Browse our range of reports and publications including performance and financial statement audit reports, assurance review reports, information reports and annual reports.
The objective of this audit was to assess key aspects of Australian Government agencies' fraud control arrangements to effectively prevent, detect and respond to fraud, as outlined in the Guidelines. The scope of the audit included 173 agencies subject to the FMA Act or the CAC Act.
Since 2000, there has been a requirement under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) for Commonwealth agencies to report annually on their environmental performance as well as their contribution to Ecologically Sustainable Development (ESD). The audit objective was to examine and report on the quality of Commonwealth agencies' annual reports on ESD and environment performance. The audit reviewed current practice in light of legal requirements, and provided examples of better practice.
The objective of the audit was to assess the effectiveness of FaHCSIA's management of the Australian Government's responsibilities under the NPARSD. In this respect the ANAO considered whether:
- planning processes enabled effective establishment of the remote service delivery model;
- implementation of the key elements of the remote service delivery model effectively addressed the quality and timing requirements of the NPARSD; and
- performance measurement systems were developed to enable the parties to the agreement to assess whether the NPARSD objectives are being met.
The objective of the audit was to assess the framework being put in place to manage and account for aid funds provided under the AIPRD. In particular, the audit addressed: structures for oversighting the development and delivery of the AIPRD; planning and risk management (including those relating to fraud and corruption); financial management; and arrangements for ongoing monitoring and reporting. The audit focussed on the arrangements being established to monitor, evaluate and report on AIPRD implementation, rather than the management of activities and outcomes achieved. This reflects the fact that the long lead times associated with establishing such a large programme of assistance had meant that only limited activities were underway at the time of audit fieldwork. The ANAO anticipates undertaking an audit in the future of the management of activities and outcomes achieved, when more funds have been expended. It was not the purpose of this audit to examine Australia's immediate emergency and humanitarian response to the tsunami crisis.
The objective of the audit was to assess the effectiveness of the Department of Health and Ageing's support for improved access to integrated GP and primary healthcare services through its administration of the Primary Care Infrastructure Grants (PCIG) program.
Annual Performance Reporting, No 11 2003-04 The audit reviewed the 2001-02 annual reports of the departments of : Communications, Technology and the Arts; Education, Science and Training; Employment and Workplace Relations; Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs and the Australian Customs Service. The objectives of this audit were to determine whether agencies had: established a sound annual reporting performance information framework; developed arrangements to ensure performance information is accurate and coherent; and appropriately analysed performance information in their annual reports.
The objective of the audit was to assess the effectiveness of the design and implementation of the EEIG program. The focus of the audit was the preparation for, and conduct of, the first funding round of the program.
Consistent with the ANAO's practices, and in response to a request from AusAID, a follow-up audit was conducted in the period May to November 1998 to assess the extent of implementation of the recommendations of a 1996 audit into the Management of Funding to Non-Government Organisations (NGOs)and whether the implementation of recommendations has effectively improved the management of funding to NGOs. The ANAO examined AusAID's key funding accountability documentation, tested the revised accountability arrangements and consulted a number of key stakeholders, including NGO representatives.
The objectives of this audit were to:
- assess the current status of BCM and EM arrangements in Centrelink and identify opportunities for improvement; and
- review Centrelink's response to the recommendations.
The objective of the audit was to assess the effectiveness of the implementation and administration of the Small Business Superannuation Clearing House.
The objective of the audit was to assess the effectiveness of ARPANSA’s management of the regulation of Commonwealth nuclear, radiation facilities and sources, including ARPANSA’s compliance with its legislative requirements.
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The objective of the audit was to assess the effectiveness of agencies’ arrangements for monitoring and implementing ANAO performance audit recommendations.
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The objective of the audit was to assess the establishment of the National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority and the effectiveness of its regulatory function.
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The audit objective was to assess selected agencies’ compliance with the four mandatory ICT security strategies and related controls in the Australian Government Information Security Manual.
David Gray, Executive Director - Phone (02) 6203 7377
The audit objective was to assess the effectiveness of DIISTRE’s administration of the Research Block Grant schemes. The department’s performance was assessed against the following criteria:
- the schemes are effectively planned and administered;
- the processes and systems used for calculating and distributing funds reflect the allocation criteria specified for each scheme; and
- compliance with scheme guidelines is monitored and scheme performance and contribution to the broader goals of the RBG program is assessed.
The objective of the audit was to assess the effectiveness of the management of risks arising from the use of PSDs in selected Australian Government agencies. The PSDs included within the scope of this audit were: USB flash drives; CDs and DVDs; external hard drives; laptop computers and smartphones.
Quality in the delivery of the ANAO’s audit services is critical in supporting the integrity of our audit reports and maintaining the confidence of the Parliament and public sector entities.
The Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) Corporate Plan is the ANAO’s key strategic planning document. It guides our operating environment and sets out how we will deliver on our purpose. The Quality Assurance Framework and Plan complements the Corporate Plan.
The ANAO Quality Assurance Framework is the system of quality control that the ANAO has established to provide the Auditor-General with reasonable assurance that the ANAO complies with the ANAO standards and applicable legal and regulatory requirements, and reports issued by the ANAO are appropriate in the circumstances.
This Audit Quality Report demonstrates the ANAO assessment of the implementation and operating effectiveness of the elements of the ANAO Quality Assurance Framework. The report provides transparency in respect of the processes, policies, and procedures that support each element of the ANAO Quality Assurance Framework, and outlines audit quality indicators measuring ANAO performance against target benchmarks. This report also includes the achievement of the quality assurance strategy and deliverables set out in the Quality Assurance Framework and Plan 2021–22.
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The objective of this audit was to determine whether Australian Government entities were implementing effective strategies to support increased Indigenous employment.
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The audit objective was to assess the effectiveness of AusAID’s management of infrastructure aid to Indonesia, with a particular focus on the Eastern Indonesia National Roads Improvement Project and the Indonesia Infrastructure Initiative.
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The objective of the audit was to assess the effectiveness of Health's administration of the National Respite for Carers Program.
The objective of the audit was to assess the effectiveness of DIMIA's management of its detention agreements with ACM to operate Australia's mainland immigration detention centres. In particular, the ANAO examined: DIMIA's strategic approach to the management and coordination of the contract; how DIMIA defined the services to be delivered by ACM; the systems in place to monitor and report against contract performance; the effectiveness of controls over contract payment arrangements; and DIMIA's management of infrastructure through the detention agreements.
The audit objective was to assess whether selected entities effectively implemented agreed recommendations from Auditor-General Report No. 25 2019–20 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Participation Targets in Major Procurements.
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The objective of the audit was to assess how well agencies had implemented the CPGs and relevant FMA legislation when undertaking Direct Source procurement.
The audit examined whether selected agencies had developed a sound procurement framework; appropriately classified procurement methods when meeting external reporting requirements; implemented the CPGs and relevant legislation when Direct Sourcing; and established effective procurement monitoring and review arrangements.
The ANAO selected four FMA Act agencies to provide a cross-section of the 104 agencies that reported procurement activity in AusTender in
2008–09. The agencies selected for audit were:
- the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA);
- the Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research (Innovation);
- the Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA); and
- the Australian Crime Commission (ACC).
The ANAO examined a stratified random sample of 645 procurements valued at $10 000 and over, across the four agencies. More detailed testing was undertaken for the 285 Direct Source procurements in the sample.
The audit objective was to assess the effectiveness of the department's administration of general recurrent grants for non-government schools. The audit examined key processes in the department's administration ofgeneral recurrent grants for non-government schools for 2005–08 in accordance with the Schools Assistance (Learning Together—Achievement Through Choice and Opportunity) Act 2004.
The overall objective of the audit was to determine whether Health's management and operation of selected IT systems:
- met industry better practice;
- met quality and service delivery parameters set by Health and, if applicable, by the Government; and
- operate effectively, efficiently and economically.
The audit applied selected processes from CobiT (Control Objectives for Information and Related Technology) to assist with the assessment of key aspects of Health's management and operation of IT. The audit builds on ANAO's earlier IT audits using CobiT.
The objective of the audit was to assess the implementation and effectiveness of the enhanced grants administration requirements for:
- reporting to the Finance Minister on the awarding of grants within their own electorate by Ministers who are Members of the House of Representatives;
- reporting to the Finance Minister on instances where Ministers have decided to approve a particular grant which the relevant agency has recommended be rejected; and
- the website reporting of grants awarded.
The objective of the audit was to assess the effectiveness of the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry’s administration of EC measures and the implementation of the pilot of new drought reform measures.
The objective of the audit was to examine the effectiveness of the administration of the Gateway review process by Finance and FMA Act agencies. The audit also examined the extent to which those Gateway reviews that have been conducted have contributed to improvements in the delivery of major projects undertaken by FMA Act agencies.
The objective of the audit was to report on the progress of the current phase of the Air Warfare Destroyer (AWD) Program, which is known as SEA 4000 Phase 3–Build. This phase commenced in June 2007, and covers the finalisation of the detailed design, the signing of the Alliance and Platform System Design contracts, and the construction and delivery of the ships by the Industry Participants to the Defence Materiel Organisation (DMO).
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The corporate plan is the ANAO’s primary planning document. Our strategic planning process allows us to continually improve practices and capabilities to demonstrate value in the delivery of services to the Parliament. The corporate plan is complemented by the annual audit work program, which reflects the ANAO’s audit strategy for the coming year.
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The objective of the audit was to assess the effectiveness of the Indigenous Land Corporation’s administration of the Land Acquisition Program.
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The audit assessed whether Centrelink has effective Business Continuity Management and/or associated risk management procedures and plans in place that: minimise the likelihood of a significant business outage; and in the event of such an outage, minimise disruption of critical services to customers. The audit also assessed whether Centrelink services satisfy special community demands in times of emergency.
The corporate plan is the ANAO’s primary planning document. Our strategic planning process allows us to continually improve practices and capabilities to demonstrate value in the delivery of services to the Parliament. The corporate plan is complemented by the annual audit work program, which reflects the ANAO’s audit strategy for the coming year.
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The audit process involved an assessment of the payroll arrangements in Commonwealth organisations. The objectives of the audit were to determine whether organisations have established internal control frameworks for the management of payroll operations, assess whether payment of salaries and related expenditures is made in accordance with the relevant terms and conditions of employment, and identify better practices in the management and operations of payroll systems.
The objective of the audit was to review the effectiveness and efficiency of Centrelink's customer feedback system and the progress Centrelink had made in implementing the recommendations of the 2004–05 audit and the subsequent JCPAA inquiry.
The objective of this audit was to assess the effectiveness of the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency’s (TEQSA’s) regulation of higher education.
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Mr Ian McPhee - Deputy Auditor-General, presented at the National Institute for Governance, Canberra
The audit objective was to assess the effectiveness of administrative arrangements for YA, including service delivery. The ANAO assessed DEEWR's and Centrelink's performance against three main criteria:
- objectives and strategies for the ongoing management and performance measures for YA provide a firm basis for measurement against outcomes (Chapters 2 and 3);
- YA services delivered are consistent with legislative and policy requirements, (Chapter 4); and
- monitoring arrangements provide appropriate information for assessing service delivery performance (Chapter 5).
The objective of the audit was to assess the effectiveness of FaHCSIA’s administration of Communities for Children under the Family Support Program.
The objective of the audit was to assess the effectiveness of the Australian Taxation Office’s management of its property portfolio.
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The audit assessed whether the Streamlining Government Grants Administration Program improved the effective and efficient delivery of grants administration.
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The objective of the audit was to examine whether the UP and CPP services provided by the Australian Federal Police Protection Service are being managed effectively. In particular, the audit examined:
- whether the Protection function has been effectively integrated into the AFP, and sound arrangements are in place to strategically plan Protection services and manage risks;
- whether Protection staff have access to appropriate training and guidance; and
- the management arrangements for UP and CPP services.
The objective of the audit was to assess the Department of Health and Ageing’s (DoHA’s) implementation and ongoing management of the Aged Care Complaints Scheme and the effectiveness of DoHA’s complaint management systems in supporting service delivery and regulatory outcomes.
The objective of the audit was to assess the effectiveness of the governance of the Board of the National Disability Insurance Agency.
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In two letters dated 19 and 22 June 2009, the Prime Minister requested a performance audit of a range of matters relating to representations to the Treasury regarding automotive finance arrangements for car dealers. In response to these requests, the Auditor-General decided that ANAO would undertake a performance audit under section 18 of the Auditor-General Act 1997 (Auditor-General Act). The audit objective, based on the matters raised in the Prime Minister's correspondence and in the Parliament, was to examine and report on:
- any representations to the Treasury since October 2008 from all sources regarding automotive finance arrangements for car dealers, including any made in relation to John Grant Motors;
- the nature of these representations;
- the manner in which the representations were responded to by officials, having regard to any relevant standards and procedures; and
- any related administrative matters that came to attention.
The corporate plan is the ANAO’s primary planning document. Our strategic planning process allows us to continually improve practices and capabilities to demonstrate value in the delivery of services to the Parliament. The corporate plan is complemented by the annual audit work program, which reflects the ANAO’s audit strategy for the coming year.
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The audit objective was to assess the effectiveness of the Department of Industry's administration of the Commercialisation Australia Program.
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The objective of the audit was to evaluate the Tax Office's corporate management of data matching, including analytics.
The ANAO examined the Tax Office's strategic goals and governance arrangements for data matching and analytics, its compliance with privacy requirements and whether the Tax Office is achieving intended results, which include revenue collection, optimised compliance and provision of improved services to taxpayers.
Tax Office executives have been increasingly drawing on the interrelationships and conceptual commonalities of Tax Office data matching and analytics activity. Accordingly, the audit included these relationships and conceptual commonalities within the scope of the audit. The audit was guided, therefore, by a broader definition of ‘data matching': meaning ‘finding relationships and patterns in large volumes of data'. This includes the more traditional idea of data matching as ‘bringing together data from different sources and comparing it'.
The objective of the audit was to assess the effectiveness of the delivery of the first and second funding rounds of the Filling the Research Gap program by the Department of Agriculture.
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The objective of the audit was to:
- assess, in a selection of FMA Act and CAC Act agencies, how well the revised Commonwealth Procurement Guidelines had been implemented; and
- identify any better practice or common problem areas to assist other agencies in their future procurement activities.
The audit focused on procurement requirements that had changed as a result of the revised CPGs, rather than being a more general audit of compliance with all procurement requirements.
The audit was conducted in the following entities:
- Australian Federal Police;
- Bureau of Meteorology;
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO);
- Department of Defence;
- Department of Education, Science & Training;
- Family Court of Australia; and
- National Museum of Australia.
The audit objective was to assess the effectiveness and efficiency of entities’ implementation of the Freedom of Information Act 1982.
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The focus of this audit is the IEP stream of the Jobs Fund. Separate performance audits are underway that are examining the establishment, implementation and administration of the separate components of the Local Jobs stream of the Jobs Fund.
The objective of the audit was to assess the effectiveness of the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission’s (ACNC’s) regulation of charities.
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The objective of the audit was to assess the extent to which FaHCSIA, DEEWR and DoHA seek to reduce service delivery risks posed by capacity constraints in Indigenous organisations.
The audit objective was to assess the effectiveness of DEEWR’s administration of FWEIP. The three high level criteria that were used to make this assessment were the appropriateness of DEEWR’s:
- program planning and design;
- selection and engagement of providers; and
- program monitoring, reporting and evaluation.
The objective of the audit was to assess the awarding of funding for the construction of the Adelaide Desalination Plant (ADP) against the requirements of the Commonwealth's grants administration framework, which includes the Government’s policy requirements for the approval of grants, with a particular focus on the assessments undertaken of each proposed grant in terms of the guidelines for the National Urban Water and Desalination Plan (NUWDP); and identify any potential improvements in grants administration practices.
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The audit objective was to assess the effectiveness of DHS’ implementation of initiatives to support the delivery of services to Indigenous Australians.
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The objective of the audit was to assess the effectiveness of the ATO’s compliance management approach in the SME market.
The objective of this audit was to assess the effectiveness of the Australian Government Reconstruction Inspectorate, supported by the National Disaster Recovery Taskforce, in providing assurance that value for money is being achieved in recovery and reconstruction expenditure in Victoria.
The objective of the audit was to assess the effectiveness of DEWR's administration of the JSKA in ensuring its optimal usage in achieving job seeker outcomes. The ANAO examined the following aspects of the JSKA: guidance provided to Job Network Members on its operation; identification and assessment of contract risks; management of contract risks and Job Network Member performance; claims and payments; encouraging economy; and performance information.