Briefing – Sunday 6th March. Cooma

For those participants arriving for the optional briefing on Sunday afternoon, participants will be picked up by coach at Canberra airport around 5PM from incoming flights(arriving at this time or earlier- will be coordinated upon your registration) to depart for a 1.5hrs coach drive to Cooma and we will meet at our hotel(TBA) in Cooma at 6.45PM for a getting to know each other restaurant meal and participant briefing. The briefing will include: program structure, logistics, event management, relief activities and focused facilitation and discussion of expectations and learning needs from participants, if not already submitted. Manuals and name badges will be handed out.

DAY 1 – Monday 7th March. Cooma/Canberra

Coach transport from Kinross Inn, 15 Sharp Street, Cooma to Snowy Hydro, Yulin Avenue in Cooma.

Snowy Hydro:  a good practice organisation

Snowy Hydro Limited is a business providing a complex array of financial hedge and insurance products to participants in the National Electricity Market (NEM). We are the leading provider of peak, renewable electricity to the National Electricity Market and a fully integrated Australian energy business with an excellent track record in financial performance,  engineering innovation, workplace culture and business practices.  We currently employ over 650 personnel in Cooma, Jindabyne, Talbingo, Khancoban, Cabramurra, La Trobe Valley, Sydney and Melbourne. The National Electricity Market, as it grows each year, depends on Snowy Hydro to also grow and keep pace with the market.

We own and operate the 3800 megawatt (MW) Snowy Mountains Scheme, an integrated water and hydro-electric power project located in Australia's Southern Alps, the 300MW Valley Power gas-fired power station and the 320MW Laverton North gas-fired power station both located in Victoria. We will continue to expand our gas-fired generation capability in both New South Wales and Victoria.
 
In addition, we are the parent company of Red Energy, a retailer selling electricity and gas to consumers in the Victorian, South Australian and New South Wales markets.
 
The Snowy Mountains Scheme is undoubtedly one of the civil engineering wonders of the modern world.  Built over a 25 year period from 1949 to 1974, it diverts water for irrigation west to the Murray and Murrumbidgee river systems and produces clean, renewable, hydro electricity through a complex integrated infrastructure which includes sixteen major dams, seven major power stations, 145km of interconnected tunnels and 80km of aqueducts.
 
The Snowy Scheme's rapid response generators and our fast start gas generation portfolio provide essential services to the National Electricity Market, including the supply of peak electricity to New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, the Australian Capital Territory and South Australia as well as frequency control, voltage control, emergency support and black start capability in the event of a complete system failure.
 
Each year the Snowy Scheme produces on average 4500 gigawatt hours of clean, renewable, hydro electricity, or around 50% of all renewable energy on the mainland National Electricity Market.  In addition, through the use of a clean, renewable resource, generation of electricity from the Snowy Mountains Scheme displaces approximately 4,500,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions every year, that could otherwise be produced by coal-burning power stations.
 
Snowy Hydro recognises the potential impact of climate change and believes it should continue its evidently successful cloud seeding program for increased snow pack and continue to expand its gas-fired generation capability to enable conservation of scarce water resources, and to provide flexibility of generation fuel such that water releases can be better timed to meet irrigation and town water supply needs.

Welcome and Visitors Centre Encounter. Visitor Centre Manager  Heath Redstone
Explore the interactive displays and theatrette which describe the history of the Snowy Scheme and the National Electricity market.

Creating Engagement in Continuous Improvement (CI).  Manager CI & Quality: Scott Ferguson
The methodology used to drive an improvement culture within Snowy.  Tools & strategies used will be presented. Achieving innovation through CI to meet the changing market needs.

Community Relations.  Manager Community relations: David Hogan
Community activity and education programs.  Sponsorship and communication methods used for monitoring & maintaining community engagement.

Water Operations.  Manager Water: David Nolan 
How water is managed across the catchment area in times of high and low inflows and how stakeholders are managed as part of this process.

Asset Management: Identifying new initiatives and adopting new approaches for managing the assets for the Snowy Scheme.

Arrival at the Child Support Agency, 40 Cameron Avenue, Belconnen.

Lunch and networking upon arrival.

Child Support Program (CSP): Positioning ourselves for future service delivery reform.

In 2009, an independent review of the decision and quality assurance processes of CSP was conducted. The report of the Delivering Quality Outcomes Review made 115 recommendations for changes and improvements. CSP is well advanced in implementing these recommendations. In doing so, CSP is positioned well for future service delivery reform.

This sharing session will include:

• An introduction, including the context and environment in which CSP operates
• Business improvement – an overview of delivering outcomes from the Quality Outcomes Review, CSP’s business improvement agenda
• Case study – Quality Assurance Framework - developing and implementing a key recommendation from the Delivering Quality Outcomes review
• Leading change – CSP’s Change management Framework and Business Change Assessment Process

DAY 2 – Tuesday 8th March. Melbourne

Coach transport from our hotel to LeasePlan Australia, Level 7, South Wharf Tower, 30 Convention Centre Place, SOUTH WHARF Melbourne.

LeasePlan Australia:  a good practice & previous business excellence winning organisation.

Arrival at LeasePLan Australia.

LeasePlan People:

Spiro Haralambopoulos  — Managing Director
Greg Maimur — Commercial Director
Di Dale — Director, People & Business Excellence
Anthony Rossi — Operations Director
Rod Croes — Finance Director
Bob Geddes — National Customer Service Manager
Jeremy Wheelahan — National Procurement & Remarketing Manager
Steve Green — National Fleet Services Manager

Traci Griffin, Manager Divisional Continuous Improvement Unit, Farm Services Strategy and Investment Branch, Farm Services Victoria.

Traci Griffin, manages the Innovation Fund at Farm Service Victoria(FSV).  Project FSV has taken a structured approach to establishing a simplified alternative pathway for innovators to take their bold and innovative new ideas to proof of concept or a beneficial outcome.  Now in its second year the outcomes have been exceptional and there are some excellent projects which demonstrate what staff can achieve when their creative minds are put together and supported to achieve outcomes.          

Workshopping Handy Hints – facilitated by Benchmarking Partnerships.

Workshop Groups of participants & speakers address:

• what are the key messages and ideas from the visits and the presentations?
• what ideas are coming from the other workshop participants?
• what are the opportunities for you to take action?

DAY 3 – Wednesday 9th March, Mildura

Anne Mansell, CEO, Mildura Development Corporation.

Anne will outline the work of the Mildura Development Corporation and business investment initiatives to engage investment and the local community.

Mildura Rural City Council program, continued……..

Workshopping Handy Hints – facilitated by Benchmarking Partnerships.

Workshop Groups of participants & speakers address:

• what are the key messages and ideas from the visits and the presentations?
• what ideas are coming from the other workshop participants?
• what are the opportunities for you to take action?

DAY 4 – Thursday 10th March, Adelaide

Department for Families and Communities:a 2009 business excellence award winner

The 11.40AM site tour (above) will include a minibus to tour some innovative Housing SA developments in the city and then on to get a feel for the urban redevelopment in the suburb of Westwood (or Woodville). The commentator will provide information about why the ifould and Uno apartments are breaking new ground with mixed tenancy and how these developments are meeting multiple housing objectives. The Common Ground project seeks to replicate a housing concept from overseas with personal support provided to tenants on low income and at risk of homelessness. We will hear the stories about how these developments were conceived, the challenges of implementation, and the results being delivered.

Department of Education & Children’s Services SA (DECS):  a good practice organisation

The Department of Education and Children’s Services (DECS) is responsible for ensuring the provision of children’s services and public education throughout South Australia.

Our key functions are:

To set the directions for education and care in South Australia

The department ensures the state’s education system is well positioned to deliver high quality education and care through strategic and coordinated leadership in implementing the South Australia’s Strategic Plan, integrated policy development in collaboration with key stakeholders and planning for an effective workforce to meet current and future requirements.

Provide and regulate children's services

The role of DECS in relation to children's services involves the provision of preschool services, administration of Family Day Care, sponsorship of Outside School Hours Care programs and the establishment and enforcement of minimum standards for all types of child care.

Manage the state's education system

DECS delivers high quality primary and secondary education to school students across the state. DECS is responsible for the education of children and students across all areas of the curriculum and preparing young people to be active and productive members of a democratic society. DECS involves parents and local communities in the education of children and students.

Peter Chislett, Regional Director , MURRAY AND MALLEE REGION, and Katrina Spencer, Director of the Literacy Secretariat DECS

This presentation will focus on the development and implementation of the Department’s Improvement and Accountability Framework through a consideration of:

• Pilot work in understanding systems thinking and the use of the quality principles of the Australian Business Excellence Framework
• Translation of this pilot work into a set of educational principles and operational framework that drive improvement for all schools, preschools and regional offices
• How this framework has been implemented and generated improvement systems and processes for all schools, preschools and regional offices
• Its overall impact in a public educational system

Department for Families and Communities program, continued……

Workshopping Handy Hints – facilitated by Benchmarking Partnerships.

Workshop Groups of participants & speakers address:

• what are the key messages and ideas from the visits and the presentations?
• what ideas are coming from the other workshop participants?
• what are the opportunities for you to take action?