THE LATEST NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM THE
LG PROFESSIONALS SA BUSINESS PERFORMANCE AND IMPROVEMENT NETWORK
Welcome to The LG Innovator! In this edition, we reflect on a few of the recent events we've hosted, we chat data over-harvesting and what we can do to prevent it, we meet one of our BPIN Committee Members, and we dive into an SA councils latest innovative internal communications channel!
It’s been a busy period for the LG Professionals SA Business Performance and Improvement Committee as we’ve hosted both our first Lunch and Learn session and a Network Forum.
The Committee is supported by the team at LG Professionals SA. If you have any queries or are seeking support, please reach out via networks@lgprofessionalssa.org.au. Meet our current Business Performance and Improvement (BPIN) committee here. |
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IN THIS EDITION
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Reflections - Business Performance And Improvement Network Lunch and Learn Session and Network Forum. Read here
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Working Differently - Meet The Barossa Council at 'The Bar'. Read more
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Meet The Member - Learn more about your Network. Read more
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In Focus - Delivering great services while preventing data over-harvesting. Read here Trending - Consent and social licence. Read here -
Connect - Events and online discussions. Read more
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BUSINESS PERFORMANCE AND IMPROVEMENT NETWORK LUNCH AND LEARN SESSION - AI DEMYSTIFIED
In June, we hosted our first Lunch and Learn session with the theme of AI Demystified. Ania Karzek from the City of Holdfast Bay and Sara Kinzie from the City of Mitcham each gave a presentation exploring both the realities and opportunities of AI in the local government sector.
The slides from their presentations, which contain practical information relating to both responsible AI use and creating a culture of AI innovation, can be accessed via our Viva Engage website.
During the session, a request was made to explore two of the issues raised, data over-harvesting and consent, in more detail. While future sessions may be organised to explore these topics more deeply, we’re providing an interim deep dive via articles in this newsletter to keep you thinking about these important aspects of technology governance. |
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BUSINESS PERFORMANCE AND IMPROVEMENT NETWORK FORUM - THE POWER OF DATA
At our July Network Forum, we heard from a fantastic
array of speakers who provided insights on how they have harnessed the power of
data to achieve better outcomes for their community and aid in decision making. Whilst their functions, data sources, systems, reporting and
outcomes all differed, there were key threads and consistent messaging
throughout the presentations. Here are some of our key takeaways: |
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By Alex Prior, Manager Business Transformation, The Barossa Council
In December 2024, The Barossa Council launched 'The Bar', our brand-new intranet site.
A place where we can virtually congregate, find out the latest news, exchange stories, connect and celebrate - check out our launch video.
What we implemented:
Simplified Navigation: Everything is easy to find, from announcements to our corporate logos. One of our favourite pages is called 'I want know about…', which centralises all of the random bits of information that don’t necessarily sit with a core team, and have historically lived in people's heads - allowing the page to be a hub of helpful information.
Self-Service Tools: Information on our internal business functions is now all in one convenient location.
Changes to the way we provide news and updates: Providing timely, concise staff updates in bite-sized pieces and reducing our internal email traffic.
Launch of Viva Engage: Where we can chat, share updates, and celebrate wins. Think of it as the council's own social media page. Staff can access Viva Engage via the intranet home page or via Teams. |
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What is Viva Engage?
Viva Engage is a powerful tool that integrates seamlessly with our SharePoint intranet, The Bar. By using Viva Engage, we can all stay connected, access important information, and collaborate with colleagues across the organisation.
We've created an "All Staff" community where everyone can get the latest updates and information. Some teams have also taken it upon themselves to create their own community. Within the community, you can post updates, ask questions, and participate in discussions. The uptake across our organisation has been amazing, our staff are now able to provide a small snapshot into what they've been doing and their team's achievements. This has helped to break down silos and create greater awareness of the services we provide, without the pressures associated with sending an all-staff email. Want to see what it's all about? Check out Welcome to Viva Engage Video.
Have you got a cool innovation or a new way of working that you would like to share with the network? Reach out to the committee - we would love to share it in our next newsletter. |
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We recently spoke with Claire Bircumshaw from the City of Marion, to hear more about her role and interest in the Network.
What is your role and how long have you been in local government?
I am the Change Manager at the City of Marion. My role works across council to support the adoption of change, from IT to Continuous Improvement projects, leadership development and change impact management. |
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Claire Bircumshaw
Change Manager
City of Marion |
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What’s the most beneficial aspect of being a member of the Business Performance and Improvement Network?
BPIN reinforces a culture of collaboration, providing us access to a collective knowledge base of best practices and resources, which enables us to learn from each other and drive continuous improvement across councils.
What’s your favourite performance and improvement work/life hack?
Performance: Rule of Three – write down three things you want to complete that day and cross them off as they are completed. I go home feeling like I have contributed effectively to the organisation.
Improvement: Chat GPT – using AI helps kick-start my thought process when I am procrastinating.
Tell us something about you that we don’t know?
I lived in Canada for six months, working at an upmarket hotel. During my time there, I was able to meet and have a conversation with Roger Daltrey, lead singer of The Who – now I am showing my age 😊 |
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DELIVERING GREAT SERVICES WHILE PREVENTING DATA
OVER-HARVESTING
In a digital world, all of us are under pressure to deliver
seamless, easy-to-use services that mirror the intuitive, personalised
experiences people get from the private sector. Our customers want to minimise
time spent interacting with us (unless they choose otherwise), reduce paperwork
and not have to re-supply the same information each time they interact with us.
But meeting these expectations must not come at the cost of
privacy, which is why the private sector approach of harvesting vast amounts of
personal data in order to feed personalisation algorithms is a dangerous
methodology for public service organisations to apply. |
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CONSENT AND SOCIAL LICENCE
By Ania Karzek, Program Director - Target Operating Model (TOM), City of Holdfast Bay
How often have you read the terms and conditions before
hitting “I accept” when signing up for a website or a digital service? Have you
ever not used a service or not completed a transaction because you read
something in clause 427 subsection (p) paragraph 29 that you didn’t want to
consent to?
It is alarming how often we skip over the details of
consent, both as users and suppliers of digital services.
What
many don’t realise is that there are many different types of consent. In
government contexts, we often rely on implied, presumed, or hypothetical
consent. Much of what we do depends on social license, not active agreement.
But we need to seriously question whether that’s appropriate, fair, or ethical,
especially when the people affected have no real choice.
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SAVE THE DATE FOR OUR FINAL FORUM OF 2025
Mark your calendars for Thursday 30 October 2025 for our final Forum of the year. Keep an eye on your inbox for your invite soon. We look forward to seeing you there and encourage those interested to join us in person on the day to make the most out of the learnings and experience. |
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The Business Performance and Improvement Network is keen to serve and support our sector in our never-ending quest for innovation and continuous improvement.
This year, we will again be bringing you opportunities to gather and learn at face-to-face and online forums, which we encourage everyone to attend and share widely with your colleagues. Watch your inbox for news of upcoming forums.
We are currently undertaking a review of our Business Performance and Improvement Network Viva Engage site. We will update the Network on the review when an update is ready to be shared, and in the meantime will not be accepting any requests to join the platform. |
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LG Professionals SA | Networks and more Did you know that the
Business Performance and Improvement Network is just one of many Member Networks supported by LG Professionals SA? Alongside a range of training and
development opportunities, network events and forums are a great way for you to
connect with like-minded professionals within the sector.
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