Policy Manager Interview

Can you describe your experience with leading teams in policy development related to the forest and timber industry?

I have extensive experience in leading small and medium sized teams in a range of policy areas, including as relating to the forestry industry. During my time with the Victorian Government, I led a multidisciplinary team of seven as the manager of the forestry policy team that was delivering the Victorian Forestry Plan. Team members ranged from the graduate to senior policy officer level and had to be across a diverse range of subject matter including native forestry policy, legal proceedings, operations, protest management and data management.
In terms of how I lead, while I believe frequent, consistent communication is essential to ensure we’re on track to achieving our goals, I think it’s also important to allow team members to define and work towards completing their responsibilities without micromanagement. I found that everyone performed their best when I made myself available to answer questions and test ideas, while providing support to let them work independently.

Your answer effectively addresses the question by outlining your leadership experience in policy development related to the forestry industry. You provide specific details about your role at the Victorian Government and the composition of your team, which demonstrates your ability to manage a diverse group of professionals. Mentioning the Victorian Forestry Plan adds concrete context to your experience, showing that you're familiar with significant industry-related projects.

Your explanation of your leadership style is also relevant, highlighting the balance between communication and independence. This insight into your management approach indicates that you foster a collaborative environment while empowering team members, which is a valuable quality in policy management.

To improve your answer, consider the following suggestions:

1. Results and Impact: Include specific outcomes or successes achieved by the team, such as successful policy implementations or stakeholder engagement. This will provide evidence of your effectiveness as a leader.

2. Challenges: Briefly mention any challenges you faced and how you overcame them. This demonstrates problem-solving skills and resilience.

3. Stakeholder Engagement: Discuss how you interacted with external stakeholders (e.g., communities, industry partners) during policy development, which is crucial in forestry management.

4. Future Focus: You could briefly touch on how you stay updated or adapt to changes in forestry policy, indicating your commitment to professional growth in this area.

Overall, your answer is strong and relevant, but enhancing it with specific outcomes and challenges will make it even more compelling.

Rating: 4/5

How would you approach analyzing complex matters in the timber production policy?

Forestry is a highly technical and emotive area, and I have found that most of the issues I've worked on in this space are complex and require you to draw on a range of tools and experiences to help you understand what the issues are, and potentials paths forward. Sometimes you've got a problem that presents itself and you need to find a solution, or you're working at it from the other end where you know where you need to get to, but not the path to get there.

When I was leading the forestry policy team in Victoria, my team within the Department of Jobs Precincts and Regions were required to come up with an entirely new process of transferring formerly harvested land or coupes from VicForests back to the Department of Environment for future management. This was a new process as prior to the announcement of the Victorian Forestry Plan in 2019, land once harvested would remain with VicForests for regeneration and future harvest some 20-30 years later. With the end of native forestry, VicForests would eventually cease to exist so the Department of Environment would become the custodians of this land, with ongoing maintenance and regeneration responsibilities. How they would go about that was for them to decide, our role was to work out how the land would get back to them.

With no process in place, we needed to consider a whole range of factors such as:
- the technical process needed to consider a coupe regenerated after harvesting, a process that takes years and may still fail to be completed due to environmental factors, fires, inclement weather etc.
- the sign off process - secretary level approval sufficient as the land was always owned by the crown
- ministerial approvals would be required within the process - legislatively we had the Allocation Order which would officially restore responsibility back to State Government.
- identify the key stakeholders and their level of interest and responsibility for the outcomes.

Your answer effectively addresses the complexities of forestry policy management, illustrating your understanding of the multifaceted nature of timber production policy. You emphasize the need for a comprehensive approach, pointing out technical, procedural, and stakeholder considerations, which are all critical components in policy analysis.

You provide a concrete example from your experience leading a forestry policy team, detailing the specific context of transitioning land management responsibilities after the shift away from native forestry. This not only demonstrates your hands-on experience but also highlights your ability to navigate intricate processes, which is essential for a Policy Manager role.

However, to improve your answer, consider the following:

1. Structured Framework: Present your analysis approach using a clearly structured framework (e.g., problem identification, stakeholder engagement, technical assessment, legal considerations). This would make your thought process more digestible.

2. Analytical Tools: Mention specific analytical tools or methodologies you may have used, such as stakeholder analysis, cost-benefit analysis, or environmental impact assessments.

3. Outcome Focused: Highlight the outcomes of your efforts. What was the result of the transfer process? Did it lead to improved management of the land?

4. Broader Implications: Discuss how your approach could be applied to other complex issues in forestry policy or mention how collaboration with a broader range of stakeholders could yield better solutions.

Overall, your answer is well-articulated; I would rate it 4/5. With a few refinements for clarity and depth, you could enhance your response even further.

What strategies would you implement to engage stakeholders in the development of forestry policies?

One of the most effective methods I've used to engage stakeholders is through the establishment of advisory groups that meet consistently and have a clearly defined Terms of Reference and purpose. As part of my current role representing local government, I've been working with the Department of Resources for the past 12 months to set up and run a Local Government Advisory Panel on State Land Matters.

As part of our submission to the Land and Other Legislation Amendment Bill, we recommended the State Government set up an advisory panel that would support both the implementation of the Bill and create a forum for both levels of government to continue working together to identify and address land tenure issues.

My role initially involved determining the number of councils that should be on the panel, which ones we should approach and why, and how to get them interested and engaged in the process. By selecting CEOs from 10 councils across Queensland, we got a good level of representation and geographic dispersal. I focused on CEOs to ensure we had people with both knowledge of the issues but also authority within their own organisations to speak to the issues, from councils with known land tenure issues so we would have buy in from those who wanted to see and be involved in change. I also made sure our CEO invited them to be a part of it, so the invitation carried some weight.

The group has met three times to date with a lot of success. It's providing valuable insight to local government about how the State Government approaches land tenure issues and what is on the horizon. It provides the department with a testing ground for new policy proposals and proposed changes to procedures. And for our organisation, we're supporting our members to have their views heard. Coming from outside government, I have firsthand experience now about how useful these groups are for engaging with external stakeholders and supporting them to feel like they have a voice to government.

Your answer effectively addresses the interview question about stakeholder engagement in forestry policy management by sharing a concrete example from your experience. You demonstrate several crucial strategies: forming advisory groups, ensuring inclusivity in representation, leveraging authority, and maintaining open communication channels between stakeholders and government.

The establishment of the Local Government Advisory Panel illustrates proactive engagement and collaboration, which is critical in forestry policy, where various interests and concerns must be considered. By selecting CEOs from diverse councils, you also showcase your strategic thinking in creating a representative and effective panel. This detailed example not only highlights your hands-on experience but also reflects your understanding of both stakeholder dynamics and policy implications.

To improve your answer, consider briefly discussing how the feedback from these advisory groups directly influences or has influenced policy decisions. Additionally, you could mention other engagement strategies you might employ, such as public consultations, workshops, or surveys, to demonstrate a broader understanding of diverse engagement methods.

Overall, your answer is strong and relevant but could be enhanced by including how the advisory group's insights have been translated into action and suggesting additional engagement strategies. I would rate your answer 4.5/5 for its clarity, relevance, and depth of experience shared.