Incremental reform of the organisation has been a feature of the management approach at Sutherland Shire Council.
Over the years there have been restructures and reviews of services and council’s long term financial plan has identified required productivity gains of $1m per annum.
Staff from across the organisation are involved in a number of reviews to improve systems and processes and to identify potential savings.
Sutherland Shire Mayor Councillor Phil Blight said, “it is essential that council is able to maintain and improve services, maintain its infrastructure and provide the capital projects needed in the community”.
Through a combination of a special rate rise, sensible policies and efficiencies council’s financial future is positive.
Over the past seven years the council has achieved $26m in efficiency and revenue gains.
A program of reviews, change projects, cost reviews and structural changes has been developed and teams of staff have been involved in the program.
Projects under the Organisation Change Program include cross divisional service improvement, leadership development and the workforce sustainability action plan review.
Recognising that many of its senior managers will leave the organisation within a few years, council has embarked on an Emerging Leaders Program providing growth opportunities for talented people.
Young and potential leaders are given opportunities to participate in reviews, initiate and deliver improvements in the organisation and take up secondments.
In 2010, the Year of Women in Local Government, two female managers have been seconded to the Director’s Management Committee and a female emerging leader was seconded to coordinate and monitor performance under the Organisation’s Change Program.
Across the organisation, 56 emerging leaders are involved in various reviews.
