NSW Government squanders $600k on self help books
AN investigation into why a major government bureaucracy was wasting $600,000 buying bizarre self-help books for staff has uncovered an incredible 15 years’ worth of taxpayer dollars squandered on similar development programs across several government departments.
NSW
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AN investigation into why a major government bureaucracy was wasting $600,000 buying bizarre self-help books for staff has uncovered an incredible 15 years’ worth of taxpayer dollars squandered on similar development programs across several government departments.
The Saturday Telegraph can today reveal the Auditor-General has been asked to investigate whether programs based on the book 7 Habits Of Highly Effective People, organised by US consultancy FranklinCovey, are value for money.
The investigation was sparked after The Telegraph revealed Service NSW — an arm of the Finance Department — was spending $595,000 to purchase 90 copies of the book and then running a program deciphering its messages for staff.
When alerted to the spending, Finance Minister Victor Dominello immediately ordered a review.
This uncovered multiple departments splashing cash on the courses over more than a decade. The minister than escalated concerns to Auditor-General Margaret Crawford.
“As soon as I became aware of the extent of the program across government, I immediately referred it to the Auditor-General, the public’s waste watchdog,” Mr Dominello said.
“Both this program and other similar programs were first approved by the former Labor government and have been used extensively across the NSW public sector over the past 15 years.
“Although investing in professional development programs is essential in maintaining first class customer service standards, it must be on the basis that taxpayers receive value for money.”
It can also now be revealed the Finance Department is due to spend $1.3 million training 5600 people with the 7 Habits program in the next three years.
The Education Department and HealthShare NSW are among those to use FranklinCovey programs over the past 15 years.
The “Leading at the Speed of Trust” program, run in HealthShare NSW, teaches how “like a ripple in a pond — trust begins with you” and that “trust is an economic driver”.
About 120 staff in the Justice Department have undertaken the program since January 2017, but it is now subject to a new review of all professional development courses and may be discontinued.
A FranklinCovey Australia spokesman said the training had “tremendous value”.