Transforming the Culture of a Regulatory Group

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Transforming the Culture of a Regulatory Group

• Brett Turville
• Enforcement Coordination Manager
• Compliance Regulatory Services
• Brisbane City Council

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• Leadership is not management.
• Leadership involves getting things started and
  facilitating change.
• Richard Pratt, Visy Group of Companies.

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Compliance Regulatory Services

• Part of Families Community Services Division
• Regulatory branch of Brisbane City Council
• Dedicated workforce across
• Built Environment - including planning
• Natural Environment
• Environmental Health
• Community Regulation
• Animal Management
• Undergoing Organisation Restructure
• New Group - 450 staff

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The New Branch

• Diverse workforce
• Trades/Certificate/Diploma/Under Graduate/Post
  Graduate
• Busy Environment
• Workforce lacking in confidence
• Low measurable outcomes
• Limited tools - poor utilisation of those
  available
• Risk averse
• Staff held a dated view of Managerial expectations

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Work Practices of Staff

• Delay in finalising complaints
• Over analysed the situation - led to peer
  confusion
• Multiple site visits
• stretched resources
• good intent but poor execution
• failed to reach outcomes
• Reluctant to make decisions
• Over dependent on Senior Management Councils
  solicitors - surrogate decision making
• Myth had developed - solicitors advice was
  definitive

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Case Study

• Enforcement/Compliance group
• Somewhat risk averse resistant to change
• Leadership group all of the same level
• No clear leader -
• lacked direction
• clear processes
• confidence
• File holdings high backed by poor
  prioritisation system
• Limited prosecution and enforcement focus

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The Strategy

• Committed group to new processes - they mapped
  out goals
• Performance expectations were explained
• Reinforced managements support vision
• Tackled the issues they wanted addressed
• Led by example
• Work Smarter not Harder
• Identified key performers
• Staff awards
• Pilot enforcement and compliance programs

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Pinkenba Precinct (Myrtletown)

• Significant site of large scale commercial
  development in Brisbane
• Strategically placed
• part of TradeCoast Local Plan
• located close to Port of Brisbane, Airport,
  Arterial Roads
• lacked infrastructure to support current
  developments
• Contained small residential community
• History of complaints each addressed in
  isolation
• Councils failure to address wider issues had
  bred an attitude of contempt in the Development
  Industry

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Project Plan

• Performing officer appointed to project manage
  area
• Led by Enforcement Team
• Systematic and consistent approach
• Engage and explain
• Utilised statutory tools
• Weekly progress reports
• At the early stages adopted a hands on approach

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Myrtletown Precinct (before)
Sewer Treatment
4
AIRPORT
New Water Recycling Plant
7
New Industrial
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Unlawful
Non-compliance
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Myrtletown Precinct (today)
Sewer Treatment
3
AIRPORT
New Water Recycling Plant
New Industrial
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Non-compliance Compliant Show Cause Notice
issued
Unlawful
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Outcomes

• 102 properties surveyed
• 68 Land Use Survey Letters sent
• 63 applications lodged
• (total of 200,000 in lodgement fees)
• 39 approvals granted
• 24 applications currently being assessed and a
  further 4 to be submitted
• 52 Show Cause Enforcement Notices issued
• This model has since been implemented in other
  regions

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Statutory Notices 2007/08
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Challenges in Transforming Culture

• It is hard work
• There will be sacrifices (personal/professional)
• Be patient
• Tackle the rumours
• Be prepared to make the hard decisions
• Lead by example
• Stand up to the bullies

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Challenges in Transforming Culture

• Work with the unions
• Recruit intelligently
• Set the bar - be committed to the height - dont
  compromise
• Be creative
• Encourage staff to question the status quo
• You need the support of executive management
• Communicate/Communicate/Communicate
• Stay true to yourself and retain a sense of humour

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Where to from here

• Develop processes systems that support the
  change - but dont allow staff to become drones
  to systems
• Commitment to learning and development
• Advertise our wins
• Continue to have fun
• Watch for the re-emergence of new destructive
  systems and hierarchies
• Grow our capacity

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If you do what you have always done you will get
what you have always got
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Questions?