Consulting and Industry Profile

Emeritus Professor John F Martin

 

Over the course of a 30 year career John has consulted to local governments in every Australian State, The Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory on a range of strategic management issues. He has also consulted to public sector organisations at the state and federal level. He has  made numerous presentations at industry and professional conferences nationally and internationally. He has also worked with ENS International, a leading negotiation consulting firm on assignments with major resource companies and leading manufacturers across Australia. 

 

In his academic role John has supervised higher degree students , published in leading journals as well as written books, book chapters and conferencen papers. Examples of consulting work undertaken by John include:

 

2015

Visiting Professor, Public Sector Performance Management, University of Cagliari, Sardinia, Italy. (6 months appointment)

 

Consultancy for the Local Government Association of Queensland on the Separation of CEOs from Queensland councils in the 2012-15 term.

 

Research funded by the Research and Development fund of the South Australian Local Government Association into the executive career choices of women in SA Local Government (

 

2013-2014

A year-long consultancy working with the Mt Gambier City Council and senior management team to design their City Development Framework. This involved extensive community engagement and consultation in the analysis and identification of strategies for the City Council and the community.

 

Australian and New Zealand School of Governance

Faculty on the Australian and New Zealand School of Governance and Australian Centre of Excellence in Local Government Executive Leadership Program, University House, The Australian National University, March.

 

Northern Territory Medicare Local

Consultancy with the senior management team and the NTML Board to develop their first strategic plan.

 

2012

Sunshine Coast Regional Council Consultancy working with the new SCRC to review their strategic and corporate directions.

 

Geoffrey Gardiner Dairy Foundation

Member of the Geoffrey Gardiner Dairy Foundation’s Dairy Communities Advisory Committee overseeing the $1.8mill project into the sustainability of Victoria’s dairy communities.

 

2011

Australian and New Zealand School of Governance

Faculty on the inaugural Australian and New Zealand School of Governance and Australian Centre of Excellence in Local Government Executive Leadership Program, University House, The Australian National University, July and September.

 

Geoffrey Gardiner Dairy Foundation

Member of the Geoffrey Gardiner Dairy Foundation’s Dairy Communities Advisory Committee overseeing the $1.8mill project into the sustainability of Victoria’s dairy communities.

 

2010

Sunshine Coast RDA

Consultancy with the new SC RDA to establish their strategic and corporate directions statement.

 

Launceston City Council

Working with the LCC and the seven other councils which make up the Northern Region of Tasmania to develop a common approach to strategic and land use planning in this region.

 

Victorian Managed Insurance Agency

Facilitated the VMIA’s strategic and corporate planning as the Victorian Government moves to managing the total cost of risk strategy for the State out of the 2009 Bushfires Royal Commission recommendations.

 

2009

Sunshine Coast Regional Council

Facilitated a series of workshops with Councillors and staff addressing issues related to the restructure of SunCoast Water; Council’s ongoing operational budget, sustainability indicators.

 

Forbes Shire Council

Facilitated the review of the Council’s Corporate Plan.

 

Local Government Managers Australia

All States and the Northern Territory Local Government Managers Associations - conducted a one-day workshops with Simon Baddeley from the Institute of Local Government Studies at the University of Birmingham on Negotiating the Overlap: Political Skills for Managers across Australia (seven programs in Nov).

 

2008

Sunshine Coast Regional Council

Consultancy to design and facilitate the first strategic retreat of this new regional council. Subsequently engaged to design and facilitate the regional council’s community planning through 2008.

 

2007-08

The World Bank

A three-month consultancy to design and undertake a scoping study for the World Bank – Bangkok Metropolitan Administration City Management and Development program for ‘Clean Development’ as part of the WB’s Asian Coastal Cities and Climate Change program.

 

2007

City of Greater Bendigo

Designed and completed economic evaluations of major events in the region supported by the City (the Wool Show; Beef Expo; Heritage Uncorked).

 

Kempsey Shire Council

Annual Corporate Strategic Plan Review and facilitation of GM annual performance review.

 

2006

Coffs Harbour City Council (2006-2009)

Working with the Mayor, councilor sand the HR Manager identified the requirements of the General Manager position. Worked with the appointed GM to determine an appropriate performance management regime for this position, and a process of annual review.

 

City of Greater Bendigo

Designed and completed economic evaluations of major events in the region supported by the City (Elmore Machinery Field Days; Heathcote Wine and Food Festival; Bendigo National Swap Meet).

 

Hastings Council

Advising the Mayor, Councillors and General Manager on an effective performance management regime for the General Manager’s performance based contract

 

Kempsey Shire Council

Annual Corporate Strategic Plan Review and facilitation of GM annual performance review.

 

2005-06

Department of Sustainability and Environment

A research project revisiting six rural towns studied by Henshall and Hansen in 1986. This project involved six researchers from five Victorian universities visiting each town with myself and John Henshall to report on and interview residents and community groups on the implications of socio-demographic change in their town.

 

Hastings Council

Advising the Mayor, Councillors and General Manager on an effective performance management regime for the General Manager’s performance based contract

 

Kempsey Shire Council

Annual Corporate Strategic Plan Review and facilitation of GM annual performance review.

 

2004

Building Services Commission Victoria

Negotiation consulting and training for staff from across the Commission.

 

Whitehorse City Council

Negotiation consulting and training for staff from the Community Services Division.

 

Hastings Council

Advising the Mayor, Councillors and General Manager on an effective performance management regime for the General Manager’s performance based contract

 

Kempsey Shire Council

Annual Corporate Strategic Plan Review and facilitation of GM annual performance review.

 

Australian Motoring Services

Negotiation consulting and training for the senior management team.

 

2003

Greater Shepparton City Council

Facilitation of the development of the Council Plan with Councillors and senior management team over a series of workshops.

 

Kempsey Shire Council

Annual Corporate Strategic Plan Review and facilitation of GM annual performance review.

 

2002 - 2005

Australia South Africa Local Governance Partnership – Project Monitoring and Review GroupTeam Leader to provide expert advice and to periodically review this $7mill capacity building project run by Brisbane City Enterprises in Free State and KwaZuluNatal Provinces (six monthly visits to SA to review and report on Project progress).

 

2002

Victorian Department of Natural Resources and Environment

Team member conducting workshops for DNRE and Catchment Management Authority staff responsible for the investment of National Action Plan for Salinity and Water Quality funds.

 

Warrnambool City Council

Facilitated a series of meetings leading to the redesign of WCC’s decision making structures and processes.

 

2001

Philippines Australian Governance Facility

Team Leader for ‘Promoting Good Governance through the Strengthening of Local Revenue and Revenue Generation of Local Government Units’ project in association with the Overseas Projects Corporation of Victoria and SEA Consultants, Manila.

 

Pacific Coal

Negotiation adviser to Pacific Coal on the preparation and conduct of resource acquisition negotiations.

 

Local Government Association of Queensland

Development and conduct of workshops for elected councillors ‘Councillors Role in Performance Management’.

 

New South Wales Local Government and Shires Associations’

Development and conduct of seminars ‘Creating Local Economic Development Through Innovative Local Government’.

 

Coffs Harbour City Council

Organisation Development consulting for the design and implementation of Coffs Harbour City Council’s award winning “Coffs Best Value” program.

 

Hastings City Council

Consulting to prepare a Service Charter for the Development & Environment Services Division of Council.

 

Kempsey Shire Council

Consulted on the development of a community survey and other information gathering programs to develop the benchmark indicators for the Council’s Corporate Strategic Plan.

 

Kyogle Shire Council

Facilitated councillor and senior management team strategic planning workshop.

 

2000

Bougainville Copper Limited

Facilitated negotiations with the BCL Board and key stakeholders in the PNG Government on the future of the Company in PNG.

 

Kempsey Shire Council

Facilitated a year-long, community based program to develop the Council’s first Corporate Strategic Plan.

 

Dubbo City Council

Evaluated the Council’s organisational development program.

 

Lachlan Shire Council

Facilitated the development of the Council’s annual Management Planning process.

 

Local Government Association of Queensland

Workshop presenter on various professional development programs for elected members.

 

NSW Local Government and Shires Associations

Developed and conducted various training programs for elected councillors and senior managers: Strategic Management; Policy Development and Resource Allocation. Seizing the Opportunity: Developing a Systematic Approach to Service Delivery review. Negotiating Competitive Service Delivery.

 

Municipal Association of Victoria

Workshop presenter on various professional development programs for elected members.

 

1999

 

The World Bank

Established the Bank’s City Development Strategy program in the Philippines with seven participating cities over three periods in country.

 

Contributor on the World Bank’s Economic Development Institute Conference on Intergovernmental Financial Management, Chiang Mai, February.

 

Energex, Ergon Energy and Texas Utilities

Facilitated negotiations between these organisations as they worked to develop a common, ‘back office’ in the face of deregulation of the electricity supply industry in Queensland.

 

Comalco

Facilitated a number of negotiations between Comalco and coal suppliers in Qld, and the Queensland State Government.

 

AMCOR

Trained enterprise bargaining teams and facilitated negotiations in the companies plastics and cardboard manufacturing plants in Queensland.

 

Parkes Shire Council

Facilitated the development of the Council’s annual Management Planning process.

 

Brisbane City Council

Developed an in-house policy development program for the Community Services Division of Council.

 

Gold Coast City Council

Reviewed the Council’s recruitment and selection policies and procedures and produced their guidelines for recruitment and selection.

 

Local Government Association of Queensland

Workshop presenter on various professional development programs for elected members.

 

Reviewed and updated the Association’s Human Resource Management manual used by the majority of councils in Queensland.

 

NSW Local Government and Shires Associations

Developed and conducted various training programs for elected councillors and senior managers: Strategic Management; Policy Development and Resource Allocation. Seizing the Opportunity: Developing a Systematic Approach to Service Delivery review. Negotiating Competitive Service Delivery.

 

Municipal Association of Victoria

Workshop presenter on various professional development programs for elected members.

 

1998

Asian Development Bank

Consultancy with the IMM to undertake a study of municipal management needs in China, Laos and Indonesia and to develop and participate in the ADB Municipal Management Forum for Mayors and city officials from these and other Asian cities in Tokyo in February.

 

NSW Local Government and Shires Association

Consultancy to write the training manual ‘Reviewing Service Delivery in NSW Local Government’ and to deliver training throughout NSW.

 

State Council, NSW Rural Lands Pastures Protection Boards

Facilitated the development of the Council’s first Strategic Plan under the changes in the NSW Department of Agriculture’s deVol.ution of responsibility to the Council.

 

Property Services Industry Training Advisory Body

Strategic review of the organisation

 

VicRoads

Facilitated the strategic review of the Traffic and Road User Management Division of VicRoads.

 

1997 - 1998

Hume City Council, Victoria.Conducted annual Council strategic planning reviews with elected members and senior staff.

 

1997

Bayside City Council, Victoria

Conducted strategic planning reviews with the councillors and senior staff.

 

Mildura City Council

Facilitated orientation program for incoming councillors.

 

North Ltd (Mining Company)

Conducted negotiation training program for exploration staff dealing with Native Title issues.

 

Parks Victoria

(Amalgamation of Melbourne Parks and Waterways and National Parks Service)

Design, Development and facilitation of “New Beginnings” Transition Program to support amalgamation of Melbourne Parks and Waterways and the National Parks Service.

 

1995 - 1997 NSW Local Government and Shires Association

Wrote the training manual ‘Strategic Management: Policy Development and Resource Allocation’, and continues to conduct training programs throughout NSW.

 

1996

Air Services Australia

Facilitated the strategic review of training in Air Traffic Services Division and wrote the plan ‘Maintaining the Picture: Strategic Directions for ATS Training - 1996-2000’.

 

Kazakstan Civil Service

Conducted training programs in public sector reform both in Canberra and Almaty as part of a World Bank funded project.

 

1996 - Australian Regular Army

In association with Ernst and Young’s Business Change Group and Quantitative and Qualitative Social Research conducted the cultural study of the induction of soldiers into the Australian Army.

 

1995 

Relationships Australia (formerly Marriage Guidance Council of Australia)

Strategic planning review of this national organisation.

 

1995 - 1996 Australian Quarantine Inspection Service

Career planning workshops throughout Australia for AQIS staff accepting redundancy.

 

Australian Construction Industry Council

Facilitated review by the Council of its 1995 Business Plan.

 

Australian Institute of Criminology

Program developer and facilitator for workshop ‘Managing Applied Research and Consultancy in the AIC’, and Corporate Planning consultant to the institute.

 

Australian National University

Strategic planning adviser to the Business Manager’s group reviewing resource allocation strategies in the University.

 

National Council for Intellectual Disability

Strategic planning consultancy.

 

Between 1978 and 1995 I was involved with over seventy different consulting assignments, primarily to local governments throughout Australia and New Zealand.

 

COMMUNITY SERVICE

A member of the Gardiner Foundation’s Dairy Communities Advisory Council (2009-12).

 

Chair of the Sustainable Farm Families Advisory Group ( 2005- 2010.

 

A Board Member of the Committee for the Economic Development of Australia (Victoria) from 2005-2007 and have been instrumental in CEDA conducting its forums in regional Victoria.

 

Chair of Bendigo +25 Advisory Committee working with nine action groups across the City to address sustainability issues for the Bendigo and regional community in 2006.

 

From 2004-06 a board member of AFS Intercultural Exchange Programs, the worlds largest and longest running student exchange program (I was an AFS student to Seattle in 1968-69).

 

In Hamilton I was a board member on the Baimbridge College Council, a member of the Committee of Management of the Mulleraterong Centre (for intellectually disabled adults), and a board member of the Western District Health Service, Victoria.

 

In Canberra I was a Director of the University Cooperative Credit Society (ANU) and the Credit Union of Canberra, a founding Director and Chairman of the Board of a Community Advancement Cooperative operating a community based recreation facility in the Kosciusko National Park, and a founding Director of ACT Parayachting, an organisation established to develop and fund sailing for the disabled.