The objectives for the audit of the third tranche sale of Telstra shares were to:

• assess the extent to which the Government's sale objectives were achieved, including maximising overall value for money;
• assess the effectiveness of the management of the sale; and
• identify principles of sound administrative practice to facilitate potential improvements in any future asset sales.

The audit objective was to assess the effectiveness of the Department of Veterans’ Affairs administration of the Repatriation Transport Scheme.

The objective of this performance audit was to assess the administration of the National Black Spot Programme. It was undertaken in a manner similar to the audit of the Roads to Recovery Programme. Specifically, the audit approach involved:

• examination of DOTARS records and discussions with officers in DOTARS and four of the State road transport authorities responsible for administering the Programme;
• analysis of project monitoring, reporting and payment arrangements; and
• selecting a sample of 45 LGA areas across four States so that ANAO could examine projects delivered with Commonwealth funding.

The objective of the audit was to assess the effectiveness of the NDIS Commission in exercising its regulatory functions.

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

The objective of the audit was to assess whether the property management function, including the management of leases, was being performed efficiently and was providing an effective level of support for the delivery of the organisation's services (outputs). The audit evaluated property management policies and practices across the following dimensions:

• planning and control;
• business processes and practices; and
• information and performance management.

Within each of these areas, a series of desirable proceses and controls (described as the evaluation criteria) were developed to assist in the assessment of each organisation's performance.

This report outlines the ANAO’s assessment of the internal controls of major agencies, including governance arrangements, information systems and control procedures. The findings summarised in this report are the results of the interim phase of the financial statement audits of 23 major General Government Sector agencies that represent some 95 per cent of total General Government Sector revenues and expenses.

Mr Ian McPhee - Auditor-General for Australia, presented at the Canberra Evaluation Forum

The objective of the audit was to examine the effectiveness of spectrum reallocation to support the deployment of 5G services.

Mr P.J. Barrett (AM) - Auditor-General for Australia, presented at the 1999 ACPAC Biennial Conference Commercial Confidentiality - Striking the Balance

The objective of this audit was to examine the effectiveness of the Attorney-General’s Department’s implementation of the recommendations from Auditor-General Report No.27 of 2017–18, Management of the Australian Government’s Register of Lobbyists.

Mr P.J. Barrett (AM) - Auditor-General for Australia, presented at the Australian Corporate Lawyers Association and the Australian Institute of Administrative Law Conference on Outsourcing

The audit covered major program elements within the Department of Primary Industries and Energy and Environment Australia that are managed:

• directly by DPIE or Environment Australia;
• through the One-Stop-Shop project assessment process administered by the States/Territories; or
• by non-government organisations.

The purpose of the audit was to examine and benchmark the administrative processes established for these programs. The primary focus of the audit was to draw on the best elements of past practice (particularly in relation to programs involving the One-Stop-Shop) and highlight any shortcomings so that the risks to program effectiveness and accountability could be addressed in the implementation of the Natural Heritage Trust.

The objective of this audit was to assess whether the OneSKY tender was conducted so as to provide value with public resources and achieve required timeframes for the effective replacement of the existing air traffic management platforms.

The objective of this audit was to assess the effectiveness of the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership’s (AITSL) administration of national standards and frameworks.

The objective of this audit was to assess whether the design and implementation of the Australian Apprenticeships Incentive System by the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations is effective.

The audit objective is to assess the effectiveness of the Department of Agriculture’s administration of the Imported Food Inspection Scheme.

The objective of the audit was to assess the effectiveness of the award of funding under the first round of the Safer Streets programme.

The audit objective was to assess the effectiveness of the Department of Health’s administration of the Medical Specialist Training Program.

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

The objective of the audit was to assess the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service's administration of the Tariff Concession System.

Mr P.J. Barrett (AM) - Auditor-General for Australia, presented at the MBA Governance Students at Macquarie University Graduate School of Management

The audit examined a range of issues in relation to the development of certified agreements in the APS with particular emphasis on the link between improved pay and conditions and increased productivity, and the funding of agreements. The objectives of the audit were to:

• provide an overview of the range of wage outcomes included in the first round of APS certified agreements;
• identify the administrative arrangements agencies have in place to measure any improvements in productivity that were linked to pay increases;
• determine how agencies funded their certified agreements;
• review the reporting and accountability arrangements agencies have in place to monitor progress and to evaluate the outcomes of their certified agreements;
• determine the extent to which agencies complied with the employment terms and conditions outlined in their certified agreements that contributed to paying for their agreement or measuring and/or assessing improvements in productivity; and
• examine the role of central coordinating agencies in reviewing agencies' certified agreements.

The objective of the audit was to assess the effectiveness of the Department of Employment’s administration of the Fair Entitlements Guarantee.

The audit objective was to assess the effectiveness of the establishment, implementation and operation of the Early Years Quality Fund against the requirements of the Early Years Quality Fund Special Account Act 2013 and the Commonwealth grants administration framework.

The audit objective was to assess the effectiveness of the selected entities:

• management of the delivery of projects awarded funding under four programmes where ANAO has previously audited the application assessment and selection processes; and
• development and implementation of evaluation strategies for each of those programmes.

The audit objective was to assess the effectiveness of selected departments’ implementation of deregulation initiatives.

The audit reviewed the management of unscheduled absence in 74 APS agencies. The objective of the audit was to assess the extent and cost of unscheduled absence in the APS; to examine whether unscheduled absence in the APS was being managed efficiently and effectively; and to identify opportunities for improvement.

The aim of Insights: Audit Lessons is to communicate lessons from our audit work and to make it easier for people working within the Australian public sector to apply those lessons.

This edition of Insights: Audit Lessons is targeted at risk practitioners and officials responsible for government operations, projects, programs, services and regulatory activities. It would also be useful for accountable authorities, their senior executives and audit and risk committees.

The objective of the audit was to assess the effectiveness of the implementation of the revised export control legislative framework by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.