Review set to pave Way Forward

FOLLOWING the January release of Susan Halliday’s municipal Governance and Culture Review and sixteen-point action plan, the City of Ballarat is addressing the issues contained in the report.

Known as The Way Forward, the program is designed to identify past and present problems within the municipality’s practices, in the hope staff can collaboratively improve the workplace environment, culture, behaviour, leadership, and overall safety.

The Way Forward will include one-on-one and anonymous feedback opportunities, in-person and digital workshops, and education sessions that seek to engage, inform and skill-up the City’s staff as they move into a more positive professional era.

City of Ballarat CEO Evan King said The Way Forward has been in development since the Governance and Culture Review was handed down.

The plan is for the program to be culturally transformative, starting from within the organisation and working outward.

To have a lasting impact, Mr King said The Way Forward will need to be “comprehensive.”

“While as CEO I will lead the work, our staff are integral to setting the agenda for this change and will also drive the change that we want to achieve,” Mr King said.

“The result will be a healthier and happier workforce, which I am confident will lead to greater employee and customer satisfaction from our ratepayers and residents.

“This program of works will include three phases, and we will continue to review and ensure the program is working and embedded into our organisation.

“We want this change to… shape our organisation, establishing the City of Ballarat as a workplace of choice, and an organisation that our community truly values.”