Minister
The Commission was overseen during this period by the Premier, Hon Jacinta Allan MP.
Organisational structure
Commissioner
Brigid Monagle is the Commissioner of the Victorian Public Sector Commission. Brigid commenced as Victorian Public Sector Commissioner in April 2023.
Before being appointed Commissioner, Brigid acted as Secretary for the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing (DFFH) and before that was the department’s Associate Secretary. Prior, Brigid held various Deputy Secretary roles in DFFH from its formation in February 2021 and the Department of Premier and Cabinet. She holds a Masters of Public Policy from Victoria University of Wellington and a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) from the University of Melbourne.
Deputy Commissioner
Ella McPherson was the Deputy Commissioner of the Victorian Public Sector Commission until 14 March 2025. She joined the Commission in November 2021.
Ella held senior roles in communications, change strategy, executive and ministerial services and knowledge management, before taking on the role of Chief Operating Officer for the Victorian School Building Authority. Her last role before joining the Commission was Assistant Deputy Secretary, Schools and Regional Service and COVID-19 Commander for the then Department of Education and Training.
She has Masters qualifications in Communications, Business Administration and Law.
Ella McPherson served as Deputy Commissioner during the 2024–25 reporting period from 1 July 2024 to 14 March 2025. The Deputy Commissioner position was removed from the organisational structure effective 20 June 2025.
Organisational chart
This chart reflects the Commission’s organisational structure at 30 June 2025.
Chart summary
Commissioner
- Brigid Monagle
Executive Directors
- Sarah Gruner, Strategy, Integrity and Insights
- Sam Hannah-Rankin, Workforce Development and Innovation (until 9 May 2025)
Workgroups
- Integrity and Oversight– Annie Tinney, Director
- First Peoples, Workforce Development – Brett West,
- Director Corporate and Digital Services – Christian Hofmann,
- Director Workforce Policy and Improvement – Meghan Lew, Director
- Leadership, Capability and Pathways – Lisa Merrifield, Acting Director (from 8 July 2024)
- Strategic Policy – Simon Carter, Acting Director (from 5 August 2024)
- Data Collection, Insights and Improvement – Jack Giles, Project Director (from 11 September 2024)
- Communications and Engagement – Claire Butler/Anna Prytz, Manager (job-share)
Governance
The Commission is a statutory authority accountable to the Premier. Its integrity functions are independent from ministerial direction or control.
For administrative arrangements, the Commission is supported by the Department of Premier and Cabinet and the Department of Government Services.
Advisory Board
During this period the Advisory Board consisted of the Chair Jeremi Moule, Secretary, Department of Premier and Cabinet, and three appointees of the former Minister for Government Services, Tasneem Chopra OAM, Professor Janine O’Flynn and Greg Smith AM.
Tasneem Chopra OAM resigned from the Advisory Board effective 24 October 2024.
The role of the Advisory Board is to provide to the Commission:
- advice in relation to the preparation of the annual plan and strategic plan of the Commission
- strategic advice in relation to matters relevant to the objectives and functions of the Commission.
The Advisory Board meets quarterly.
Audit and Risk Management Committee
The Commission has an Audit and Risk Management Committee. The Committee consists of the following members:
- Cynthia Lahiff, Chair (independent member)
- Shaun Condron (independent member)
- Annie Tinney (non-executive member)
The committee provides independent assurance and advice to the Commissioner on the Commission’s audit risk, control and compliance framework, and its statutory financial reporting obligations.
The committee is responsible for:
- improving the Commission’s effectiveness and efficiency
- ensuring compliance with applicable laws and regulations
- coordinating audits, considering recommendations and implementing actions
- overseeing operation of the risk management framework
- reviewing the annual report and financial information.
In 2024–25, internal auditors performed the first stage of a project assurance review of the VPSC Cloud Transformation and Migration project. The review concluded that sound governance arrangements were in place, including oversight by a Project Steering Committee, a documented project management plan, a defined project roadmap, and regular status reporting to senior leadership. The review identified two key areas for improvement: the criteria for assessing risks and issues had not been defined, and the process for escalation of project risks and issues to governance bodies was not formally documented.
A comprehensive review of the Commission’s accounts payable function was conducted, focusing on the design of controls across the purchase-to-payment process, including oversight of purchase orders, invoice validation, and payment approvals. The review concluded that while key policies and workflows were in place, opportunities existed to strengthen the control environment by improving the timeliness of purchase order creation and formalising the monitoring of open purchase orders to ensure better accountability and financial oversight.
Occupational health and safety
The Commission is committed to providing a safe and healthy workplace, supported by centrally managed occupational health and safety (OHS) systems and shared service arrangements. It continues to ensure people are aware of their obligations and responsibilities under the VPS code of conduct and relevant policies through our induction program and internal engagement channels.
Supporting a safe, inclusive and respectful workplace
The Commission wants everyone to be able to be themselves at work, to feel safe, respected and able to speak up, and have the support and tools they need to do their jobs.
This year, the Commission has:
- developed an OHS Risk Register to guide workplace inspections and corrective actions. An internal OHS Committee was embedded as part of ongoing governance arrangements and meets quarterly to oversee safety matters and the OHS Risk Register
- worked with Health and Safety Representatives and designated Family Contact Officers to contribute to maintaining a safe, respectful and supportive workplace
- developed a new Sexual Harassment in the Workplace Policy which outlines our commitment to preventing and responding to sexual harassment. The policy sets clear expectations for behaviour, provides guidance on how to raise concerns, and reinforces the importance of fostering a culture where everyone feels safe and valued. Work also commenced to prepare for compliance with upcoming regulations relating to psychosocial hazards, further strengthening our focus on employee wellbeing and risk prevention
- incorporated training by the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission into our performance and development plan process for the 2024/2025 performance cycle. The eLearn has provided all staff with the knowledge and skills needed to comply with the positive duty under the Equal Opportunity Act 2010
- regularly offered wellbeing and culture sessions with a variety of topics explored throughout the year. These sessions promoted a wide range of wellbeing resources, covering mindfulness, respectful behaviours, financial coaching, family support, mental health, diversity and inclusion, and retirement planning
- offered staff a Family Violence eLearn – Are you safe at home? We understand we all have a role in recognising and responding to family violence, wherever we live, work and play
- acknowledged key points in the calendar to celebrate diversity and inclusion in our workplace, for example, Wear it Purple Day, IDAHOBIT, International Women’s Day, International Day of People with Disability, NAIDOC and Cultural Diversity Week
- continued to promote and encourage use of our Employee Assistance Program (EAP), which provides free, confidential support services for staff and their immediate families. In 2024–25, the program was expanded to include parental leave transition coaching, providing tailored support to employees as they prepare for, take, and return from parental leave
- facilitated discussions in our staff meetings on a range of wellbeing and inclusion topics, including how the EAP can help staff navigate change, the importance of building accessibility into our everyday at work and exploring the results from our staff survey
- undergone Warden training at multiple points during the year, and staff were informed about Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (PEEPs). An emergency evacuation drill was also conducted to test procedures and build staff awareness.
| Item | 2024–25 | 2023–24 |
|---|---|---|
| Ergonomic assessments | 0 | 5 |
| Ergonomic aids recommended | 0 | 1 |
| Flu vaccinations | 45 | 41 |
| Workplace Adjustments requested | 5 | 1 |
| Incidents reported | 3 | 2 |
| Hazards reported | 3 | 5 |
| Staff training in OHS | 1 | 3 |
| Claims made | 2 | 0 |
End of table
Our people
The Commission knows that to deliver great outcomes for the Victorian public sector, we need to focus on our people, and on making the Commission a great place to work.
The Commission continued to progress items in line with our People and Culture plan, which sets out our priority focus areas and actions that will support us in building a capable and credible organisation that supports the Victorian public sector to deliver.
Building our capability
The Commission’s approach to building knowledge and skills recognises that much of its learning and development comes through experiential and social learning in the workplace and a smaller proportion from formal training.
To support this approach, the Commission continues to:
- embed learning and development plans into our performance and development plan process
- use our internal communication channels and platforms to showcase the breadth of learning and development opportunities available to us
- undertake a range of knowledge sharing activities at the branch and team levels, to build skills and capabilities
- focus on building reflective practice more purposefully into how we work, through retrospectives on key projects and regular opportunities to reflect on what’s working and where we can improve
- support staff in undertaking higher duties and secondments, providing them with valuable experience to support their learning and career development.
The Commission has also supported staff to participate in a range of in-house learning programs regarding records management, difficult conversations and the use of plain language.
Connected and working together
As an organisation we are more than the sum of our parts, and to deliver great work the Commission needs to draw on the full range of expertise and experience across our teams.
This year the Commission has:
- embedded a common approach to how we collaborate and built this into our performance development plans
- established cross-Commission, multi-disciplinary teams to deliver our key strategic initiatives
- included reflective practise in personal development plans to promote collaboration and continuous improvement in practices, processes, programs and policies that contribute to better outcomes across the VPS
- supported communities of practice and social learning initiatives with coaching, mentoring and giving and receiving feedback.