The NSW Government Directory is online at www.directory.nsw.gov.au . It provides succinct information about the NSW Government from an organisational perspective covering all types of agencies. It includes appropriate contact information of relevance to the public. The online directory was first published in 1998. For several decades before this a hardcopy government directory had been published periodically. The content and structure of the online directory is similar to that of the previous hardcopy edition.

The NSW Government Directory is a significant and well used information resource. Each week there are some 4,000 visits to the directory, each averaging some 15 minutes and involving 25,000 page views. Approximately half of the users are public servants; the remainder being business people, academics and the general public mostly from NSW.

The users of the directory expect to find information that is correct, current and appropriately comprehensive. Therefore, all agencies of all types are to:

• establish internal procedures to ensure that the directory is notified of changes to their information; and
• conduct regular reviews to validate their information in the directory and notify the live directory of any changes.

Guidance about the extent of agencies' information in the directory is attached.

The preferred method of promptly notifying the directory is via a feedback email to [email protected], which may be accessed from the directory itself. Agencies requiring major changes should email for information about the best way to provide the information. When providing updated information agencies are to provide details of their contact person for any queries.

Col Gellatly
Director General, Premier's Department

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DIRECTORY CONTENT GUIDANCE

The detailed directory content for an agency will vary depending on the functions and size of an agency and, in a few instances, on security considerations. The term agency includes departments, government trading enterprises and state owned corporations of all types. The following guidelines are to be followed:

Agencies

• All legally established NSW Government entities are to be represented in the Directory, even when they operate as a business unit embedded in another agency. This includes all boards, committees or similar bodies established by legislation, ministerial direction or whose membership is notified in the NSW Government Gazette.
• The organisational depth of an agency's directory entries will depend on its size. The Directory:
  • must always include the level of Deputy Director General or equivalent;
  • should include the level below this; and
  • may include further levels where their presentation will give directory users useful insight into the agency's roles and missions.

In general, only business units headed by a SES officer should be presented.

• All regional and local offices or facilities are to be represented in the Directory including their location and any location specific contact information that the public may use, and their business hours.
• The name of a regional or local office is to include its region or place name.

Agency Details

• The following information, where it exists, is to be presented at the agency level in addition to the agency's name:

Brief description of agency functions Street address

Telephone number Postal address (if different) 

Fax number Web site URL

Email address Normal business hours

TTY phone number ABN

DX address 

• The description of agency functions should be succinct and limited to about 50 words of plain text.
• Lower levels in an agency should provide their functional description, and may present other items as appropriate.
• The street address of all regional and local offices must be included.

Positions and People

• When an agency or business unit is represented in the directory then the position title and name of its head should be included.
• Other key positions may be presented together with the position holder.
• The extent of information presented about positions and their occupants is a matter for agencies. For names, the following should be noted:
  • The personal names used should be the person's preference.
  • Personal titles (Dr, Ms, Professor, etc) should be included.
  • Postnominal letters for national honours (AM, PSM, etc) should also be included.

• The occupants of statutory positions are to be named together with the position title and brief description of the statutory position they hold.
• The names of members of boards, committees, etc, notified in the NSW Government Gazette are to be presented.
• Generally, the directory displays information in alphabetical order. The most notable exception is that position titles can be given a precedence order, eg a CEO can appear first. If precedence is not given then positions will appear in alphabetical order.
• In cases when there is an unacceptable risk to a named individual's personal security then the position title should appear but the position holder's name may be omitted.