Our people
DPC’s workforce provides a broad range of services to the Premier and Cabinet, government, and the community, and works closely with other agencies to deliver for the people of Queensland.
The DPC Strategic Workforce Plan 2020–2024 supports a high-performing, accountable, innovative, and effective workforce underpinned by the DPC principles of leadership, inclusion, collaboration, trust, innovation and agility, which guide behaviour and the way we do business.
In 2021–2022, DPC continued to support the COVID-19 and disaster response through the support of employees to undertake essential services for Queenslanders. Employees were:
- mobilised to Queensland Health and Queensland Rural and Industry Development Authority and deployed through Community Recovery Ready Reserve (CRRR) to support the COVID-19 vaccination hubs and contact tracing
- deployed through CRRR in response to severe weather events in central and southern Queensland (Operation Kurrabana), Tropical Cyclone Seth, South East Queensland Weather Event and Severe Weather Flooding.
Protecting employees, our workforce and the Queensland communities we serve, remained a priority. The department implemented a range of workplace health and safety measures including:
- developed and implemented the DPC COVID-19 vaccination mandate and policy for 1 William Street following consultation with employees and unions
- access to flexible work arrangements in line with advice from the Chief Health Officer, to meet the changing COVID-19 environment and ensure the ongoing delivery of essential services to Queenslanders
- ensured our employees remained informed with ongoing communication and updated resources on workplace arrangements, supervisor and employee fact sheets and checklists, and links to Queensland Health resources.
Working for Queensland Survey
In 2021, DPC employees participated in the annual Working for Queensland Survey designed to explore employee perceptions of the workplace including employee engagement, job satisfaction and leadership.
DPC’s response rate was 87 per cent with results higher than the public sector average across all workplace climate indices including:
- people and relationships: 90 per cent positive (13 per cent higher than the public sector average)
- my job: 83 per cent positive (five per cent higher than the public sector average)
- leadership and engagement: 78 per cent positive (15 per cent higher than the public sector average).
The survey results highlight that streamlining processes, recruitment and selection, and career development are areas for focus to drive improvement and positive workplace change.
Workforce profile 2021–2022
The following is a snapshot of the department’s workforce profile for 2021–2022 based on June 2022 Minimum Obligatory Human Resources Information (MOHRI)1, 2 data.
Workforce profile data
| Full-time equivalents | FTE |
|---|---|
Total FTE for the Department of the Premier and Cabinet |
419.84 (includes 43.35 FTE in the Office of the |
Target group data1
| Gender | Number (headcount) |
Percentage of total workforce (calculated on headcount) |
|---|---|---|
| Woman | 324 | 72.16% |
| Man | 123 | 27.39% |
| Non-binary | <5 | 0.45% |
| Diversity Groups | Number (headcount) | Percentage of total workforce (calculated on headcount) |
| Woman | 324 | 72.16% |
| Aboriginal peoples and Torres Strait Islander peoples | <5 | 0.45% |
| People with disability | 22 | 4.90% |
| Culturally and linguistically diverse—Born overseas | 10 | 2.23% |
| Culturally and linguistically diverse—Speak a language at home other than English (including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages or Australian South Sea Islander languages) | 16 | 3.56% |
| Number (headcount) | Percentage of total workforce (calculated on headcount) | |
| Women in leadership roles2 | 60 | 73.17% |
Notes:
- MOHRI FTE data for fortnight ending 17 June 2022.
- FTE for the Norfolk Island Taskforce have been excluded as they are fully funded by the Federal Government and dedicated to the delivery of services outside of Queensland.
Early retirement, redundancy and retrenchment
DPC had no early retirement, redundancy or retrenchment packages paid during this period.
Key achievements for 2021–2022
- Engaged our workforce in the delivery of a Strategic Review of the department and supported the implementation of review outcomes through:
- employee consultation including focus groups and surveys
- leadership and all staff forums
- development of DPC’s new operating model and organisational structure, to align with the key delivery areas of policy, governance, engagement and implementation
- support for employees to navigate through change
- delivery of DPC strategic principles workshops, to embed new and improved ways of working and to support organisational cultural change
- implementation of two whole-of-department ‘impact sprint’ pilot projects, bringing together cross-functional teams to develop solutions to department-wide topics, driving process improvement, innovation, collaboration and agility
- development of the new Human Resources Delegations Manual, reflecting new organisational structure and updated approval levels.
- Coordinated the end-to-end recruitment of the 2022 and 2023 Policy Futures Graduate Program cohorts for policy roles across the Queensland public sector. Thirty-eight graduates from the 2022 cohort commenced in February 2022. Thirty-six graduates from the 2023 cohort will commence in February 2023.
- Upskilled the workforce through the delivery of manager induction and employee onboarding to provide information on key priorities and projects to build a high-performing and engaged workforce.
- Delivered three whole-of-government speaker series to equip employees with knowledge and learnings they can apply within their own roles, with a focus on diversity, inclusion and innovation.
- Drove increased collaboration and understanding across workgroups through the delivery of five in-house speaking events.
- Continued our commitment to the prevention of domestic and family violence, with formal presentation of our White Ribbon re-accreditation and participation in the Darkness to Daylight challenge.
- Supported employee health and wellbeing, in line with the Be Healthy, Be Safe, Be Well framework. Key initiatives delivered under these themes include flu vaccinations, skin checks, blood drive and a volunteering partnership.
- Continued our commitment to giving back to the community through the DPC Gives initiative, with support for MICAH Projects, Rosies, Foodbank and Darkness to Daylight.
- Delivered a comprehensive capability development program to support professional learning and career development.
- Developed additional resources and tools to support staff to transition back to the workplace.
- Refreshed and delivered annual DPC Management Development Program to continue to build management capability.
- Continued to build leadership at all levels with the launch of the Employee Development Program, focused on individual contribution to building organisational culture, organisational skills and career management.
- Increased focus on employee career development and mobility with a refreshed mentoring program, updated performance development agreement, and a ‘impact sprint’ project addressing workforce mobility.
- Delivered whole-of-department mandatory training program to ensure all DPC employees understand their obligations as public servants.
- Upheld our commitment to the highest standard of ethical behaviour through the delivery of additional compliance training for all employees including Code of Conduct, fraud and corruption, record keeping, information privacy, and right to information.
- Delivered training to support critical competencies, including preventing domestic and family violence for managers, MATE Bystander (domestic and family violence prevention for employees), unconscious bias, good decision making and Banaam cultural awareness.
- Further enhanced processes for the declaration and management of conflicts of interest to support best practice governance processes.
- Continued delivery and reporting on the Cultural Capability Action Plan 2019–2022 and DPC’s contribution to the Queensland Government Reconciliation Action Plan, to drive positive outcomes for Aboriginal peoples and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
- Developed the DPC Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Recruitment Plan and increased DPC’s First Nations employees to three per cent.
- Reported on the Disability Service Plan 2020–2021 and developed and implemented the Disability Service Plan 2021–2022.
- Raised awareness of key diversity and inclusion initiatives, including NAIDOC Week, National Reconciliation Week, National Sorry Day, Mabo Day, Multicultural Queensland Month, LGBTIQ+ Pride Month, Disability Action Week, International Women’s Day, Queensland Women’s Week, Wear It Purple Day, and International Day of People with Disability.
- Ensured good governance through the Diversity and Inclusion Consultative Committee, the Agency Consultative Committee (for effective industrial relations management), the Workplace Health and Safety committee and the People and Capability subcommittee (reporting to the Executive Leadership Team).
Future directions for 2022–2023
- Continue to embed outcomes from the Strategic Review, including embedding DPC strategic principles (leadership, collaboration, agility, trust, innovation, and inclusion), driving improved connections and collaboration across teams within DPC, support mobility and career development opportunities and finalise DPC’s employee value proposition.
- Onboard the 2023 Policy Futures Graduate Program and design programs that build policy capability across the Queensland public sector for the 2021, 2022 and 2023 cohorts.
- Continue to prioritise employee health, safety, and wellbeing under the Be Healthy, Be Safe, Be Well framework by providing regular resources and initiatives that support overall wellbeing.
- Continue to build a diverse and inclusive workforce through the development and delivery of key actions under a range of workforce plans.
- Provide opportunities to build leadership capability to support a strong leadership pipeline that prepares the workforce now and into the future.
- Develop and implement a ‘manager essentials’ program to complement the Manager Induction and Management Development Program to increase understanding of roles and responsibilities with a focus on governance and public sector best practice.
Public Sector Ethics Act 1994
- DPC continues to support the Public Sector Ethics Act 1994 principles and build a strong and accountable workforce through ongoing training to all employees, including completion of Code of Conduct training 2021–2022, all of which was delivered through the department’s online learning management system.
- Code of Conduct training is also included in DPC’s mandatory new starter onboarding program and all employees are required to undertake refresher training every three years.
- Good Decision Making training was added to the DPC whole-of-department compliance training schedule and is offered to employees several times a year.
Human Rights Act 2019
- During 2021–2022, we embedded the provisions of the Human Rights Act 2019 into standard business-as-usual activities to ensure that actions are taken, and decisions are made, which are compatible with human rights. Specific actions taken during 2021–2022 include:
- developed the COVID-19 vaccination requirements—1 William Street policy, consistent with the provisions and principles of the Human Rights Act 2019, to support the safety and wellbeing of employees and visitors to 1 William Street.
- coordinated delivery of Introduction to the Human Rights Act face-to-face training by the Queensland Human Rights Commission for the 2022 Policy Futures Graduates cohort (38 employees) and provided access to the Human Rights Commission Public Entities and the Queensland Human Rights Act 2019 online training program through the department’s learning management system.
- provided whole-of-government direction on human rights requirements with agency planning through the Agency Planning Requirements and annual reporting through the Annual reporting requirements for Queensland Government agencies.
- continued to monitor and implement the department’s Human Rights Policy, including the department’s specific human rights decisionmaking framework and a step-by-step guide to help employees make decisions and behave in a way that is compatible with the Act.
- continued to review human resources documentation, intranet content and procedures to ensure human rights considerations are embedded in human resource processes and practices.
- received no human rights complaints in relation to DPC actions or activities between 1 July 2021 and 30 June 2022.
We will continue to review our Human Rights Policy, considering the Queensland Human Rights Commission’s review of the Anti-Discrimination Act 1991, which was completed in July 2022 and following the statutory review of the operation of the Human Rights Act 2019, which is required to occur after 1 July 2023.
Business continuity, security and safety
We are responsible for ensuring the safety of staff and continuity of operations. We also have whole-of-government, external, statewide and national responsibilities depending on the size and nature of the event or disruption.
We manage the continuity of operations through DPC’s Business Continuity Framework (BCF) which sets out the roles, responsibilities, critical deliverables and key actions to be undertaken by the department, should a disruption occur. This includes both a disruption primarily affecting the department, and an event or incident which requires the activation of whole-of-government coordination arrangements.
The BCF considers appropriate standards (e.g., AS/NZS 5050:2010 — Business Continuity — Managing disruption risk) and aims to build high-level resilience in departmental services and sites, as well as the availability and integrity of information and business systems when an adverse event occurs.
We work with our non-government organisation (NGO) partners to disburse disaster assistance donations to Queensland communities in need.
We participated in the staged implementation of the Queensland Protective Security Framework (QPSF). Led by the Queensland Police Service, the QPSF outlines the principles, minimum requirements and key outcomes needed to protect Queensland Government personnel, information and physical assets. It ensures coherence and consistency to protective security policies and practices across government.
Key achievements for 2021–2022
- In 2021–2022, we reviewed and updated our BCF to prevent, prepare for, respond to, and recover from business disruption incidents that impact normal business activities. This included maintaining 25 detailed, business continuity plans across the department to ensure we managed risk at the business area level and maintained the integrity and continuity of our services.
- Our business continuity arrangements were stood up three times in 2021–2022—in responding to COVID-19 in July 2021 and in January 2022 (post the opening of Queensland’s borders), and in February 2022, in response to the South East Queensland flood event.
- We participated in a whole-of-government cyber security scenario led by the Department of Communities, Housing and Digital Economy in April 2022. The department also conducted a DPC and portfolio cyber security exercise led by internal audit provider. Learnings from both scenario exercises were incorporated into existing plans for continuous improvement.
- In addition, the department provided funding to our NGO partners to assist Queensland communities impacted by the February 2022 flood event.
- In 2021–2022, we were a participating agency in the Stage 1 implementation of the QPSF. This included:
- appointing the Deputy-Director-General, People and Services as the department’s Chief Security Officer
- establishing security governance arrangements to embed the QPSF as a standing agenda item on all governance subcommittees
- testing the department’s protective security maturity and alignment to the QPSF principles.
Future directions for 2022–2023
- Continue to update and integrate learnings into the department’s BCF and plans at the business area level.
- Establish a departmental working group to further mature DPC’s alignment with the QPSF and to drive required actions identified through self-assessment.
- Apply policies and procedures at operational and frontline levels and continue to develop security capability and a security culture.
- Formalise a Memorandum of Understanding with NGO partners to streamline the provision of disaster relief funding and reporting, to assist Queensland communities impacted by disaster events.