My Career
Play the PACMAN
By Andrew Howard, Directorate of Conditions Information & Policy Services

Volume 49, No. 4, March 22, 2007
 
LOG ON: FLTLT Ian Kirkham and FSGT Leah Naismith from DP-AF will soon join other members in being able to access an online training suite to help navigate the PACMAN.
Photo by WOFF Dave Pang
 
A NEW initiative to help ADF members find information on their pay and conditions is about to be rolled out.

“We’re aiming to help people understand the ADF Pay and Conditions Manual (PACMAN) and give people some tips for navigating it,” said Director General Personnel Policy and Employment Conditions Steve Grzeskowiak. “This will assist ADF members and make life a little easier for administrators.”

The initiative is an online training suite called Getting the Most Out of PACMAN.

“It walks members, families, administrators and commanders through the best sources of information on ADF pay and conditions. The suite is based on nation-wide training workshops that got excellent reviews throughout 2005 and 2006” he said.

While PACMAN contains the detailed policy rules, the Member’s Guide to ADF Pay and Conditions of Service 2007 summarises the most important, common entitlements. Both PACMAN and the Member’s Guide are online on the Pay and Conditions website. They are important tools as they contain the most up-to-date information.

The website is structured to be clear and easy to use, but it does contain a huge amount of information. The initiative walks users through the website, showing the best places and ways to look for information.

“Different people need pay and conditions information for different reasons,” Mr Grzeskowiak said. “This is why we have five different courses – each person only needs to do the one course that fits their needs. For example, the Member’s 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 the use of PACMAN online.”

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 eLearning suite will be available in the next few weeks via http://intranet.defence.gov.au/pac or http://www.defence.gov.au/dpe/pac