Skills

Vicki Scott has an exceptional track record of achievement in delivering specialist management services to the public, private and not-for-profit sectors.   

Skills include:

NEGOTIATION AND PROBLEM SOLVING
Vicki is a highly skilled and successful negotiator.  She has a proven track record in helping organisations analyse problems, identify and manage risks, negotiate agreed outcomes and implement solutions.

COMMUNICATION AND STRATEGIC COUNSEL
Vicki has the capacity to bring even the most disparate group of people together to develop and realise common goals.  Her communication skills have consistently made the difference in ensuring the delivery of major projects in which clients have made significant investment and expect high level return.  Referees confirm Vicki’s exceptional human relations and communications skills.

MANAGING TEAMS AND DELIVERING OUTCOMES
Vicki has a consistent record of delivering complex projects and events on time and within budget.  She also has extensive established networks across the public, private and non-profit sectors.  Her record of achievement reflects her proven experience in engaging and managing teams that deliver.

EVALUATION
Vicki is able to undertake evaluations that assist organisations to be operationally and financially efficient in delivering programs/projects. 

Achievements

In the last five years Vicki has successfully managed four significant major national projects.  All required the ability and motivation to take and develop an initial concept, and manage it through to the delivery of a successful result.  Each event was delivered against the backdrop of an extremely complex and difficult environment. 

They also required significant political acumen and a sound understanding of the differing cultures of private organisations, not-for-profit organisations, and federal, state and local governments. 

All involved the application of highly developed negotiation and human relation skills in successfully securing cooperation, participation and resources from vastly diverse interests across all sectors of Australian society.

Vicki was required to apply advanced problem solving techniques and exceptional organisational skills in getting things done.  By successfully combining these roles across four diverse and complex projects Vicki has amply demonstrated her capacity and skills in providing specialist management support in a range of disciplines.

They also highlighted her unique strengths in developing and implementing the necessary operational, strategic and financial planning required in order to secure real outcomes.  She also established a proven capacity to negotiate and secure the necessary cooperation and support from key individuals and organisations, whether they are from the public, private or not-for-profit sectors.

Relevant recent experience

Coordinator, National Reconciliation Planning Workshop
(Aug 04 to July 05)

Responsibility: 

-     Coordinating, trouble-shooting and pulling together a number of key elements of a National Reconciliation Planning Workshop, hosted by Reconciliation Australia (a not-for-profit foundation based in Canberra) at Old Parliament House in Canberra on 30/31 May 2005, including invited participants, program and speakers, social activities, and communications.

-     Prepare an evaluation of each of the elements, together with an assessment of whether the objectives were reached.

Achievements:

§    The workshop helped shape the organisation in defining its strategic direction for the next three years.

§    200 people attended the workshop, 45% of whom were Indigenous.  Feedback received indicated the workshop was successful.  Representation was spread across the three levels of government, non-government organisations, education, business, the media and faith groups, ensuring representation from rural, urban and remote areas across the country.

§    Key participants supported a renewed and sustained engagement to progress fundamental issues identified at the workshop.

§    Evaluation report on the planning and outcomes provided.

Director, Events Policy, Department of the Premier and Cabinet
(July 2002 to May 2003)

Responsibility: 

-     Manage a small team within the Premier’s Department to develop, for Cabinet consideration, a whole-of-government events framework to improve the government’s return on investment in events.  This involved working in collaboration with key agencies including the Queensland Events Corporation, Queensland Treasury, Arts Queensland, and the Department of State Development to analyse existing events activities and develop strategies to maximise benefits, manage costs and minimise risks associated with events.

Achievements:

§    Following extensive consultation with 19 Queensland Government departments and external stakeholders, the following documents were developed:

o    A whole-of-government events policy outlining the Queensland Government’s approach to events

o    Agreed roles and responsibilities for Queensland Government agencies attracting, developing and delivering events, and delivering services to events in Queensland

o    Approval processes for Queensland Government agencies involved in events

o    Best practice guidelines for Queensland Government agencies involved in events.

Director, CHOGM Coordination Qld, Department of the Premier and Cabinet, Queensland (CHOGM:  Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting)
(Sept 2000 to June 2002)

Responsibility: 

-     Reporting to the Deputy Director-General Governance in the Department of the Premier and Cabinet.

-     Coordinating Queensland Government responsibilities for delivering a safe and successful CHOGM in Brisbane in October 2001.  This included operational security, health and emergency services, traffic management, business opportunities and community involvement in appropriate associated events.

-     Managing the revised planning for a re-convened CHOGM at Coolum in March 2002 and coordinated Queensland Government response to CHOGM in Coolum (following the postponement of CHOGM 2001 after the tragic events in the United States on 11 September.).

Achievements:

§    Cabinet approval for a structure to deliver Queensland Government responsibilities;

§    Developed and advised on a Memorandum of Understanding between the Australian Government and the Queensland Government.  This included a successful funding arrangement;

§    Whole of Government coordination of service delivery for CHOGM;

§    Provided high level advice to the Premier on issues surrounding CHOGM in Queensland;

§    Oversaw a new and innovative process to achieve peaceful protests;

§    Oversaw a process of joint government liaison with Indigenous communities to gain their support for involvement in CHOGM related activities;

§    Oversaw a communication program on likely impacts for stakeholders and the public of Brisbane;

§     Established mechanisms for coordinating all CHOGM related events;

§    Managed change following the postponement and reconvening of CHOGM at Coolum five months later.

Project Manager for Corroboree 2000, Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, Canberra (Jan 1999 to June 2000)

Responsibility: 

Arrange a weekend of events in Sydney to celebrate the launch the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation’s Document Towards Reconciliation.  This included:

§    a formal day in Sydney Opera House which involved all Australian Heads of Government; 

§     a people’s walk for Reconciliation over Sydney Harbour Bridge;  and

§     a free public concert at Darling Harbour, Sydney.

Reported to the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation appointed member for the event (television personality Ray Martin) and to the Secretary of the Council.

Achievements:

§    Oversaw the organisation of a program for a successful formal event in the Sydney Opera House on Saturday 27 May 2000 which the Governor-General, NSW Governor, Prime Minister, all State Premiers, and numerous Ministers attended and participated;

§    Oversaw and coordinated all elements of a remarkably successful people’s walk for reconciliation across Sydney Harbour Bridge, estimated at 250,000 people.  This involved negotiating the closing of the Bridge for seven hours and funding from the NSW Government ;

§    Established a series of working groups involving NSW Government line agencies (Premier’s Department, Roads and Traffic Authority, City Rail, State Transit Authority etc), plus Sydney City and North Sydney Councils;  an Events Committee which planned all the events for the weekend;  and an Indigenous Reference Group which advised on Indigenous protocols within the Sydney area;

§    Negotiated and supervised the contracts for an Events Producer to manage the program of events over the two days;  a Professional Conference Organiser to manage the registration of participants for the formal day in the Sydney Opera House;  and a consultant to raise sponsorship funds for holding the people’s walk over the Bridge;

§    Coordinated the fund raising which secured $530,000 in cash and considerable in-kind sponsorship which allowed the people’s walk and the free public concerts to proceed successfully;

§    Secured necessary approvals for the above contracts in the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, and NSW Government financial support to fund elements of the Bridge walk;

§    Handled the sensitive and difficult negotiations with traditional owners of Sydney for their participation in the weekend events;

§    Coordinated VIP arrangements for the Governor-General, NSW Governor, the Prime Minister, 8 State Premiers and Territory Chief Ministers, Leaders of the Opposition and the Democrats, a number of Federal and State Ministers and Shadow Ministers, and Indigenous leaders;

Oversaw the planning of the program for the event itself.