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In August 1997, Works Australia, a former business unit of the former Department of Administrative Services,was sold by the then Office of Asset Sales (OAS). For a price of $4.2 million, the purchaser acquired the assets of Works Australia and accepted certain liabilities. At the time the sale was completed, Works Australia held $43.7 million in cash belonging to Commonwealth agencies (known as client advances). ANAO programmed an audit to examine oversight of the post-sale contractual arrangements for each of the 307 Commonwealth client advances totalling $43.7 million transferred to the purchaser and found that the $43.7 million in client advances transferred to the purchaser of Works Australia in August 1997 has been effectively accounted for as of July 2001 by the Commonwealth agencies concerned. In addition, the relevant financial security arrangements over the Works Australia client advances have been effectively administered in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Works Australia Sale Agreement by Finance.
Special Benefit is a social security income support payment for people who are unable to support themselves or their dependents, and who are not otherwise entitled to any other income support payment. Its objective is to ensure that such people have adequate levels of income. The objective of the audit was to assess the extent to which new claims for Special Benefit had been determined in compliance with the Social Security Act, the Guide to the Act and other relevant guidelines, and whether Centrelink and FaCS had appropriate procedures to help ensure such compliance.
Although the audit examined broader aspects of the ATO's administration (such as, tobacco excise governance arrangements, intelligence capability and compliance and investigations activities), we placed particular emphasis on the strategies used by the ATO to address the proliferation of chop-chop (Australian grown tobacco sold illicitly in a chopped up form for $80 to $100 per kilogram. In comparison, 50 grams of legal roll-you-own tobacco costs around $16 i.e. $320 per kilogram) in the Australian markets, as it is an area of major risk to tobacco excise revenue.
The ANAO selected the Fututech project for audit as it is one of the largest R&D projects conducted by any of the rural R&D corporations to date. The ANAO planned to identify possible improvements in management practices which would assist not only MRC but also other R&D corporations.
The objective of the audit was to review AusAID's management of funding to Non-Government Organisations, to assess whether:
- the objectives of overseas development programs to be delivered by NGOs were clearly established;
- funding mechanisms for the delivery of aid programs by NGOs were clearly defined, consistently applied, and in compliance with the law; and
- whether AusAID could provide assurances that NGOs delivering development projects using Commonwealth monies are accountable for: proper expenditure of Commonwealth monies; the achievement of stated objectives; and the achievement of value for money.
The ANAO examined AusAID documentation on overseas development programs delivered by NGOs, looking particularly for clear objectives, performance measures, and evaluation mechanisms. Three levels of documentation were examined:
- government programs;
- grants schemes; and
- individual projects.
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.
The ANAO's objective in auditing the sale was to assess:
- the extent to which the Commonwealth's objectives were achieved; and
- the efficiency, administrative effectiveness and accountability of the sale process.
The audit examined how well performance information for programs administered by the (now) Department of Employment, Education, Training and Youth Affairs (DEETYA) facilitates good decision-making and provides a suitable framework for control and accountability for performance.
The objective of the audit was to examine the efficiency and administrative effectiveness of the scheme in light of rapidly increasing expenditure and a history of administrative difficulties and deficiencies.
The ANAO conducted a project audit of Competitive Employment, Training and Placement services, part of the Disability Services Program administered by the then Department of Human Services and Health, primarily because of parliamentary concerns relating to these services. Under the Administrative Arrangements Order of 11 March 1996, the Disability Services Program is now administered by the Department of Health and Family Services.
The Defence Estate comprises the land, buildings and other facilities that Defence uses across Australia. These facilities are vital to achieving the Defence mission - to prevent or defeat the use of armed force against Australia and its interests. The Estate has a gross replacement value of $14.8 billion. Defence Estate Organisation's (DEO's) Facilities Operations (FACOPS) Program delivers general maintenance and minor new works to Defence facilities on a regional basis across the country. DEO's Estate Operations and Planning Branch and its nine Regional Estate Centres are responsible for the FACOPS Program. Resources available for the Program have been reduced in recent years. The total DEO budget for 2000-01, which includes funds for capital works, facilities operations and property management, is $2.6 billion. Of this total, the FACOPS Program has a cash allocation of $213 million and an additional $15.6 million for employee expenses associated with the Program's 283 staff. The objective of the audit was to assess the efficiency and effectiveness of selected Defence facilities operations, including tendering and contracting, with a view to adding value with practical recommendations for enhancing operations.
Members of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) have informal and formal complaint mechanisms available to them to address grievances. Initially, members are advised to seek resolution of their complaint at the lowest possible level, through the normal command channels and administrative arrangements. A member who is not satisfied that a complaint has been resolved in this manner may use the Redress of Grievance (ROG) system to submit a formal complaint to the commanding officer of the member's unit. The objective of this audit was to ascertain whether the ROG system could be refined to improve the efficiency and timeliness of processing of complaints while preserving the equity and transparency the current system provides.The Redress of Grievance system is clearly time-consuming and resource intensive. Some grievances have taken as long as four years to resolve. Some could be resolved by administrative means rather than through recourse to grievance processes. The system contains various inefficiencies that detract from its cost-effectiveness from the viewpoint of the ADF and individual members. In addition many members are unaware of the system or do not have a high level of confidence in its effectiveness.
This audit reviewed:
- the methods used by the Department of Social Security (DSS) to determine and allocate staff numbers to Regional Offices. It sought to ascertain whether the allocations resulting from these methods met the demands placed on Regional Offices and the scope for improvement to these methods; and
- the scope for improvements to the benefit delivery process and other aspects of Regional Office operations that could lead to significant productivity gains or client service benefits.
The ANAO's objectives in auditing the sale were to:
- review the extent to which the Government's objectives for the sale were achieved;
- review the management of the sale process; and
- to assess ongoing Commonwealth exposures and responsibilities.
Mr P.J. Barrett (AM) - Auditor-General for Australia, presented at the Department of Finance and Administration's Learning Centre Lecture Series
Mr P.J. Barrett (AM) - Auditor-General for Australia, address presented at the Australian National University
Mr P.J. Barrett (AM) - Auditor-General for Australia, presented at the Defence and Strategic Studies Course, Australian Defence College, Canberra
Mr P.J. Barrett (AM) - Auditor-General for Australia, presented at the Secretaries' Forum
Mr P.J. Barrett (AM) - Auditor-General for Australia, presented at a Seminar on 'Financial Management and Electronic Government' Kuala Lumpur
Mr P.J. Barrett (AM) - Auditor-General for Australia, presented at the Attorney-General's Luncheon
Mr P.J. Barrett (AM) - Auditor-General for Australia, presented at the 1999 Department of Employment, Training and Industrial Relations Biennial Risk Management Conference, Brisbane
Mr P.J. Barrett (AM) - Auditor-General for Australia, presented to the PA Congress 1997:'CPAs for Today and Tomorrow', Adelaide
Mr P.J. Barrett (AM) - Auditor-General for Australia, presented to the Lunchtime Seminar Series for Senior Officers, Sydney, NSW
Mr P.J. Barrett (AM) - Auditor-General for Australia, presented at the Association of Risk and Insurance Managers of Australasia - South Australia Chapter
Mr P.J. Barrett (AM) - Auditor-General for Australia, presented at the 18th Commonwealth Auditors-General Conference, Malaysia
Mr P.J. Barrett (AM) - Auditor-General for Australia, presented at the CPA South Australia Annual Congress 2001, 'Riding the Next Wave'
Mr Ian McPhee, PSM - Auditor-General for Australia, presented to the Senate Occasional Lecture, Parliament House Canberra
Mr P.J. Barrett (AM) - Auditor-General for Australia, presented t the Australian Society of Certified Practising Accountants Annual Research Lecture - Canberra
Mr P.J. Barrett (AM) - Auditor-General for Australia, presented at the Challenges and Opportunities Seminar, Conducted by the Department of Finance, Canberra
Mr P.J. Barrett (AM) - Auditor-General for Australia, presented at the IPAA Conference, Canberra
Mr P.J. Barrett (AM) - Auditor-General for Australia, Occasional Paper
Address by Richard Rundle, Executive Director, Business Assurance Services, at the Security in Government 2001 Conference
Mr P.J. Barrett (AM) - Auditor-General for Australia, presented at the IPAA ACT Division, Half day seminar
Mr P.J. Barrett (AM) - Auditor-General for Australia, presented at the Global Working Group Meeting, Washington
The objective of the audit was to determine whether the Department of Health and Family Services had managed its coordinating role and implemented its responsibilities under the National Rural Health Strategy efficiently and effectively.
The Senate Order of 20 June 2001, required all FMA agencies to list contracts over $100 000 on the Internet. FMA agencies were to indicate, amongst other things, whether the contracts contained provisions requiring the parties to maintain confidentiality of any of its provisions or whether any provisions of the contract were regarded by the parties as confidential. The Senate Order also requested the ANAO to conduct an examination of a number of such contracts, and indicate whether any inappropriate use of confidentiality provisions was detected in that examination. The Government agreed that agencies would comply with the spirit of the Order because it was committed to transparency of Commonwealth contracts. The Government also indicated that agencies' compliance with the Order would be progressive as agencies refine arrangements and processes to meet the requirements
The audit reviewed the policy advising functions of the Departments of Education, Training and Youth Affairs, Employment, Workplace Relations and Small Business, and Family and Community Services. The objective of the audit was to determine whether departmental quality management systems for policy advising were appropriate and the advice provided met expected standards for policy outputs.
The examined the $1 billion Federation Fund program, which was established by the Government to mark the Centenary of Federation. The objectives of the examination were to assess the:
- extent to which the administration of the FCHP program complied with better practice in the assessment of applications, especially in relation to the transparency and rigour of the decision-making process;
- equity of the geographic spread of grants to States and electorates; and
- process for the announcement of the results of grant applications.
Mr Ian McPhee - Auditor-General for Australia, presented at the 20th Commonwealth Auditors-General Conference
Mr Ian McPhee - Auditor-General for Australia, presented at the Queensland Regional Heads Forum
The overall objective of the survey was to assess key aspects of fraud control arrangements in place across the APS against Commonwealth Law Enforcement Board (CLEB) guidelines. This assessment aimed to provide assurance to Parliament that agencies had a suitable framework in place to assist in effectively preventing and dealing with fraud and to indicate to APS agencies any areas for improvement identified in the survey.
The ANAO examined the performance information in the 2000-01 Portfolio Budget Statements (PBS) for a mix of ten small and large agencies. The objective of the audit was to assess the appropriateness of the performance information in the selected PBS, the reporting of performance information in annual reports and agency arrangements to identify and collect this information.
This benchmarking study surveyed the roles and functions of CFOs from 15 Commonwealth organisations in 2000-2001. It also involved the CFOs providing self-assessments in response to questions about their role, responsibilities, priorities and challenges. In particular the study sought to identify: ·
- the skills, qualifications and experience of Commonwealth CFOs; ·
- the CFOs perceptions of their roles, responsibilities and priorities, and how these may have changed in relation to previous studies and available Andersen Global Best Practices (from the Andersen Global Best Practices® knowledge base); and ·
- how Commonwealth CFOs viewed and used information technology to achieve their financial management objectives.
The audit reviewed the administration of referrals, assessments and approvals processes under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. The objective of the audit was to examine and report on the quality and timeliness of environmental assessments and approvals under the Act, as well as on Environment Australia's activities to ensure compliance with the Act.
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 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.
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 - Speaking Notes used for presentation to the Australian Bureau of Statistics SES and Middle Management Group
Mr P.J. Barrett (AM) - Auditor-General for Australia, presented at the Institute of Internal Auditors National Annual General Meeting Sydney, 18 May 1999
The audit reviewed the Australian Customs Service (Customs) fraud control arrangements. The audit objective was to assess whether Customs has implemented appropriate fraud control arrangements consistent with the Commonwealth's Fraud Control Guidelines and the administrative effectiveness of these arrangements.
The ANAO undertook an audit of the framework and systems that Industry, Science and Resources had in place to prevent, control, monitor, detect and investigate fraud. The objective of the audit was to assess the effectiveness of these arrangements in relation to departmental administrative functions and program operations.
Mr P.J. Barrett (AM) - Auditor-General for Australia, presented at the Senior Executive Leadership Program - Preparatory day, Hill Station, Canberra
Mr P.J. Barrett (AM) - Auditor-General for Australia, address to the ACT Chapter of the Australasian Institute of Risk Management
Mr Ian McPhee - Auditor-General for Australia, presented at the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet and the Australia New Zealand School of Government Conference
The audit reviewed the corporate governance framework of the Australian Electoral Commisson (AEC). The objective of the audit was to review whether the AEC's corporate governance framework was sound.
This benchmarking study across 14 agencies examined how line managers plan for and manage their staff and how the human resource (HR) function supports them to do that. People management was categorised into nine, practice areas, to enable comparisons between the participating agencies. The study also assessed each people management practice area against four criteria: quality, HR integration, effectiveness & efficiency and business contribution.
The audit reviewed the process of engaging consultants in four Commonwealth agencies. The objective of the audit was to provide assurance to Parliament that Commonwealth agencies comply with relevant procurement policies and procedures that have been developed to ensure value for money in government procurement.
As part of the Government's Taxation Reform Initiatives, the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) was given responsibility for implementing the Australian Business Number (ABN) and Australian Business Register (ABR) initiatives. The objective of the audit was to assess the administrative effectiveness of the ABN registration process and the ATO's implementation and management of the ABR.
The Superannuation Guarantee, which came into effect on 1 July 1992, was introduced to reduce reliance on the age pension as a means of funding retirement for individuals. The objective of the performance audit was to review the ATO's administration of the Superannuation Guarantee and to identify appropriate opportunities for improvement.
Mr Ian McPhee - Auditor-General for Australia, presented to the Global Working Group 10th Annual Meeting, Norway