Daniel Savage

8.00 AM 

Arts practice - As a Fine Arts graduate, I still maintain my arts practice and I take time in the morning to catch up on any emails, update my website, and look over what's happening in the art world.

10.00 AM

Arrive at work - I’m not exactly a morning person so I arrive at work at 10.00 am avoiding traffic.

I work in an activity-based working environment which is an open plan office with no assigned seating. Depending on what I have planned for the day I’ll pick a desk in the quiet room, near my team, or like today near a window in the sun where I can see our new office building under construction.

10.30 AM

Reviewing emails - I have responsibilities across a number of teams and first I’ll check through my personal inbox, the graduate program inbox, and the Public sector management inbox sorting out messages those that are a priority. I’ll respond to those I can assist directly and pass on or noting for later emails as appropriate.

Today I'm responding to some of our past graduates as part of our communications project, scheduling photo shoots for their graduate profiles. I also coordinate our whole of government Human resources committee and respond to requests updating senior staff across the service of the progress of various actions.

11.30 AM 

Meeting with senior managers - I check in with my senior manager, updating her on my current projects, today being where we are up to developing the communications for this years graduate program.  I also meet with our Executive Branch Manager to develop the agenda for our upcoming HR Committee meeting.

12.30 PM 

Secretariat - As secretariat for the Human Resources Council, I prepare the materials for our upcoming meeting. I will follow up on any outstanding action items, speak to those presenting at the upcoming meetings to note what assistance they require and ensure they’re prepared, and finally circulate the agenda and any relevant papers. Keeping across HR matters across the service, I’m also regularly asked to assist with policy development emerging from the committee.

1.30 PM 

Lunch - Starting later in the days means I can be flexible about lunch timing and enjoy the break. I often bring lunch and sit in the open plan kitchen but if it's particularly nice out like today I’ll head into the city centre to pick something up and find a sunny spot on the grass to eat.

2.30 PM 

Main Project time - In the afternoon I’ll focus in on whatever larger project I’m currently working on. I am currently working with the graduate team to develop a procurement proposal.

Developing a ‘request for quote’ for review by executives involves assessing all the possible options, their benefits and potential issues, the impact on the program and the Service, and importantly as a Public Service their value not only the Service but the ACT community at large.

After reviewing the possible provider options, I spend the remainder of the day reviewing what would be required to run the process internally including the staff, equipment, and software that would be required. Tomorrow, I schedule a time to meet with the broader team to discuss the options, then work with them to undertake the procurement process. My plan is to then finalise a report recommending the most desirable options to be reviewed by senior executives and approved by the Head of Service.

6.30 PM 

Heading home - I stay a bit later than most and I spend the final part of the day going through my various inboxes once more, responding to queries from graduates and other members of the ACTPS workforce. Despite living in the far north of Canberra leaving later means I miss any traffic and normally make it home by 7.00 pm.