So the development focus here is not on building day-to-day project or operational management skills, but on aspects of project or operational management that managers may not have experienced in their pre-management work.
These include establishing a business case, establishing governance arrangements, and sourcing and allocating resources. There is also a development focus on the knowledge, skills and behaviours that a manager needs in order to ensure outcomes from a number of different projects or operational activities running concurrently.
There is an emphasis too on the knowledge, skills and behaviours that constitute the compliance aspects of project and operations management. These include procurement processes, risk management, reporting and record keeping.
In many instances, clear legislative requirements, standards and guidelines establish particular ways of managing and reporting on operations and projects within the Victorian public sector.
Most individual organisations will have developed their own policies, processes, tools and templates to ensure compliance with the various requirements. However, despite individual differences in language and format, the basic content of these policies, processes, tools and templates will be similar.
What should a development activity cover?
The checklist that follows outlines the core content that development activities focusing on this subject area ought to cover in order to build the knowledge, skills and behaviours required for success in any Victorian public sector management role.
Accompanying the checklist is a list of resources. Use of these resources in the design and delivery of a development activity will help build knowledge, skills and behaviours that are of immediate and clear value in any management role in the Victorian public sector.
Some of these resources describe specific knowledge, skills or behaviours, while others provide information about the context in which Victorian public sector managers operate. In most cases, the resources do not address the topic in full. Additional material will still be required to provide comprehensive development in the relevant content area.
Most resources listed are freely available as downloads from the websites indicated.
Core Content / Resources
Establishing the Context
Understanding ‘public value’ in the context of operational and project management.
Understanding Key Principles and Steps
Understanding key principles for operational and project management to ensure delivery of outcomes.
Building and Championing a Business Case
Understanding the role, purpose and common content/format of business cases.
Resources
- Department of Treasury and Finance, Investment Management Guideline 1: Overview
Techniques for identifying:
- The rationale for the initiative (the problem)
- Benefits (direct and indirect) and costs (direct and indirect)
- The initiative (the solution)
Resources
Techniques for communicating rationale, benefits, costs, outputs and outcomes and the linkages between these in a business case format.
Resources
- Department of Treasury and Finance, Investment management guideline 5: business case (and associated templates)
Understanding Financial Resource Management
Understanding common funding processes including:
- Common whole-of-government and organisational budget allocation processes
- Other funding options commonly used in the public sector, including cost recovery
Understanding responsibilities and accountabilities regarding management of public funds
Resources
- Department of Treasury and Finance, budget and financial resource management resources
- Department of Treasury and Finance, Cost recovery guidelines
- Financial Management Act 1994
Designing Work and Strategies for Delivering the Work
Techniques for designing integrated work tasks to ensure delivery of outcomes of appropriate quality and within acceptable timeframes.
Strategies and action for identifying how the work will be achieved (including assessing benefit of using in-house resources, outsourcing and/or collaboration).
Managing Procurement and Contracts
Understanding the key principles and procedures for:
- Procurement processes in the Victorian Public Sector
- Contract management in the Victorian Public Sector
- Managing risk and business continuity.
Resources
- Victorian Government Procurement, Practitioners’ guide to strategic procurement (non-SPCs) and associated templates/tools
- Victorian Government Procurement, Contract management best practice advice and associated templates/tools
- Techniques for identifying, analysing, evaluating and treating risks.
Resources
Department of Treasury and Finance, Victorian Government risk management framework
Strategic and operation risk management resources available from Victorian Managed Insurance Authority
Strategies and actions that contribute to the effective management of:
- Succession risk
- Workforce planning.
Resources
- Victorian Public Sector Commission, Succession risk management toolkit (guide, fact sheets and templates)
- Victorian Public Sector Commission, Workforce Planning Toolkit
- Victorian Public Sector Commission, A guide to people metrics
Using Planning and Budget Tools
Common techniques and tools for:
- Project or operational planning at a team level showing the interconnectivity, milestones and other key reporting elements for all team or unit activities.
- Budgeting and monitoring expenditure of funds at a team or unit level.
Resources
- Victorian Government Procurement, Practitioners’ guide to strategic procurement (non SPCs) and associated templates/tools
- Victorian Government Procurement, Contract management best practice advice and associated templates/tools
Evaluating and Reporting
Common techniques for evaluating operations or projects in light of intended results
Resources
- Department of Treasury and Finance, Investment management guideline 6: investment review (and associated templates)
- Understanding commonly encountered reporting requirements relating to return on investment on expenditure, such as Public Accounts and Estimates Committee, Expenditure Review Committee funding obligations, and Treasury Output Measures
- Department of Treasury and Finance, Investment management guideline 6: benefit report(and associated templates)
- Department of Treasury and Finance, budget and financial resource management resources
- Public Accounts and Estimates Committee
Keeping Records and Managing Knowledge
Strategies and actions for:
- Explicit knowledge capture and storage
- Tacit knowledge capture, storage and transfer
Resources
- Public Records Office of Victoria standards and advice
- Freedom of Information Act 1982
- Victorian Public Sector Commission, Succession risk management toolkit fact sheets: knowledge management principles and practices
Seeking Assistance
Understanding when and how to seek support to assist with development and application of effective operational and project management skills.