The NBA has four values that are central to our workplace. We:
We implement these by explicit commitment to the behaviours that we value. These behaviours mean that we:
The total number of staff employed in the NBA rose from 48 in 2009–10 to 50 at the end of June 2011, although of these one person was on extended long service leave and another was on long-term leave without pay. Short-term, non-ongoing staff are regularly used to meet deliverables. Table 5.2 shows NBA staff numbers, by classification.
* One employee on extended Long Service Leave
** One employee on long-term leave without pay
Staff turnover in 2010–11 decreased significantly from 25 per cent in 2009–10 to 17 per cent, which is within the average range for the APS.
The average length of service for NBA staff is now approximately three and a half years. Forty per cent of staff have been with the NBA for more than four years. We are fortunate that our staff profile contains a diverse range of skills, experience and backgrounds.
In early 2011, the NBA conducted two surveys—one to assess current staff skills and capabilities and the other to gauge staff satisfaction. As very similar surveys were conducted in 2008–09, the NBA is now in a position to measure the areas where its strategies have been successful and also to identify areas where greater focus is required. In addition, once the APS State of the Service Report 2010–11 is published, the NBA will be able to use particular aspects of the Report to benchmark against other agencies.
The skill survey showed that we had been successful in improving skills in core areas such as statistical modelling and research and analysis with good developing skills in the discipline of cause and effect and general administrative efficiencies. It also showed a steady continual increase in our clinical knowledge of blood and blood products. This is due largely to our ongoing program of lectures by the Principal Medical Officer, which provides non-clinically trained staff with a detailed insight into specific elements of transfusion medicine and how each of the products provided through the supply plan interacts with the coagulation process.
A staff satisfaction survey was conducted in April 2011. There was an 81 per cent response rate. The survey replicated, in part, the 2009 NBA Organisational Staff Survey with 83 of the 99 questions being identical or similar to questions in the earlier survey.
The results of the survey show that there are many areas where the organisation is performing strongly and has increased satisfaction rates. In particular, staff feel that their work is interesting and challenging, that the NBA is a good organisation to work for and they are proud to do so. Staff also feel that team-work is encouraged in the Agency and people within teams put substantial effort into their work and have a strong sense of working as a team. Staff also report that they understand their role within the NBA and that their managers are knowledgeable and responsive to problems.
Finally, staff feel that they have sufficient autonomy, access to the equipment they need and that the NBA is sensitive to family responsibilities.
The staff participation forum continues to provide a good representation of the views of staff and is responsible for identifying issues, shaping policies and keeping the executive team informed of staff views and ideas. The forum has played an important role in establishing the Health and Fitness Promotion Program, awareness of occupational health and safety obligations, review of the Knowledge Management Forum program, and the activities of the social club.
There have been delays in implementing the electronic records and document management system due to some technical interface issues that needed to be addressed by the vendor. These are now resolved and the system will be implemented following the transition of the NBA to the Department of Human Services gateway arrangements. The new arrangements are expected to result in considerable savings in staff time and resources relating to records management and the efficiency of our internal knowledge transfer.
The NBA continued to deliver an increased range of services and more complex contract management requirements within existing services.
Table 5.3 shows numbers of NBA employees covered by the NBA Enterprise Agreement 2010–11, Common Law agreements, Section 24 determinations, and Australian Workplace Agreements, at 30 June 2011.
| Staff | Enterprise Agreement | Australian Workplace Agreement | Common law or Section 24 Agreement |
|---|---|---|---|
| SES | Nil | Nil | 3 |
| Non–SES | 38 | 7 | 1 |
The National Blood Authority Enterprise Agreement 2010–11 took effect on 20 August 2010. Table 5.4 provides detail of the classification against salary levels.
In March 2011, the NBA received ministerial approval to begin negotiating an enterprise agreement to start on 1 July 2011, at the earliest. The nominated bargaining representatives entered negotiations on behalf of staff and subsequently a draft agreement was approved by the Minister. A total of 85 per cent of eligible staff voted on the agreement and 93 per cent of these voted ‘yes’. Fair Work Australia approved the agreement, to take effect from 1 July 2011.
The Enterprise Agreement and other employment arrangements provide a range of non-salary benefits in addition to those consistent with national employment standards and the Fair Work Act 2009. The benefits provided are similar to those provided by many other agencies. They are detailed in the NBA Enterprise Agreement, available on the NBA website. In summary they are as follows:
Total remuneration for senior executive officers is determined through negotiation between individual officers and the General Manager, taking into account Australian Public Service benchmark data. Performance pay is not applicable.
The NBA offers a wide range of training programs to staff so they can extend their knowledge and skills.
An important vehicle for professional development at the NBA is the individual personal development plan. Personal development plans help the organisation to meet the objectives of its operational plan by focusing on what individual staff members must deliver in order to meet goals outlined in the plan. Each staff member has an individual meeting with his or her manager on a quarterly basis. At the beginning of each quarter, a clear agreement is reached between staff members and their managers on the support and skills needed by the staff members if they are to achieve these goals. At the end of each quarter, the staff members and managers discuss progress in obtaining the required skills and the relevance and value of the training provided.
The NBA attaches high priority to ensuring that staff develop their skills through sourced internal training, our knowledge management forums, and/or through external training such as conferences, seminars, accredited training organisations and learning institutions. Performance against training targets is measured internally and reported to the NBA Board.
The regular NBA Knowledge Management Forums provided staff with the opportunity to increase their knowledge and understanding on a wide range of subjects. There are annual Knowledge Management Forums that are mandatory in order for the NBA to meet its obligations, including sessions on APS values, conflict of interest, recordkeeping, chief executive instructions and fraud and security guidelines. In addition, the NBA has been fortunate to have a number of Australian and international speakers present on blood related issues. Highlights of the year’s program included presentations by:
The NBA would like to thank presenters for their time and effort in educating our staff.
In addition, our Principal Medical Officer, Dr Chris Hogan, made a number of presentations to staff including an update on haemophilia, thalassaemia, iron metabolism, milestones in the history of transfusion medicine and the coagulation cascade.
Dr Alison Turner also briefed staff on intelligence gathered during her recent visits to the UK National Health Service Commercial Medicines Unit, the Welsh Blood Service, the Dublin Consensus Conference, the meeting of the collaboration of national plasma product supply planners and the International Plasma Protein Congress.
Other staff who travelled to participate in conferences provided detailed written or oral briefings to staff on key emerging issues.
During the year a Journal Club was established as a forum for NBA staff to analyse and discuss current journal articles relevant to our work.
The effectiveness of all training is assessed as part of discussions between staff and managers in the quarterly personal development plan meetings described above.
The NBA places great emphasis on its people and recognises the value of encouraging a work environment that supports the health and fitness of its employees.
During 2010–11, a new NBA Health and Fitness Promotion Program was established. The objectives of the program are to:
Staff were also offered the opportunity to participate in a range of small, targeted activities throughout the year, including fitness and contributions to a range of community causes. Highlights included: