Policy Advice and Coordination, and Cabinet Support

The Policy Division leads intergovernmental relations, including supporting the Premier’s attendance at National Cabinet, and advises the Premier on key social, economic and environment policy issues. Cabinet Services supports Cabinet and Cabinet processes and whole-of-government performance management and reporting.

Policy Advice and Coordination, and Cabinet Support leads the public sector to achieve strong policy outcomes for the government and provides advice and support to the Premier and Cabinet.

Key achievements 2019–20

• Led and coordinated policy advice and intergovernmental relations to inform the government's response to, and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, in collaboration with the DPC COVID-19 Response and Recovery Taskforce, the Functional Recovery Groups and other working groups; and supported Queensland Health in their leadership of the health response to COVID-19.
• Supported the Premier’s attendance at National Cabinet, as Chair of the Queensland Disaster Management Cabinet Committee and at regular meetings with Queensland Mayors.
• Supported the Premier and Cabinet to deliver the Cabinet and Cabinet Committee agenda, Parliamentary legislative agenda and processes, Regional and Community Cabinet program and the implementation, monitoring and reporting of government priorities and election commitments.
• Continued to support, coordinate and contribute to the delivery of the government’s objectives for the community Our Future State: Advancing Queensland’s Priorities.
• Provided a leadership and coordination role across government to ensure Queensland is well positioned to advocate on international, national and state policy issues through intergovernmental forums and reforms.
• Coordinated Queensland’s disaster management and counter-terrorism arrangements, including support for the Queensland Disaster Management Cabinet Committee and the Queensland Security Cabinet Committee.
• Developed the second Annual Progress Report on implementation of recommendations of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.
• Supported the delivery of initiatives by coordinating various advisory councils and taskforces, providing an opportunity for community leaders to work with the Queensland Government to help shape policy and initiatives.
• Coordinated, delivered and provided leadership on the implementation of domestic and family violence (DFV) prevention reforms, including the operation of the Domestic and Family Violence Prevention Council.
• Provided leadership on implementation of the recommendations from the Anti-Cyberbullying Taskforce Report Adjust our settings: A community approach to address cyberbullying among young people in Queensland and provided secretariat support to the independent Anti-Cyberbullying Advisory Committee.

COVID-19 Response and Recovery Taskforce

• Established the COVID-19 Response and Recovery Taskforce to provide overarching strategic analysis, insights and options around response and recovery to COVID-19 for Queensland, including a strong focus on integrated, proactive approaches for health and safety and positioning the state’s economy for recovery.
• Worked closely with Queensland Health to deliver the Roadmap to Easing Queensland’s Restrictions and subsequent updates, including a clear plan to manage Queensland’s borders. 
• Worked closely with agencies, Queensland Health, unions and industry stakeholders to deliver COVID safe checklists and mandatory training for high risk industries and COVID safe plans, with 58 COVID safe plans developed over a two-month period.
• Worked with Queensland Treasury to support the development and release of stages one and two of the Unite and Recover for Queensland Jobs strategy.
• Established the Queensland Industry Recovery Alliance as a forum to facilitate ongoing, direct engagement with 24 industry peak bodies on the future stages of the Queensland Government’s Unite and Recover Economic Recovery Plan.
• Coordinated the state’s COVID-19 communications to stakeholders and community, including the launch of the covid19.qld.gov.au website as a central information source for all Queenslanders on 28 March 2020. 

2032 Taskforce

• Delivered a Value Proposition Assessment (VPA) to inform the Queensland Government’s consideration of a possible candidature for the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, which found hosting the Games is feasible with financial and operational support from all three levels of government.
• In addition to the VPA, significant progress has been made regarding the refinement of the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games venues and villages master plan and detailed engagement with potential event city councils.

Public Sector Reform Office

• The Public Sector Reform Office was established within the department in December 2019 to lead the implementation of public sector reforms arising from the review of Queensland’s public sector employment laws conducted by Peter Bridgman and the report entitled, A Fair and Responsive Public Service for All (the Bridgman Review) and key recommendations regarding the review of public sector workforce reporting, conducted by Professor Peter Coaldrake (the Coaldrake review). 
• The Public Service and Other Legislation Amendment Bill was prepared to be introduced into the Queensland parliament and to implement the priority stage one public sector management reforms.
• The Bill progresses priorities in two main areas:
  1. to give full effect to the government’s commitment to maximise employment security in public sector employment and
  2. to provide for positive performance management of public sector employees.

Our performance

The following service standards in DPC’s 2019–20 Service Delivery Statement were used by the department and the government to assess overall performance of the Policy Advice and Coordination, and Cabinet Support service area.

Notes:

1. This service standard informs on overall satisfaction of the Policy Advice and Coordination, and Cabinet Support service area and is derived from an annual client survey. Clients are Ministers, Chiefs of Staff, Directors-General and their departments’ Cabinet Legislation and Liaison Officers and senior policy officers.
2. This service standard demonstrates overall satisfaction with Intergovernmental Relations and is derived from an annual client survey. Clients are Ministers, Chiefs of Staff, Directors-General and their departments’ Cabinet Legislation and Liaison Officers and senior policy officers.
3. This measure was presented in the 2019–20 Service Delivery Statement under the Strategy and Engagement service area. During 2019–20, Intergovernmental Relations was moved to Policy Division.
4. This service standard informs on the total cost per hour for the provision of advice. The calculation methodology applied to determine average cost per hour is the total operational expense per annual period, plus a percentage of centralised costs, divided by the total cumulative recurrent standard hours per annual period. The 2019–20 Actual is over target due to FTE vacancies in the service area relative to total operational expense per annual period resulting in a higher cost per hour.
5. This service standard measures costs incurred by Cabinet Services in supporting Cabinet to govern from the regions and community receptions. Support costs include venue and equipment hire and costs associated with departmental staff preparing for and attending the meeting/reception.
6. The 2019–20 Actual was less than estimated due to COVID-19 travel restrictions and a change in program scope. Between July and December 2019, Regional Cabinet meetings and community engagement events were held in Mount Isa, Maryborough and Townsville. Regional Cabinet meetings and community engagement events were not held between January and June 2020 due to COVID-19 travel restrictions.  

Future directions for 2020–21

• Lead implementation of the COVID-19 Economic Recovery Strategy: Unite and Recover for Queensland Jobs in partnership with the COVID-19 Response and Recovery Taskforce, Queensland Treasury and the Queensland Industry Recovery Alliance.
• Continue to provide overarching strategic analysis, insights and options around COVID-19 response and recovery for Queensland, with a strong focus on integrated, proactive approaches for health and safety and positioning the state’s economy for recovery.
• Support the Premier and Cabinet to deliver the Cabinet and Cabinet Committee agenda, Parliamentary legislative agenda and processes, Regional and Community Cabinet program and the implementation, monitoring and reporting of government priorities and election commitments.
• Lead innovative policy solutions that align with the government's objectives and respond to emerging trends for the Queensland Government.
• Be responsive to issues raised by industry, businesses, organisations, communities and constituents.
• Support the delivery of initiatives by coordinating various advisory councils and taskforces, providing an opportunity for community leaders to work with the Queensland Government to help shape policy and initiatives.
• Perform a leadership and coordination role across government to ensure Queensland is well positioned to address government-wide issues through intergovernmental forums, including collaboration on design and implementation of new federal relations architecture.
• Support delivery of federal funding arrangements and reform initiatives for a range of key sectors, including the early childhood, school, vocational education and training, health, housing, waste and energy sectors.
• Negotiate the best policy position for Queensland on international, national and state issues through the national engagement forums.
• Coordinate and finalise the implementation of recommendations from the Queensland Anti-Cyberbullying Taskforce Report and support the operation of the Anti-Cyberbullying Advisory Committee.
• Develop the third Annual Progress Report on implementation of recommendations of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.
• Coordinate Queensland’s disaster management and counter-terrorism arrangements, including support for the Queensland Disaster Management Committee and the Queensland Security Cabinet Committee.
• Coordinate, deliver, and provide leadership on the implementation and evaluation of DFV prevention reforms, including the operation of the Domestic and Family Violence Prevention Council.  
• Support policy settings across all portfolios to reframe the Queensland Government’s relationship with Aboriginal people and Torres Strait Islander people in line with the July 2019 Joint Statement of Commitment and the Queensland Reconciliation Action Plan 2018–2021.
• Coordinate and support Queensland’s input and response to Royal Commission and Productivity Commission inquiries.

2032 Taskforce

• Resume discussions on Queensland’s candidature for the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games at an appropriate time with the Olympic Candidature Leadership Group made up of representatives from the Queensland, federal and local governments and Australian Olympic Committee.

Public Sector Reform Office

• Stage two legislative reforms are planned to be progressed during 2021.

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