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

Mr P.J. Barrett (AM) - Auditor-General for Australia, presented at the Challenges and Opportunities Seminar, Conducted by the Department of Finance, Canberra

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 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 (AO) - Auditor-General for Australia, presented at the UN Results Based Management Seminar

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, presented at the Senior Executive Leadership Program - Preparatory day, Hill Station, Canberra

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 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.