About the department

About the Department

Our vision

Our vision is to be recognised and respected leaders in whole of Victorian Government policy and performance

Our mission

The Department of Premier and Cabinet’s (DPC) mission is to support the people of Victoria by:

  • helping government achieve its strategic objectives
  • providing leadership to the public sector to improve its effectiveness and
  • promoting collaboration across government to drive performance and improve outcomes.

DPC supports the Victorian Government’s commitment to a stronger, fairer, better Victoria by pursuing excellence in whole of Victorian Government service delivery and reform. We do this by supporting the Premier, Deputy Premier, Special Minister of State, the Ministers for Aboriginal Affairs, Equality, Multicultural Affairs, Industrial Relations, Veterans, Youth and Women, as well as the Cabinet.

Our values

DPC upholds the public sector values as enshrined in the Public Administration Act 2004.

Accountability: working to clear objectives in a transparent manner, accepting responsibility for our decisions and actions, seeking to achieve best use of resources, submitting ourselves to appropriate scrutiny.

Human Rights: making decisions and providing advice consistent with the human rights, actively implementing, promoting and supporting human rights.

Impartiality: making decisions and providing advice on merit without bias, caprice, favouritism or self-interest, acting fairly by objectively considering all relevant facts and applying fair criteria, implementing government policies and programs equitably.

Integrity: being honest, open and transparent in our dealings, using powers responsibly, reporting improper conduct, and avoiding real or apparent conflicts of interest, striving to earn and sustain public trust of a high level.

Leadership: actively implementing, promoting and supporting these values.

Respect: treating others fairly and objectively, ensuring freedom from discrimination, harassment and bullying, using views to improve outcomes on an ongoing basis.

Responsiveness: providing frank, impartial and timely advice to the government, providing high-quality services to the Victorian community, identifying and promoting best practice.

Our Ministers

The Hon Daniel Andrews MP, Premier

The Hon James Merlino MP, Deputy Premier

Gabrielle Williams MP, Minister for Women, Minister for Youth

Gavin Jennings MLC, Special Minister of State, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs

Martin Foley MP, Minister for Equality

The Hon Richard Wynne MP, Minister for Multicultural Affairs

Robin Scott MP, Minister for Veterans

Tim Pallas MP, Minister for Industrial Relations

Our structure

To best support the government, the department’s functions are managed within eight groups.

Economic Policy and State Productivity

The Economic Policy and State Productivity group is responsible for economic development and strategy, regional and local government outcomes, international engagement, transport infrastructure, planning, priority precincts, and energy, agriculture, resources and environment policy. The group also provides advice across these portfolio areas to maximise the economic and social benefits of government policy.

Fairer Victoria

The Fairer Victoria group is responsible for multicultural affairs and social cohesion, equality, veterans, youth, women’s policy, and prevention of family violence. The group works with other government departments, the private sector and communities to give whole of Victorian Government prominence to improving outcomes for diverse cohorts. The group is also responsible for ensuring government services, policies and programs are inclusive of all Victorians.

Governance Policy and Coordination

The Governance Policy and Coordination group is responsible for overseeing Cabinet management, digital design and innovation, public sector governance, performance and reform, security and emergency management, cyber security, government shared services, strategic communications, engagement and protocol, the Victorian Centre for Data Insights and the department’s corporate services. The group is also primarily responsible for supporting the Special Minister of State.

Industrial Relations Victoria

The Industrial Relations Victoria (IRV) group is responsible for managing public sector industrial relations, advising on private sector matters, developing regulatory and policy solutions, and overseeing public sector enterprise bargaining and dispute management. The group is also responsible for implementing and ensuring compliance with laws governing long service leave, child employment and owner drivers. IRV works with industry and unions to promote positive industrial relations and improve the working standards and conditions of all Victorians.

Jobs and Skills Exchange

The Jobs and Skills Exchange (JSE) group is responsible for supporting a more agile, flexible and modern public service by providing a whole of Victorian government approach to workforce mobility. The initial primary focus will be on the VPS to enable an agile, responsive and high-performing workforce. The group is also accountable to the Special Minister of State.

Office of the General Counsel

The Office of the General Counsel (OGC) is responsible for providing legal and policy advice to the Premier, DPC’s ministers, the DPC Secretary and the department. OGC advises on the full range of legal issues government faces, including in the areas of administrative, constitutional and corporate law. OGC’s policy focus is on issues in the Premier’s and the Special Minister of State’s portfolios, principally in relation to Victoria’s electoral and integrity systems. OGC is also responsible for supporting the department in the development of legislative proposals.

Service Systems Reform

The Service Systems Reform group is responsible for overseeing a program of whole of Victorian government reforms that address issues of complexity and disadvantage, with a focus on common clients, and place-based initiatives. The group, as part of a cross-government virtual team, is also responsible for supporting the Victorian Secretaries’ Board Service Delivery Reform sub-group to coordinate and guide community engagement and service delivery reform in Victoria.

Social Policy Group

The Social Policy group is responsible for Aboriginal Victoria and Aboriginal affairs policy, as well as education, justice, health, human services and advice regarding the National Disability Insurance Scheme. The group is also responsible for contributing to the development of strategic social services reforms and monitoring, coordinating the Mental Health Royal Commission and reporting on the delivery of Royal Commission into Family Violence recommendations.

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