Detail: Utagawa Hiroshige Dyers' quarter in Kanda 1856-58 colour woodblock print Gift in memory of Lady (Louise) Walker National Gallery of Australia click detail to view full image

Workforce planning, staff turnover and retention
The National Gallery’s senior managers have recognised, as part of the implementation of the Risk Management Plan, the need to focus on improved workforce planning strategies. This includes succession planning, recognition of staff skills and appropriate training and development opportunities where possible. The Gallery will further implement these strategies during 2001–2002.

Training and development undertaken and its impact
National Gallery staff participated in a range of corporate and program training and development activities throughout the year. This included Information Technology and Occupational Health & Safety training for all staff and a number of courses directly related to specific Gallery activities. Expenditure on staff training during 2000–2001 totalled $163,782.

Staff from a number of programs participated in manual handling classes, while seminars designed to inform staff of their rights and obligations in relation to OH&S legislation were well attended, with positive feedback received from participants.

A significant achievement in relation to training and development was the introduction in March 2001 of individual development and performance agreements (IDPAs). The IDPAs will enable staff, in association with their supervisors, to identify their key activities – aligned to the Gallery’s strategic plan (to be published later in 2001) – as well as their training and development needs. The scheme provides for formal feedback to staff every six months as to their performance against key activities.

While the scheme is designed to identify overall training and development needs, an emphasis in the first round is being placed on OH&S, to enable the Gallery to focus its corporate training effort on OH&S issues. The IDPA scheme is supported by a database that will enable the prioritising, monitoring and reporting of training and development activities and expenditure.

The Gallery accepted invitations to be Program Administrator for two management training and development programs in which it participates with other cultural and collecting institutions. The programs are the Advanced Workplace Skills Program for staff at NGA Level 2 to NGA Level 5, and the Cultural Management Development Program for staff at NGA Level 6 to Executive Level 2. Eight Gallery staff will join 32 other participants on these programs in the latter half of 2001, with a similar participation rate expected during 2002. During 2000–2001 Gallery staff attended national and international conferences as both presenters and participants.

Impact and features of certified agreements and AWAs
The majority of Gallery staff are employed under the Gallery’s Agency Agreement 1999–2000. The Agreement has provided an appropriate framework with which to recruit and retain staff. Exceptions have been in areas where the specific job requirements have necessitated the negotiation of conditions of employment via Australian Workplace Agreements (AWAs), and during the year the Office of the Employment Advocate approved AWAs for seven employees. The AWAs are designed to encourage and reward a high-performance culture and to provide the flexibility to attract and retain highly skilled employees at senior levels. Most AWAs provide for employees to access performance bonuses where their performance meets or exceeds agreed performance targets.

Occupational health and safety performance
In accordance with Subsection 74(1) of the Occupational Health and Safety (Commonwealth Employment Act) 1991 the following information is provided. The National Gallery had one incident that was notifiable under section 68 of the Act. The Gallery recognises its responsibility and obligations to create and maintain a safe and healthy environment for all of its visitors and for all of its staff.

The Gallery’s Occupational Health and Safety Policy is currently under review. The agreement provides for the establishment of an OH&S committee to deal with occupational health and safety matters. The committee met five times during the year. The Gallery is covered by five designated work groups and all staff representatives have attended training run by the Workwatch Training Centre.

OH&S activities included workplace assessments, workplace audits including hazard identification, referrals of staff for screen-based vision testing and health checks, training for first aid officers and fire wardens, training for other staff in the use of plant and equipment including boom-type work platforms, scissor and forklifts. The Gallery has also held a number of general OH&S awareness sessions for both management and staff as well as manual handling and ergonomic sessions. Regular tests of humidifier, cooling, tower and fountain water, and air quality were also undertaken. All tests proved satisfactory. A risk assessment for first aid services to third parties was undertaken by a consultant at the request of the Gallery and the first aid policy was revised.

Three trial building evacuations were conducted during the year, one during opening hours, requiring all staff and visitors to evacuate the building.

In response to concerns about the management and maintenance of the Gallery’s airconditioning systems the Gallery commissioned an independent investigation by AHA Management Pty Ltd into the airconditioning at the Gallery. The report concluded that while there were a number of risk factors presented, as expected in a plant close to 20 years of age, the Gallery’s airconditioning systems were found to be operating within acceptable parameters.

The report advised that ‘after a comprehensive program of testing of the Gallery’s air and water quality, it was established, among other things, that neither legionella nor Q fever were detected in water samples; concerns about the use of hydrogen peroxide as a cleaning agent were not substantiated; air quality results were within acceptable occupational health standards’.

The report made a number of recommendations which the Gallery is actively addressing.

Comcare investigation
In response to allegations about a range of OH&S issues at the National Gallery, Comcare Australia investigated the storage, handling and use of hazardous substances, pooling of water on the floors of the air handling units (AHU), the state of maintenance of metal surfaces and insulation in the AHU’s and whether the confined space regulations should apply to entry into the air handling units.

No breaches of the Occupational Health & Safety Act 1991 were detected. A number of largely procedural recommendations were made to improve processes within the Gallery. An action plan in response to the recommendations has been developed and is currently being implemented.

Statistics on staffing
National Gallery staff are employed under the National Gallery Act 1975. On 30 June 2001 the National Gallery employed 290 staff, made up of 185 permanent staff (81 male and 104 female), 46 temporary staff (19 male and 27 female) and 59 casual employees (25 male and 34 female). The 185 permanent staff comprised 167 full-time and 18 part-time employees. The average staffing level during the year was 234.4 full-time equivalent staff, which includes additional staff engaged to service major exhibitions. There were 185 permanent employees on 30 June 2001, compared to 183 in the previous year.

Senior Executive Service
On 30 June 2001, the National Gallery had two male Senior Executive Service officers. They were the Director, SES Band 3 equivalent, and the Deputy Director, SES Band 2 equivalent. There was no change from the previous year. In addition, seven Program Managers were employed. These positions are not aligned directly with the Senior Executive Service, but remuneration for these positions exceeds that available for NGA Executive Level 2 positions.

Workplace Diversity and Equal Employment Opportunity
The National Gallery has developed a draft Workplace Diversity Program to ensure best use is made of the diverse backgrounds, skills, talents and perspectives of all staff. The program covers a range of initiatives and emphasises the importance of valuing workplace difference and ensures that training on equity and cross-cultural awareness issues is provided to staff.

Industrial Democracy
The National Gallery is committed to consulting and communicating about workplace issues with employees and employees’ representatives. The Gallery Consultative Committee, established under the National Gallery’s Certified Agreement, provides a forum for industrial democracy discussions between management, staff and union representatives. The committee met on four occasions during the year. Its agreed purpose is to discuss workplace issues in a spirit of cooperation and trust. The committee forum enables employees and their representatives to receive information on workplace issues that affect them, and provides an opportunity for them to contribute and have their views taken into account.

Performance pay
During the period 1 July 2000 to 30 June 2001, a combined total of $32,800 was paid in performance bonuses to six eligible SES and Program Manager-level employees. The amount of bonus is determined by a performance review.