The Audit Activity Report: January to June 2003 summarises the activity and outputs of the Australian National Audit Office for the second half of the 2002-03 reporting year. The Report outlines the key findings of performance and financial control audits, and summarises audits tabled and better practice guides published during January to June 2003.

The Audit Activity Report: July to December 2004 summarises the activity and outputs of the Australian National Audit Office for the first half of the 2004-05 reporting year. The Report outlines the key findings of performance and financial control audits, and summarises audits tabled and better practice guides during July to December 2004.

Mr P.J. Barrett (AM) - Auditor-General for Australia, presented an the Australasian Evaluation Society - International Conference

This report is the second in a series of reports to be tabled at six-monthly intervals. It summarises the audit and other activities of the ANAO in the period July to December 1997.

The objective of this follow-up audit was to assess Austrade's implementation of the recommendations contained in ANAO Report No. 4 of 1998-99 (Client Service Initiatives - Australian Trade Commission (Austrade)), and whether the implementation of the recommendations or appropriate alternative measures has improved the management and delivery of Austrade's client service.

This report summarises audit and other related activities of the Australian National Audit Office in the period July to December 1998.

The objective of the audit was to examine the Tax Office's administration of the Lost Members Register. In particular, the audit examined the Tax Office's governance arrangements for the LMR; its strategies for managing data quality; and its provision of access to LMR data. The audit also considered how the Tax Office's administration of the LMR has responded to recommendations made in the ANAO's earlier review (Audit Report No.17, 2005–06 Administration of the Superannuation Lost Members Register), relevant changes in funding and legislation supporting the LMR, as well as the Change Program.

Mr P.J. Barrett (AM) - Auditor-General for Australia, presentation to Macquarie University

The audit reviewed the Australian Taxation Office's use of audit of individual taxpayers as part of its approach to encouraging taxpayer compliance. The objective of the audit was to examine the use of audit as an element of the compliance management function within the Individuals Non-Business line of the ATO.

The report summarises the audit and other related activities of the ANAO in the period January to June 2002. Key issues arising from performance audits tabled in this period are summarised. Appendix 1 of the Activity Report provides a short summary of each of the audits tabled between 1 January 2002 and 30 June 2002.

This edition of Audit Insights summarises key messages for all Australian Government entities from a series of recent Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) performance audits assessing the planning and implementation of regulation activities. It discusses the importance of using available data and intelligence information to develop and execute risk-based regulatory activities targeted in proportion to the impacts of non-compliance.

Mr P.J. Barrett (AM) - Auditor-General for Australia, presented at the Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) - Australia SOPAC ?98 The IIA - Australia, South Pacific and Asia Conference

Mr P.J. Barrett (AM) - Auditor-General for Australia, presented at the Chartered Secretaries Australia, Discussion Luncheon, Canberra

The report summarises the audit and other related activities of the ANAO in the period July to December 2001. Key issues arising from performance audits tabled in this period are summarised.

The follow-up audit assessed the extent to which the Australian Taxation Office (ATO), Department of Health and Ageing (Health), and Medicare Australia had implemented the six recommendations from Audit Report No.47 2001–02, Administration of the 30 Per Cent Private Health Insurance Rebate. The audit also looked at: the implementation of some of the major suggestions for improvement in the original audit; and the current validity of some of the positive major findings from that audit. The audit found that the ATO, Health and Medicare Australia have acted upon the recommendations contained in Audit Report No.47 2001–02 and, overall, the administration of the Rebate is currently being undertaken effectively.

This report summarises audit and other related activities of the Australian National Audit Office in the period July to December 1999.

The objective of this audit was to form an opinion on the Australian Research Council's (ARC's) management of research grants. To achieve this, ANAO centred the audit around the following aspects of ARC's grants administration: governance and structure, particularly the roles and responsibilities of those parties involved in administering ARC's grants (Chapter 2); the processes for assessing and selecting ARC grants (Chapter 3);post-award management of grants under the Funding Agreements (Agreements) between ARC and those universities that receive and administer the ARC grants to researchers (Chapter 4); and ARC's monitoring of its grant programs for management, performance improvement and reporting (Chapter 5). In its assessment, ANAO considered ARC's compliance with relevant sections of the Australian Research Council Act 2001 (ARC Act) and the Financial Management and Accountability Act 1997 (FMA Act). The assessment also took account of the ANAO's Better Practice Guides, particularly the Better Practice Guide—Administration of Grants. The audit focused mainly on ARC's administration of Discovery Projects, the largest scheme in ARC's National Competitive Grants Program (NCGP).

The audit examined the role of Comcare, employers and other key stakeholders in effecting an early and permanent return to work for injured employees. Case management practices in Comcare and selected agencies were reviewed to form an opinion on the efficiency, economy and administrative effectiveness of those practices and management of the rehabilitation function. The audit did not examine the administration of injured workers' compensation claims nor the effectiveness of the policy which requires employers to comply with the Comcare Return to Work (RTW) model.

Mr Mr Ian McPhee, AO PSM - Auditor-General for Australia, presented an Australian Country Paper at the 6th ASOSAI Symposium in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Mr P.J. Barrett (AM) - Auditor-General for Australia, presented at the Institute of Internal Auditors Australia. South Pacific and Asia Conference SOPAC 2001, Melbourne

The objective of the audit was to examine the effectiveness of DAFF's implementation and administration of the Securing our Fishing Future structural adjustment package industry and community assistance programs.

The Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) completed a performance audit of the ATO's use of AUSTRAC data in August 2000, titled The AustralianTaxation Office's Use of AUSTRAC Data, Audit Report No. 7 2000-2001. It found that the ATO had used AUSTRAC data to achieve a significant improvement in the collection of taxation revenue. The ANAO considered that the ATO could build on this success by using AUSTRAC data more effectively at both the strategic and operational levels. The audit made six recommendations. The ATO agreed with all recommendations. The objective of this follow-up performance audit was to assess the ATO's progress in implementing the recommendations of Audit Report No 7 2000-2001, The Australian Taxation Office's Use of AUSTRAC Data.

The objective of this audit was to examine the effectiveness of DAFF’s administration of the Digital Services to Take Farmers to Markets (TFTM) program.

This audit followed up the ANAO's 1997 performance audit report on ADF health services (Audit Report No.34 1996-97 Australian Defence Force Health Services), which focused on the delivery of non-operational health services to entitled members. The objective of the follow-up audit was to assess Defence's implementation of recommendations made in the original audit report and their effectiveness in improving ADF health services.

The report summarises the audit and other related activities of the ANAO in the period June to December 2000. It provides a consolidated report of the ANAO's integrated audit products tabled during the period. Key issues examined in the ANAO's performance audit activity in the period were:

• risk management in a corporate governance framework;
• outsourcing and asset sales;
• contract management;
• service delivery;
• data management/management information systems; and
• legislative implementation.

The report also summarised the results of a report summarising the final results of the audits of the financial statements of Commonwealth entities; and dealt with issues regarding financial management issues, controls and processes arising from the financial audit activities conducted during the period.

In 1997-98, the ANAO audited the Child Support Agency (CSA), making 12 recommendations to improve its operational performance. A related report by the Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit supported the general findings of the ANAO audit and reinforced three ANAO recommendations in its own report. The audit examined client service in the CSA by following-up the CSA's implementation of the recommendations contained in these two previous reports and more broadly assessing whether the CSA had improved the management and delivery of its client service sine the previous ANAO audit.

Mr Mr Ian McPhee - Auditor-General for Australia, presentation to the Global Working Group of Auditors-General

The objective of this follow-up audit was to provide assurance to the Parliament on the cost-effectiveness of public sector travel by:

• ascertaining the degree of acceptance, and the extent of implementation, of the previous audit recommendations and better practice principles; and
• establishing whether organisations were managing travel effectively, taking into consideration recommendations and findings detailed in the above Audit Reports and the Better Practice Guide Public Sector Travel.

The objective of this audit was to assess the effectiveness of Defence’s design and implementation of arrangements to select a preferred Strategic Partner for the Future Submarines Program.

The objective of this audit was to assess the effectiveness of the Department of Education, Skills and Employment’s arrangements in administering wage subsidies linked to employment programs.