SOCOG will launch its volunteer recruitment program throughout Australia later this year. A total of 50,000 volunteers are needed for the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Most volunteers will make a commitment of 10 days, probably spread over two 5-day periods.

The numbers of volunteers that SOCOG will ultimately recruit from NSW Government agencies is expected to be a small percentage of the total NSW public sector workforce. However, for State Government agencies there will be potential implications on staffing levels in 2000. The challenge for each agency will be to effectively plan resources to deliver essential services for the Olympics and normal work programs while, at the same time, endeavouring to meet expectations for leave taking and deployment to the Olympics volunteer program. Experience from recent Olympics indicates that the Games period, for many businesses and Government agencies, is similar to the Christmas New Year holiday period, particularly with a three-week Games time school holiday period.

The development of guidelines on the taking of leave and on the public sector role in the volunteer progTam is therefore a high priority, whole-of-Government issue.

Cabinet has recently approved of Premier's Department preparing and issuing a set of guidelines in accordance with Cabinet's recent decision on this matter and of consultations with the NSW Labour Council. A summary of these principles is appended.

The Olympic Coordination Authority (OCA) and SOCOG will be briefing human resources managers at the Major Development Briefing Session convened by Premier's Department on 27 and 28 August 1998.

Should you have any further enquiry regarding fi-ds matter please contact John Morandird (Director, Government Strategies) at OCA on telephone number 9998 5009 or David Clark, Premier's Department, on telephone number 9228 3531.

Yours sincerely

C Gellatly
Director-General

Email: [email protected]

2000 OLYMPICS VOLUNTEER PROGRAM

NSW PUBLIC SECTOR ROLE

The NSW Government has approved of the Premier's Department preparing and issuing a set of guidelines to NSW public sector agencies regarding the need for them to identify the likely call on their resources (due to the Olympic Games or because of other essential service requirements) during the Olympic and Paralympic Games period. The following principles are to be included in the guidelines:

(i) agencies determine appropriate policies for managing their limited resources, if necessary, by restricting leave taking;

(5) each Agency will need to recognise any specialist volunteer element involved when assessing the impact of Games volunteers on its operational effectiveness;

(iii) subject to agency operational needs the guidelines should encourage the release of staff for deployment to the Games volunteer program (ie working during the Games period and prior training) and for other leave taking to facilitate family attendance at the Games;

(iv) the guidelines should encourage agencies to release staff to the volunteer program on the following basis:

• all formal applications are made by staff members to SOCOG through their agency (no forced deployment), following initial review as to availability to release by the agency
• the agency subsequently approves the release of each of its staff members selected by SOCOG as volunteers
• the only basis on which an application to become a volunteer-will be refused by a public sector agency is operational effectiveness of the agency;
• advice to staff members on this matter will be appropriately managed by the agency with its usual personnel management procedures
• the agency, on request from SOCOG, provides advice as to the appropriate deployment of its staff members
• staff so released be entitled to a combination of special leave (to a maximum of 5 days) and other types of leave, such as accrued flex or recreation leave (not to apply to teachers as they would be on leave in any case)

(v) the guidelines also be issued through a Premier's memo to all Ministers',

(vi) the Premier advises Local Government and other State, Territory and Commonwealth Governments of the initiative.