Quote Of The Year

Timeless Quotes - Sadly The Late Paul Shetler - "Its not Your Health Record it's a Government Record Of Your Health Information"

or

H. L. Mencken - "For every complex problem there is an answer that is clear, simple, and wrong."

Sunday, February 06, 2022

What On Earth Can Be Going On At The ADHA With All This Recruitment Activity?

As regular readers know I keep an eye on what is going on with ADHA advertisements to get an idea of staff turnover and strategic directions.

Usually I just note the ads and move on. However, I was really surprised by this.

EL2 Directors (Multiple Positions)

DFP Recruitment

Brisbane

CBD & Inner Suburbs

Government & Defence

Government - Federal

Full time

About the Role
The Australian Digital Health Agency is seeking candidates to fill several vacancies at the Executive level 2.  This is an exciting opportunity for suitably qualified and experienced leaders to deliver influential and positive policy contributions to the Government’s National and Digital Health agendas for the good of the Australian people.

Australian Digital Health Agency
Multiple Opportunities available in the below Divisions:

Digital strategy Division – responsible for national digital health design and strategy, underpinned by strong clinical governance and digital health standards. 

  • Director, Digital Health and Aged Care Standards
  • Director, Policy and Privacy

Digital Programs and Engagement Division – responsible for external relationships, implementation and change and adoption, as well as being the place of excellence for driving program delivery, reporting and outcomes.

  • Program Director, Medicines Safety Program
  • Director, Prioritisation and Planning 

Merit Pool: Applicants rated as suitable will be placed in a pool of merit that may be used to fill similar ongoing or non-ongoing positions throughout the Agency for up to 12 months.

Skills and Experience
Successful candidates will be expected to:

  • Communication – Have excellent written and verbal communication skills. Candidates should have the capability to analyse information and data inputs, distil key messages and adapt delivery in an engaging and creative manner to influence varied audiences.
  • Lead teams and provide expert advice - Lead and build high performing teams, provide strategic direction; allocate resources effectively and respond flexibly to changing demands; provide subject matter expertise to achieve outcomes for the Division and the Agency.
  • Navigate strategic context - Understand the environmental and broader policy landscape, identify opportunities, distil key issues and anticipate priorities.
  • Deliver outcomes - Work in a fast-paced environment with ambiguity. Candidates need to demonstrate self-motivation, initiative and the willingness and ability to lead and drive initiatives.
  • Think critically - Assess the implications of technology, health and policy developments and develop cogent insights as a basis for policy advice and practices.
  • Excellent relationship management skills –Be comfortable with collaboration and be able to work with people with different perspectives to achieve outcomes.
  • Leadership – Be proactive, innovative and inclusive.   The successful candidate will have the ability to lead, develop and inspire staff within their section to work effectively across organisational boundaries to achieve results.
  • This candidate must demonstrate their ability to be innovative, collaborative and use a risk and evidence-based approach to manage complex matters including managing underperformance where required.

Desirable Qualifications / Experience
• Relevant qualification(s); and
• Demonstrated experience in anticipating and responding to stakeholder requirements; communicating complex information to a range of audiences, and providing persuasive and influential advice to achieve effective policy outcomes.

For more information about each role please refer to the position description(s) at https://dfp.nga.net.au/cp/

 Notes

Applications for flexible locations BRIS, CAN, SYD, plus other locations (MEL) considered.

The Agency is committed to a diverse and inclusive work environment. We encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, women, people with disability, people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, members of the LGBTQIA+ community, mature aged employees and carers.

To support our diverse workforce, the Agency is pleased to offer flexible working options to our team members, which includes opportunities for an agreed amount of work performed at home and varied work hours.

Eligibility
Australian Citizenship is a condition of eligibility.
Ability to obtain and maintain national police check.
Ability to obtain and maintain a security clearance at a level designated by the Agency on request.

Application
To apply for this position, please click the 'Apply' button to complete the online application form, including uploading your resume and a written response.

Closing date: Applications for this position will close on Sunday 20th February 2022 at 11:00pm (AEST).

Salary: $146,411.00 - $173,343.00 (Total remuneration including superannuation).

For APS applicants, please refer to APS Jobs for details of salary ranges. These are in accordance with the Agency’s s24 Determination 2021. 

Here is the link:

https://www.seek.com.au/job/55806077?type=standout

What is staggering is that there are 4 jobs – at very senior levels available at once covering what are the key activities of the ADHA.

To quote:

Digital strategy Division – responsible for national digital health design and strategy, underpinned by strong clinical governance and digital health standards. 

  • Director, Digital Health and Aged Care Standards
  • Director, Policy and Privacy

Digital Programs and Engagement Division – responsible for external relationships, implementation and change and adoption, as well as being the place of excellence for driving program delivery, reporting and outcomes.

  • Program Director, Medicines Safety Program
  • Director, Prioritisation and Planning 

Other that HR, Operations and Payroll and maybe Application Development etc.

This all looks like a very senior level purge of key strategic and very highly paid roles.

I have to wonder how successful the ADHA will be at finding candidates or replacements: See here:

Finding employees with in-demand skills harder during pandemic, APS agencies say

By Jackson Graham

Monday January 31, 2022

Long-standing job vacancies in the Australian Public Service have been harder to fill in the past two years, according to some agencies feeling the strain of a tighter labour market. 

The shortages are stretching employers broadly across Australia, not just in the public sector, but federal agency leaders say roles less likely to be in-house before the pandemic are even more challenging to recruit for now. 

The qualifications in demand span specialist IT and digital and data expertise, with one agency of about 400 staff telling The Mandarin there were 30 to 40 roles to fill. 

Others highlighted similar pressures or said conditions had stayed the same in the current job market. 

For those wrestling with hiring, competition with the private sector is part of the challenge. But agencies believe emphasising flexibility, workplace culture and a wider mission to serve the public interest are parts of the solution.

Australian Digital Health Agency acting chief Paul Creech described the job market as “very competitive” and said the agency was particularly exposed to losing staff to the business sector. 

“They’ve got that one-on-one relationship with that private sector. They get really good insight and vice-versa; [businesses] get insight into the talent of our people as well,” Creech said. 

“You’re constantly managing that tension … [staff] can see the pasture is greener when it comes to remuneration especially.” 

More here
https://www.themandarin.com.au/179858-finding-employees-with-in-demand-skills-harder-during-pandemic-aps-agencies-say/

What do insiders think is really going on?

David

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

The key bit is this:

"Merit Pool: Applicants rated as suitable will be placed in a pool of merit that may be used to fill similar ongoing or non-ongoing positions throughout the Agency for up to 12 months.

They are not real jobs. The ADHA is testing the waters to see who is stupid, sorry, interested enough to put their name down for something that might or might not happen in the future, but not just yet.

G. Carter said...

2:10 PM is probably close to the mark, these also look like internal postings. Under the rules they have to advertise.

Looking at employee reviews of ADHA it paints a poor picture. There was also an odd LinkedIn posting from their CTO. Left me with two thoughts - a they are trying to paint an organisation that is a hotbed of intellect and warmth. Alternatively a sign they are moving on to greener pastures.

ADHA Staffer said...

Cementing current Acting Directors, came across from ACSQHC. Just a process thing.

Sarah Conner said...

Agree remuneration is one factor, however the ADHA spokesperson avoids addressing the other common thread - people leave managers rather than entities. As highlighted the reviews across recruitment apps for ADHA are not great.

Dr David G More MB PhD said...

Amazing that the ADHA would take 4 very senior executives (as a bulk lot)from an organization that is legendary for its lack of impact or value delivery in the Australian Health Sector. My impression is that pretty much no one would notice in the ACSQHC disappeared. Their efforts on clinical safety have been a long-running farce!

G. Carter said...

David - a clear indication of where ADHA is heading - a policy thought bubble house. Or perhaps it has become an internal transfer of convienqnce house - can’t sack em but we can promote them to ADHA.

The ather aspect the ADHA spokesperson omits - no small number have gone over to Health direct, they have lost more people to internal government agencies than external commercial organisations.

Anonymous said...

"... they have lost more people to internal government agencies than external commercial organisations"

That way they can sanitise their resumes. I doubt that too many external commercial organisations would value experience at ADHA - probably shows poor judgement in joining them.

Anonymous said...

So what happened to saving aged care? All that banging of the digital drum, all those promises to fix it based on a royal commission. Yet things are even more off the rails than ever.

Just what do these departments and Agencies actually do?

Dr David G More MB PhD said...

The present chaos in Aged Care really shows just how out of touch recommendations regarding Aged Care and the #myHR were. Pure, out of touch, fantasy!!!!. Thanks for reminding us!

Anonymous said...

There is an article in Croakey - Counting of deaths in aged care, but no accounting for deaths in aged care


And let us not imagine that these are “good deaths” whereby these infected elderly are dying peacefully surrounded by their loved ones. The people who have died of COVID in aged-care facilities are dying untimely deaths, often alone, estranged from family and in great discomfort. This is no peaceful, comfortable, dignified dying for those who, according to Health Minister Greg Hunt were dismissed as “palliative”.

Anonymous said...

'... according to Health Minister Greg Hunt were dismissed as “palliative”'

What do you expect, he's a lawyer, turned politician.

G. Carter said...

Seems that certain Ministers and the Department overseeing ADHA, Health Direct and aged care misread the “dignity” requirement for “digital”.