Future Ready: A focus on agency capability reviews

July 16, 2024 9:15 am

Future Ready: A focus on agency capability reviews

Hear from Public Sector Commissioner, Sharyn O’Neill, on the broad themes from the 11 PSC Agency Capability Reviews completed, as well as from program leaders, reviewers, and leaders of reviewed agencies.

Registrations online are now closed.

New registrations:

For new registrations and enquiries please contact events@ipaawa.org.au

Replacements:

If you are no longer able to attend, you are welcome to send a colleague to take your spot. Replacement will be processed at the registration desk in the morning.

Please ensure that:

the person attending knows the name of the person they are replacing,
instruct them to collect the name badge of that person, and
attend the change desk to provide their details.

Download the Conference Booklet Here

Western Australia’s Public Sector Commission has been leading the nation with its Agency Capability Review (ACR) program. The program is based on some of the latest research from experts around the world. Its objective is to deliver a sector wide approach to improvement, by identifying the capabilities needed to be a high performing, future fit agency in the Western Australian context.

Attend this seminar to discover broad themes from the 11 reviews completed in a keynote presentation by Public Sector Commissioner, Sharyn O’Neill PSM FIPAA.

Hear from program leaders about the framework and reviews, from reviewers about how they approach reviews and hallmarks of agencies that have gotten the most value, and leaders of reviewed agencies about the experience.

You will hear recommendations from the presenters for organisations who seek to learn from the ACR model to improve their own capability.

Delivered in a short, impactful, seminar format, you will gain unique insights from well-placed program participants.

This session will serve:

Executive Directors and Deputy Directors-General
Governance Officers
Human Resource Managers
Chief Financial Officers
Aspiring leaders

You will hear:

Capability themes that have emerged from completed reviews
The difference between a review and an audit
The experience of a review from an agency and co-opted reviewer perspective
Reporting against commitments

Keynote Speaker

Sharyn O’Neill PSM FIPAA | Commissioner, Public Sector Commission

Sharyn O’Neill was appointed Public Sector Commissioner in July 2018 following 12 years as Director General of the Department of Education. She is the first woman to undertake the role.

Ms O’Neill began her career as a teacher and deputy principal in country schools, before moving to policy, governance and system leadership positions. She has a Master of Education (Education Administration and Policy) and was the youngest Director General appointed to lead the Department of Education.

She has been awarded the Institute of Public Administration Australia (WA) Patron’s Award; made a Fellow of the Institute and received the Australian College of Educators (WA) Medal in recognition of her outstanding achievements in education.

Ms O’Neill was the State Recovery Controller from April 2020 to October 2022 with responsibility for developing, coordinating and overseeing WA’s recovery from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2023 she was awarded the Public Service Medal for leading this vital work.

In June 2023, Ms O’Neill became the first Western Australian to be appointed Chair of the Australia and New Zealand School of Government Board.

Facilitator

Jennifer Marston | Executive Director Agency Capability and Improvement, Public Sector Commission

Jennifer Marston took up this position in January 2024 to lead work driving performance improvement in the public sector. She is acting in the role for 12 months, moving across from the Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage where she is the Assistant Director General Business and Corporate Services.

Ms Marston has held various senior leadership roles across WA and Australian public service agencies including the New South Wales Department of Communities and Justice; and the Australian Department of Defence, and Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

Ms Marston holds a Master of Business Administration and Master of Arts (Public Sector Leadership) and has served on a number of boards and audit and risk committees.

Conference Host

Jenness Gardner MIPAA | Chief Executive Officer, Economic Regulation Authority; President, IPAA WA

Jenness Gardner is an experienced strategic leader working in the energy and resources sector leading economic policy development, commercial negotiations and large scale project development for the state. In addition to her current role as CEO at the Economic Regulation Authority, she has extensive senior management and board experience from various roles in the State and Commonwealth Governments including Department of Commerce and Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and Innovation.

As an active member of CEOs for Gender Equality, Jenness is passionate and committed to ensuring gender equity in the workplace and as a leader is always seeking to address structural barriers to women’s participation at work. Throughout her career she’s provided personal support and mentoring to help women in her workplace and the broader Government sector to reach their full potential.

MC

Emma Forrest MIPAA | Assistant Director, Licensing and Customer Protection, Economic Regulation Authority

Since starting her public sector career in the Wageline call centre in 2006, Emma has worked on social and strategic policy projects at the Department of Communities, the Department of the Premier and Cabinet, and Treasury WA. For the past four years she has worked at the Economic Regulation Authority and in October 2023 commenced her current role as the Assistant Director Licensing and Consumer Protection. Emma has served on the IPAA WA Council since 2013 and as Secretary since 2021.

A career highlight was her Jawun secondment to Kununurra, working on program evaluation with a small Aboriginal Corporation.

Speakers

Jodi Cant | Director-General, Department of Finance

Jodi Cant is the Department of Finance’s Director General, leading the areas of Advisory, Buildings and Contracts, Major Projects and RevenueWA for the state.

In February 2022, Jodi returned to Finance from an 8-month secondment at the Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage during which time she led Planning Reform and Aboriginal Heritage changes.

Jodi is an authentic leader who leads with clarity, courage, and kindness. She is an innovator, collaborator, and connector with excellent communication skills.

Commercially savvy with community at heart, Jodi’s experience crosses the government, start-up, private and not-for profit sectors—and she faces challenges informed by the perspective of each.

Jodi was awarded the 2020 Telstra Western Australian Business Woman of the Year and also won the Western Australian category for Public Sector and Academia.

Jodi has previously sat on the Boards of PSMA Australia, PEXA Ltd, earthmine Australia and the Institute of Public Administration Australia (IPAA) Council.

Heather Brayford | Director-General, Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development

Heather has a wealth of knowledge and experience in the public sector, with over 35 years of involvement in fisheries and aquaculture policy, regulation, industry development, biosecurity and natural resource management. Heather thrives on working in partnership with stakeholders and building trust to support positive community outcomes.

Before becoming DPIRD’s Director General, Heather served as Director General of the former Department of Fisheries and, most recently, as Deputy Director General with DPIRD.

As a two-term Director of the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation, Heather understands the research and development landscape and has developed a strong knowledge of emerging challenges and opportunities for primary industries and the regions. Heather is a recipient of the 2020 Queen’s Birthday Public Service Medal for outstanding public service to legislative reform and policy development in WA.

She is also a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and holds an MBA and Bachelor of Science.

Melanie Samuels | Deputy Director General Community Services, Department of Communities

Melanie holds a Bachelor of Social Work and has worked in the child protection and human service space for the past 25 years.

Melanie has extensive experience in housing, disability services and child protection service delivery and operational policy to achieve better outcomes for individuals, families, and communities.

Melanie has previously held several other Senior Executive positions in the Department of Communities including the Regional Executive Director for the North Metropolitan Region.

In the past she has been the WA President of the Australian Association of Social Workers and has presented at international child protection conferences in the UK and the USA.

Carmel McGregor PSM FIPAA | Lead Reviewer, Agency Capability Review Program, Public Sector Commission; Adjunct Professor, University of Canberra

Ms McGregor is currently an Adjunct Professor at the University of Canberra and a private consultant. She has previously held positions including Vice President of the Institute of Public Administration Australia, Chair of the Australian Human Resources Institute Public Sector Advisory Council, Deputy Australian Public Service Commissioner, Deputy Secretary Defence and Deputy Immigration and Citizenship, Senior roles in Centrelink and Department of Employment.

Ms McGregor was a lead reviewer for a Contestability Review of the Australian Federal Police in 2016 and participated as a panel member for a capability review of the Australian Bureau of Statistics in 2013. In 2016 Ms McGregor led a review of the Victorian Leadership Development Centre for the Victorian Public Service. In 2018 she undertook an independent review of the WA Public Sector Commission. She has led the reviews of the Department of Finance and Department of Communities for the Agency Capability Review Program.

Sarah Stephens | Director, Agency Capability Review Program, Public Sector Commission

Sarah is currently the Director of the Agency Capability Review Program at the WA Public Sector Commission and is a Board Member of St Bart’s, one Perth’s leading not-for-profit providers of homelessness services.

Sarah brings expertise in public policy and administration, with over 18 years’ experience in government, including roles at the Commonwealth Departments of the Treasury, Finance and Veterans’ Affairs, and as a Director of the Office of the Director General at the WA Department of Communities.

She has a strong background in government reviews, as a member of the Strategic Review of Commonwealth Employment Services in 2007, and the Rudd Government’s Expenditure Review Taskforce in 2008. In more recent years, Sarah has led a review of private hospital arrangements for veterans, and a functional review of WA’s disability services.

Sarah has been a volunteer at St Bart’s since 2019, visiting residents with her two dogs, Harriet and Henry.

Mark Burgess
Senior Co-opted Reviewer,
Agency Capability Review Program;
Executive Director, Department of Water and Environmental Regulation

Mark Burgess | Senior Co-opted Reviewer, Agency Capability Review Program; Executive Director, Department of Water and Environmental Regulation

Date, Time & Venue

16 Jul 2024
9:15 AM to 11:30 AM

Hyatt Regency Perth, 99 Adelaide Terrace, Perth WA 6000

Cost

Prices include GST and are subject to change

Individual Member

$99.00

Corporate Member

$180.00

Corporate Member (Group of 8)

$1,440.00

Corporate Member (Group of 10)

$1,620.00

Non-Member

$255.00

Non-Member (Group of 8)

$2,040.00

Non-Member (Group of 10)

$2,295.00

Overview Speakers Event Information