Applicant A

Address
Phone number
Date

To Selection Panel
Please accept my application for the position of Director Public Sector Appeals & Grievance
Reviews (PSA&GR), a role which I have held since January 2008, carrying out all of the key
responsibilities and duties as set out in the job description.
I believe that my proven performance in the job, as verified through referees and the many
available examples of my work, will provide ample evidence of my suitability for the role. I
have also attached a detailed resume setting out my qualifications and work history, and
highlighting some of my achievements over the past seven years.
You will note from my resume that I have Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws degrees, and
practised as both a psychologist and a lawyer. I also have considerable training and
extensive experience in alternative dispute resolution and complaint handling within statutory
frameworks. I am an accomplished legal writer and public speaker, and have developed and
delivered training in complex areas.
As Director of the PSA&GR, I manage a small, high-performing team and we take great pride
in all aspects of our work, in particular our reputation for excellent and timely service to all
stakeholders. Under my leadership the unit has led the way in bringing about significant
improvement in NTPS merit selection, and in the implementation of Special Measures, an
initiative which I have been instrumental in developing and promoting.
Referees will attest to the fact that I have excellent working relationships with stakeholders
including senior HR practitioners and union officials. This enhances my ability to achieve
satisfactory resolutions of difficult and sensitive matters, and to provide high level advice and
decisions which inspire confidence and acceptance.
I enjoy my job, and, if selected, look forward to continuing to provide effective, impartial
grievance review and appeal mechanisms, and to continuing the ongoing project to simplify
and improve NTPS merit selection processes.
Yours sincerely

Applicant A

RESUME
NAME:

Applicant A

ADDRESS:

1 Jones Street, Darwin

Work Phone: 8912345

EDUCATION:

Mobile: 0412345678

Bachelor of Laws 1980 *

University of Victoria
Victoria British Columbia Canada
Bachelor of Arts (Psychology First Class) 1974 *
University of Victoria
Victoria British Columbia Canada
* Photocopies verifying education attached

OTHER TRAINING:

LEADR Mediation Training

Conciliation Training HREOC
Various Investigations Courses
Cross Cultural Training

EMPLOYMENT HISTORY:
January 2008 to Present

Director Public Sector Appeals & Grievance Reviews

Office of Commissioner for Public Employment ECO1

I have been the Director of the Public Sector Appeals & Grievance Reviews (PSA&GR) unit of
OCPE for seven years. In the role I manage the unit, which has two SAO1 officers and an
AO4 level support officer, and participate as a member of the OCPE Management team. The
function of PSA&GR is to handle grievances and appeals from Public Sector employees, and
to provide training and education in areas of NTPS-wide human resource management.
Under my leadership, the unit has significantly increased both the scope and the quality of the
work of the unit, and the role of Director has evolved to include the provision of sector-wide
leadership, education and training in a number of significant HR management areas, in
particular merit selection, workplace behaviours, and Special Measures.
The work of the PSA&GR is often highly sensitive, confidential and complex. To perform the
role well it is essential that the Director has high-level legal knowledge and competency, while
also having the ability to be flexible, innovative, empathetic and persuasive. I believe that I
have exhibited those qualities on a consistent basis in my years in the role, and that this can
be confirmed by the current and two previous Commissioners for Public Employment to whom
I have directly reported.

Some of my achievements as Director PSA&GR include:

Reducing the average resolution time for grievances from over six
months to the current average of 1.3 months, and reducing the time for
completion of promotion appeals from several months to six weeks
Implementing reporting mechanisms and quality measures that enable
PSA&GR to report accurately on the exact nature of work performed,
and the level of stakeholder satisfaction with our services
Putting in place flexible grievance handling approaches, which routinely
result in speedy and effective resolution of grievances
Taking over the conduct of Disciplinary and Inability Appeals (a function
which had previously been carried out by private sector legal
practitioners at substantial cost to the NTPS)
Setting up high standard processes and procedures for conduct of all
public sector appeals, including creation of a suite of templates and
information sheets for parties to appeals
Convening and conducting a half-day workshop to train senior
executives and union officials in tribunal processes to qualify them to sit
as Board members in Inability and Disciplinary appeals
Conducting and handing down detailed and complex decisions in
several hundred Promotion Appeals, and all Disciplinary and Inability
Appeals held since 2010 when I was appointed standing Chair of those
Boards.
Providing advice and being extensively involved in the creation of the
amended Public Sector Employment and Management Act
Writing the current OCPE Merit Selection Guide published in 2012 and
now distributed to 5000 employees
Creating the intensive OCPE Merit Selection Training Course now
delivered, either by myself or, since late 2012, by both myself and the
Training Manager, to a total of over 2000 NTPS employees.
Developing and writing, following consultation with an NTPS working
group on bullying, Employment Instruction 13 Appropriate Workplace
Behaviours, and the accompanying Commissioners Guideline
Promoting the use of Special Measures in the NTPS, including writing
the Commissioners Guideline and Information Sheet, and producing a
training course and templates for use by Agencies in applying for
approval for Special Measures plans
Establishing excellent working relationships with Agency HR officers and
unions which has enabled me to gain support for the HR initiatives and
strategies developed by the PSA&GR unit
Regularly travelling to Alice Springs, Katherine, Tennant Creek and
Nhulunbuy to provide training programs and to consult with stakeholders
Producing standardised merit selection policy and procedures and an
eLearning training course which will enable delivery of the Chief
Ministers Initiative for Simplified Recruitment.

February 2007 to June 2007

Human Rights Law Lecturer

Charles Darwin University

While working at the Anti-Discrimination Commission, I agreed to also teach for one semester
the Human Rights Law Unit for the Charles Darwin University School of Law and Business.
This required me to research and develop a complete course syllabus, prepare and deliver
fourteen two-hour power point lectures, read and mark essays of forty-nine students, and set
and mark the two hour exam. The course received excellent ratings and the materials I
prepared continued to be used in the course in subsequent years.
May 2001 to December 2007

Director of Conciliation, Policy & Law/Conciliator EO1

NT Anti-Discrimination Commission

Prior to my current employment I was the Director of Conciliation, Policy & Law for the
Northern Territory Anti-Discrimination Commission. In this position I was the Deputy to the
Commissioner and had direct responsibility for managing and supervising the work of two
AO7 Conciliator/Complaints Officers, an AO7 Education and Training Officer, and an AO4
Administrative Assistant.
I was also substantially involved in the general management of the office, and acted in the
position of Anti-Discrimination Commissioner during any periods when the Commissioner was
away or unable to act.
My duties and responsibilities in the Directors position included:

managing the complaint-handling and conciliation operations of the Commission including

developing policy and procedures
personally conducting investigations and acting as conciliator in a large number of
complaints
writing complex and detailed decisions regarding complaints investigated by the
Commission
acting as solicitor for the Anti-Discrimination Commission and as registrar in matters set
for hearing
providing both oral and written advices and legal opinions regarding anti-discrimination
issues to a wide variety of government departments and the private sector
assisting the Commissioner in a full review of the Anti-Discrimination Act 1992
conducting specialised training and information sessions for Government and the general
public on anti-discrimination law and the Commission's functions
acting as Anti-Discrimination Commissioner and Principal Community Visitor at all times
when the Commissioner was away or unable to act
being the Information Officer for the Commission
conducting several hearings while acting in the role of Commissioner; those written
decisions are reported.

April 1998 to May 2001

After the close of the NT Regional Office of the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity
Commission I elected to remain at home to spend more time with our young family.

April 1995 to March 1998

Conciliator/Complaints Officer (ASO 6)

Human Rights & Equal Opportunity Commission (HREOC)
NT Regional Office - Darwin

My work at HREOC involved the investigation and handling of complaints brought under the
legislation administered by the Commission. My function was to act initially as an
investigating officer and subsequently to handle the resolution of complaints, either by written
decline, through conciliation (conducted either informally through discussions with the parties
or in formal conciliation conferences), or, very rarely, by direct referral to hearing.
As a significant amount of my work involved conciliation of complaints, I received intensive
HREOC training as a conciliator, as well as participating in a substantial amount of crosscultural education and training. It was also part of my role at HREOC to conduct training
sessions in anti-discrimination law and HREOC's role and functions.
January 1987 - April 1995
In early 1987 my husband and I sold our law practice in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
and spent the next eight years living on a small yacht and travelling extensively with our son,
before deciding, in late 1994, to settle in Australia.
October 1981 - January 1987 Barrister and Solicitor
*** & Company
Victoria British Columbia Canada
During this period, in partnership with four other lawyers, I opened and operated a successful
law practice which employed three lawyers and four support staff. As a legal practitioner I
accepted a wide variety of cases, had a broad spectrum of clients and regularly dealt with
government and social agencies, as well as appearing in all levels of the court system.
Although these were the early days of mediation in the legal system, our firm was active in
this area, and I participated in training for lawyer-mediators and utilised these methods and
skills in my law practice. It was also my responsibility, as the managing partner of the firm, to
handle all administration, budgeting, staff management aspects of the legal practice.
REFEREES:
XXXXXX
Commissioner for Public Employment
XXXXX
Former Commissioner for Public Employment

XXXXX
Former Commissioner for Public Employment