Recent events such as the 2019-20 bushfires and the COVID-19 pandemic have highlighted the sector’s reliance on critical employees to support emergency management operations and ability to surge workforce resources as needed in the event of a prolonged disruption or emergency incident.

Examples of past reviews examining human resource capabilities and capacity to support emergency management operations include, Managing Emergency Services Volunteers and Review of incident management teams: accreditation and rostering.

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Publish year Assurance activity Summary Organisation
2020 The 3Vs Final Report: Uncovering the hidden value (External link) A report providing perspective on the value created by volunteers. The report estimates the economic value of Victoria’s emergency management volunteers at between $1.9 and $2.5 billion annually and analyses how non-economic impacts of the 3Vs, volunteers (the people), volunteering (the activities) and volunteerism (the culture), can be identified and measured Emergency Management Victoria
2020 State of Volunteering Report 2020 (External link) An examination of both the ‘usual’ pattern of volunteering (undertaken in the 12 months of 2019) and volunteering behaviours from April-June 2020 when the impact of COVID-19 altered the work, travel and daily pattern of life across Victoria, it shows an increasingly professionalised workforce, with leaders of volunteers actively developing the skills and careers of Victorians through volunteering. There is further potential through volunteering to contribute even more to Victorian productivity and community wellbeing. Independent
2021 Volume 1: Final Report of the Independent Review into Workplace Equality in Ambulance Victoria (External link) A report detailing widespread reports of incivility, disrespect, discrimination, sexual harassment, bullying and victimisation within Ambulance Victoria. Its 24 recommendations include actions focused on improving safety and harm prevention, developing a victim-centred and fair reporting and complaints system, engaging the workforce in developing and committing to new organisational values, and strengthening the organisational structures required to implement reform. Victorian Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission
2021 After the fires: Executive summary of the Wave 1 research into the impacts of the 2019-20 Black Summer bushfires on the wellbeing of emergency services personnel (External link) The research investigates the impacts of the bushfires on emergency services personnel, with aim to address key gaps in knowledge about how to foster resilience and coping, and investigate how to deliver effective support for mental health and wellbeing to Australian bushfire first responders. Academia
2021 2021-22 Quarter 1 Fire Services Outcome Framework Progress Report - Fire Services Q1 performance results (External link) An independent quarterly report that provides observations on the progress of CFA and FRV against their respective outcomes-based fire services performance indicators. Fire Services Implementation Monitor
2021 Fire Services Implementation Monitor Annual Report 2020-21 (External link) An assessment of the first eight months of implementation progress of Victoria’s fire services reforms (15 October – 30 June 2021) focused on 36 of the 54 Year One Fire Services Reform Implementation Plan (Year One Plan) actions, categorised and assessed under three themes: agency capacity and capability, collaboration between CFA and FRV, and workplace culture and diversity. Fire Services Implementation Monitor
2021 Pathways to culturally diverse volunteering towards COVID-19 recovery (External link) Volunteers from culturally diverse groups played an important role in assisting Victorians disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. This report examines critical success factors for volunteer engagement among culturally diverse groups, and makes recommendations for sustained engagement of local communities beyond one-off outreach events. Department of Fairness, Families and Housing, Independent
2022 Emergency Services Telecommunications Authority Capability and Service Review: Final Report (External link) A review that responds to concern around the effectiveness of ESTA’s capability and capacity to deliver consistent Triple Zero (000) services across Victoria, it considered all aspects of ESTA’s operating model and assessed the agency's capabilities against the core services it delivers. The review made 20 recommendations which the Victorian Government supported in principle. Independent
2022 Emergency Services Workforce 2030 (External link) A consolidated overview of emerging workforce challenges and opportunities likely to face emergency service organisations over the coming decade, this report presents a high-level summary of key trends and developments highlighted in research from beyond the emergency management sphere. It identifies potential implications of these trends and developments for the future emergency service workforce. Bushfire & Natural Hazards Cooperative Research Centre
2022 Volunteering and Australia's crisis resilience (External link) An analysis of the ways volunteers contribute to crisis resilience in Australia, it examines volunteers in emergency management, and their inclusion in current national disaster arrangements. It concludes by highlighting key drivers of change in the sector, and suggesting measures to improve effectiveness and safety across crisis prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery, and to preserve volunteer efforts in crisis resilience in Australia. Independent