Mr P.J. Barrett (AM) - Auditor-General for Australia, presented at the House of Representatives Occasional Seminar Series

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 Ian McPhee - Auditor-General for Australia, presented at the 20th Commonwealth Auditors-General Conference

The report summarises the audit and other related activities of the ANAO in the period July to December 2001. Key issues arising from performance audits tabled in this period are summarised.

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 objective of the audit was to report to Parliament on the ATO's management of its performance reporting within the outcomes and outputs framework and to identify potential areas for improvement in specifying, measuring, administering and reporting under that framework.

The audit examined the efficiency and effectiveness of the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations' implementation and subsequent management of the Indigenous Employment Policy. The audit sought to determine whether, in relation to the Indigenous Employment Policy, the department had:

• developed appropriate planning processes and performance measures;
• monitored and reported performance results;
• implemented appropriate evaluation and review mechanisms;
• conducted effective marketing and promotion; and
• identified enhancements and addressed performance issues.

The audit's main objectives were to:

• examine the guidance on the use of confidentiality clauses in contracts and agencies' use of such clauses;
• develop criteria to assist agencies in determining what information in a contract is confidential; and
• assess the effectiveness of the existing accountability and disclosure arrangements for Commonwealth contracts.

Mr P.J. Barrett (AM) - Auditor-General for Australia, address to the ACT Chapter of the Australasian Institute of Risk Management

The objective of the audit was to assess the framework and systems that DHAC has in place to prevent, control, monitor, detect and investigate fraud. The ANAO concluded that DHAC had taken appropriate steps to protect Commonwealth resources under its administration from fraudulent misappropriation by developing a sound fraud control framework, the effectiveness of which is illustrated by the relatively low incidence of reported fraud in the department over the last few years. The framework also includes key elements for preventing and dealing with fraud in line with the Commonwealth's Fraud Control Policy.