Browse our range of reports and publications including performance and financial statement audit reports, assurance review reports, information reports and annual reports.
Request for audit
Responded: Tuesday 19 September 2017
Response provided
The Auditor-General responded on 19 September 2017 to correspondence from Mr Stephen Jones MP dated 6 September 2017, requesting that the Auditor-General undertake an independent assessment of the project funding provided to Central Coast Group Training Ltd (CCGT) for the Central Coast Youth Skills and Employment Centres, and the administration of the Community Development Grants Program.
Contact
Please direct enquiries relating to requests for audit through our contact page.
Request for audit
Responded: Wednesday 14 April 2021
Response provided
The Auditor-General responded on 10 March 2021 to correspondence from Senator the Hon Kristina Keneally dated 11 February 2021, requesting that the Auditor-General consider conducting a performance audit of the Safer Communities Fund and the awarding of discretionary grants from the proceeds of crime.
The Auditor-General provided a follow-up response to Senator Keneally on 14 April 2021.
Contact
Please direct enquiries relating to requests for audit through our contact page.
- To promote adherence to the requirements of the Commonwealth Grants Rules and Guidelines, all criteria used to assess the merits of applications should be clearly linked to the program objectives and contained within the assessment criteria section of the program guidelines.
- Decision-making in competitive grants programs is best supported by unambiguous departmental advice that prioritises applications on the basis of their assessed merit against each of the published criteria, clearly identifying which applications are recommended for approval and which for rejection.
- Officials responsible for grants administration activities should be supported by robust internal grant management frameworks which clearly outline granting procedures, risk management processes and roles and responsibilities.
- To promote adherence to the requirements of the Commonwealth Grants Rules and Guidelines, when providing written advice on the merits of grant applications to inform decision-making, the advice should transparently address the eligibility requirements, assessment criteria and any other decision-making factors set out in the grant opportunity guidelines.
Performance audit (potential)
Potential audit: 2025-26
Potential
This audit would assess the effectiveness of the administration of grants awarded under the Safe Places Emergency Accommodation Program (Safe Places), including compliance with the Commonwealth Grants Rules and Principles, and management of the grants across the Safe Places program life cycle.
Safe Places is a capital works program funding the building, renovation or purchase of emergency accommodation for women and children experiencing family and domestic violence. There have been two rounds of funding. Under successive National Plans to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children, the Australian Government has committed over $170 million over seven years to Safe Places ($72.6 million for round 1 from 2020–21 to 2024–25, and $100 million for round 2 from 2022–23 to 2026–2027). The first round of grants, awarded in 2020, was intended to deliver new emergency and crisis accommodation for women and children experiencing domestic and family violence. The second round of grants, was awarded in 2024 and was designed to focus on improving access to appropriate emergency accommodation for First Nations women and children, women and children from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, and women and children with disability.
Entity
Department of the Treasury
Contact
Please direct enquiries through our contact page.
- Where decisions of government identify preferred recipients for grants funding, grants remain subject to the Commonwealth Grants Rules and Guidelines (CGRGs). It is the administering entity’s responsibility to inform the relevant minister of the necessary steps and timeframes required to comply with the CGRGs. This includes providing clear advice where government-identified projects or recipients do not align with grants program objectives or value for money.
- While the Commonwealth Grants Rules and Guidelines (CGRGs) intend to provide entities with flexibility to administer grants, this flexibility should not be used to the detriment of the principles of accountability and value for money that are at the core of the CGRGs. Competitive, merit-based processes can achieve better outcomes and value with relevant money. When non-competitive approaches are used, they should be supported by a robust and up-to-date business case that demonstrates how value with relevant money will be achieved.
- To ensure the best possible outcomes and value from Australian Government grants, it is important that departments scrutinise:
- proponent claims as to what benefits will result from the award of a grant;
- whether the grant funding is needed to secure those benefits; and
- whether the claimed benefits are sufficient given the amount of funding that is being sought.
