Australian Innovation System Report 2012 Compendium of Program Updates

Aboriginal Heritage Electronic Lodgements Program

The Western Australian State Government has embarked upon a major innovation to streamline its development approval process, in compliance with its statutory obligations with Aboriginal heritage and culture, through the development of the Aboriginal Heritage Electronic Lodgements Program (AHELP).

AHELP will provide heritage managements systems for:

• 
  land use applications;
  
• 
  new heritage site registration;
  
• 
  compliance monitoring, investigation and case management; and
  
• 
  administration.
  

Major benefits of the fully electronic, integrated online information management system include:

• 
  provision of stakeholders with a level of transparency and visibility to the heritage lodgement process by enabling tracking of applications during the review, recommendation and approvals stages of the process;
  
• 
  land-use applications;
  
• 
  elimination of the paper burden associated with decision making and committee and ministerial levels through real-time, online access to proposals to be considered for approval; and
  
• 
  vastly improved collaboration, communication and information sharing between government approval agencies.
  

Following a technology proof of concept funded by Microsoft in early 2011 the Western Australian Government has approved $3.54 million to design and build the system over the next 2-3 years.

WA Health Quality Incentive Program (Performance Activity & Quality)

The WA Health Quality Incentive Program (QuIP) aims to:

1. 
   improve the safety and quality of care that is provided across WA Health; and
   
2. 
   provide more community based services and minimise unnecessary hospital admissions.
   

It does this by providing funding to encourage and recognise innovative work in these areas.

KPIs: 128 applications from frontline staff across WA Health

HealthTracks (Public Health)

The WA Department of Health, in collaboration with Curtin University through the Cooperative Research Centre for Spatial Information, has established an online data portal with the objective of providing policy analysts and decision makers with timely access to reliable health, demographic and environmental data in an intuitive online application.

Reporting application had over 180 unique users and over 3500 reports generated between July and December 2011.

Landgate Innovation Program and Innovation out of a Box

Landgate has successfully incorporated innovation into the heart of its culture. Landgate created its internal Innovation Program in 2008, driven by the Board of Management.

To share Landgate’s successful innovation story and experiences with other government agencies, Landgate developed “Innovation out of a Box” concept. A website was launched in 2011 which gives a clear framework for establishing an innovation program and brings together the tools, techniques and Landgate’s experiences. The website outlines a simple step-by-step process from dreaming up what you want your innovation program to look like to ways to sustain momentum once launched.

Website for further information:

www.landgate.wa.gov.au/innovation

Local Government Integrated Planning and Reporting Framework

The WA Department of Local Government’s strategic goals are to increase the economic, social and structural viability of local governments, and to strengthen their capacity to meet community aspirations.

As communities change and respond to a range of economic, social, environmental and demographic factors, local governments must also adapt and change. They have stewardship of an increasingly large asset and resource base, and they are also recognising broader responsibilities for community wellbeing, for ‘place shaping’, and for planning and acting in collaboration with others.

At the same time, the role of the community in local government is also changing, with increasing community expectations for consultation, participation and engagement with local government planning processes.

The Department has developed an Integrated Planning and Reporting Framework, designed to assist local governments to address these challenges, by helping them to plan strategically for the long-term sustainability of their communities.

The Framework provides tools and resources to assist local governments to develop their own:

• 
  Strategic Community Plan;
  
• 
  Corporate Business Plan;
  
• 
  Long Term Financial Plan;
  
• 
  Asset Management Plan; and
  
• 
  Workforce Plan.
  

During 2011, the Framework was implemented across all 138 WA local government authorities, through the following steps:

• 
  Publication of frameworks, guidelines, templates and best practice models.
  
• 
  Training programs including Master Classes for local government staff (conducted in association with Local Government Managers Australia) and Elected Member Workshops (conducted in association with the WA Local Government Association).
  
• 
  Introduction of new regulations under the Local Government Act 1995, which will require all local governments, by 30 June 2013, to develop a Strategic Community Plan that links community aspirations with the Council’s long term strategy, and a Corporate Business Plan that applies the Strategic Community Plan through the use of asset management, long term financial plans, workforce plans and other specific council strategies.
  
• 
  Development of a Performance Measurement Framework, that identifies baseline standards for strategic community plans, corporate business plans, long term financial plans, asset management plans and workforce plans, and that will encourage and measure a process of continuous improvement by individual local governments and across the sector as a whole.
  

Website for further information:

http://integratedplanning.dlg.wa.gov.au/