This report is the second in a series of reports to be tabled at six-monthly intervals. It summarises the audit and other activities of the ANAO in the period July to December 1997.

Mr P.J. Barrett (AM) - Auditor-General for Australia, presented an the Australasian Evaluation Society - International Conference

The report summarises the audit and other related activities of the ANAO in the period January to June 2002. Key issues arising from performance audits tabled in this period are summarised. Appendix 1 of the Activity Report provides a short summary of each of the audits tabled between 1 January 2002 and 30 June 2002.

This report summarises audit and other related activities of the Australian National Audit Office in the period July to December 1998.

This report summarises audit and other related activities of the Australian National Audit Office in the period July to December 1999.

Mr P.J. Barrett (AM) - Auditor-General for Australia, presented at the Institute of Internal Auditors Australia. South Pacific and Asia Conference SOPAC 2001, Melbourne

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

The Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) completed a performance audit of the ATO's use of AUSTRAC data in August 2000, titled The AustralianTaxation Office's Use of AUSTRAC Data, Audit Report No. 7 2000-2001. It found that the ATO had used AUSTRAC data to achieve a significant improvement in the collection of taxation revenue. The ANAO considered that the ATO could build on this success by using AUSTRAC data more effectively at both the strategic and operational levels. The audit made six recommendations. The ATO agreed with all recommendations. The objective of this follow-up performance audit was to assess the ATO's progress in implementing the recommendations of Audit Report No 7 2000-2001, The Australian Taxation Office's Use of AUSTRAC Data.

This audit followed up the ANAO's 1997 performance audit report on ADF health services (Audit Report No.34 1996-97 Australian Defence Force Health Services), which focused on the delivery of non-operational health services to entitled members. The objective of the follow-up audit was to assess Defence's implementation of recommendations made in the original audit report and their effectiveness in improving ADF health services.

In 1997-98, the ANAO audited the Child Support Agency (CSA), making 12 recommendations to improve its operational performance. A related report by the Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit supported the general findings of the ANAO audit and reinforced three ANAO recommendations in its own report. The audit examined client service in the CSA by following-up the CSA's implementation of the recommendations contained in these two previous reports and more broadly assessing whether the CSA had improved the management and delivery of its client service sine the previous ANAO audit.