Induction and education
(5) Induction programs and kits – minimum contents
Guidance note for boards of major DELWP agencies
This guidance note is for use by board members of the over 100 major public entities and other statutory boards,
committees, councils, panels, etc. in the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) portfolio,
including large (category 1 and 2) committees of management of Crown land reserves. A separate guidance note is
available for small (category 3) committees of management.
Overview
Induction program (minimum)
To assist the effective operation of the board:
At a minimum, your agency’s induction program for
board members should provide an overview of:

Each member appointed or reappointed to the board
should receive a suitable induction, including:
 induction program and kit, provided by the agency
under the direction of the chair and developed in
consultation with DELWP.
 briefing from the chair (preferably one-on-one).

Incoming board members should satisfy themselves
that the induction they receive is suitable and should
not hesitate to request further information.

Incoming chairs are encouraged to request DELWP to
provide them with a chairperson’s induction briefing.

During the term of their appointment, board
members should be assisted by the agency to remain
up-to-date with new laws and government policy,
governance obligations and best practice, etc.
Governance framework
Key obligations that are specific to the agency, including:

establishing Act (e.g. functions and powers)

government policies/strategies of particular
relevance

ministerial directions, guidelines, statements of
obligation or expectation (if any)

other laws of particular relevance (if any).
Operating environment

government policies/strategies of particular
relevance (as above)

the ‘industry’ in which the agency operates.
Current status
Minimum contents - induction program and kit

The minimum contents specified in this guidance note for
induction programs and kits are based on binding
requirements in Premier’s Circular 2015/02, signed by the
Premier of Victoria on 19 October 2015.
the agency’s current financial, strategic and
operational position

key challenges and opportunities for the agency.
Role and responsibilities of the board

role of the board (strategic, monitoring, stewardship)
Assistance from DELWP

additional duties of the chair
DELWP can provide advice and assistance in relation to
the development and delivery of induction programs and
kits and continuing education for board members.
Contact your agency’s relationship manager or team.

strategic and business planning obligations

monitoring and reporting obligations.
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Induction and education – (5) Induction programs and kits – minimum contents
Relationship with key stakeholders
Roles of, and relationships with, key stakeholders
(minister, DELWP, CEO, etc.), including:

accountability to minister

DELWP’s oversight and support role on behalf of the
minister (s 13A of the Public Administration Act 2004)

CEO, including respective roles, maintaining the
board’s independence, etc.

‘watchdog’ agencies, such as the Victorian
Ombudsman and the Victorian Auditor-General.
Induction kit (minimum)
At a minimum, your agency’s induction kit for board
members should include the following resources:
DELWP guidance notes
Available from the Induction and education support
module on DELWP’s governance website, On Board:
For inclusion in all induction kits
Governance resources
available from DELWP
A list of governance resources
(guidance notes, model
policies, etc.) available from
DELWP.
‘Overviews’ of key
governance topics
All guidance notes currently
published in the ‘overview’
series (e.g. Meetings and
decisions; Conflict of Interest.
Summary chart –
Roles and
responsibilities
Summary of the roles of the
minister, DELWP, the agency,
the chair, and CEO.
Standards of conduct for board members

Standards of conduct required by the Public
Administration Act 2004, focusing on the ‘duties of
directors’ set out in s 79 of the Act and mirrored in
the Directors' Code of Conduct, including:

conflict of interest

conflict of duty (‘first loyalty’ principle, etc.)

gifts, benefits and hospitality

meeting and decision-making procedures
Your agency may also like to include:

confidentiality (current and former board
members)
Also available

proper use of information (no gain to self or
others; no detriment to the agency)

performance assessment.

Standards of conduct (if any) specified in the
establishing Act.

Duty to have suitable board policies in place. Need
for consistency with DELWP model policies.
Basic requirements of
good governance
Similar content to DELWP's
Basic requirements of good
governance support module.
Governance guides
For inclusion in all induction kits
Welcome to the
Board
Published by the Victorian
Public Sector Commission.
Your agency may also like to include:
Also available
DELWP guide to good
governance - board
members
Currently being updated. In
the meantime, the principles
and core information in the
(former DSE) guide still apply.
Equivalent to Welcome to the Board
for DELWP agencies. The next
edition will again be the key
governance guide for DELWP
agencies.
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Induction and education – (5) Induction programs and kits – minimum contents
Establishing Act (and related documents)
Board-generated documents
Key elements of the governance framework, including:

Strategic plan

establishing Act or terms of reference

Annual business plan

ministerial guidelines, directions, and statements of
obligation and/or expectation (if any)

Board policies, including, at a minimum:

summary of the board's powers of delegation (if any)
– i.e. what functions can be delegated and to whom,
and the procedural steps required

 Meetings and decisions
 Code of conduct
 Conflict of interest
 Gifts, benefits and hospitality
Information on key 'whole of government' laws
– e.g. freedom of information (leaflets, links, etc.).
 Dispute resolution
Operating environment
 Performance assessment.
Information on the ‘industry’ in which the agency
operates, in particular, a copy of any government
policies/strategies of particular relevance to the agency.

Current status
Further information
Accurate information on the agency’s current financial,
strategic and operational position, including a copy of
recent annual report(s).
Other key documents generated by or on behalf of
the board (if any).
This guidance note is available from the Induction and
education support module on On Board.
Roles and responsibilities
Guidance on other key governance topics is also available
from On Board (www.delwp.vic.gov.au/onboard).
In addition to DELWP’s Summary chart of roles and
responsibilities (see previous page), other relevant
information on:
For small (category 3) committees of management go to
www.delwp.vic.gov.au/committtees.

the respective roles of, and relationship between,
the agency, DELWP, and the responsible minister

the roles and responsibilities of senior executives.
Standards of conduct
In addition to DELWP ‘overview’ guidance notes (see
previous page):

relevant sections of the Public Administration Act
2004, including s 7 (public sector values), s 8 (public
sector employment principles), s 13A, and s 79 to 85.
(Even if these sections are not legally binding on your
agency, they are fundamental to good public sector
practice and should be included.)

Directors' Code of Conduct, published by the
Victorian Public Sector Commission

information on the role of the Victorian Ombudsman
and the Victorian Auditor-General’s Office (VAGO).
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DELWP also offers support to its agencies through DELWP
divisions and regional offices. Please contact your
agency’s usual DELWP relationship manager or team or
phone the Customer Service Centre on 136 186.
DELWP governance e-alerts
It is recommended that board members subscribe to
DELWP governance e-alerts, which provide governance
news and information (e.g. new laws, best practice, major
updates to On Board, etc.).
Induction and education – (5) Induction programs and kits – minimum contents
This document is available from the internet at www.delwp.vic.gov.au/onboard
For more information contact the DELWP Customer Service Centre 136 186
18 November 2015 (version 2.05) – 1.36
© State of Victoria Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning 2015
ISBN 978-1-74287-744-0 (online - set)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence.
To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
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www.delwp.vic.gov.au/onboard
Disclaimer: this publication may be of assistance to you but the State of
Victoria and its employees do not guarantee that the publication is without
flaw of any kind or is wholly appropriate for your particular purposes and
therefore disclaims all liability for any error, loss or other consequence
which may arise from you relying on any information in this publication.
Accessibility: if you would like to receive this publication in an alternative
format, please telephone DELWP Customer Service Centre 136 186, email
customer.service@delwp.vic.gov.au, via the National Relay Service on 133
677 www.relayservice.com.au. This document is also available on the
internet at www.delwp.vic.gov.au/onboard