SHARED
SERVICES REFORM
WORKFORCE
CONSULTATIVE MEETING #5
On
Wednesday 15 August 2007, Public Service Association (PSA) President
Lindsay Oxlad and Industrial Officer Josie Barbaro attended a meeting
of the Shared Services Reform Office (SSRO) Workforce Consultative
Group (WCG), the peak body to discuss employee related issues
associated with the reform process.
SSRO representatives
provided the following update;
-
Recruitment
for new positions within SSRO is continuing
-
Cabinet
approved an accommodation proposal for 91 King William Street.
-
Work
is progressing an organisational culture/climate strategies. The PSA
has requested further information on this.
In
addition to reporting on progress, the SSRO tabled their Service
Reform Framework for discussion. The Framework applies to all shared
services in scope and focuses on:
-
Multiple
Corporate Systems that exist in agencies (so that there are fewer
common systems).
-
Non-standardised
business processes that exist in agencies (so that all systems are
standardised).
-
Multiple
locations of agency service and delivery outlets (rationalised to
fewer locations).
-
Resources,
both FTE and other support resources like ICT (reduced).
The
SSRO proposes to adopt a 5 stage process to work through these
aspects, namely (in order of priority):
-
Simplification
of business processes.
-
Standardisation
of business processes.
-
Consolidation
("bringing together") of functions.
-
Rationalisation
("less of") of functions and systems.
-
Transformation
so that service delivery and business processes are delivered in a
totally different way.
While
the SSRO were at pains to emphasise that the Framework was only
intended to illustrate how shared services reform will be
progressively implemented, it also clearly showed that there is an
expectation of a significant reduction in RESOURCES (both FTE and
support resources like ICT) which is something that the Public
Service Association is very concerned about given statements by the
Treasurer during the last election that job cuts would not occur.
SSRO also advised a Discovery Project is about
to commence with a sample group of Government agencies, investigating
processes and work practices in Payroll Services, Accounts Receivable
and Accounts Payable. This will involve a combination of
questionnaires and worksite visits. Each agency is to nominate a
Co-Ordinator to assist SSRO staff with this process. A document will
be forwarded to the PSA shortly containing further detail on this
process. Agencies involved will include;
Payroll:
Courts Administration
Authority, DECS, SAPOL, Southern Adelaide Health Service
A/C
Receivable: DFC
(Metro Dom Care), Treasury & Finance (former DAIS functions),
Central Northern Adelaide Health Service
A/C
Payable: DFC,
Department of Health, PIRSA, DECS
PSA
members have already contributed to a submission on a Single Payroll
Service Proposal (available here), documenting many
issues. However, this exercise will provide an important opportunity
to assess what problems members in these areas face, and evaluate
what is being done well and what could be done better. Members in
these identified work areas are encouraged to contact the PSA
(details below) to raise issues directly which can be raised at the
WCG.
The PSA tabled further academic research on the Shared
Services experience in Canada. This research can be found here.
The
PSA will continue to keep members informed of developments. Should
you have any queries, please contact PSA Industrial Officer Josie
Barbaro on jxb@cpsu.asn.au
or 8205 3295.
PSA/CPSU
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