Governing the City State - Chief Minister and Treasury Directorate ...

Workplace culture in the ACT Parliamentary Counsel’s OfficeOver the years the ACT Parliamentary Counsel’s Office (PCO) has successfully fostered apositive workplace culture. The office has a low level of staff turnover and a high level ofstaff satisfaction. PCO receives regular positive feedback from clients about the servicesprovided.PCO’s positive reputation flows from a determination within the office to meet highexpectations. There is a sense of shared pride in the quality of the work they do, thelegislation register and its importance for the ACT community.PCO’s workplace culture has many characteristics that support the satisfaction reported byclients and staff. These include:Valuing people and providing work/life balancePCO genuinely recognises the importance of a balance between work and other aspects of life.Part-time arrangements are not seen as a problem (PCO has 13 part-timers) but rather as a wayof supporting and retaining highly skilled staff. Acknowledging other commitments andproviding flexibility to staff reduces stress, makes people think more positively about theirworkplace and means they are happier when they are at work. This willingness toaccommodate people’s circumstances has major benefits for productivity. It positivelyimpacts on staff’s commitment to the office— staff are happy to go the extra mile whenworkloads or the situation demands it.PCO has an active social committee providing the opportunity for relationship building withcolleagues and contributing to the positive work environment.Open communicationOpen communication is valued and practised at PCO—talking to one another is encouraged.Each area of the office has regular meetings to monitor workloads and discuss work issues.Whole of office meetings are held monthly to inform staff about office, departmental andwhole of government issues, including the office budget. All staff are encouraged tocontribute at these meetings. Meetings are often combined with morning tea which is cateredfor by all staff on a roster.A high degree of workplace collaborationPCO has two distinct areas of the office—drafting and publishing. However, the office doesnot operate in silos. All work in the office is valued and regular meetings mean that everyoneknows what is going on. Individuals do not see their work in isolation, for example draftersare aware of what is happening in the publishing area and are encouraged to think about theimpact of what they are doing on the publishing stage of the process.There are several work projects that are undertaken by people from all sections of PCO. Staffare encouraged to contribute ideas and become involved, and anyone who is interested is ableto participate. For popular office projects such as the Drafting and Publishing Standards, staffrotate through the group.Capability, Capacity and Effectiveness: 262