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- Audits in progress at July 2011
Audits in progress at July 2011
Fair Work Education and Information Program
The Fair Work Education and Information Program (FWEIP) informed employees, employers and small business about the workplace relations system that commenced on 1 July 2009. Under the program, the Australian Government offered $12.9 million in grants to selected community, employee, employer and small business organisations to deliver education and information programs across Australia on the Fair Work Act 2009. A key focus of the program was to ensure employers, particularly small businesses, understood the new system and complied with it, including new aspects such as the Fair Dismissal Code for Small Business.
The objective of the audit is to assess the effectiveness of DEEWR’s administration of FWEIP.
The audit is expected to be tabled in the Spring 2011 Parliamentary Sittings.
Early Childhood Education National Partnership Agreement
In November 2008, COAG endorsed the Early Childhood Education National Partnership Agreement. Under the agreement, the Commonwealth, state and territory governments committed to the goal that by 2013 every child will have access to a preschool program in the 12 months prior to full-time schooling. National priorities for the first two years of the agreement (2009 and 2010) included increasing participation rates, particularly for Indigenous and disadvantaged children; ensuring cost is not a barrier to access; and strengthening program quality and consistency. The Australian Government has committed $970 million over five years to the states and territories to support implementation of the initiative.
The objective of the audit is to assess the effectiveness of DEEWR’s administration of the initial phases of the Early Childhood Education National Partnership Agreement.
The audit is expected to be tabled in the Spring 2011 Parliamentary Sittings.
Establishment, Implementation and Administration of the Infrastructure Employment Projects Stream of the Jobs Fund
The $150 million Infrastructure Employment Projects (IEP) stream of the $650 million Jobs Fund was one of the fiscal measures implemented to support employment and economic recovery in response to the global financial crisis. Funding under the IEP stream was originally announced as being available over two years (commencing on 1 July 2009) for the construction of local infrastructure that would create immediate jobs in communities affected by the global recession. In July 2010, the project funding end date was revised to 30 June 2012.
The objective of the audit is to assess the efficiency and effectiveness of the establishment, implementation and administration of the IEP stream of the Jobs Fund, with a particular focus on the establishment of program objectives and the extent to which approved grants have demonstrably contributed to the cost-effective achievement of those objectives.
The audit report is expected to be tabled in the Spring 2011 Parliamentary Sittings.
Indigenous Employment in Government Service Delivery
The 2008 National Partnership Agreement on Indigenous Economic Participation aims to contribute to the target of halving the gap in employment outcomes between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians within a decade. The National Partnership Agreement involves complementary investment and effort by the Commonwealth, states and territories to significantly improve opportunities for Indigenous Australians to engage in private and public sector jobs through four elements.
The focus of the audit is Element 1, the National Jobs Creation Package ($172.7 million), which aimed to create real sustainable employment in areas of government service delivery that have previously relied on subsidisation through the Community Development Employment Projects program. Prior to the National Jobs Creation Package, a similar package specific to the Northern Territory, the Northern Territory Jobs Package ($92.6 million), was introduced as part of the Northern Territory Emergency Response. Each jobs package aimed to create around 2000 jobs for Indigenous Australians supporting the delivery of Australian Government services in regional and remote areas of Australia.
The objective of the audit is to assess the effectiveness of DEEWR’s and the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs’ (FaHCSIA) administration of the Australian Government’s responsibilities under Element 1 of the National Partnership Agreement (including the Northern Territory Jobs Package). This audit also includes the departments of Health and Ageing (DoHA); Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities; and the Prime Minister and Cabinet.
The audit report is expected to be tabled in the Spring 2011 Parliamentary Sittings.
Capacity Development for Indigenous Service Delivery
The use of Indigenous organisations is a key element of the service delivery model adopted by Australian Government agencies for Indigenous programs and services. The capacity of these organisations to effectively deliver funded services can be influenced by features of the overall administrative frameworks used by departments to manage grant programs, as well as by the internal capability of individual organisations. Limitations in capacity can impact on the effective delivery of the service or program, and managing this risk is an important element of sound grants administration.
The objective of the audit is to assess the extent to which selected Australian Government agencies recognise and seek to reduce service delivery risks posed by capacity constraints in Indigenous organisations. The three departments involved in the audit are DEEWR, FaHCSIA and DoHA.
The audit report is expected to be tabled in the Spring 2011 Parliamentary Sittings.
Indigenous Secondary Student Accommodation Initiatives
Improving educational outcomes for Indigenous children has been an important policy priority for successive Commonwealth, state and territory governments. Indigenous children, particularly those in rural and remote areas of Australia, face a range of barriers to receiving a quality education. As one way of seeking to improve educational outcomes the Australian Government is implementing two separate initiatives to construct boarding facilities for Indigenous children in Queensland and the Northern Territory. These are:
- the Indigenous Boarding Facilities initiative, administered by DEEWR; and
- the Indigenous Boarding Hostels Partnerships program, administered by FaHCSIA.
The objective of the audit is to assess the extent to which DEEWR and FaHCSIA have effectively managed the planning and consultation phases for their respective programs.
The audit report is expected to be tabled in the Spring 2011 Parliamentary Sittings.
Establishment, Implementation and Administration of the Local Jobs Stream of the Jobs Fund
The Jobs Fund also included a $300 million Local Jobs stream, which is the subject of a separate but concurrent ANAO performance audit to that being undertaken of the Infrastructure Employment Projects stream. Under the Local Jobs stream, $60 million was quarantined for heritage-related projects and $40 million was quarantined for the construction of bike paths (with $100 million in quarantined funding not to extend past 30 June 2010). This stream, including the two quarantined sub-streams, related to commitments made by the Australian Government in negotiations with the Australian Greens in the context of securing passage of the legislation relating to the Nation Building and Jobs Plan.
The objective of the audit is to assess the efficiency and effectiveness of the establishment, implementation and administration of the Local Jobs Stream of the Jobs Fund, with a particular focus on the establishment of program objectives and the extent to which approved grants have demonstrably contributed to the cost-effective achievement of those objectives. The audit scope includes the two quarantined components of the Local Jobs stream, as well as the remaining funding that was not quarantined.
The audit report is expected to be tabled in the Autumn 2012 Parliamentary Sittings.