The following table highlights the key areas upon which the new CEO will need to focus as they move into their new role.
| AREA OF FOCUS | INFORMATION FOCUS | SOURCE OF INSIGHTS |
| Feedback from recruitment | Explanation about the rationale for selecting the new CEO for the role (what was it that put them at the top of the list) and areas that emerged during the recruitment process that the new CEO would need to develop. | The Chair |
| Performance expectations | Outline of key performance indicators (KPIs). | The Chair |
| Governance | The authority and responsibilities of the Chair, the Board, the CEO, the relevant Minister, the department and the protocols governing the relationships. | The Chair; the outgoing CEO; senior departmental staff; other public sector CEOs |
| Political landscape | Emerging issues and key players. | The Chair; the outgoing CEO; executive staff; senior departmental staff; members of parliament |
| Organisational activity | Current activities, the impacts of these activities and key issues. The need for activity in the future, drivers of this need and key issues. | Executive staff; outgoing CEO |
| Finance | The financial health of the organisation, sources of income and risks to this income. | Chief Finance Officer |
| Workforce performance and development | The profile of the organisation’s current workforce (skills, age, retention/turnover, internal movement). The capacity of the workforce to continue delivering in the future including workforce and succession risks and actions in place to address these risks. | Executive staff; HR manager; other staff in the organisation. |
| Public relations | Recent and current presence in the media and issues arising from this. | Communications manager; executive staff |
| Knowledge management | How information relevant to the organisation’s performance is collected and shared. | Executive staff |
The Victorian Public Sector Commission’s Serving Victoria: A guide for public sector CEOs1 contains advice and checklists that will provide information to assist the new CEO achieve success in their role.
Footnotes
- Victorian Public Sector Commission, Serving Victoria: A guide for public sector CEOs, (State Government of Victoria, 2011).