CITY OF LAUNCESTON RESTRUCTURE

FROM THE EXAMINER ON A SUNDAY ... City council delivers Definite Decision paper as part of restructure

  

Staff directly affected by an organisational review at the City of Launceston council were notified last week.

The council handed down its Definite Decision paper after a four-week staff consultation. The paper is part of Organisational Alignment Project, known as the Seriously Entertained Change paper.

Under the review there would be 56 new roles created, 40 redundancies, and 22 redundant roles with internal redeployment.

"Staff directly affected by the process as laid out in the Definite Decision paper were notified earlier this week in person, prior to the organisation-wide announcement," general manager Michael Stretton said.

"I am still confident we will be in a position to keep redundancies to an absolute minimum. However, some staff have already indicated that they wish to accept a redundancy."

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From here, those staff directly impacted by the Definite Decisions paper will have the opportunity through an expressions of interest, to apply for one of the new positions created in the Organisational Alignment Project.

During the consultation process, the council received 160 submissions to the Seriously Entertained Change paper that was released in August.

Mr Stretton said the executive team reviewed and responded to each submission, with changes then made to the preliminary paper.

An expressions of interest process for redeployment opportunities has opened, with applicants shortlisted for interview, and final decisions on those positions made by November 22.

"All remaining vacancies will be advertised both internally and externally by the second week of December, to coincide with the full roll-out of the new OAP structure," he said.

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Mr Stretton said the review was about improving processes and internal systems, about providing the right tools for a 21st century organisation, and the right structure for staff to work and flourish in a fit-for-purpose organisation with a positive and constructive culture.

"It's also about creating an organisation that is agile and adaptable, that places real value on the development of its leaders and meaningful staff training," he said.

The cost of the organisational alignment structure, including the forecast future savings to the organisation, will be detailed once the overall financial implications of the first stage has been delivered in December.

It is the first time that the council as a whole has been reviewed since 1985.

The council will move away from directorates and departments, to become three network teams. This will see Mr Stretton's title change to chief executive, with three general managers leading the teams.

COMMENT

This is a sinister move made well away from the elected representatives even if a shake up might be justified. Embedded here are strategic decision that have apparently been made well away from 'governance'. Clearly this is an exercise in bureaucratic empire building! 

 Yet again the tail appears to be wagging the dog and it is clear that it is way past time that the City of Launceston was exposed to a meaningful enquiry of the highest order given what is at risk and at stake in the wake of recent systemic failures and fiscal losses.

The question hanging in the air is "where are the elected representatives other than at the ATM collecting their stipend while the city goes to hell in a hand basket"?