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

The Auditor-General responded on 22 August 2016 to correspondence from Senator Nick Xenophon on 20 May 2016 requesting a performance audit of the Command and Control System selection for the SEA 1000 Future Submarine Project.

Mr Mr Ian McPhee - Auditor-General for Australia, presented at the Leadership Development Network Breakfast Seminar

Causes and Consequences of Personnel Postings in the Australian Defence Force The audit arose from a Defence Efficiency Review (1997) recommendation that Defence could make savings on the large volume of postings it made every year. The audit examined the posting process and sought to provide assurance that Defence had identified and examined salient postings issues and was addressing them effectively.

Mr P.J. Barrett (AM) - Auditor-General for Australia, presented at the Department of Employment, Workplace Relations and Small Business Leadership Development Program

This follow-up audit examined the actions taken by the Department of Veterans' Affairs to address the ANAO's recommendations made in Audit Report No.28 1993-94 regarding the use of private hospitals on behalf of the Repatriation Commission. The recommendations from that audit were aimed at improving the basis and consistency of contracts with the private sector for the use of private hospitals and providing added assurance that quality care was available to the veteran community.

As part of the ANAO's role in reviewing proposed advertising campaigns for compliance with the June 2008 Guidelines, the Auditor–General advised the JCPAA that the ANAO would provide regular summary reports on its advertising review activities to Parliament. Section 25 of the Auditor General Act 1997 provides for the tabling of such reports.

Mr Ian McPhee - Auditor-General for Australia, presented for a video-conference of the International Federation of Accountants

The objectives of the audit were to assess how well agencies are managing their assets to produce better outcomes and to identify or develop better practice in asset management.

Mr Ian McPhee - Auditor-General for Australia, presented at the Public Sector Governance Forum of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and The Institute of Internal Auditors - Australia

The Auditor-General responded on 19 April 2017, and followed-up on 19 July 2017 and 18 May 2018, to correspondence from the Hon. Wayne Swan MP dated 27 March 2017, requesting that the Auditor-General conduct an investigation to examine the operation of the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility (NAIF), its independence and the quality of the systems and analyses being implemented.

The audit reviewed the efficiency and administrative effectiveness of the Community Development Employment Projects Scheme (CDEP), highlighting good practices and suggesting improvements where needed.

Mr P.J. Barrett (AM) - Auditor-General for Australia, presented at a Lunchtime Seminar, Canberra

Mr Ian McPhee - Deputy Auditor-General, presented at the CPA Australia Seminar

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

The audit objectives were to report on the efficiency and effectiveness of selected agencies' management of telecommunications services. The specific purpose was to:

• identify the potential for more effective management of telecommunications services;
• consider the appropriateness of Commonwealth agencies' management of telecommunications services to take advantage of technological opportunities; and
• identify the elements of sound administration in the management of telecommunications services.

The audit criteria addressed agencies' performance against benchmarks of sound administrative practice in relation to procurement; planning; business process re-engineering; financial management; and performance management. The audit focussed primarily on telecommunications services, as distinct from capital items and equipment.

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.

Audit Report No.5 1993-94, Explosive Ordnance, Department of Defence, was tabled in the Parliament in September 1993. The report was structured in three parts. The first part covered explosive ordnance (EO) issues common to all three Services; the second part focused on the management of explosive ordnance by the Navy; and the third part was a follow-up of the 1987 audit report on Air Force explosive ordnance. The report made 39 recommendations. Defence agreed to implement most of them.

It was considered timely to undertake a follow-up audit into key issues of the recommendations contained in the audit report, given the elapsed time since the report was tabled and the issues associated with public safety.

Mr Ian McPhee - Auditor-General for Australia, presented to the CPA Australia

The audit examined how well the Commonwealth's regulators of consumer product safety have used a 'whole of agency' approach to risk management to protect consumers. The audit also looked at the health costs associated with consumer product related injuries and deaths and the extent to which the legal remedies available under the Trade Practices Act are used.

The audit reviewed the effectiveness and probity of the policy development processes and implementation of improved access to Magnetic Resonance Imaging services. The objective of the audit was to examine and report on the effectiveness and probity of the processes involved in:

(a) the development and announcement of the proposal to improve access to Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) services announced in the 1998 Budget, including negotiation with the diagnostic imaging profession; and

(b) the registration of 'eligible providers' and 'eligible equipment' to enable the payment of claims for MRI services on the Medicare Benefits Schedule

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

Mr Ian McPhee, PSM - Auditor?General for Australia, Speaking Notes for the IPAA (ACT) Forum, Canberra

Mr Ian McPhee - Auditor-General for Australia, presented at the ACAG Panel Forum, CPA Australia

Mr P.J. Barrett (AM) - Auditor-General for Australia, Opening remarks at a launch of a Better Practice Guide, Boathouse, Canberra

Mr Mr Ian McPhee - Auditor-General for Australia, participated in a panel discussion at the Australian Government Leadership Network Annual Conference (Queensland)

Mr Ian McPhee - Auditor-General for Australia, presented at the CPA Congress

Mr Mr Ian McPhee - Auditor-General for Australia, presented at the Institute of Public Administration Australia (ACT Division)

Mr Ian McPhee - Auditor-General for Australia, presented at the Australian Institute of Company Directors Public Sector Governance Conference

Mr Mr Ian McPhee - Auditor-General for Australia, presented at the CPA Australia 2013 International Public Sector Convention

Procurement is a significant public sector activity worth $47.4 billion in 2016–17. This information report seeks to provide greater transparency on procurement activity in the Australian public sector. This information report is neither an audit nor an assurance review and presents no conclusions or opinions. The report presents in a variety of ways, including tables and figures, publicly available data from public sector procurement activity.

Mr P.J. Barrett (AM) - Auditor-General for Australia, presented at the opening Presentation to Workshop on ANAO Year 2000 Discussion Paper

Mr Mr Ian McPhee - Auditor-General for Australia, presented at the lAustralasian Council of Public Accounts Committees Mid-term meeting, Canberra

Mr Ian McPhee, PSM - Auditor?General for Australia, presented at the IPAA National Conference, Hobart

Mr P.J. Barrett (AM) - Auditor-General for Australia, presented to the Insitute of Public Administration Australia (ACT Division)

Mr P.J. Barrett (AM) - Auditor-General for Australia, presented at the Australian Government Solicitor Seminar - Identify, Protect and Defend your Intellectual Property Assets

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

Mr Mr Ian McPhee - Auditor-General for Australia, presented at the 5th Symposium of the Asian Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (ASOSAI), Jaipur, India

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

The objective of the follow-up audit was to review the effectiveness of the DETYA International Services (DIS) cost recovery operational model. The initial audit of DIS was undertaken in 1997-98 (Audit Report No.35).

Mr Ian McPhee - Auditor-General for Australia, presented at the CPA Australia - CFO Public Sector Lunch

Mr Ian McPhee - Auditor-General for Australia, presented at the Queensland Regional Heads Forum

Mr P.J. Barrett (AM) - Auditor-General for Australia, presented a speech on the occasion of the release by the Minister for Finance of the Second Trial Unaudited Financial Statements for the Commonwealth of Australia for the year ended 30 June 1996.

Mr Mr Ian McPhee - Auditor-General for Australia, presented at the Global Working Group of Auditors-General, Stockholm, Sweden

Audit Lessons — Management of Corporate Credit Cards is intended for officials working in financial management or governance roles with responsibility for the management of corporate credit cards.

The objective of the audit was to determine whether:

• councils essentially met their objectives as stated in the IT Acquisition Council Guidelines;
• council members substantially fulfilled their roles and responsibilities, including providing advice regarding relevant government policy; and
• councils add value and assurance in meeting accountability requirements to the acquisition process.

The Acting Auditor-General responded on 31 May 2017, and the Auditor-General followed-up on 19 July 2017, to correspondence from Mr Stephen Jones MP dated 15 May 2017. Mr Jones MP had requested that the Auditor-General conduct an audit of the Community Development Grants Programme, administered by the Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development, to provide an independent assessment of its administration.

Aviation traffic data plays an important role in informing decisions about the safety of the airways system, including such matters as the need for navigation facilities, communication links, air traffic control towers and rescue/fire fighting services. The objective of the limited scope audit was to examine the accuracy of the data on air traffic movements collected by Airservices Australia.

The ANAO's purpose was to ascertain:

• whether the enhanced investigatory powers had improved the Commission's ability to investigate and prosecute fraud and other offences against Health Legislation; and
• whether the Commission had used the powers with integrity, in a professional manner and in accordance with the legislation.

The Auditor-General (A/g) responded on 15 September 2015 to correspondence from the Hon Dr Sharman Stone MP on 11 September 2015 regarding Murray-Darling Basin Authority's (MDBA) implementation of the Basin Plan.

Mr Mr Ian McPhee, AO PSM - Auditor-General for Australia, reflected on his 10 years as Auditor-General for Australia during a presentation to the Australasian Council of Public Accounts Committees in Adelaide, South Australia

Mr P.J. Barrett (AM) - Auditor-General for Australia, presented t the Australian Society of Certified Practising Accountants Annual Research Lecture - Canberra

The purpose of the audit was to examine the environmental management mechanisms in place across some of the major Commonwealth land management and oversighting entities. In particular, the audit examined Commonwealth environmental management practices to identify current strengths and weaknesses, and provide a framework and direction for the adoption of better practice and continuous improvement. The audit has not been designed to judge past Commonwealth performance using current environmental standards and practices. Rather, the audit focused on encouraging the development of better practice by illustrating the implications and lessons learned from past and present practices.

The management of Australia's overseas posts has not previously been scrutinised by the ANAO from a performance perspective. This audit is the first in a series planned to examine different aspects of the administration of Australian representation abroad, focusing particularly on DFAT and Austrade, as the agencies responsible for managing almost all overseas posts.

The diversity and complexity of issues at overseas missions of different sizes mean that posts generally cannot be treated as if they were all the same. This audit concentrated on small and medium-sized posts. The findings and conclusions should, therefore, not be regarded as automatically applicable to large posts.

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.

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 Department of Defence is responsible for administering the Defence export facilitation program which is aimed at promoting Australian defence-relevant exports. The Department administers the program in cooperation with AUSTRADE. Defence is also responsible for administering export controls on defence and related goods and dual-use goods. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is responsible for controls on chemical and biological weapons precursors. The Department of Primary Industries and Energy is responsible for controls on nuclear-specific technology and source/fissionable material. The Australian Customs Service implements barrier controls at ports and airports. In September 1993 the then Minister for Trade referred to the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade (JSCFADT) an inquiry into the implications of Australian defence exports. The JSCFADT's Report on the Implications of Australian Defence Exports (September 1994) recommended, inter alia, that the Auditor-General conduct a performance audit of the operations of the guidelines concerning the controls on the export of defence and related goods, the export control process, and all export facilitation activities. The Auditor-General agreed to undertake an audit, which commenced in May 1995 as a preliminary study and was designated as a performance audit on 30 August 1995.

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.

Mr P.J. Barrett (AM) - Auditor-General for Australia, presented at the Department of Family and Community Services' launch

Mr P.J. Barrett (AM) - Auditor-General for Australia, presented to the Corporate Management Network Meeting, Rydges Lakeside, Canberra