At the 2007 Local Government Managers Australia National Congress in Hobart, Local Government FOCUS invited delegates to nominate individuals or teams from their Council who are improving Council’s operations or enhancing service delivery within their community. In this edition, we showcase the first two of our high achievers for 2007.
David Rogers, Corporate Support Officer, Mosman Council, New South Wales
Mosman Council is located on the northern shore of Sydney Harbour and is home to more than 28,000 people. Covering eight square kilometres, the municipality has iconic national parks, harbour beaches and localities such as Balmoral and Beauty Point. A strong retail sector is at the forefront of economic activity in the area.
As Council’s Corporate Support Officer, David Rogers’ duties include maintenance of records, assisting with the workflow of Council operations, switchboard operation, document registration and customer service.
Manager Governance, Anthony Fitzpatrick, nominated David to appear in FOCUS because of his keen attitude and ability to help others.
“David started with Council only six months ago and has jumped in boots and all, showing tremendous dedication, initiative and professionalism in providing a high standard of customer service,” he said.
“He is one of a team of key staff who deal face to face with residents on a daily basis.”
Anthony Fitzpatrick said it is David’s initiative that makes him stand out from the crowd.
“David is always suggesting ways to do things better,” he said. “He always has a keen approach and is willing to help others, whether we are short of staff or not.”
Prior to joining Mosman Council, David Rogers worked with the New South Wales Government’s Rail Corp division for some 20 years. He said that working in this large organisation has allowed him to appreciate the close contact he now has with residents and other staff members.
“Working in a large hierarchical organisation, I found I rarely interacted with my colleagues,” David Rogers said. “Now, working at a small Council, I thoroughly enjoy the opportunity to communicate and mingle with Council staff at all levels. It is one of the things that has impressed me most about working with Mosman Council.”
David finds that the most challenging aspect of his role is meeting high expectations in a rapidly changing environment.
“The most satisfying aspect of my role is knowing, at the end of the day, there are people out there who will think differently of Council because of the way you have responded to their concerns,” he said. “That is the kind of recognition that puts a smile on my face.
“As for the key factors to success in this position: adaptability to change, attention to detail, and willingness to go the extra mile to get the result you want. It is also important for me to have a good team around me, who know how to laugh and have fun.”
Customer Service Team, Alexandrina Council, South Australia
The Customer Service Team at Alexandrina Council is a multiskilled, cross-sectional unit that provides library and customer service to a population of more than 17,000 people.
Located an hour’s drive south of Adelaide in South Australia, Alexandrina covers approximately 1,800 square kilometres and boasts a wide range of quality attractions from great sandy beaches, world class wine regions, a fully operational steam train, whale watching, country produce, endless water activities and Australia’s first Cittaslow (Italian for slow city), with its main town centre, Goolwa.
Council’s Deputy Chief Executive, Mike Shelley, said Council opened a new library and customer service centre in 2004.
The centre aimed to create a one stop service shop for residents.
“With this new facility came a need for staff that were qualified to assist with multifaceted operations,” Mike Shelley said. “We retrained all existing customer service staff to provide quality service across all spectrums of Council administration, from library needs, reception and telephony, to receipting and lodging development applications.
“All staff are now qualified to work in any section of customer service across Council.”
The main, central customer service centre in Goolwa now has 11 full time equivalent and five casual staff members. All of these team members are well equipped to attend smaller centres at other Council offices.
Mike Shelley said the team fully embraced and supported the change management process, attributing to the smooth running of the facility today.
“This commitment and drive comes from a unique strategy, which combined both a top down and bottom up approach,” he said.
“The Mayor, Councillors, Chief Executive and management demonstrated a strong commitment to the task.
“We also made staff feel a part of the change and allowed them to be involved in the transition process, which created a bottom up acceptance as well.”
Mike Shelley said the team actively develops new programs to get the entire community involved in Council activities.
“The Homebound library service is one example,” he said. “Council provides a home library service to residents with temporary or permanent illnesses or disabilities.
“We also run the Baby Bounce and Rhyme program, which is offered to parents and grandparents with babies under 12 months old.
“Children learn through listening and repetition. By sharing songs and rhymes with family members, we are offering an exciting learning and development tool.”
Alexandrina CEO, John Coombe, nominated the team to appear in FOCUS.
He said the team put in a lot of hard work, commitment and training to create the centre and its operational success.
“I am extremely proud of what they have achieved,” he said. “It was a true team effort”.
