Department of Families, Fairness and
Housing
Position description
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Position title: Project Officer
Position number: DFFH/CF/573960
Branch/Division/Team: Children and Families Strategic Reform, Children and Families Division,
Strategic External Governance & Oversight
Work location: Level 20, 50 Lonsdale St, Melbourne (Flexible-Hybrid)
Classification: VPS 4
Salary Range: $91,418 - $103,725 (full-time equivalent per annum) plus superannuation
Employment status: Ongoing
Position reports to Manager, Strategic External Governance & Oversight
Position contact: Sap Chattopadhyay
0437 575 540
Closing date: 11.59pm 15 August 2023
Role purpose
The Project Officer, Strategic External Governance & Oversight, will coordinate the oversight and monitoring
of inquiry, audit and investigation recommendations. The position will design and implement strategic
reporting, complete projects and data analysis, and support internal and external stakeholders on matters
related to oversight body activity. The Project Officer will also support the operation and delivery of key
meetings and governance arrangements to support informed decision making, coordinated information flows
and timely follow up of actions from meetings. Reporting to the Manager, Strategic External Governance &
Oversight, the role will play a key role in the department’s engagement with oversight bodies to improve
system accountability and client outcomes.
Department of Families, Fairness and Housing
The Department of Families, Fairness and Housing has a dedicated focus on the community wellbeing and
the social recovery of Victoria. The Department is working to deliver important work started before the
pandemic, while building on opportunities it has presented to lead bold and innovative reform.
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We work to create equal opportunities for all Victorians to live safe, respected and valued lives. We lead
policies and services dedicated to community wellbeing by empowering communities to build a fairer and
safer Victoria.
The Department includes Child Protection, Prevention of Family Violence, Family Safety Victoria, Homes
Victoria, Housing and Disability and Seniors and Carers. The Department is also responsible for the key
portfolios of Multicultural Affairs, LGBTIQ+ communities, Equality, Veterans and of offices of Women and
Youth, enhancing the alignment with policy areas and portfolios focusing on the recovery and growth of our
diverse communities. The Department also supports Victorian Disability Workers Commission and Respect
Victoria.
We are building an inclusive workplace that embraces diversity and difference. All jobs can be worked flexibly,
and we actively encourage job applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people living
with disability, LGBTIQ+, veterans and people from varied cultural backgrounds.
Children and Families (CF) Division
The Children and Families Division (the Division) is responsible for protecting vulnerable Victorian children
and young people from harm caused by abuse and neglect. The division has program and policy
responsibility for the children and families system, which includes:
promoting the safety, stability and development of vulnerable children, young people and families, in
partnership with community service organisations and Aboriginal community-controlled organisations
the state’s statutory child protection services, delivered in partnership with the Community Operations
and Practice Leadership Division, which is responsible for child protection operations
supporting foster, kinship and permanent carers to respond to the needs of children and families, and
support children and young people who are unable to remain safely in their family home
responding to historical harm and abuse and supporting people who grew up in care prior to 1990,
including those who experienced institutional child sexual abuse.
In delivering on these responsibilities, the division aims to provide safe, effective, connected, and person-
centred services that are connected to universal services, including through education, maternal and child
health, and health platforms. The division includes the following areas:
Protection and Care Policy and Aboriginal Initiatives
Children and Families Strategic Reform
Family Services, Evidence and Quality Improvement and
Children and Families Priority Projects
Children and Families Strategic Reform Branch
Children and Families Strategic Reform (CFSR) has been established as an agile multi-disciplinary team that
will undertake system-led design work and drive and support change in the statutory system. CFSR will focus
on articulating and supporting the strategic directions needed to:
stabilise the system in the short-term.
continue to develop a cohesive reform narrative and investment strategy for children and families
lead critical governance and engagement including the Roadmap Implementation Ministerial Advisory
Group (RIMAG); and
further strengthen and modernise the Child Protection system as the department works towards a
unified child and family system.
System Oversight and Coordination Unit
System Oversight and Coordination (SOC) provides critical enabling functions to support the reform of the
children and families system. SOC is responsible for:
providing a coordination and project oversight function for children and family service system reforms
supporting senior executives to acquit their system oversight responsibilities through governance
mechanisms
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supporting a consistent approach to project management and building project management capability
across the children and families portfolio
leading strategic engagement with oversight bodies and identifying and leveraging system insights
from inquiry recommendations to drive system reform
on behalf of the children and families portfolio establishing agreed business data sets, analysing
trends and identifying specific issues relating to system performance, and;
providing input and support to the design of policies and programs using existing data sets, and where
required, collaborating with other teams in the department to leverage data to answer critical, enabling
questions for the reform.
Strategic External Governance & Oversight Unit
The Strategic External Governance & Oversight (SEGO) Unit is the primary connection between the
department and key oversight bodies on matters that relate to the Children and Families system. This small
unit proactively represents the department with key oversight bodies and strategically engages senior
stakeholders to drive system accountability, transparency, and continuous improvement in client outcomes.
Key accountabilities
1. Coordinate the oversight and monitoring of external oversight body inquiry, audit and investigation
recommendations, including tracking implementation progress.
2. Effectively manage and develop reporting processes and infrastructure, provide advice and support to
stakeholders and complete data analysis tasks and projects.
3. Arrange meetings and events related to oversight body activity, including liaison with senior executives
and stakeholders coordinating papers, organising venues, agendas, taking minutes and follow-up actions
and making travel and arrangements.
4. Provide timely advice to stakeholders, answer queries, and assist in the preparation and presentation of
reports, ministerial briefs, cabinet and agency submissions on a range of matters.
5. Build and maintain positive relationships with key stakeholders across the department and external
oversight bodies to facilitate a partnership approach.
6. Assist the Manager to implement inquiry management processes including identifying opportunities for
continuous improvement, ensuring new systems and processes are developed in collaboration with
relevant stakeholders and subject matter experts.
7. Keep accurate and complete records of own work activities in accordance with legislative requirements
and the department's records, information security and privacy policies and requirements.
8. Take reasonable care for own health and safety and that of others in the workplace by working in
accordance with legislative requirements and the department's occupational health and safety (OHS)
policies and procedures.
9. Demonstrate how the actions and outcomes of this role and work unit impact clients and the department’s
ability to deliver, or facilitate the delivery of, effective support and services.
Key selection criteria
Specialist expertise
Demonstrated knowledge in any of the following areas would be advantageous: governance, child protection,
business reporting, project management.
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Knowledge and skills
1. Project management: consults, liaises with and influences key stakeholders; produces detailed project
plans where objectives are clearly defined and action steps for achieving them are clearly specified;
monitors performance against objectives and manages project risks and issues to meet goals.
2. Problem solving: seeks all relevant information for problem solving; liaises with stakeholders; analyses
issues from different perspectives and draws sound inferences from information available; identifies and
proposes workable solutions to problems; implements solutions, evaluates effectiveness and adjusts
actions as required.
3. Planning and organising: identifies processes, tasks and resources required to achieve a goal; identifies
more and less critical activities and operates accordingly, reviewing and adjusting as required; develops
and implements systems and procedures to guide work and track progress; recognises barriers and finds
effective ways to deal with them.
4. Written communication: prepares complex briefs, letters, emails and reports using clear, concise and
grammatically correct language; edits written communications to ensure they contain the information
necessary to achieve their purpose and meet audience needs; ensures appropriate style and formats are
used.
5. Self-management: invites feedback on own behaviour and impact; uses new knowledge or information
about self to build a broader understanding of own behaviour and the impact it has on others; understands
strong emotional reactions and seeks ways to more effectively manage them.
Personal qualities
6. Relationship building: establishes and maintains relationships with people at all levels; promotes
harmony and consensus through diplomatic handling of disagreements; builds trust through consistent
actions, values and communication; minimises surprises.
7. Conceptual and analytical ability: deals with concepts and complexity comfortably; uses analytical and
conceptual skills to reason through problems; has creative ideas and can project how these can link to
innovations.
8. Flexibility: adaptable; open to new ideas; accepts changed priorities without undue discomfort;
recognises the merits of different options and acts accordingly.
9. Detail focus: observes fine details; identifies gaps in information; looks for logical sequences of
information; highlights practical considerations of plans and activities.
10. Teamwork: cooperates and works well with others in pursuit of team goals, collaborates and shares
information, shows consideration, concern and respect for others feelings and ideas, accommodates and
works well with the different working styles of others, encourages resolution of conflict within the group.
Qualifications
A tertiary qualification relevant to the community services sector or project management, or equivalent is
desirable.
Values and behaviours
The Department of Families, Fairness and Housing employees are required to demonstrate commitment to:
The public sector values and behaviours – responsiveness, integrity, impartiality, accountability, respect,
leadership and human rights.
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Recordkeeping – The department is committed to good record keeping and requires all staff to routinely
create and keep full and accurate records of their work-related activities, transactions and decisions, using
authorised systems.
Diversity – The department values an inclusive workplace that embraces diversity and strongly encourages
applications from Aboriginal people, people with disability, people from the LGBTQI+ community, and people
from culturally diverse backgrounds.
Important information
The salary range for this position is set out in Schedule C of the Victorian Public Service Enterprise
Agreement 2020. For further information refer to Department of Treasury and Finance
<https://www.dtf.vic.gov.au/home>).
Department policy stipules that salary upon commencement is paid at the base of the salary range for the
relevant grade. An executive delegate must approve any above base requests. These will be by exception
only or where required to match the current salary of a Victorian Public Service staff transferring at-level.
Individuals who have received a Voluntary Departure Package from a Victoria Public Service
department/agency are ineligible for re-employment for a minimum of three calendar years from the date of
separation.
Individuals who have received an Early Retirement Package (ERP) from a Victoria Public Service
department/agency are ineligible for re-employment for a minimum of 12 months from the date of separation.
The department is a key emergency management partner and contributes significantly to Victoria’s
emergency management arrangements. As part of a whole-of-government agreement, employees may be
required to undertake training in emergency management and support functions during an emergency and
may be redeployed to facilitate this need.
The department provides and maintains a safe working environment that does not risk the health of its
employees.
Pre-employment checks
All appointments require reference checks, national criminal records checks and pre-employment misconduct
screening. Some positions also require a Working with Children Check and screening through the Disability
Worker Screening List.
Applicants who have lived overseas in one country for 12 months or longer in the last ten years must provide
an international police check from the relevant overseas police agency. Applicants can obtain a check
through an organisation providing international police checks via an internet search.
Pre-employment checks may include checking whether an applicant’s name is on the Disability Worker
Screening List. This incorporates:
the Disability Worker Exclusion List which includes names of persons unsuitable for employment as a
disability support worker in a disability residential service provided, funded or registered by the
Department of Families, Fairness and Housing.
the National Disability Insurance Scheme Quality and Safeguards Commission which has compliance
and enforcement actions, including banning orders
the Victorian Disability Worker Commission prohibition orders.
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COVID-19 Vaccination
The department strongly recommends (but does not mandate) that employees maintain their COVID-19
vaccination status in accordance with current ATAGI (Australian Technical Advisory Group on
Immunisation) advice, given their individual circumstances. As of June 2023, DFFH does not require
evidence of COVID-19 vaccination status.
Further information
For enquiries regarding the position please phone the contact on the position description. If you experience
difficulties in applying online, please contact HR Services/Workforce Services via email at
[email protected]
DFFH values the contribution of all employees and fair and equitable treatment of all people is integral to all
activities. As such, the DFFH offers reasonable adjustments for applicants with disabilities on request at
[email protected]
For further information visit ‘About the Department’ on Department of Families, Fairness and Housing’
<www.dffh.vic.gov.au/about>.
To receive this document in another format email <[email protected]>
Authorised and published by the Victorian Government, 1 Treasury Place, Melbourne.
© State of Victoria, Australia, Department of Families, Fairness and Housing, July 2023.
In this document, ‘Aboriginal’ refers to both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. ‘Indigenous’ or
‘Koori/Koorie’ is retained when part of the title of a report, program or quotation.
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