and programs towards achieving these targets. They are:

• ensure access to early childhood education for all Indigenous four years olds in remote communities within five years
• halve the gap in reading, writing and numeracy achievements for children within a decade
• halve the gap for Indigenous students in Year 12 (or equivalent) attainment rates by 2020
• halve the gap in employment outcomes between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians within a decade.

Our commitment to reconciliation

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are an integral part of our business and workforce; together we contribute to a productive and inclusive Australia through our commitment to reconciliation.

Key links:

• DEEWR Reconciliation Action Plan
• COAG Closing the Gap targets
• Reconciliation Australia