Providing WOVG people data analytics and insights
Our website includes workforce data and research, facts and visuals on key trends and issues. We published an annual workforce data snapshot of the Victorian public sector and a summary of how the public sector performed according to respondents of the annual People matter survey.
This year we published a report on the experiences of Aboriginal employees. The report combines quantitative data with focus groups and seeks to understand workplace issues like racism, cultural load, career development and feeling safe to speak up. Acknowledging the experience of Aboriginal employees is critical to the public sector’s ongoing commitment to provide a culturally safe workplace and grow the number of Aboriginal employees in the public sector.
We also developed workforce insights for several industries drawing on both People matter survey data and workforce data to support secretaries in their role of oversighting public entities.
We undertook People matter surveys for 231 organisations, conducted in October 2022 and June 2023, providing reports and insights on diversity, inclusion, employee wellbeing and engagement. Public entities used the results to inform their interim workplace gender audits under the Gender Equality Act 2020.
In partnership with WorkSafe and departments, we developed an occupational health and safety data dashboard and convened a leadership group that takes an evidence informed approach to mental health and wellbeing in the Victorian Public Service (VPS).
We collaborated with the Victorian Centre for Data Insights to design a modern and secure workforce data hub. In the future, the hub will integrate fragmented and siloed datasets, combining them for synthesis and analysis. Work is already underway to improve legacy systems to future-proof our practices.
Supporting a digitally enabled and flexible workforce
We developed a VPS workforce framework to guide policy development, strategic planning and decision making. It maps areas of focus across the 3 domains of: employees and leaders; operating models; systems and platforms; and the Victorian community.
The Suburban Hubs trial tested feasibility and demand for cross-departmental workspaces in five locations outside the CBD. While employees were working flexibly, we analysed office use and ways of working to inform future accommodation strategy.
The Innovation Network increased to 18,000 members, up from 15,000 in 2021-22. The Commission partnered with Digital Victoria to develop and host the Digital Academy, an online hub for VPS staff to learn the latest in digital, data, cyber and cloud.
Through the Innovation Network we designed and delivered over 30 events online, in person and hybrid for over 5,500 attendees. These sessions covered topics as varied as digital literacy, systems thinking, workplace culture and flexible and hybrid working. The Innovation Network also developed a hybrid event toolkit to support government appetite for innovative event formats.
We delivered a suite of short courses and microcredentials which were promoted across the Jobs and Skills Exchange (JSE), designed to further develop a range of transferable skills. More than 1,100 people completed a short course. Another 950 completed a micro-credential in a coaching or technical capability.
Providing workforce planning advice
We led a whole of government working group to co-design the VPS Job Family Architecture (JFA), a workforce segmentation tool that enables better workforce planning and improved consistency across agencies. With 18 defined job families, the JFA can assist employers in benchmarking, environmental scanning and labour market analysis. Findings informed the VPS Workforce Framework.
We also continued to grow the Strategic Workforce Planning community of practice, building internal capability and connecting practitioners across government.