Mr P.J. Barrett (AM) - Auditor-General for Australia, presented to the Institute of Internal Auditors, Annual Directors' Forum, Canberra

The objective of the audit is to examine and report on the efficiency and effectiveness of AFP's administration and management of its overseas deployments. The audit specifically examines two deployments and focuses on strategic and operational planning and logistics. The audit examines a planned, long-term overseas deployment (as part of the Participating Police Force (PPF) within the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands (RAMSI)) and a crisis-driven deployment in response to a specific event (Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) assistance to Thailand following the Indian Ocean Tsunamis of 26 December 2004).

The audit examined the management of software licensing by five Commonwealth agencies. The objective of the audit was to provide assurance to these agencies and the Parliament that:

• effective controls are in place to ensure the physical security of software media;
• the risks associated with the use of illegal software are being effectively managed; and
• compliance with software licence conditions is being adequately monitored.

Mr P.J. Barrett (AM) - Auditor-General for Australia, presented at the Department of Finance and Administration's Learning Centre Lecture Series

The objective of this report is to provide the Auditor-General’s independent assurance over the status of selected Major Projects, as reflected in the Project Data Summary Sheets (PDSSs) prepared by the DMO, and the Statement by the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) DMO. Assurance from the ANAO’s review of the preparation of the PDSSs by the Defence Materiel Organisation (DMO) is conveyed in the Auditor-General’s Independent Review Report, prepared pursuant to the endorsed Guidelines, contained in Part 3.

The objectives of the audit were to examine and evaluate the efficiency, economy and administrative effectiveness of the non-judicial activities of the Family Court of Australia. A major aim of the audit was to identify administrative better practices that could be promulgated throughout the Court. The criteria for the audit address the following issues: corporate planning; performance measurement; organisational structure; human resource management; human resource development; management information and reporting systems; and operational processes and procedures.

Following an initial selection through a process of inviting expressions of interest, OGIT issued a restricted Request for Proposal for Human Resource Management Systems and Financial Management Information Systems. OGIT sought the services of the ANAO to provide an opinion on the probity of the methodology and procedures applied in the process of evaluation of tenders for acceptance to the Shared Systems Suite. The ANAO also agreed to review the formal procedures developed by OGIT and to test their operation to enable the ANAO to form an opinion, with a reasonable degree of assurance, on whether the evaluation process accords with the Commonwealth Purchasing Guidelines for open and effective competition and consideration for the development of Australian and New Zealand industry.

Mr Ian McPhee - Auditor-General for Australia, presented at the Australian Government Procurement Conference

Mr Ian McPhee - Auditor-General for Australia, address to the Risk Management Institution of Australasia -ACT Chapter Conference 'Building on Experience'

Mr P.J. Barrett (AM) - Auditor-General for Australia, presented an Occasional Paper

Mr P.J. Barrett (AM) - Auditor-General for Australia, presented at the Global Working Group Meeting, Washington

This performance audit was conducted to examine the efficiency and administrative effectiveness of Commonwealth fisheries management, with particular emphasis on AFMA's systems and procedures for planning and operations. In addition, the audit sought to determine whether AFMA is gathering and reporting to the Parliament appropriate accountability information on its performance.

Mr P.J. Barrett (AM) - Auditor-General for Australia, presented at the Third ACAG Conference, Canberra

Mr Ian McPhee - Auditor-General for Australia, presented at the Australian Corporate Lawyers Association (ACT Division) Conference

Mr P.J. Barrett (AM) - Auditor-General for Australia, presented at the Comcover Seminar

Mr P.J. Barrett (AM) - Auditor-General for Australia, presented an address to SES Officers in the Australian Customs Service, Canberra

The objective of the audit was to review AUSTEL and the Spectrum Management Agency's approaches to service delivery against recognised good practice and to identify opportunities for the new Australian Communications Authority to adopt the relevant features of these approaches in its service delivery.

The Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA) uses information technology (IT) extensively in providing services to Australia's veteran and defence force communities. The audit reviewed DVA's management of its IT outsourcing contract. The audit considered DVA's planning to meet its strategic IT needs through the IT outsourcing contract, the provisions of the contract, contract administration, management of the impacts of the outsourced services on DVA's business and the outcomes of DVA's approach to the contract.

Mr P.J. Barrett (AM) - Auditor-General for Australia, presented at a Seminar on 'Financial Management and Electronic Government' Kuala Lumpur

The ANAO first examined asset management in the general government sector in 1995. The outcome of that review was presented in Audit Report No. 27, 1995-96, Asset Management. The primary objectives of the current review were to:

• ascertain the degree of acceptance of the previous audit recommendations;
• establish the extent to which organisations were managing their assets in accordance with the asset management principles espoused in the Asset Management Handbook; and
• examine any central coordination initiatives in asset management.

Meeting these objectives permits the ANAO to express an updated opinion on the state of asset management in the general government sector other than for specialised military equipment.

Mr P.J. Barrett (AM) - Auditor-General for Australia, presented to the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India

The issues examined by the ANAO were considered on two levels. First, legal and ethical processes that focus on whether there are any impediments to the Government and public service implementing the CEIP in the way they have. The public interest issues turn largely on the question of whether the CEIP was for Government or party-political purposes. The other level on which these issues were considered is that of public accountability and the way in which decisions to spend public money are made. In turn, these issues raise questions about the relationship between, and authority of, the Government and Parliament. They may also involve consideration of what might be regarded as proper or responsible conduct by governments and the public service.

The study examined aggregated benchmarking measures of cost, efficiency quality and better practice for nineteen Commonwealth organisations and compared the results with that of an international group. The objective of the study was to obtain and report on over time quantitative and qualitative data relating to finance function activities as they operate in Commonwealth organisations.

The sale raised gross proceeds of $95.4 million, which was at the upper end of the Business Advisor's estimate for the mid-1997 sale. In addition, it should be noted that the principal financial effect for the Commonwealth was not in the proceeds of the sale but in the termination of ongoing revenue supplements and financial losses. The Commonwealth's direct costs of selling the businesses are estimated to be $9.3 million, or 9.7% of gross proceeds. In addition, the Australian National's financial liabilities totalling $1393 million have been or are being repaid or assumed by the Commonwealth.

The objectives for the audit were to examine Commonwealth guarantees, indemnities and letters of comfort in relation to:

• the potential size of the Commonwealth's exposure to these instruments;
• the extent to which the overall exposures of the Commonwealth are managed and monitored;
• the adequacy of administrative reporting arrangements;
• areas of better administrative practice relating to their management; and
• to raise agencies' awareness of appropriate risk management and accountability practices in relation to these instruments.

The audit set out to quantify the Commonwealth's exposure to guarantees, indemnities and letters of comfort.

The audit examined the effectiveness and efficiency of the FAO's management of overpayments, within the FTB Programme. In particular, the ANAO considered the FAO's activities in relation to FTB debt prevention, identification, raising and recovery. The audit also compared the FAO's policy documentation and guidance material for staff, against relevant sections of Family Assistance legislation.

The audit examined whether training services purchased by the Department for labour market programs provided value for money.

Mr P.J. Barrett (AM) - Auditor-General for Australia, presented at the CPA Australia National Public Sector Convention, Perth

This performance audit is the first property management audit that the ANAO has conducted since the FMA Act came into effect in 1997, with the associated devolution of responsibility to agency heads. The audit included coverage of office accommodation currently leased in Australia from the private sector. This office accommodation was housing the functions and activities of clerical, technical or professional staff, including conference and meeting rooms and ministerial suites but excluding basements, car parks, theatrettes, and cafeterias.

The objectives of the audit were to examine:

• the effectiveness of agencies' implementation of the current GBEs governance framework;
• the extent to which agencies and GBEs comply with the Governance Arrangements and legislative requirements; and
• whether the GBE monitoring system provides an effective level of accountability to Ministers and to the Parliament.