Do:
- Nominate a public entity employee to work with the department.
- Think purposefully about the role of the department and the public entity to identify opportunities to collaborate.
- Prioritise building an effective and open working relationship with the department.
- Ensure you understand the public entity’s specific legislated governance and functions, including any limitations on independence.
- Understand any obligations on your public entity to advise the department.
- Communicate regularly with the department through established meetings and on ad hoc issues as they arise.
- Raise significant risks with the department.
- Seek advice and support from the department on governance and public administration matters.
- Ensure that relevant public entity staff are aware of any compliance obligations in relation to whole of government policy.
- Transfer knowledge between staff to ensure the relationship with the department is maintained.
- Ensure contact details are available to relevant staff in the department.
Don’t:
- Overestimate the public entity’s level of independence from government.
- Dismiss communication from the department as not applying to the public entity, except where the public entity is clearly not in scope.
- Avoid communication with the department on significant matters or risks, noting that public entities have legal obligations to advise the minister and the department.
- Brief the minister directly, without the knowledge of the department, unless it is appropriate under the public entity’s legislation.