“Dan has led a multi-faceted, strategic uplift in ICT capability affecting 100,000 employees nationally and internationally. I am confident that there would be few people with the experience and capabilities that Daniel has to offer. Specifically I make the following observations:

• Dan has been responsible for developing and disseminating structured communications and engagement strategies that effectively meet the needs of every tier of the Department, and ensuring that potential impacts and issues are communicated and understood across the organisation. To develop his strategy, he informed himself about the structure and operation of the Department and has consulted widely and in depth to develop runways that could be effectively communicated to the Executive and executed with precision.

• Dan leads a high-performing team which he has built for this purpose. He has leveraged this team to develop an approach to a significant migration event that is accepted across the Department and he and the team have used lessons learnt to guide improvements as the approach has been reused for phase 2 of the project. It will also provide the basic structure for another major rollout during the coming year. This type of value add is something that characterises Daniel and his team.

• I am confident of Daniel’s ability to contribute and add value to determining strategic priorities. He has the capacity to rapidly scan the environment and focus effectively on trends and issues. Within the Department he travelled extensively to manage relationships with leaders and has developed tailored approaches to ensure they understand the likely outcomes of the capability within their context.

• ICT in the Department’s context has often been regarded poorly and for large capability projects, that can have a serious negative impact. Daniel’s impressive skills in people management, in developing strong and effective communications and in identifying and managing the perceptions of significant stakeholders have been critical to the acceptance of the project.

• Daniel has prepared the full gamut of communications in his current role to support commentary, announcements and actions. I am aware that he has worked directly to support senior Executives previously and in those roles, provided advice, drafted speeches, presentations and prepared announcement on strategic activities. The quality of his work in this space is extremely high. In his current role, the focus is on ICT activity. While he is working directly on the project, he is required to be aware of and understand the likely impacts on the project of other major ICT and strategic initiatives. He uses all available tools creatively to manage information flows and achieve outcomes.

• Daniel understands and demonstrates his understanding of the IAP2 Principles. His work on project provides an insight into his views on public participation in building capability and responding to the needs of individuals and groups. I am aware that in working for large public corporations, he developed these approaches to support effective interactions with customers. He understands the value of engaging with and meeting the expectations of the people you serve.

• I, and other Communications professionals within the Group and across the Department, have relied on Daniel for his creative advice and support. He is generous in his willingness to share experience, offer insights and contribute in ways that ensure that the benchmark for performance is raised. He demonstrates strong professional ethics in all his interactions and this is something I value highly..”

— Adviser to Departmental Leaders across the Transformation Program