Shaun Donnelly

Currently I manage the Immigration Business Management Team.

In this role I have responsibility for a range of crosscutting coordinating and enabling functions for visa and citizenship programs, driving evolution of the immigration operating model through policy development, business architecture design and investment strategy. I provide project oversight of major investments, including the development and management of value creation and benefits realisation, centralised planning and support for the global service delivery network, performance monitoring and improvement, business operating model development and implementation of tailored process solutions to optimise visa and citizenship business requirements, business continuity planning, risk and assurance and the management of the Immigration Program Delivery. In this role I:

• Lead and coordinate program-specific and cross-program initiatives, and effectively steer change for the continuous improvement of whole-of-program delivery performance
• Develop and apply subject matter expertise, and harness expertise within and beyond the Division to drive improvement and performance in the delivery of visa programs
• Lead and collaborate with program stakeholders to produce, analysis and research quality reporting and briefs for Government, the Executive and the program network
• Establish, manage and grow productive working relationships across the program network, and promote strong and genuine collaboration
• Lead and/or participate in a variety of fora with internal and external stakeholders to provide expertise and deliver program outcomes
• Design and prepare communications and messaging to a broad range of program stakeholders, including executive correspondence, talking points and contribution to Ministerial submissions and responses to x xx media inquiries
• Lead, promote and develop team capability through mentoring and training

Given the complexity and numerous, distinct moving parts involved in these civic events, I successfully employ a bipartisan ethos in my actions, providing unambiguous advice and guidance in the management of the Brisbane Ceremonies and Metro Processing teams to:

• Coordinate Australian Citizenship ceremonies in partnership with Local councils, Federal MPs and community organisations
• Drive the Legislative objectives of the National Citizenship program whist maintaining the distinctive "local flavour" of ceremonies, tailoring programs to reflect the individual identity of specific stakeholders

As the manager I held responsibility for program management of 3 distinct teams located across Queensland (Brisbane & Cairns) and Northern Territory (Darwin). A challenging aspect of this role was the provision of support and guidance across remote localities. I achieved success in this role by:

• Providing clear direction of purpose aligned to program outcomes
• Remaining open to various viewpoints and seeking specialist advice from local and National assets
• Demonstrated management awareness of the staff concerns, building processing contingencies into the operational plans that effectively assisted staff to confidently engage with business objectives

I leveraged Departmental networks in developing and maintaining operating strategies to provide:

• Subject matter expertise to support operational business areas and staff management
• Engage practical advice and services to drive continuous improvement and program empowerment
• Develop staff to realise operational agendas and support succession planning
• Strengthen internal and external stakeholder engagement to support the Australian Citizenship Program
• Support organisational objectives through building productive internal and external business partnership

Having a deep understanding of core business goals, I engaged and implemented successful strategies to drive local and National objectives. I achieve this by:

• Setting work tasks that aligned with the strategic objectives and communicated expected outcomes
• Providing direction and understanding to others regarding the purpose and importance of their work
• Considering program risk and developed mitigation strategies to empower my own and the team's work
• Undertaking objective, systematic analysis to draw accurate evidenced based conclusions
• Recognising the links between interconnected issues to identify, design and implement innovative solutions
• Seeking input form the staff to develop and implement SOP's for business related activities in line with current national guidelines

As Assistant Director within the People Business Partner (PBP) I successfully built and maintained relationships, providing practical HR support to Qld State Executive Level 2 staff, The Qld Regional Director and ABF Regional Commander. Working in partnership with existing business lines I imbed HR Initiatives and provide guidance on strategic operational issues that supported and enhanced operational objectives In this role I:

• Developed partnerships across HR functions to improve programs and business objectives
• Provided strategic guidance on HR issues to influence local business drivers
• Promoted PBP national initiatives in stakeholder engagements to deliver desired outcomes
• Promote PBP national initiatives in stakeholder engagements to deliver desired outcomes
• Provided strategic input into organisational design to respond to future challenges
• Identify, analyses, influence and drive workforce impact planning and forecasting
• Enhanced leadership capabilities in providing a single dedicated HR entry point
• Engaged and assisedt senior leaders with change management and future read initiatives
• Championed PBP strategic priorities in stakeholder engagements
• Analyses of local workforce impacts and drove implementation of national HR initiatives
• Developed business area action plans that future scoped workforce planning
• Developed and managed a team of 10 employees to ensure efficient operations of the organization.
• Created and maintained reports on operational performance metrics.
• Monitored staff performance, provided feedback and conducted annual reviews.
• Evaluated existing systems and processes in order to recommend improvements.

I managed the APEC Business Travel Card processing unit and Maritime Global Processing Centre consisting of a 20 member team processing applications received from Australian applicants requesting an APEC Business Travel Card, Foreign APEC card holders seeking an associated business travel visa. The MGCP Team processed visa applications received from Maritime seafarers applying for associated temporary visas to facilitate travel to Australia. I nature of work necessitated that I provided responsive, professional and timely guidance. achieved success in this role by:

• Conducting regular meetings with staff to discuss progress and identify areas of improvement.
• Undertaking performance reviews to celebrate success and identify opportunities for development
• Maintained up-to-date records of employee attendance, payroll information and leave requests.
• Resolved conflicts between employees by providing guidance and adherence to organisational and APS policies and procedures.
• Resource allocation, work flow management, staff development, direction and support
• Management of time critical or sensitive cases

Many applications received from Australian and APEC Member countries were of high profile multinational business applicants, Government Ministers and Senior Government Officials.

Specific achievements in this role was my contribution to;

• Review of contemporary APEC and MGPC Policy and input into the development of new Policy settings
• Hosting APEC Vietnamese delegation to the Brisbane Office
• Assignment as contact point for Foreign Government APEC Partner Agency communication

I managed 26 APS 6 staff, driving staff development, training, coaching and performance management. I ensured program integrity and risk engagement by performing QA of staff decisions for protection visa applications, focusing on compliance with legislative requirements and international treaty obligations. In this position I established a results-driven environment, resulting in improved team performance and quality outcomes through:

• Undertaking QA ensuring decisions were legislatively compliant and legally robust
• Directed Work flows across the section, ensuring services standards and business objectives were met
• Undertook budget review and resource allocation / approval
• Evaluated existing systems and processes in order to recommend improvements.
• Collaborated with other departments to improve interdepartmental communication.
• Provided guidance to departmental staff in resolving complaints.

General Client Services was the public face of the Department, where I successfully presented the section in a highly professional manner to both internal and external stakeholders. The area was a busy and dynamic environment in which I held responsibility for;

• Supervision of all counter staff, work flows and program delivery
• Provided high level administrative, technical and legislative support to counter staff
• Provided SME advice across all visa types and categories
• Managing resources efficiently in line with the sections budget and allocations
• Development and implementation of workforce planning to meet priority settings and work flows across the section
• Ensuring services standards where maintained and business objectives were met in line with operational and fiscal consideration
• Operational performance with particular regard to escalated, complex and sensitive cases
• Advancing staff learning, development, mentoring and quality assurance of work outputs
• Liaise with cross government agencies and internal stakeholders

Due to my understanding of the product pipeline and workflow dynamics I was appointed as the business area support officer with responsibility for the allocation of team caseloads across the Brisbane office. Undertaking this work I;

• Processed and decided temporary and permanent visa applications within the General Skilled Migration visa program
• Joined the GSM specialist integrity unit responsible for assessment of escalated applications where fraud had been identified or was suspected
• I undertook subject matter expert responsibilities and systems advocacy for security referrals (SRS) and weapons of mass destruction (WMD) guidance , providing training to new staff and refresher training to existing staff in both SRS and WMD assessment and referral
• Reviewed and processed incoming applications for accuracy and completeness
• Assisted customers with inquiries regarding processing status of applications
• Monitored workflow of applications throughout the entire process cycle
• Liaised with relevant stakeholders when needed in order to resolve any outstanding issues

As a member of the 457 Business center I assessed and decided employer nominated temporary visa applications including those with a high degree of complexity. In this role I:

• Conducted counter interviews to visa applicants and business sponsors providing clarification and information in regard to application requirements, application renewal and sponsorship obligations
• Managed a high volume case load effectively and efficiently, making a significant individual contribution to team targets
• Decided business Innovation and Investment (Provisional and Permanent) (188 and 888) visas including renewals and subsequent entrants
• Provided input into the development of policies and procedures related to application processing activities.
• Provided guidance and assistance to new staff members on processing procedures.

The BCAU supported the Department's core objectives of ensuring the protection of the Australian Community, and the integrity of Australia's Borders and visa programs in the assessment of applications received from clients with significant criminal history. In this role I undertook:

• Character assessments of applicants with significant criminal convictions requesting entry and stay in Australia
• Assessment of applicants against legislative 501 character requirements
• Created refusal submissions to the section Director and Ministerial Submissions for the Minister of Immigration where character requirements were not met and a recommendation for approval was being considered

As a member of the Human Resources Team I preformed day to day administration duties, aligning and implementing tailored solution to support business area needs. In doing so I:

• Undertook research and data analysis to inform recommendations and develop local procedures for;
• Coordinated local onboarding and exit procedures for staff commencing and leaving the Department
• Contributed to the Terms of Reverence design and implementation of the Qld Harassment Contact Officer Network (HCO)
• Developed evaluation matrices to assess performance of staff help network
• Progressed research of non-ongoing DIAC Qld staff and the effectiveness of recruitment agency access
• Development of engagement processes for HR's involvement, defining roles and delegations
• Provided guidance to managers on disciplinary action and performance management issues
• Organised recruitment events such as career fairs and open houses
• Assisted in developing policies and procedures to strengthen the Human Resources across the Department

Whilst working in the Detentions and Removals Unit (DRU) I contributed to the integrity of the Australian migration program through the removal of unlawful non-citizens without entitlement to remain in Australia. In this role I held responsibility for:

• The active detention and removal of unlawful non-citizens
• I developed and maintained team rosters, procedures and databases enhancing productivity across the DRU

As a result of this role I have broad understanding and experience of;

• The Migration Act 1958 (the Act) and the Migration Regulations 1994
• Statutory and legislative framework regulating the entry, stay and departure of non-citizens in Australia
• Legislative framework for removal of non-citizens
• Visa cancellations and compliance
• Methods to promote compliance and manage risks to the Australian community

I undertook general nursing duties throughout Brisbane private and public hospitals providing holistic care. In this role:

• I served as a professional care advocate administering to the medical and emotional needs of patients
• I was accountable for supervising junior nursing staff and ancillary care staff
• I provided professional assessments of critical care needs and communicated care options to patient, family and interdisciplinary support staff