Guidance and education

Reports, newsletters, presentations and social media posts are key aspects of the Inspectorate’s guidance and education program. Engagement occurs across various channels to ensure the Inspectorate’s reactive and proactive work is communicated effectively to state government, councils, council representative bodies, the community and other stakeholders.

Newsletter

The Inspectorate published four newsletters to provide information and updates about significant reports, prosecutions, events and other relevant information. Newsletters were sent to more than 3300 subscribers and published on the Inspectorate website. This increased the reach of information beyond traditional mailing lists and assisted in meeting Victorian Government accessibility requirements.

General engagement

Before the COVID-19 pandemic impacted on in-person gatherings and conferences, the Inspectorate delivered presentations to councils, sector representative bodies and at partner agency events.

David Wolf presented on the CEO employment management report at the Local Government Professionals’ conference, LGPro Australia National Congress, in Darwin on 1 August and was part of a Future Leader panel discussing issues faced by council leaders nationally and potential future challenges.

Visiting and presenting to regional councils was a specific focus during the second half of 2019. David was invited to speak to senior management at Central Goldfields Shire in late July and a gathering of Corangamite Shire Council representatives at a Municipal Association of Victoria event.

IBAC hosted the Australian Public Sector Anti-Corruption Conference (APSACC) at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre on 30–31 October. The Inspectorate curated the conference’s local government stream, which featured presentations from leading academic and sector figures. More than 500 delegates from across the country and overseas attended the conference and workshops.

Inspectorate representatives gave presentations at events including the LGPro CEOs forum, Victorian Local Government Association (VLGA) Mayors and FastTrack forums and regional Corruption Prevention and Integrity Insights forums in Geelong. More than 50 public sector chief executive officers, managers, and senior staff working in integrity roles attended the Geelong forum. Following the cancellation or switch to virtual seminars for many events in 2020, the Inspectorate took part in panel sessions and podcasts for the VLGA Connect series and other key stakeholder events.

David Wolf, Kathryn Arndt, Chris Eddy and Bo Li at a Victorian Local Government Association (VLGA) event

Social media

The Inspectorate continues to use its Twitter account @CMI_ Vic to supply updates on its work and highlight key issues for the sector. The former Chief Municipal Inspector also shared relevant news on his LinkedIn profile. The Inspectorate explored alternative social media channels for engaging with the sector but resource constraints limited its ability to manage further channels effectively.

Website

The Inspectorate website provides easy access to information about the Inspectorate’s work publications, news, media releases and the secure online complaint form. After user feedback and input from staff and external stakeholders, the Inspectorate implemented a new online form that was aimed at simplifying the complaints process and improving information security and accessibility in line with Victorian government standards.