Draft workforce management principles

We work as one

  • The sector consists of diverse organisations and capabilities and each organisation delivers a unique service
  • Demonstrates the diversity of roles, employment conditions, approaches and locations within the sector
  • Emphasises the collaboration needed across agencies and the WoVG effort required to achieve the best outcomes for Victorian communities
  • Prioritises the criticality of the career staff/volunteer relationship in order to foster a joined-up, collaborative career/volunteer culture

We are respectful and inclusive

  • Builds from the previous principle. Emphasises why diversity is important to an EM workforce. Highlights that diversity goes beyond gender and ethnicity; to be most adaptable we need to be inclusive of diversity of thought and experience
  • Explains why it is mutually beneficial for the EM sector to represent the communities we serve. Encourages us to expand our cultural and language capabilities
  • Positions us to adapt to the implications of demographic and social changes on our people and communities

Communities are at the centre of all that we do

  • Focusses our diverse workforce towards a common purpose – communities are where all consequences occur
  • References community resilience and relief and recovery efforts and projects to encourage the sector to help communities help themselves
  • Highlights the importance of clear, consistent and timely communication from our people
  • Emphasises the connected nature of communities and that they are the source of all volunteers

We are flexible and adaptable

  • Emphasises the increasing rate of change and future challenges, including the implications of a changing climate on our workforce
  • Highlights that the most resilient organisations are the most adaptable. Not all change is positive; adaptation = positive change
  • Drives consistency across the sector in lessons capture and learning and creates opportunities to share knowledge and resources
  • Positions our workforce to explore and exploit the opportunities presented by emerging technology

Leadership and learning occurs at all levels

  • Highlights the benefits and importance of fostering a common approach to leadership development across the sector
  • Emphasises that much of what we do is common and opportunity exists for greater cooperation in defining what common EM learning and development pathways look like
  • A catalyst for changes to the existing learning systems and continuums to ensure a sustainable and engaged workforce

We are outcomes focussed

  • Emphasises that the delivery of services through our core capabilities is our reason for being. We must maintain a mission focus.
  • Positions us to respond to the challenges stemming from forecast increases in demand and changing community expectations
  • Highlights the importance of acknowledging and promoting our successes to encourage an engaged workforce
  • Acknowledges resource constraints and role limitations so as to focus our personnel resources appropriately

Our people and organisations are prepared for the future

  • Organisations must be enabled by appropriate systems so we can answer the questions: who are we, where should we be, what are our strengths/weaknesses, are we implementing our strategy?
  • The EM Sector workforce strategy is informed by an inclusive whole-of-sector approach that provides a guiding vision for the future
  • Agencies conduct their strategy development and workforce planning informed by the EM sector workforce strategy