COVID-19 and some reflections on (re) joining local government
Kerryn Ellis, Chief Executive Officer, South Gippsland Shire Council
Having spent a couple of years working for state government, I returned to the Local Government sector on 10 March, taking up my new role at South Gippsland Shire. This has been a really interesting time to join a new organisation, and in particular to step into my first role at CEO level, and I have had to accept quite quickly that my 30 Day and 100 Day Plans have pretty much gone straight out the window. I spent just two weeks in the office with my new team before we made the move to working remotely, and since then have faced the challenge of building new relationships and forming collegiate bonds through the vagaries of Skype. And yet I am absolutely loving my new role, I’m delighted with my decision to return to the local government sector, and I’d like to take this opportunity to share some reflections on why that is.
- Innovation and adaption: following a couple of years in the wilderness, it has been enormously energising to observe the pace with which Councils have adapted to the ‘new normal’, and found innovative ways to support each other and continue work with and for our communities. Here at South Gippsland Shire we managed to decant and set up our entire contingent of office workers to work from home within three days, without diminishing service or reducing our ability to interact with our community. I know many other Councils have done the same, and that this has meant swathes of our workforce working remotely for the first time in their working lives. This act, and all the associated innovations in how we work, and lead our people, has been inspiring to be part of and is teaching us plenty about the future of work.
- Collaboration and collegiate support: the experience I’ve had throughout my own career has been that one of the best things about Local Government is our genuine commitment to supporting each other, with a shared belief that if one of us does better, we all grow as a sector. This has never been more evident than over the last few weeks. On a personal level I have appreciated the numerous colleagues who have reached out to offer support in these challenging times, and at a broader level initiatives such as the City of Ballarat’s shared ‘Be Kind’ program have supported all of us to do great work with our communities.
- Connection and investment in communities: perhaps most importantly has been the incredible depth and breadth of responses Councils have come up with to support communities to stay well, cope with social isolation and begin to recover from the impacts of this pandemic. The genuine commitment to responding to unique needs of our diverse communities has been terrific to observe and learn from. Even when our own operations are under intense pressure, and we are working hard to support our own staff, it has been inspiring to see that Councils have continued to be courageous and innovative in meeting the needs of their communities in crisis. This is really an example of Local Government at its best, and I am really proud to be part of this sector during a time like this.
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