4.3. Communicate with stakeholders

The effective management of an entity’s contracting activities requires establishing and maintaining open and constructive lines of communication with internal and external stakeholders.

Senior managers are important internal stakeholders who will require periodic assurance that the entity’s policies are being adhered to and that its reporting and accountability responsibilities are being met. In this regard, better practice entities will have:

• clearly articulated contract reporting and accountability responsibilities, including the individual and/or work areas with primary responsibility for meeting these responsibilities;
• incorporated reporting of its compliance with these requirements into its regular management reporting regime; and
• included the oversight of compliance with contracting responsibilities as part of the broader legislative compliance responsibilities of the entity’s Audit Committee.

External stakeholders may include the responsible Minister, the Department of Finance and Deregulation and the entity’s portfolio department. Arrangements should be agreed with all relevant external stakeholders aimed at ensuring that their needs are met. Such arrangements could be expected to include:

• identifying relevant contact points;
• the timing and content of briefings and other communications; and
• the preferred mode of communication, for example, face-to-face meetings, formal correspondence or email.

 

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