Operations Driven by Strategic Plan and Good Governance

Key business changes implemented

Several business changes were put into practice over 2018-19, including:

• implementation of an operational budget for all of the AMC to improve financial management accuracy; the AMC’s 2019-20 Budget was approved by Directors on 23 May 2019
• development of a Whistleblower Policy to comply with amendments to the Corporations Act 2001 to be in place by 1 January 2020
• update of the Privacy Policy to ensure continuing compliance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cwth)
• redesign of the scheduling process for clinical exam candidates to provide greater certainty for examination delivery
• review of AMC’s performance partnership model to bring it up to current good practice, including the promotion of AMC’s value and work to improve staff engagement and development of leadership, in teamwork and in cultural safety and cultural competence
• development of a separate website for the National Test Centre as an initiative under Pillar 5, Business with a Purpose – managing our business in an ethical, efficient and sustainable way
• appointment of Strategic Pillar Champions to provide strategic leadership, implementation of initiatives and communication
• the introduction of new reporting frameworks for Strategic Pillars activities and metrics on key operational areas, including finance and ICT, decision-making and delegation authorities, and
• in line with its Strategic Priority Action 5.5, We will update the delivery media for the AMC’s publications and handbooks, the AMC took a digital-first approach to produce an entirely online edition of its 2018-19 Annual Report. The new framework would provide interactive functionality to create an engaging online experience with a responsive, mobile-first design to display on any device.

Strengthening our People and Culture

The AMC Secretariat manages the day to day governance and operations of the AMC under the direction of the CEO. The AMC’s head office is located in Canberra (approximately 60 staff) and at the National Test Centre in Melbourne (approximately 20 staff).

Figure 2: AMC Secretariat

The AMC’s Strategic Plan for 2018-2028 commits the organisation to becoming an ‘employer of choice’. As one of the first steps in that direction the AMC conducted a staff engagement survey in October 2018 in order to obtain an honest view of how the staff felt about their roles, their managers, the senior executive group and the AMC generally. The feedback from this survey led to a review of AMC policies, comparing the AMC with other similar organisations and with best practice, and resulted in, most significantly, the introduction of paid parental leave for secondary carers and an additional three days leave each year, to be taken between Christmas and New Year. In addition, team-building activities are underway and a reward and recognition policy has been developed. A second survey is being undertaken in October 2019 in order to monitor progress and continue to identify areas for improvement.

Two major leadership programs were run for mid-level managers, and for the senior executive team. An external provider was contracted to deliver custom-designed programs resulting in very positive outcomes. As well as developing the leadership skills of the participants, the programs also led to improved communication across teams and provided a solid basis for ongoing growth of the AMC’s managers and leaders.

An increased focus on learning and development and career progression for all staff members is helping to improve staff retention, staff satisfaction and the ability of the organisation to meet its strategic goals. The AMC will continue to review and improve its people and culture strategies based on the outcomes of future staff engagement surveys and staff feedback throughout the year.

The senior executive team remained unchanged over the 2018-19 year and there was a notable increase in staff retention from the previous year.

AMC Values

Openness & Accountability | Collaboration | Innovation | Striving for Excellence Integrity

The AMC has a very diverse workforce, with approximately 30% of staff members being born overseas (compared to 23% of the Australian population). Among the 80 staff members there are 17 languages spoken other than English. A variety of cultural events are organised by the AMC social club to celebrate this diversity.

Approximately two-thirds of staff are female and one-third male, with similar percentages across the seven levels of operations and management.

This diversity is also reflected in AMC’s membership with females making up 42% of AMC Council Members and 37.5% of AMC Directors.

Additionally, Membership positions specifically for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and Māori were increased in June 2019. Membership is also balanced across the medical spectrum to provide diversity from different sectors and age groups.