4.3 Personal and professional development
During the year the National Blood Authority built upon its work culture and conditions by providing personal and professional development. In addition to core skills training, the National Blood Authority focused on addressing priorities identified in the staff survey, capability assessment, and the Corporate and Operational Plans. Training also covered presentation and communication skills, procurement procedures, project management and risk management. A major education program was undertaken to raise staff awareness of the Australian Public Service Values and Code of Conduct, as many new staff members have come from outside the Australian Public Service. Such training helped to ensure that both new and existing staff members were aware of their obligations to adhere to the highest ethical standards.
Training designed to benefit the organisation as a whole was also a priority. A corporate-wide program on working effectively within teams was implemented in 2006–07. In addition to this, the National Blood Authority conducted knowledge management sessions on a variety of relevant clinical and business issues. These sessions were presented either by National Blood Authority staff members with specialist knowledge on a particular topic or by external consultants. They broadened staff members' knowledge on a range of topics including the use of recombinant Factor VIIa in the military, the development of management skills and team productivity, and the Australian Red Cross Blood Service donor recruitment and retention strategies.
The National Blood Authority invested a total of $188,542 in personal and professional development. This training was determined through individual staff members' Professional Development Scheme agreements, which are put in place at the beginning of each financial year. However, the use of in-house staff and visitors to the National Blood Authority meant that much training was provided at no cost.
The National Blood Authority thanks key stakeholders—specifically the Australian Red Cross Blood Service and CSL Limited— for providing new employees with access to their sites and information about their roles in the blood sector.
The effectiveness of the training provided is evaluated in the professional development reviews conducted between managers and individuals.