Interim Leadership for Research and Policy Team During Critical Inquiry Phase

The previous Head of Research & Policy resigned, and a recruitment process was launched but could not identify and secure a long-term replacement before the incumbent left. This was due to the seniority of the role, the relatively small/niche pool of resource being drawn on and the likely notice period someone would need to give.

The Research and Policy team is at a critical stage of the Inquiry process as the Inquiry progresses through various investigations and interim reports, all of which require research and policy projects and literature reviews, to support and inform the direction and outcomes of those activities. It is a challenging environment under a lot of pressure. It requires strong and steady leadership.

Accordingly, the Royal Commission decided to utilise a contractor they have already used in senior governance roles previously, to fill the gap until a �permanent� employee can be secured. Given the short to medium term need, and the supplier�s ability to hit the ground running, this is an acceptable outcome considering the potential risks of not having a safe pair of hands and leadership of a critical team.