Note Printing Australia (NPA) is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Reserve Bank of Australia, entrusted with the critical task of producing banknotes and passports for both domestic and international clients. With a workforce of around 300 employees, NPA is renowned for its commitment to excellence and recognises organisational culture as a key enabler of its ongoing success.

The Challenge

Following a period of record-breaking results, NPA’s CEO proactively sought to ensure that this high level of performance could be sustained. The challenge was not one of crisis, but of opportunity: how could NPA maintain its momentum, embed its cultural strengths, and future-proof its workforce against complacency or stagnation? The organisation wanted to identify and address any emerging risks, particularly those associated with long tenure and the need for ongoing adaptability.

Driving Impact Across the Organisation

Spring Point was engaged to conduct a holistic culture review, using the PerformX Culture Diagnostic (validated by Deakin University) to assess the current state and identify key cultural priorities. This process involved the entire workforce, with a remarkable 93% response rate, and included deep dives by level, business unit, and demographic factors.

From the PerformX diagnostic data, a comprehensive culture Blueprint and action plans were developed, defining key interventions at enterprise, business unit, and team levels, with clear measures and risk planning.

These included:

• Leadership Development: Workshops and group coaching circles were designed to uplift manager capability and embed a clear capability framework, ensuring leaders could drive and sustain change. This was combined with executive-level 360 assessments conducted using the LeaderX assessment tool to further develop coaching for top-tier leaders.

• Strategic Clarity: Senior leaders participated in workshops to define strategic focus areas and success measures, with tools created to cascade strategy throughout the organisation.

• Values and Behaviour: The entire workforce was involved in the refresh of organisational values, with a focus on defining and embedding behaviours—especially around respect and accountability—to set clear expectations and support a zero-tolerance stance on bullying.

Scale of Reach

The programme was truly organisation-wide, with the culture diagnostic and subsequent values activities engaging all employees.

Action planning was co-designed with staff and iterated with managers, ensuring buy-in at every level, and communication and engagement frameworks were reviewed and redesigned to reach every corner of the business, from top-down leadership to local teams.

Measuring Outcomes

Impact was rigorously measured using

• Within six months, culture priorities saw a 10–15% uplift across all areas, already meeting full-year targets set by the Board.
• End-of-year results showed continued progress, with action planning cycles embedded as a regular practice.
• The roadmap included both lead and lag measures, enabling ongoing tracking of progress and outcomes.

Sustained Nature of the Work and Programme

The approach was designed for longevity:

• Interventions were prioritised for both immediate impact and long-term behaviour change, with ongoing evaluation and support for leaders.
• The culture change programme is set to continue through to the end of 2025, with NPA progressing remaining roadmap initiatives and embedding new ways of working.
• Strategic planning is now an annual process, supporting the business to operationalise its priorities year after year.

NPA’s journey demonstrates how a proactive, integrated approach—spanning culture, leadership, capability, and strategy—can drive measurable, organisation-wide impact. By engaging the whole workforce, rigorously measuring outcomes, and committing to sustained change, NPA is well-positioned to maintain its high performance and adapt to future challenges.

" Creating an intgerated, data driven program that engages all staff creates not just a tipping point in terms of scale, but also creates a shared sense of purpose and challenge for an orgnabisation. NPA should be commended for their courage and ability to approach the work across all levels."



- Robyn Worthington