In line with current Government priorities and to assist Agencies with Workforce Planning issues, a Quarterly FTE collection is to be implemented in 2004. The collection will improve information available to agency management and other stakeholders on a range of HR performance indicators.

The quarterly collection is a subset of the information currently supplied in the annual Workforce Profile collection, providing agency management with more timely information on full-time equivalent employment, cross classified by remuneration levels, employment category, age, gender, employment status and occupational groupings. Information on absenteeism and separations will also be available.

An essential component of the quarterly collection is the standardisation across the sector of Full Time Equivalent (FTE). The formula derived has been independently validated by two external statistical consultancies and should be utilised by Agencies in all future centralised reporting requirements. The formula is:

Total Number of Standard Hours Paid for the Designated Period

[(Standard Fulltime Award or Contract Hours) * (Number of Days in the Designated Period/7)]

The Workforce Planning and Workforce Profile Team from the Public Employment Office (PEO) will administer the collection. PEO will provide ongoing support for agency contact officers during the implementation and collection period through existing Workforce Profile communication protocols. The data specifications for this collection will be made available to each agency before the end of October 2003. Briefing sessions, which includes a streamlined collection process, will be conducted by PEO during December 2003 and January 2004. This process lays the framework for a timely reporting and benchmarking facility for Agencies and improved centralised reporting.

The first quarterly collection is for the period 1 January 2004 to 31 March 2004 and must be submitted by all Agencies by 30 April 2004. The contents of the report and other information will be made available to Agencies by mid June. Subsequent quarterly collections, i.e. for the period 1st April to 30 June and 1st July to 30 September etc, will all have similar reporting timeframes.

The Privacy Code of Practice was established in 1999 for the original annual Workforce Profile collection and can be found on the Premier's Department website (under publications > workforce profile)

The Privacy Code of Practice is currently being amended to include this collection.

Your support for the quarterly collection will help to ensure that you have the most up to date information available for your agency's planning and reporting requirements.

Enquiries regarding the Quarterly FTE collection should be emailed to [email protected].

Col Gellatly John Pierce
Director-General Secretary

This circular has Not superseded any other Memorandum/Circular