Browse our range of publications including performance and financial statement audit reports, assurance review reports, information reports and annual reports.
This page lists completed performance audit reports. View all performance audits in-progress.
Type of content
Performance audit (Auditor-General Report No. 16 of 2010–11)
Published: Thursday 25 November 2010
Published
The objective of the audit was to assess whether, in relation to appeals to the SSAT and the AAT, Centrelink undertakes its role effectively, so as to support the timely implementation of the Tribunals' decisions about customers' entitlements. In assessing Centrelink's performance, the ANAO examined whether:
- the information provided by Centrelink, in relation to appeals to the SSAT and the AAT, effectively supported customers' and Tribunals' decision-making;
- the relationships and administrative arrangements between Centrelink, DEEWR and FaHCSIA supported the effective management of the appeal process and the capture of issues that may have broader implications for legislation, policy and service delivery; and
- Centrelink implemented SSAT and AAT decisions in an effective and timely manner.
The audit focused on the external review and appeal mechanisms and completes the cycle of audits on Centrelink's review and appeal system. The audit examined those appeals where an implementation action was required and did not consider SSAT and AAT appeals that were dismissed, withdrawn or were not within the Tribunals' jurisdiction.
Entity
Centrelink; Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations; Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs
Type of content
Performance audit (Auditor-General Report No. 10 of 2010–11)
Published: Thursday 30 September 2010
Published
The objective of the audit was to examine the effectiveness of Centrelink's approach to investigating and responding to external fraud. The ANAO's assessment was based on four key criteria. In particular, the ANAO assessed whether Centrelink:
- had established a management framework, business systems and guidelines, that support the investigation, prosecution and reporting of fraud;
- had implemented appropriate case selection strategies and controls to ensure resources are targeted to the cases of highest priority;
- complied with relevant external and internal requirements when investigating fraud and referring cases for consideration of prosecution; and
- had implemented an effective training program that supports high quality investigations and prosecution referrals.
Entity
Centrelink
Type of content
Performance audit (Auditor-General Report No. 36 of 2009–10)
Published: Wednesday 19 May 2010
Published
The scope of the audit covered Centrelink's emergency management framework and community recovery assistance operations in general, with a specific focus on the 2009 North Queensland floods and Victorian bushfires. FaHCSIA's role during those disaster events was also considered as it played a key role in establishing the policy parameters of the services Centrelink delivered and addressing issues arising from policy implementation.
Entity
Centrelink; Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs
Type of content
Performance audit (Auditor-General Report No. 19 of 2009–10)
Published: Friday 18 December 2009
Published
The objective of the audit was to assess how effectively DHS (including CSA), FaHCSIA and Centrelink managed the implementation of stage one of the CSSR and the Improving Compliance program.
Entity
Department of Human Services; Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs; Centrelink
Type of content
Performance audit (Auditor-General Report No. 18 of 2009–10)
Published: Friday 18 December 2009
Published
The audit objective was to assess whether the administration of the LPG Vehicle Scheme is effective. To address this objective, the audit considered whether:
- there is a sound framework for the operation of the Scheme;
- grants are promoted, assessed and approved in accordance with relevant guidance and regulations; and
- the Scheme's performance is monitored and reported.
Entity
Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research; Medicare Australia; Centrelink
Type of content
Performance audit (Auditor-General Report No. 12 of 2009–10)
Published: Thursday 19 November 2009
Published
The audit objective was to assess the effectiveness of administrative arrangements for YA, including service delivery. The ANAO assessed DEEWR's and Centrelink's performance against three main criteria:
- objectives and strategies for the ongoing management and performance measures for YA provide a firm basis for measurement against outcomes (Chapters 2 and 3);
- YA services delivered are consistent with legislative and policy requirements, (Chapter 4); and
- monitoring arrangements provide appropriate information for assessing service delivery performance (Chapter 5).
Entity
Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations; Centrelink
Type of content
Performance audit (Auditor-General Report No. 44 of 2002–03)
Published: Friday 23 May 2003
Published
The objective of the audit was to determine whether the controls and measures employed by FaCS and Centrelink to deliver Parenting Payment Single (PPS) payments were effective and efficient. To achieve this, the audit focused on four key areas. These were:
- the quality of performance measures used by FaCS and Centrelink;
- the effectiveness of FaCS' methodology for estimating the levels of risk of incorrect payment to PPS customers and the impact of these incorrect payments on the integrity of program outlays;
- the correctness of Centrelink's processing of reassessments; and
- the improvements to preventive controls such as training, guidance material, and the Quality On-Line system.
Entity
Department of Family and Community Services; Centrelink
Type of content
Performance audit (Auditor-General Report No. 17 of 2002–03)
Published: Tuesday 5 November 2002
Published
The objective of the audit was to assess whether the controls employed by the Department of Family and Community Services (FACS) and Centrelink to ensure the correctness of payments made under the Age Pension program were effective and efficient. The ANAO focused on:
- business arrangements between FACS and Centrelink and the Business Assurance Framework;
- whether the source of error was correctly attributed in customer records assessed by FACS and Centrelink as containing an error in the 2000-01 Age Pension Random Sample Survey:
- the correctness of Centrelink's processing of reassessments, including Pensioner Entitlements Reviews, Customer Initiated Reassessments and automated reassessments: and
- progress in implementing the recommendations of previous ANAO audits concerning the preventive quality controls that underpin correct payments.
Entity
Department of Family and Community Services; Centrelink
Type of content
Performance audit (Auditor-General Report No. 9 of 2002–03)
Published: Monday 30 September 2002
Published
The objective of the audit was to assess whether Centrelink's Balanced Scorecard (BSC) was based on key elements of better practice principles and its use assisted Centrelink to understand and communicate its performance against its strategic goals. The audit examined:
- the use of the BSC in setting Centrelink's vision and goals;
- the role of the BSC in planning;
- alignment of the BSC from the top down through the organisation and the interdependencies of scoreboards used by various support units, the definition and use of measures, including target setting and links to goals within the BSC framework; and
- its use in monitoring, reporting and feedback.
Entity
Centrelink
Type of content
Performance audit (Auditor-General Report No. 39 of 2000–01)
Published: Monday 28 May 2001
Published
The audit was conducted as a joint financial statement and performance audit of Centrelink's Information and Technology (I&T) systems. The objective of the financial statement component of the audit was to express an opinion on whether Centrelink could rely on its I&T systems to support production of a reliable set of financial information for the financial statements. The objective of the performance audit component was to determine whether Centrelink's I&T systems outputs adequately met quality and service delivery targets.
Entity
Centrelink
Type of content
Performance audit (Auditor-General Report No. 34 of 2000–01)
Published: Thursday 17 May 2001
Published
The Age Pension is a social security income support payment available to Australian residents and eligible Australians residing overseas who have reached Age Pension age and whose income and assets are under certain limits. In 1999-2000, approximately $14 billion was paid to approximately 1.7 million Age Pension recipients. Payment of Age Pension is made under the Social Security Law and in accordance with the Guide to the Social Security Law prepared by the Department of Family and Community Services (FaCS). FaCS has contracted Centrelink under a Business Partnership Agreement (BPA) to administer the payment of Age Pension to eligible customers. The objective of the audit was to assess the extent to which new claims for Age Pension had been assessed in compliance with the legislation and other relevant guidelines developed by Centrelink, and whether Centrelink employed appropriate mechanisms to help ensure such compliance. In particular, the ANAO sought evidence with respect to: payment at the right rate, from the right date, to the right person with the right product, for new claims assessed during the audit sample period (that is, in accordance with the working definition of accuracy within Centrelink); the accuracy of Centrelink?s own reporting on compliance, as reported to FaCS under the BPA; and the application of appropriate mechanisms to help ensure such compliance.
Entity
Centrelink