Governance

Corporate policies

The Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) and the Commissioner for Environmental Sustainability (CES) entered a Service Level Agreement (SLA) in 2017 (updated in 2021). The SLA formally documents the relationship between DELWP and CES for the provision of corporate and financial services support.

The primary objective of the SLA is to ensure that corporate and financial services support are delivered by DELWP to CES efficiently and effectively, in a properly accountable manner, and in a way that meets the statutory obligations of both organisations.

The other objectives of the SLA are for it to ensure:

• clarity – it is vital to have clear arrangements between DELWP and CES that do not impinge on the Commissioner’s ability to independently exercise statutory obligations and decision making; and
• efficiency – given the small size and budget of CES, it is important that it procures support for its operational activities in an efficiency manner, to ensure its resources are targeted most effectively to achieving it statutory and regulatory objectives.

Both organisations commit to develop effective relationships to support the delivery of outcomes and outputs under the SLA.

To support these objectives, CES adopts DELWP operational policies and procedures in applicable cases to facilitate the use of common administrative systems, interoperability of staff and efficient processes at the lowest cost. The adoption of DELWP policies enables CES to meet governance obligations through broader Victorian Government corporate policy requirements. Such policies include:  

1. Accounts Payable Expense Reimbursement (personal expense) Policy;
2. Conflict of Interest Policy;
3. Gifts, Benefits and Hospitality Policy; and
4. Travel Policy.