Browse our range of reports and publications including performance and financial statement audit reports, assurance review reports, information reports and annual reports.
Insights: Audit lessons
Published: Friday 20 June 2025
Published
Records Management is targeted at all Australian Government officials. It also benefits those in information management roles.
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Performance audit (Auditor-General Report No. 53 of 2011–12)
Published: Wednesday 27 June 2012
Published
To assess the extent to which agencies create, manage and dispose of records in accordance with key business, legal and policy requirements.
The agencies included in the audit were the: Australian Customs and Border Protection Service (Customs); Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC); and the Department of the Treasury (Treasury). The audit also considered the Archives' response to Recommendation No. 1 from ANAO Audit Report No.6 2006, 07 Recordkeeping including the Management of Electronic Records, including whether they had clarified Australian Government records management requirements for agencies.
Entity
Across agencies
Performance audit (Auditor-General Report No. 10 of 2015–16)
Published: Tuesday 1 December 2015
Published
The audit objective was to assess the effectiveness of the Department of Health’s records management arrangements, including Health’s progress in transitioning to digital records management.
Entity
Department of Health
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- Effective records management and accountability arrangements are integral to robust and successful corporate governance and public administration. Accordingly, entities need to document the outcomes of governance processes, particularly that of the Board that are related to the adherence to legal and policy requirements and execution of primary responsibilities of the organisation.
- In operating an Electronic Data Records Management System, entities should mandate its use and provide relevant training to all staff in order to ensure the full benefits are obtained through the consolidation of fragmented systems and manual records.
- An effective Electronic Data and Records Management System is essential for the management of digital records. The National Archives of Australia does not consider that network drives are acceptable for the storage of official records.
Performance audit (Auditor-General Report No. 30 of 1997–98)
Published: Thursday 18 December 1997
Published
The objectives of the audit were to:
- assist OGIT in the timely identification and correction of any deficiencies in the evaluation process;
- provide advice to the Parliament, the Government and other interested parties on the probity of the evaluation process; and
- test for adherence to legislative and other specified requirements, such as in industry development.
Entity
Office of Government Information Technology
- Public service stewardship is underpinned by effective records management that enables entities to anticipate and plan, record and measure outcomes, and learn and adapt. Effective records management aligned to the principle of stewardship involves entities going above minimal compliance with mandatory requirements and meeting the intent of the Archives Act 1983.
- Accountable authorities should regularly seek assurance that records management policies are current, consistent with the requirements of the Archives Act 1983 and Commonwealth Procurement Rules, and that those policies are being adhered to.
- Records management systems should maintain a complete record of decisions and actions, particularly where such information demonstrates the entity has fulfilled legislative and procedural requirements and supports conversations with internal and external stakeholders about the reasons for the decision. Point-in-time decisions should be readily identifiable to promote transparency and effective case management.
