TasWater CDO Newsletter September 2019
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TASWATER<br />
<strong>CDO</strong><br />
NEWSLETTER<br />
SEPTEMBER <strong>2019</strong> EDITION<br />
Welcome to our second newsletter!<br />
We received really positive feedback from the first newsletter and as, promised, we are<br />
always listening to what you want to read so that you can understand the <strong>CDO</strong> even<br />
better.<br />
As we forge ahead as one team, there is one thing I would like to emphasise, it’s the<br />
need to be innovative in our daily work here in the <strong>CDO</strong>. In this month’s newsletter, we<br />
have taken this theme of Innovation and written articles on innovative working styles,<br />
innovations that will be coming out of the Pulse Survey results, upcoming summits from<br />
our Enablement Plan and so much more.<br />
To up the ante on inspiration for innovation, I would like to share, on the next page, an<br />
article by Bill Wood, who is an Environmental Scientist at our Launceston location. Bill has<br />
some great innovative takeaways and it’s such a benefit to hear from one of the <strong>TasWater</strong><br />
team on how they’re pushing the boundaries.<br />
This is the type of thinking we need to nurture in the <strong>CDO</strong> as we promote a culture of<br />
innovation and amplify technical improvements for the longer term. Not only is this is<br />
written into the Program Alliance Agreement, it is something that we’ve all signed up to in<br />
our Charter as well.<br />
In October, we will have our first Innovation Summit soon where we can apply Bill’s tips<br />
and identify some great new ways to deliver the capital works program for <strong>TasWater</strong>.<br />
Bill’s unique ideas for a new approach to biosolids management is currently under<br />
consideration by the <strong>TasWater</strong> Executive so watch this space.<br />
I hope you enjoy the read and this newsletter as much as I have.<br />
Happy reading everyone!<br />
Sam Quagliata
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INNOVATION BREEDS CULTURE -<br />
BILL WOOD, ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENTIST<br />
In 2025, could <strong>TasWater</strong> have an electric car fleet powered by clean<br />
energy produced at one of our sewage treatment plants?<br />
Bill Wood, an Environmental Scientist in Launceston, is already thinking along those lines, with an innovative<br />
approach to the treatment of biosolids.<br />
Once a farmer, Bill is predicting that there will be some major changes in the way our sludge is used by<br />
industry. He forecasts that farmers will no longer be able to accept the biosolids we currently provide<br />
because retail buyers will demand cleaner pathogen-free products for the land that livestock graze on or food<br />
is produced on. In fact, it is already happening in America so it is really just a matter of time until we see this<br />
shift in perception in Tasmania.<br />
“The onus is on industry to find solutions but it requires an entirely different mindset. We need to ask<br />
ourselves if there is a better way to do this?” says Bill.<br />
So, what are Bill’s top tips for innovation - here are his top four!<br />
1. Using our different experiences as catalysts for new ways of thinking. Bill’s vast experience as a farmer,<br />
research scientist Ecologist, manager in the mining and minerals processing industry and Environmental<br />
Scientist with <strong>TasWater</strong> means he has many different ways of looking at problems. Our diverse <strong>TasWater</strong>,<br />
UGL, CPB and WSP staff bring similar work histories and differences that we can benefit from.<br />
2. Taking a longer term strategic view of our business., Bill’s experience is that reacting to short term<br />
problems, while always easier initially, is not going to help us fix the complex issues that we are faced with.<br />
Examples include the way we manage our sewage treatment process by-products, sludge and bio-gas<br />
emissions. We need to ensure the former remains acceptable for re-use into the long-term, and that we<br />
re-use the latter for energy production rather than emit it as “Greenhouse Gas”. Resolving such issues will<br />
assist us in a pathway towards carbon neutrality in a climate change compromised world.
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3. Thinking about the relationships of how things work and understanding why things happen the way<br />
they do. As an Ecologist, Bill is trained to look at ecosystems and how they interact and stabilise. The<br />
same approach can be applied to a business or a chain of processes, like wastewater treatment. It’s a<br />
slightly different approach, but a useful skill we could all benefit from learning.<br />
4. Find ways to have future generations look back on the work that we did, and say “Gee they really got<br />
that right” rather than “What on earth were they thinking?”
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Monthly Pulse Surveys -<br />
August results are in!<br />
The monthly <strong>CDO</strong> Pulse Check started in August<br />
and surveys will continue to be sent out monthly.<br />
We encourage all staff to continue take the time to<br />
complete the survey.<br />
From the August survey we’ve listened and heard:<br />
You want better communications<br />
So we’re going to do:<br />
• Monthly team meetings (with manager briefing kits)<br />
• And we’re still doing Yammer, Project Central and<br />
Quarterly <strong>CDO</strong> News<br />
You want to be more empowered<br />
So we’re going to:<br />
• Finalise the KPIs and set them for each person<br />
• And we’re still rolling out the Management Plans,<br />
process flow diagrams and Delegation of Authority<br />
We heard you’re not feeling a sense of<br />
achievement<br />
So we’re going to:<br />
• Introduce a monthly award that celebrates ‘how’ we<br />
work not just ‘what’ we do<br />
• And we’re still measuring progress on all projects in<br />
our P6
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Enablement plan and Four year strategy –<br />
Collaboration, Quality, Value and Legacy<br />
As part of the <strong>CDO</strong> four-year strategy, we’ve identified four key result areas and if you have not had much time<br />
to understand each area and how it involves you then here’s a brief update for you.<br />
As part of the collective <strong>CDO</strong> journey to achieve the KPIs, the APMT has also introduced an Enablement Plan.<br />
To bring this plan to life and to ensure all <strong>CDO</strong> staff are on the journey with us we talked with a number of<br />
people across Launceston, Devonport and Hobart during August. A priority is to keep our teams strong and<br />
communications open while we board the <strong>CDO</strong> bus towards the completion of successful projects over the<br />
next four years.<br />
Through our interactions, workshops and meetings, we have listened and heard that staff want to know how<br />
Cultural Development will be integrated and continued as a part of the Enablement Plan. A first step to strong<br />
Cultural Development is to make sure that everyone of us in the team feel safe and supported to follow our<br />
Way of Working. That is why we are soon launching a CATS award – read more about it later in this newsletter.<br />
If you’re wanting to know the importance of Cultural Development and the impact it has on an organisation’s<br />
strategy here is another great video commentary by Seth Godin.<br />
The strategy and marketing guru speaks about the importance of an organisation’s culture, where a lack of<br />
strength in culture can be detrimental to the strategy where Culture can eat strategy.<br />
Seth Godin on culture defeats everything - click HERE to watch the video.
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<strong>September</strong> happenings in the <strong>CDO</strong><br />
Upcoming RFTs<br />
• Latrobe Sewer - Major Sewer Replacement Works – estimated release mid <strong>September</strong><br />
• Latrobe Sewer - Pipe Supply – estimated release mid <strong>September</strong><br />
• Latrobe Sewer - Mechanical and Electrical Works – estimated release end <strong>September</strong><br />
• Programs - Reservoir Refurbishment Works – estimated release end <strong>September</strong><br />
• Riverside Trickling Filter Media Replacement – estimated release end <strong>September</strong><br />
• Forth/Leven Design Services – estimated release end <strong>September</strong><br />
• SPS Program – Switchboard Supply - estimated release mid <strong>September</strong><br />
• SPS Program – Electrical Installation Works - estimated release end <strong>September</strong><br />
Currently in Market<br />
• Bryn Estyn - Traffic Impact Assessment – closing mid <strong>September</strong><br />
• Flinders Island Temporary WTP - closing mid <strong>September</strong><br />
Tenders Closed – Under evaluation<br />
• Programs - Filter Media Supply<br />
• Henderson Dam - Major Works<br />
• Mikany Dam - Major Works<br />
• Bryn Estyn - Design Services<br />
• Booth Avenue – Design Services<br />
Contracts Awarded<br />
• Program: Environmental Planning and Approvals<br />
WE WANT TO CELEBRATE YOU!<br />
If you haven’t already heard, we will be introducing the<br />
CATS Awards very soon. CATS will be monthly awards<br />
whcih celebrate how we work not just what we do. CATS<br />
is an acronym for Conversation, Attitude, Trust and<br />
Support which epitomises the <strong>CDO</strong>s Way of Working.<br />
More information will be available soon on how to vote<br />
so keep your eyes peeled and your ears to the ground<br />
for colleagues who tick the boxes of:<br />
• Positive attitude<br />
• A trusted team member<br />
• Good on the job support ethic<br />
• Promoting great conversations
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Lunch N Learn - at a table near you!<br />
Don’t forget to pencil in the next Lunch N Learn into your calendar. Following the CPEng, Graduate Program,<br />
Scholarship & Professional Development and gender diversity sessions in August, the upcoming months will<br />
host some great speakers and topics.<br />
Sept 18th – <strong>TasWater</strong> Graduate & <strong>2019</strong> Young Professional of the Year – Matthew Robertson Click on this link<br />
to learn more about Matthew, a process Engineer in the <strong>TasWater</strong> team.( )<br />
Oct 16th – Community and Stakeholder Engagement in Infrastructure. At this session you will learn more about<br />
the engagement process where an organisation involves people who may be affected by the decisions it makes<br />
and for the benefit of greater transparency for the best outcomes of the project.<br />
Nov 19th – Project Management 101. This session will delve into how projects are managed and how<br />
collaboration, communications, structure, strategy and open conversations are important aspects of managing<br />
a project for future success, particularly in our <strong>CDO</strong> environment where many of us have varied experiences of<br />
what good project management can look like.<br />
Lunch N Learns are great opportunities to train and develop over the lunch period and it’s a great incentive to<br />
connect with your team mates and learn over a bite to eat.<br />
Sessions will be held at various locations across Tasmania so head to our Project Central site for specific time<br />
and location details.<br />
Working together : Claire Zhao<br />
“I have focused on the ‘working<br />
together’ value by working with my<br />
team members to finish tasks. For<br />
example, I received a WBS structure<br />
form from Paul P to finish project set<br />
up in Aconex, and got help from Ben<br />
Q to create users in Aconex. I also<br />
worked together with Group Leaders<br />
and Kirsty, our Quality Manager, to<br />
finalise the workflow process for<br />
task budget requests,” Claire Zhao<br />
What commitments did you<br />
make at the Foundation<br />
Workshop back in May?<br />
Share your progress and email us<br />
at cdo@taswater.com.au
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Let’s get to know: Michael Muller<br />
Michael moved to Tasmania from Western Australia<br />
12 years ago and now lives on a small farm in the<br />
north with his wife and two daughters. He’s a Full<br />
Stack Software Developer with a specific focus on<br />
construction based systems and processes.<br />
For the last 20 years he has worked throughout<br />
Australia and internationally as a Systems Specialist<br />
within the Resources sector providing systems<br />
development, integration and implementation<br />
services. He began working in the <strong>CDO</strong> in February<br />
<strong>2019</strong>. Here’s our <strong>CDO</strong> 60 Minutes style interview with<br />
Michael:<br />
How do you contribute to the <strong>CDO</strong> as a Systems Specialist?<br />
My role on the <strong>CDO</strong> has been to coordinate the provisioning of ICT infrastructure and plan the systems<br />
architecture to meet the unique requirements of the Alliance. Over the last 7 months I have worked closely<br />
with the <strong>TasWater</strong> ICT team to provide a network, ICT hardware and implement project management systems<br />
such as Aconex, Project Central and Replicon.<br />
Currently I’m focussing on the development of an Alliance reporting platform through which all project<br />
management reporting will be delivered. Going forward I will be working closely with all disciplines within the<br />
<strong>CDO</strong> to develop their reporting capabilities and reduce duplication of effort through systems integration and<br />
automation. This will be a key legacy for the <strong>CDO</strong>.
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What’s a positive engagement you’ve had as part of the <strong>CDO</strong> team?<br />
The Alliance comes with some very unique requirements in the ICT/Systems space. To achieve the<br />
necessary outcome I have worked closely with the <strong>TasWater</strong> ICT team headed by Jon Ettershank.<br />
This highly competent team of ICT professionals have been integral to the successful implementation of<br />
the network, hardware and systems architecture to date. From the first meetings in December 2018 the<br />
<strong>TasWater</strong> ICT team have done everything possible to support me and help overcome the unique challenges<br />
associated with this Alliance. We have established an effective team based upon communication,<br />
cooperation and the common goal of making the <strong>CDO</strong> a success.<br />
What makes working on this project important for you?<br />
Although I live in Tasmania, for the majority of my career I have worked on construction projects based on<br />
the mainland. The <strong>TasWater</strong> Alliance has given me the opportunity to work within my home state with an<br />
iconic Tasmanian company. Contributing to the water infrastructure of Tasmania, improving the service<br />
levels within Tasmanian communities and enhancing local capability for construction project management<br />
represents some of the most rewarding opportunities that I have had throughout my career.
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Do you have questions and need them<br />
answered fast?<br />
If you have any questions about work, the projects on hand and the general wellbeing<br />
of the <strong>CDO</strong> - grab one of our Ask Me About Anything Champions. Peter,<br />
Lynette, Tim, Campbell and Dheeraj had their first training sessionlast week and<br />
are ready and willing to get your questions answered!
Last but not least: CATS AWARD IS GO FOR<br />
LAUNCH!<br />
We listened and we heard your August Pulse Check feedback and we know<br />
you want us to get better at celebrating our achievements and ‘doing what we<br />
say we’ll do’. To kick off the celebrations, we’re launching our CATS Award.<br />
Nominate a colleague for their outstanding performance in relation to one of<br />
our Ways of Working – Collaboration, Attitude, Trust or Support – and they could<br />
be the proud owner of our <strong>CDO</strong> Mascot for month!<br />
The APMT will review all nominations received and announce the winner each<br />
month based on the person who best demonstrated our <strong>CDO</strong> Way of Working.<br />
That person then gets to keep our <strong>CDO</strong> Mascot for the month until it moves to<br />
the next winner. For additional celebrations, we’ll have an annual overall<br />
<strong>CDO</strong> Super Cat announced in February each year!<br />
All you have to do is nominate a colleague by emailing<br />
apmt.cdo@taswater.com.au and, in 50 words or less, say why that person has<br />
the best attitude, collaborative behaviour, trust or support to help the <strong>CDO</strong>.<br />
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