Personnel

Pacman pick-me-up
By Andrew Howard
Directorate of Conditions Information & Policy Services

Edition 1163, April 05, 2007
 
Easy access: Soldiers such as LCpl Toby Stoll, 1CER, will directly benefit from a new Pacman online training system.
Photo by Cpl Ricky Fuller
INFORMATION in the ADF Pay and Conditions Manual will be easier to access following the launch of a new online training suite.

Steve Grzeskowiak, Director General Personnel Policy and Employment Conditions, said the initiative was based on nation-wide training workshops that received excellent reviews throughout 2005-2006.

“It walks members, families, administrators and commanders through the best sources of information on ADF pay and conditions,” Mr Grzeskowiak said.

“We’re aiming to help people understand Pacman and give people some tips for navigating it. This will assist ADF members, and make life a little easier for administrators.”

Mr Grzeskowiak said the training suite, called Getting the Most Out of Pacman, and the Member’s Guide were valuable tools as they contained the most up-to-date information. He said the website was structured to be clear and easy to use, but it did contain a huge amount of information. “Different people need pay and conditions information for different reasons.

This is why we have five different courses – each person only needs to do the one course that fits their needs,” he said.

“For example, the Members course focuses on using the Member’s Guide and includes options for resolving grievances.

The Administrators and Decision-makers courses are more in-depth. These combine a refresher on the decision-making process, the legislative context, and enhancing use of Pacman online. This suite aims to make work for administrators easier, and supports decision-makers.”

The courses contain easy to use scenario-based lessons and can be completed in around an hour.

“This suite is a great tool for kitting-up with the best knowledge to ensure that ADF members receive their pay and conditions of service,” Mr Grzeskowiak said.

The Getting the Most Out of Pacman elearning suite is available at http://intranet.defence.gov.au/pac or http://www.defence.gov.au/dpe/pac. A CD is available from this month.