Action 5.2: Undertake a review of operational capability and capacity requirements to meet the future needs of fire services across Victoria to inform future funding plans.
Action objective: Ensure that current and future changes to Victoria’s fire risk profile and the expectations of our communities inform service delivery strategies and future capability needs while acting as a key input into the future funding requirements for the sector.
Lead agency: DJCS with CFA and FRV
| Year Two to Five Plan (November 2021) completion date | Year Two to Five Plan (updated May 2023) completion date | Agency reported status as at 30 June 2023 |
|---|---|---|
| June 2023 | November 2024 | In progress – on track |
Context
This action requires DJCS, working with CFA and FRV, to perform an evidence-based review of CFA’s and FRV’s capability and capacity requirements (the review). The scope of the review is to identify and document gaps between CFA’s and FRV’s current and future state capability and capacity requirements and identify what uplift may be required to meet future needs. DJCS intends that this evidence-based analysis may inform future strategic investment decisions by the government and to support the assessment of the long-term financial sustainability for CFA and FRV.
Progress summary
In FY 2022-23, the Minister approved DJCS’s change request to extend the due date for this action to November 2024. The review of CFA’s and FRV’s capability and capacity requirements depends on the completion of a number of other actions in the Year Two to Five Plan over the next 12 to 18 months. This review includes an environmental scan to assess impacts on workforce capacity and capability in action 5.1 and action 5.4. Furthermore, the CFA Operating Model (action 1.7) and the FRV accreditation approach (action 2.2) constitute relevant inputs to the review.
In the reporting period, DJCS established a Project Steering Committee comprising CFA, FRV and DJCS executives and established an agreed Terms of Reference. The Steering Committee oversees the scope, approach, and delivery of action 5.2.
Following recommendations from the FSIM’s Annual Report 2021-22[73], DJCS undertook an analysis to identify the interdependencies between Year Two to Five Plan actions to inform the scope and timing of the review. FSIM notes the proposed timeframe for completing action 5.2 is ambitious.
DJCS established a draft scope, governance arrangements and project plan for the review and provided the draft to CFA and FRV in January 2023. The proposed review focused on an evidence-based understanding of CFA’s and FRV’s future operational capability and capacity requirements to inform future strategic investment decisions and CFA’s and FRV’s future funding plans (action 5.8). In May 2023, CFA and FRV, via the Project Steering Committee, provided feedback that the scope of the proposed review could be broadened. At the end of the reporting period, the Project Steering Committee finalised the project plan. CFA and FRV provided advice on foundational matters - interpretation of the action, objective, statement of success, delivery approach, timelines and next steps. The Steering Committee approved the project framework to support current and future assessment of capability and capacity requirements. FSIM note that DJCS, CFA and FRV continue to work together to develop consensus on the scope of the project, intended outcomes, project deliverables and outputs. DJCS notes that the final output of this review may be one of many inputs into actions 5.7 and 5.8 and is also an input into CFA’s and FRV’s strategic planning over the coming years.
FSIM encourages CFA, DJCS and FRV to continue to collaborate to generate a constructive, informative, evidence-based operational capability and capacity review that articulates the benefits that support the intent of the reform for a complementary and sustainable fire service in Victoria.
Finding
FISM finds action 5.2 is progressing.
Footnotes
[73] Fire Services Implementation Monitor, 2023, Fire Services Implementation Monitor Annual Report 2021/22, Victorian Government, viewed 8 August 2023, https://www.vic.gov.au/fire-services-implementation-monitor-annual-report-2021-22, pg. 114.
Updated