OneFACS update – IRC urges transparency in OneFACS reorganisation 17 August 2015 (PDF version)

The Industrial Relations Commission of NSW has issued a series of recommendations dealing with consultation, disclosure of information and procedural fairness.

In response to the PSA’s dispute application of 16 July 2015, the NSW Industrial Relations Commission recommended the Department of Family and Community Services provide staff with comparative establishment information before finalising changes mooted under Phase 2 (Matching Assessment Process) of the OneFACS Non-Executive Staff Transition and Change Management Plan (Central Office and Corporate Services).

It was noted this information should be provided in a clear “diagram or table” for simplicity and ease of interpretation.

The PSA argued providing staff with comparative establishment data (ideally a road map between current and new structures) is a key element of the DPC mandatory Agency Change Management Guidelines (D2011_14). This would allow staff to easily compare structural arrangements and identify deleted, continuing and newly created roles.

Once available, the information has the added advantage of ensuring the Department’s reorganisation procedures have been administered consistently, by opening placement decisions – like direct appointments – to scrutiny. Read the workforce data provided by the Department so far HERE.

In addition to this, the IRC also recommended the Department circulate all outstanding role descriptions, observing “no employee [should] be asked to compete for a position without having the position description against which they are to be assessed.”

The agency has since complied with this recommendation.

In a separate move to the IRC proceedings, the Department has agreed to agency-wide restrictions on the external advertisement of non-front line roles for the duration of the reorganisation process.

While the PSA sought a further series of substantive changes to the Department’s reorganisation process, including an up-front voluntary redundancy program, an additional step in the matching process to prioritise placement of ongoing staff and the inclusion of a job/voluntary redundancy swap process, the IRC decline to make recommendations on these matters. The Commission noted although the PSA had “argued for them forcefully and effectively” the IRC “had no power to enforce those recommendations as orders in any way”.

For further information or assistance, contact our Member Support Centre on 1300 772 679 or Senior Industrial Advocate, Thane Pearce at ">