Following discussions with our leadership team, I’ve made some realignments to the top-level Executive structure which will:
• ensure that the Executive can better support my role
• create clearer lines of accountability
• provide improved integration of functions within directorates
• allow an enhanced focus on key aspects of governance including risk, compliance, safety and records management; and
• underpin a broader organisational ownership of issues
These changes include the repositioning of some functions and reporting line changes for leaders, as well as some name changes for Directorates.
In particular, a number of key functions which were previously in the Chief Officer’s portfolio (within Fire and Emergency Management) will have a greater focus and become Directorates in their own right or part of Directorates.
Our DCOs will lead four of the Directorates of Training (Gregg Patterson), Volunteers and Capability (Stephanie Rotarangi), Bushfire/Safer Together (Alen Slijepcevic), and Community Service Delivery (Gavin Freeman), refocusing priorities to deliver on our Prepare, Prevention and Response objectives.
To accurately reflect the alignment of functions, the other Directorates will be Strategy, Planning and Risk (replacing Volunteers and Strategy) led by John Haynes; Infrastructure Services led by Anthony Ramsay; Finance, led by Nigel McCormick, (replacing Finance and Risk); Legal and Assurance, led by Bruce Russell, (replacing Legal and Integrity); People, Culture and Safety, led by Garry Cook, (replacing People and Culture); Communications and Stakeholder Relations, led by Sally Pickering, and Governance and Policy Coordination, led by John Sullivan.
I’d like to assure you that these changes are not a result of fire services reforms but are necessary to support my dual roles as CEO and CO which, under the current structure, meant I would have had 23 direct reports, with many different titles and authority levels.
There will be minimal impact on staff and no reduction in the current number of positions. The changes will be gradually implemented over coming weeks to enable HR and Payroll systems to be updated.
We will continue to work with our people to refine the structure where identified change is needed and I thank Executive Directors and Deputy Chief Officers for their work to date in communicating the changes with their team.
The updated structure is available on the CFA Intranet, and if you have any questions please speak to your manager.