Introductory statement

I, Rob Stefanic, as the accountable authority of the Department of Parliamentary Services, present the 2018–19 annual performance statements of the Department of Parliamentary Services, as required under paragraph 39(1)(a) of the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013 (PGPA Act). In my opinion, these annual performance statements accurately reflect the performance of the entity, and comply with section 39(2) of the PGPA Act.

Purpose

DPS supports the functions of the Australian Parliament and the work of the parliamentarians through the provision of professional services, advice and facilities, the ongoing maintenance of Australian Parliament House; and makes the building, and the important activity that takes place within it, accessible.

Analysis of performance against purpose

DPS has four strategic themes that provide the planning and performance framework against which DPS operates.

Enhance the Parliament’s engagement with the community

Part of our purpose is to increase community engagement to showcase Australian democracy, and share the work, stories and collections within Parliament House. DPS achieves this through developing and implementing new visitor experiences including events, festivals, tours and digital/online programs. In 2018–19, we achieved six of our seven community engagement measures. This is a result of 86 per cent. A small increase in growth of visitation numbers is likely attributed to the increase in programs we are offering and our involvement in joint initiatives with cultural institutions such as the Culture Loop bus.

Respond to the changing needs of the Parliament

In 2018–19, a focus for DPS was to work in collaboration with the parliamentary departments to support the Parliament and parliamentarians through innovative, unified and client-focused services. This was particularly important during the 2019 federal election cycle. From the time of prorogation of the 45th Parliament, until new senators took their seats, DPS mobilised to assist with the exit and entry of parliamentarians. This work included restoration of suites (including deep clean, painting and furniture replacement), reclamation and reissue of artworks and IT equipment, transfer of data, the cancellation and issue of hundreds of security passes and induction tours. Business as usual services such as catering and events continued. DPS is pleased to have achieved nine of 11 performance measures, which is a result of 81 per cent.

Effective stewardship of Australian Parliament House

DPS operates in a complex environment with a range of significant challenges. Optimising our service capability, working collaboratively and ensuring design intent is at the heart of every decision is essential to safeguard the life of our iconic building. As outlined in the analysis for each performance criterion, a range of different factors contributed to only three of eight performance measures being achieved most notably, a more effective measure of engineering condition. In each area, work is underway to improve results against these criteria in 2019–20. For example, improvements in the engineering systems condition rating will be realised over the next five years, as packages of capital works are delivered within each system category. We also anticipate Security Key Performance Indicator (KPI) results will improve as we embed our in-house Parliamentary Security Service training package and strengthen our protective security culture. In 2018–19, DPS launched the Management of Design Integrity Framework. The framework outlines how we will manage projects for change, maintenance and repair activity, and is a major contributing factor in assuring effective stewardship of Parliament House for the future.

Effective delivery of the Australian Parliament House works program

DPS follows an annual cycle of programming capital works to address key infrastructure risks and accommodate the evolving requirements of building occupants. DPS building services are delivered around the parliamentary sitting calendar and the needs of a wide range of stakeholders. The 2019 federal election cycle provided further opportunity to undertake widespread interior building maintenance in short time frames. In 2018–19, DPS focused on being flexible while continuing to aim to achieve the required outcomes. As a result, good progress was made on capital works despite delays experienced with the entrance upgrades, which were beyond DPS’ control. All four performance measures were achieved. This result of 100 per cent is an improvement on the 2017–18 result of 75 per cent. The significant work undertaken in the past 12 months and planned works over the coming years will ensure Parliament House remains a building of significance into the future.

While there have been a number of positive achievements in 2018–19, further work is required to strengthen our accountability and to improve the quality of service we provide. In 2019–20, DPS will focus on the appropriateness of our performance measures as an assessment of our goals and outcomes. We will achieve this by reviewing and improving the processes behind the performance criteria and by looking for ways to develop performance stories that include qualitative measurements.

Performance criterion 1— Visitor Experience

Table 4: Performance criterion 1—Visitor Experience

Enhance the Parliament’s engagement with the community
Performance Measure		Target	Result
1. Number of visitors		Number of participants equivalent or greater to the same period last year	Achieved
2. Number of virtual visitors			Achieved
3. Number of visitors for DPS school tours			Achieved
4. Number of participants to DPS organised tours and events			Not Achieved
5. % of visitor feedback indicating their visit met or exceeded expectations		85% satisfaction rating achieved	Achieved
6. % of school visitor feedback indicating their visit met or exceeded expectations			Achieved
7. % of participants attending DPS tours and events indicating their visit met or exceeded expectations			Achieved

Criterion Source: Program 1, 2018–19 Portfolio Budget Statement, p11

Methodology

Measure 1:

• Total magnetometer count, less passholders swipes, at the Parliament House Main Front Entry.

Measure 2:

• The number of users on the Parliament House website provided by Google Analytics.

Measure 3:

• A manual count of all students, teachers and accompanying adults to DPS school tours.

Measure 4:

• A manual count of all attendees to DPS organised tours and events.

Measure 5-7:

• The percentage of visitor feedback indicating the visit met or exceeded expectations measured on a scale of one to five, with scores of three or higher counting as ‘satisfied’.

Figure 3: Visitor numbers

Analysis

DPS exceeded the visitor numbers target this year, welcoming a total of 746,844 visitors to our iconic building—on average over 2,000 visitors per day. As the custodian of Parliament House, the iconic symbol of Australian democracy, DPS strives to make Parliament House a highly rated destination for our citizens and international visitors alike. Visitation to Parliament House is affected by two main external factors— parliamentary activities and events in Canberra generally. The 2.5 per cent shortfall in the number of participants to DPS organised tours and events can be attributed to the federal election cycle, which saw a reduction in visitor numbers for an 11 week period from 18 April to 30 June 2019. Without the parliament sitting, many of the private tours that would normally be booked by parliamentarians’ offices on behalf of their constituents and other private groups of citizens wishing to see parliament in action did not occur.

DPS continues to receive positive visitor feedback, both directly to staff and through visitor feedback cards, demonstrating the quality of our programs and customer service. This is supported by Parliament House ranking ninth out of the ‘254 things to do in Canberra’ as of 1 July 2019. This ranking, by TripAdvisor, is based on the quantity and quality of visitor reviews. During 2018–19, Parliament House received the 2018 TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice and Certificate of Excellence awards. These results affirm the commitment of our visitor services staff to deliver a standard of service that enhances visitor experience and encourages others to visit.

Table 5: Highlights

Parliament House Open Day	Christmas comes to Parliament House	Centenary of the Armistice
Celebrating the 30th Anniversary of Australian Parliament House. Over 8,600 people attended. Showcased many private areas of the building to the public, including the Presiding Officers’ and Prime Minister’s courtyards.	Free public performances of Christmas carols performed by 10 school choirs and the Canberra Choral Society. Giving tree in the Marble Foyer. Funds were raised for the charities Drought Angels and the Australian Indigenous Education Foundation.	A significant exhibition of poppies was displayed on the forecourt as part of the 5,000 Poppies Project, creating a visual link with the Australian War Memorial. A dedicated program of events for children and young people saw more than 900 kids enjoy dedicated film screenings and school holiday workshops.

Figure 4: Visitor satisfaction

Visitor Service officers actively engage visitors with the work, stories and collections of Parliament House through the tour programs, including educational school tours available to all primary and secondary Australian schools.

‘This is a fantastic program that the children are able to experience. It is fantastic to put all of their prior knowledge and learning into practice. The children were very interested and engaged.’

‘Very enjoyable and will give me an insight into my Civics and Citizenship project at school, amazing to visit places which our country’s leaders visit on a regular basis.’

Welcome Tours are offered five times a day to introduce visitors to the most significant features of Parliament House. The tours include a visit to the chambers of parliament on non-sitting days and viewing of the extensive Parliament House Art Collection on show, including in the Great Hall, the Marble Foyer and the Members Hall.

‘Guided tour with Kylie was amazing. Everybody went above and beyond to ensure I didn’t miss anything. The staff were so thoughtful—an absolute asset.’

‘Very good tour by Rebecca and it was a good experience to uncover the history and stories behind this magnificent building.’

Behind the Scenes Tours are offered three times a day to give visitors an exclusive chance to visit some of the private spaces of Parliament House. Visitors have the opportunity to hear of the events that have shaped Australia and Parliament House. Visitors Services continue to conduct tours year round for Ministers, parliamentarians and international delegations from around the world.

‘It was a brilliant showcase of Australian democracy.’

A focus for DPS for 2018–19 was to discover and create new ways for our visitors to experience Parliament House. The seasonal Spring Courtyard Tours were held in September and October 2018, focused on the hidden courtyards and landscapes of Parliament House. These tours highlighted the courtyards on the Senate and House of Representatives sides of the building. They also featured the springtime foliage of the large and small trees, including the amazing Mount Fuji flowering cherry trees. Proving popular with locals, many returned from previous years to rediscover the beauty of these spaces.

The tour guide Stephen was excellent, very interesting anecdotal history and his very pleasant manner made the Garden Tour great.’

Spring Courtyard Tour—Marie was an excellent guide. The experience was wonderful. Please keep the tours going.’

The new Indigenous Experiences of Parliament House Tour was presented for the first time in 2019. This tour was created in consultation with local Indigenous communities. The tour explores and highlights the very important connections relating to Indigenous experiences and Indigenous peoples within the Australian democratic process.

‘A fantastic rich coverage of Aboriginal connections to this land and Parliament.’

During the DesignCanberra Festival, Parliament House hosted the popular Geometry of Democracy Tours, offering a rare opportunity to explore behind the scenes the geometric, architectural and landscape design of the precinct. Over six days, Parliament House was a key destination for this event.

Orientation Tours for building occupants were also conducted throughout 2018–19. Tailored tours are conducted in both sitting and non-sitting weeks to allow all building occupants to learn about Parliament House and the myriad of places and spaces that are important to working in this iconic building.

Performance criterion 2—Catering and Events

Table 6: Performance criterion 2—Catering and Events

Respond to the changing needs of the Parliament
Performance Measure	Target	Result
8. Number of services provided to members and senators6	3,524	Achieved
9. Number of catering transactions7	415,514	Achieved

Criterion source: Program 1, 2018–19 Portfolio Budget Statement, p11; Program 1, 2018–19 Corporate Plan, p29

Figure 5: Number of services provided

Methodology

Measure 8:

• To track services provided to parliamentarians, Australian Parliament House Catering and Events counts:
  1. Each DPS supported event held by a parliamentarian
  2. Each room service order
  3. Every catered meeting held by a parliamentarian, and
  4. Every transaction for parliamentarians and their guests in the Members and Guests Dining Room.

Measure 9:

• Australian Parliament House Catering and Events tracks all transactions from food and beverage outlets, excluding non-food and beverage items.

Analysis

This was the first full reporting cycle since DPS consolidated catering in-house in December 2017. DPS achieved the performance targets despite the 2019 federal election cycle, which had the result of fewer people working in and visiting the building. The recorded number of catering services averages at 1,211 transactions per day, including weekends and public holidays. Tracking service satisfaction is supplemented by the feedback obtained through the Annual Building Occupant Satisfaction Survey, which recorded a satisfaction rating of 93.4 per cent for Food and Beverage/Catering services for 2018–19. This is a further increase of 2.2 per cent compared to 2017–18 and a total increase of 5.1 per cent compared to 2016–17.

In line with the transition to in-house catering, DPS has implemented a ‘Service First Culture’. This means DPS actively seeks and manages feedback for continuous improvement and to flexibly adjust our service delivery. In 2018–19, DPS received 496 instances of feedback for our retail venues and events, of which 91 per cent was positive. DPS business practices and menu items are frequently reviewed to ensure quality and cost effectiveness is achieved in line with the guiding principles: to deliver quality and value; to provide a choice of dining options; to support parliamentarians’ use of event space for parliamentary duties; to position Parliament House as a destination of choice; and to offer competitive event management services.

Table 7: Highlights

Kitchen refurbishment project	Enlighten festival	High tea
Commenced refresh of kitchen infrastructure and service areas across all outlets—completion due 2020. Full Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points certification—meet industry best practice principles for food safety.	A degustation event in the Members and Guests Dining Room was open to the public and sold out. An event to coincide with the conclusion of Enlighten provided ‘light’ catering options on the lawns of Australian Parliament House.	High tea sittings held in the Queens Terrace Café Friday to Sunday 12:00–4:00pm were popular with local and interstate visitors. High tea events in the main courtyard, held in conjunction with Floriade, attracted many visitors.

Innovation

Positive changes were made across many aspects of the catering operation to improve business practices and minimise wastage. DPS is proud of the proactive steps taken to minimise environmental impact through use of surplus food supplies. DPS redirected 1,146 kilograms of good food to OzHarvest who collect and provide it directly to charities, which equates to 3,438 meals for people in need. DPS established business with Yume Food Australia—a company which provides a brokering service for surplus food stock from primary producers and distributors at significantly reduced wholesale prices. DPS has also introduced various initiatives to reduce the use of single-use plastics, such as supplying filtered water rather than bottled water for visiting school children, and replacing plastic straws and takeaway packaging with biodegradable or recyclable alternatives.

Table 8: Performance criterion 3—Hansard Service

Respond to the changing needs of the Parliament
Performance Measure	Target	Result
10. % of individual draft speeches delivered within two hours of speech finishing	85%	Achieved
11. % of chamber proof Hansard reports delivered within three hours of chamber rising8	95%	Achieved
12. % of committee proof Hansard reports delivered within agreed time frames	95%	Not Achieved
13. External error rate per 100 pages for chamber proof Hansard reports9	5 errors per 100 pages	Achieved
14. External error rate per 100 pages for committee proof Hansard reports10	5 errors per 100 pages	Not Achieved
15. Availability of operated sound reinforcement in the chambers and committees11	99%	Achieved

Criterion Source: Program 1, 2018–19 Portfolio Budget Statement, p11; Program 1, 2018–19 Corporate Plan, p29

Figure 6: Hansard timeliness

Methodology

The DPS Hansard Service records and reports on delivery of Hansard documents compared to the set time frame and the associated error rates.

Measure 10:

• An individual draft speech is recorded as delivered on time if the entire speech reaches the office of the parliamentarian within two hours of the speech.

Measure 11:

• Hansard proofs are recorded as being on time if published in full within three hours of the chamber rising.

Measure 12:

• Committee proof transcripts are recorded as being on time if published in the time frame agreed with the committee.

Measure 13:

• Error rates for chamber Hansard proofs are recorded in the Hansard Production System at the time when they are made official (15 non-sitting working days after the sitting day). The error rate for a given month for proofs is based on the number of errors per page for chamber sittings held in that month.

Measure 14:

• Committee proof transcripts are made official when corrections are provided by the committee or the committee requests that the transcript be made official without corrections. Error rates for committee transcripts are manually recorded in the month the corrections or request to make a transcript official are received by Hansard. There is no deadline for requesting corrections to committee transcripts and they can be received some months after hearing dates. Therefore, the committee error rate records the number of errors per page for transcripts in the month that the committee requests corrections or requests to make the transcripts official. The committee error rate is not the error rate for committees that sat in a given month.

Measure 15:

• This measure represents the availability of sound and recording of chamber and committee proceedings. This is the first year for data collection and measures the instances where service delivery was impacted.

Analysis

DPS achieved two of the three 2018–19 timeliness targets for Hansard Service KPIs: individual draft speeches and proof chamber transcripts. The annual target for the delivery of committee transcripts was not met. This result was driven by increased committee activity towards the end of the 45th Parliament and a consequent levelling of workloads across sitting and non-sitting periods. To address this, Parliamentary Recording and Reporting Branch adjusted its resourcing and consulted the parliamentary departments’ committee offices on expected delays in committee transcription to ensure priority transcripts were delivered on time. The branch has since undertaken workforce planning to better align its workforce and workload. The new staffing arrangements provide additional resources in non-sitting weeks to facilitate improved service to committees, while allowing an increased operational focus on chamber work during sitting weeks.

The Hansard Service reports on errors in transcription notified by its customers as a guide to trends in the accuracy of its transcripts. In 2018–19, DPS recorded 1.48 errors per 100 pages for chamber proof Hansard reports and 14.4 errors per 100 pages for committee proof Hansard reports. Errors are notified by parliamentarians’ offices for chamber transcripts and by committee secretariats for committee hearings. Throughout 2017–18 and 2018–19, as resources and delivery time frames permitted, the Hansard Service introduced a number of additional quality assurance processes that aimed to improve the accuracy of transcripts. As the quality assurance measures for committees primarily related to staff feedback and to learning and development needs, there is expected to be a lag in the positive impact of these quality assurance measures on error rates.

Of the 3,045 hours of proceedings recorded in 2018–19, the target of 99 per cent availability of operated sound reinforcement (sound and recording) in the chambers and committees was achieved.

Performance criterion 4—Building Occupant Satisfaction with timeliness and quality of DPS services

Table 9: Performance criterion 4—Building occupant feedback

Respond to the changing needs of the Parliament
Performance Measure	Target	Result
16. % of building occupant feedback indicating a satisfied or neutral rating with timeliness and quality of DPS services (by DPS service category)	80%	Achieved

Criterion source: Program 1, 2018–19 Portfolio Budget Statement, p11; Program 1, 2018–19 Corporate Plan, p27

Methodology

Measure 16:

• The 2019 Building Occupant Satisfaction Survey was conducted over four weeks from 21 March to 19 April 2019. This period included a non-sitting week and the last two sitting weeks of the autumn session of Parliament. The online survey tool, SurveyMonkey, was used to host the survey and it was distributed to approximately 6,300 email addresses. Respondents were asked to rate their satisfaction across a number of service categories, as detailed in Figure 7, and provide supporting commentary if desired.

New questions in retail and sport services were included in this year’s survey to help provide insight into retail traffic in Parliament House, and additional questions focused on catering were included under Food & Beverage/Catering services.

Analysis

This year’s survey yielded positive results exceeding all service satisfaction targets and achieving an overall improvement from 2017–18, with a result of 93 per cent. Our aim is to provide the highest quality client experience through the provision of excellent services. DPS seeks the views of all clients using the parliamentary computing network, to assist us to identify opportunities for improvement, and recognises achievements. This includes free form qualitative response opportunities as well as statistical ratings.

The results of the survey, including both satisfaction ratings and individual comments, are provided to the responsible area for anaylsis and improvement. DPS continues to supplement this information with other sources of feedback, such as the Parliament House Art Collection and Catering and Events feedback cards.

DPS is committed to delivering services for building occupants in a timely and professional manner. This year the target was raised from 75 per cent to 80 per cent. As identified in Figure 7, all service categories achieved a satisfaction rating well above this new target.

Figure 7: Building occupant satisfaction survey results by service category (satisfied or neutral rating)

Performance criterion 5—Parliamentary Library Services

Table 10: Performance criterion 5—Parliamentary Library Services

Respond to the changing needs of the Parliament
Performance Measure	Target	Result
17. % of Library Service KPIs set out in the annual Library Resource Agreement that are achieved	90%	Achieved

Criterion source: Program 1, 2018–19 Portfolio Budget Statement, p11, Program 11; 2018–19 Corporate Plan, p27

Methodology

Measure 17:

• Key priorities and performance indicators for the Parliamentary Library are approved each year by the Presiding Officers as part of the Library’s Annual Resource Agreement (Parliamentary Service Act 1999, section 38G). Library performance data is derived from a range of administrative and analytical systems. Satisfaction data is derived from a client evaluation of the Library’s services.

Figure 8: % of Library Service KPIs set out in the annual Library Resource Agreement

Analysis

In 2018–19 the Library met 97.1 per cent of its key deliverables and targets. Significant initiatives in the reporting period included: the completion of a multi-year project to digitise the Parliamentary Papers Series 1901—2012; procurement of key library systems (with the new search and discovery platform to be implemented, and the integrated library service and digital repository to be upgraded in 2019—20); preparations for the 46th Parliament, including production of the Briefing Book; enhanced support for Parliament’s consideration of the Budget; completion of a strategic workforce plan; implementation of a new branch structure in the Library Collections and Databases Branch; the establishment of the cyber working group in the Research Branch; deployment of the Wadsworth database; the conference and general meeting of the Association of Parliamentary Librarians of Asia and the Pacific; and assistance to the parliaments of Samoa and Vanuatu.

With regard to service benchmarks, the Library met its client usage target of 100 per cent (consistent with the previous financial year) and received no complaints. The Library achieved a rating of 94 per cent for client satisfaction among parliamentarians against its target of 95 per cent (based on data from the most recent client evaluation in 2017). It completed 10,299 individual client requests against its target of 13,000 (a demand driven measure). This figure reflects the parliamentary calendar, with relatively few sitting days between late February and April 2019, and the prorogation of the 45th Parliament and dissolution of the House of Representatives on 11 April 2019. Consequently, hours spent on client requests decreased to 40,447, though this figure was higher than the 37,434 hours recorded in the previous election year (2016). There were 4.34 million uses of the Library collection and databases, meeting the target. The Library will continue to monitor usage closely. A decision was made to pause work on the Electronic Media Monitoring Service (EMMS) data remediation due to delays in a related ICT project. Similarly, the Library paused digitisation of the Parliamentary Authors’ Collection due to a management decision to redirect resources to a higher priority project (the Parliamentary Papers Series).

The Library met or exceeded its targets for its remaining client service KPIs, including: timeliness; use of online publications; electorate office visits; attendance at training courses and events; number of research publications released; number of items added to the EMMS service and ParlInfo Search databases and the Library catalogue; client use of the Mediaportal and social media monitoring services; and percentage of collection available online. Detailed discussion of the Library’s performance is contained in the Parliamentary Librarian’s Annual Report, which is included in the DPS Annual Report, as required by section 65(1)(c) of the Parliamentary Service Act 1999.

Performance criterion 6—ICT Service Standards

Table 11: Performance criterion 6—ICT Service Standards

Respond to the changing needs of the Parliament
Performance Measure	Target	Result
18. % of ICT Standards outlined in the ICT Service Level Agreement that are achieved	90%	Achieved

Criterion source: Program 1, 2018–19 Portfolio Budget Statement, p11; Program 1, 2018–19 Corporate Plan, p27

Methodology

Measure 18:

• Information Services Division uses the ServiceNow IT Service Management System to capture and manage client interactions received via telephone, email, self-service and face-to-face contacts. Client interactions are classified and prioritised appropriately before being assigned to the relevant support group for resolution. Data specifically related to the management and handling of telephone calls to the 2020 Service Desk is obtained from the Alcatel-Lucent Call Management System.

Availability statistics for key ICT systems and infrastructure is obtained directly from event logging and monitoring software systems. Manual methods are used to calculate the availability of broadcasting services due to the nature of these analogue systems. Their availability is determined through a combination of regular scheduled testing, monitoring and incidents raised by clients directly with the 2020 Service Desk. Availability of the Whole of Government Secure Internet Gateway is reported to DPS by the vendor.

Analysis

The ICT Service Standards indexes are developed and sourced from the ICT Service Level Agreement (SLA) comprising 15 individual service standards. Each service standard is measured monthly and assesses the delivery of key services in support of the effective and efficient operations of the Parliament. This includes provision of services at Parliament House, electorate offices and Commonwealth Parliament Offices.

In 2018–19, 162 out of 180 ICT Service Standards were achieved—a result of 90 per cent. This is a three per cent reduction on the 2017–18 result. A combination of factors contributed to certain ICT Service Standards not being achieved at several points throughout the year—in particular, the occurrence of a major ICT incident on 17 October 2018 that impacted most ICT Service Standards. The outage resulted from the failure of a critical ICT infrastructure capability, namely the Domain Name Server (DNS) system. Underlying ICT services continued to function but were uncontactable on the parliamentary network due to the nature of the outage. ICT teams responded to the incident until the service was restored on 18 October 2018. This incident resulted in only nine of 15 Service Standards being met for the month of October 2018, including Chamber Services, which were adversely impacted due to the outage occurring on a sitting day. As a direct response to this incident, the DNS platform used by DPS was replaced with an alternative solution providing improved resiliency.

ICT teams also responded to a cyber security incident in February 2019. As part of this response, remediation action was taken to force a password reset for all parliamentary computing network accounts. This activity resulted in a significantly higher volume of calls being placed to the 2020 Service Desk for password resets and to report ancillary issues related to the incident. Despite this, only the percentage of calls answered in 30 seconds Service Standard was not met for the month of February.

Figure 9: Average ICT Service Standards levels

Performance criterion 7—Design Integrity Performance

Table 12: Performance criterion 7—Design Integrity Performance

Effective stewardship of Australian Parliament House
Performance Measure	Target	Result
19. The level at which the design integrity process is functioning	Effective	Achieved
20. The extent and effectiveness of consultation with moral rights administrators and DPS regarding the process for design integrity and moral rights matters	Effective	Achieved

Criterion source: Program 1, 2018–19 Portfolio Budget Statement, p11; Program 1, 2018–19 Corporate Plan, p31

Methodology

Measure 19:

• The Design Integrity and Archives Unit (DIAU) undertakes a qualitative assessment of the level of effectiveness of the consultation processes carried out both within DPS and with Ms Pamille Berg AO Hon FRAIA and Mr Harold (Hal) Guida LFRAIA AIA, joint moral rights administrators of Mr Romaldo Giurgola AO, the recognised principal architect of Australian Parliament House.

Measure 20:

• The DIAU provides secretariat support for quarterly design integrity meetings and other meetings (as needed) and facilitates consultation between DPS staff and the moral rights administrators. The assessment of how effective the process has been is based on an analysis of the numbers and types of interactions on important capital works and maintenance projects between DPS staff and Ms Berg and Mr Guida. DPS also formally seeks the views of the moral rights administrators regarding the effectiveness or otherwise of our consultation with them on design integrity and moral rights matters. This provides an important external measure of the effectiveness of DPS’ consultation with these key stakeholders.

Analysis

Overall, the design integrity process was assessed as effective. During 2018–19, Ms Berg and Mr Guida attended quarterly design integrity meetings with DPS senior staff and gave three all-staff presentations on the design intent of the architecture and art in relation to the Foyer, Members Hall and Senate Chamber (respectively). In addition, more than 10 ad hoc face-to-face meetings were arranged with staff and one or both of the moral rights administrators on various design intent matters.

The DIAU also participated in numerous meetings and provided advice on a wide range of issues, including (but not limited to):

• major capital works, including, for example, kitchens infrastructure upgrades, accessible bathrooms, working at heights, lighting and lift upgrades
• furniture, fittings, fixtures and furnishings
• accessibility matters
• information, communication and telecommunication issues, and
• landscape and gardening.

Design integrity continues to be an important agenda item at fortnightly Executive Committee meetings and the DIAU participates in many cross-departmental fora and project board meetings. Feedback from within the organisation has highlighted the collaboration between the DIAU and other stakeholders is continuing to improve, particularly in relation to the early engagement in projects which may have an impact on the design intent of the building. During 2017–18, new consultation protocols were developed and in April 2019 these protocols were formalised in the form of a Management of Design Integrity Framework.

A major goal for DPS remains the ongoing consultation and liaison with the moral rights administrators from the earliest possible stage in capital works and maintenance projects. In responding to a request for feedback, including on how the design integrity consultation process may be improved over coming years, the joint moral rights administrators have collectively indicated the process is working very well. They have remarked that as the consultation process has matured over the past few years, and with the engagement of an architectural historian, more proactive engagement by DPS in seeking their views on design integrity matters has occurred. This in turn has resulted in efficiency gains and better design solutions. Further, the joint moral rights administrators have indicated that consultation has reached a good balance resulting in efficient provision of advice and mutual respect being accorded to the ideas being discussed.

Performance criterion 8—Building Condition Rating

Table 13: Performance criterion 8—Building Condition Rating

Effective stewardship of Australian Parliament House
Performance Measure	Target	Result
21. % of building areas reviewed that are assessed as being in good or better condition	80%	Achieved

Criterion source: Program 1, 2018–19 Portfolio Budget Statement, p11; Program 1, 2018–19 Corporate Plan, p31

Figure 10: % of building areas reviewed that are assessed as being in good or better condition

Methodology

Measure 21:

• DPS measures the Building Condition Rating (BCR) by the percentage of building areas reviewed that are assessed as being in good or better condition.

The BCR measures the current condition of building fabric within Parliament House, expressed as a percentage of the original condition. The BCR is determined by a visual inspection of the building and fabric surfaces for deterioration and damage caused by general wear and tear.

Analysis

In 2018–19, the performance measure result was 86.67 per cent, which represents a decrease of 1.44 per cent compared to 2017–18. The minor decrease is attributed to:

• Ministerial furniture finishes to both the executive and staff areas showing signs of deterioration
• external concrete and stone facades requiring cleaning
• stone paving sets in courtyards along the curved walls requiring resetting due to movement
• mortar and sealant jointing to paving slabs requiring replacement
• previously refurbished suites starting to show signs of wear in carpet and painted surfaces, and
• ensuite and toilet floor tiles delaminating in various areas throughout the building.

In response to results identified through the BCR, DPS Maintenance Services undertook activities to address the performance decrease by implementing the following:

• an increased focus on ongoing refurbishment of Ministerial Suites, including patch and paint of damaged walls and refurbishment of the global furniture within the suites
• completion of external concrete and stone facade cleaning to priority areas, including the Ministerial courtyard and internal courtyards
• resetting the stone paving sets and replacing the stonework mortar and sealant jointing in courtyards
• improved maintenance painting program for general circulation areas and suites, and
• a schedule of ongoing tiling works to ensuites and toilets to address delaminating of the floors in these areas.

Performance criterion 9—Engineering Systems Condition Rating

Table 14: Performance criterion 9—Engineering Systems Condition Rating

Effective stewardship of the Australian Parliament House
Performance Measure	Target	Result
22. % of critical engineering systems reviewed that are assessed as being in good or better12 condition	70%	Not Achieved
23. % of critical engineering systems reviewed that are assessed as being in fair or average condition	95%	Not Achieved

Criterion source: Program 1, 2018–19 Corporate Plan, p31

Figure 11: Critical engineering systems

Methodology

Measure 22–23:

• The Engineering Systems Condition Rating (ESCR) measures the operation and condition of the engineering systems in Parliament House against the expected decline of those systems through their life cycle. The asset performance assessment system currently considers three key factors:
  • physical condition
  • operating condition, and
  • obsolescence.

Analysis

The 55 per cent of critical engineering systems rated as being in good or better condition represents a slight improvement from the 53 per cent result for 2017–18. While this year’s result is 15 per cent below the target, this result in part reflects the age of the Parliament House engineering systems and infrastructure. Delays in previous years to the delivery of capital works projects in the replacement and upgrade of the ageing infrastructure have also contributed. Improvements will be realised over the next five years as packages of capital works are delivered within each system category. A review of rankings for individual system categories shows that the condition of the engineering systems, including building management, broadcasting, electrical, hydraulics, and heating ventilation and air conditioning systems, are having an adverse impact on results.

The 83 per cent of engineering systems rated as being in fair or better condition is 12 per cent below the target of 95 per cent and represents a slight decline from the 85 per cent result for 2017–18. This is a result of the condition of the area main switchboards, emergency generation systems, air handling units, domestic cold water meters, hot water network, building management system, lifts, kitchen equipment and wiring infrastructure which have yet to be impacted by the delivery of projects under the capital works program.

Kitchen equipment in the Great Hall, which was rated as ‘failed condition’—the lowest rating—will be replaced in 2019–20 as part of a capital works project. The other subsystems rated as ‘poor’ are included in a current or proposed project in the Capital Works Plan for renewal or replacement. For example, 22 of the 42 lifts in the building were rated as being in poor condition and they are being updated as part of an ongoing capital works project; however, overall the lifts in the building received a 33 per cent increase as the capital works project delivers improvements. Another example is the lighting controllers which are also being replaced as part of a capital works project.

In 2018–19, significant upgrades through capital works projects have been made to subsystems, such as replacements to boilers and chillers. However, these are subcomponents of the engineering systems and overall improvements in these particular systems have not yet been realised using the ESCR. Under this performance criterion, the overall rating for the engineering systems will be achieved when a majority of its components receive a positive rating on the ESCR.

Performance criterion 10—Landscape Condition

Table 15: Performance criterion 10—Landscape Condition

Effective stewardship of the Australian Parliament House
Performance Measure	Target	Result
24. % of landscape areas reviewed that are assessed as being in good or better condition	85%	Not Achieved

Criterion source: Program 1, 2018–19 Portfolio Budget Statement, p11; Program 1, 2018–19 Corporate Plan, p31

Methodology

Measure 24:

• The Landscape Condition Rating (LCR) measures the current condition of the landscape surrounding Parliament House. The LCR is expressed as a percentage and is measured annually. The assessment takes into account variables such as the intended purpose, life cycle, planned maintenance levels and seasonal variations. The methodology is designed to give a fair representation of the overall landscape condition.

Figure 12: % of landscape areas reviewed and assessed as being in good or better condition

Analysis

The target for the LCR rating is 85 per cent. For the year 2018–19, the rating was 82.13 per cent. The LCR rating was 5.4 per cent higher than the 2017–18 year but is still 2.87 per cent lower than the target.

The 2018–19 result can be largely attributed to the 30 per cent plant losses sustained throughout the Senate side gardens and the waterproofing issues with the Members and Guests terrace garden. Over the 2019–20 reporting period, DPS plans to continue to replace plants that are not thriving across Parliament House. We will also deliver a structured soil project on the Senate side that will lead to improved soil quality. DPS is confident this will result in overall improvements to the plant and tree conditions and see a continuing improvement in the LCR, with the target being exceeded in 2019–20.

Performance criterion 11—Security

Table 16: Performance criterion 11—Security

Effective stewardship of the Australian Parliament House
Performance Measure	Target	Result
25. % of security incidents that are handled in accordance with policy and process	100%	Not Achieved
26. % of Parliamentary Security Service Officers compliant with mandatory training requirements	100%	Not Achieved

Criterion source: Program 1, 2018–19 Portfolio Budget Statement, p11; Program 1, 2018–19 Corporate Plan, p31

Methodology

Measure 25:

• Incident reports are used by the Security Branch to document information on, and provide management visibility of, a range of events and interactions involving Parliamentary Security Service (PSS) officers. A security incident is an incident that impacts on the integrity of the security arrangements of Parliament House. Security incidents are analysed to determine if the response by PSS was in accordance with DPS policy and procedure. The result is the percentage of responses that comply with DPS policy and procedure.

Measure 26:

• The mandatory training for PSS officers is Initial Security Training (IST) and Competency Maintenance Training (CMT). IST is a six week program providing new recruits the basic training they require to fulfil their roles and obligations as a PSS officer, covering topics such as communication, access control and screening. PSS officers are not allowed on duty until they have completed IST.
• The CMT is an ongoing training requirement. It covers areas such as First Aid, Operational Safety Training (OST) and parliamentarian recognition. All areas have specific requalification windows which are tracked by the Security Branch Learning and Development Coordinator. The result is calculated as at 30 June each year.

Analysis

The target for correct handling of security incidents is 100 per cent. For the year 2018–19, the actual achievement was 94.54 per cent. While this did not compromise the security operation function, factors such as human error prevented the target from being achieved. The objective is to document all security incidents and to identify where the response by a PSS officer was not in compliance with operating policies and procedures. When the cause of non-compliance is identified, it is addressed by way of training updates or recommended changes to security procedure as considered necessary.

The target for compliance with mandatory security training is 100 per cent. For 2018–19, the actual achievement was 87 per cent. Completion of training in the required time frame continues to be affected by leave (particularly medical and unscheduled leave) and operational reasons (such as parliamentary sittings), which reduce the ability to assign PSS officers to training. In addition, the percentage of PSS officers compliant with mandatory security training requirements decreased this year as the delivery of CMT was postponed whilst the department aligned its DPS OST, formerly Defensive Tactics Training, with the standards applied by the Australian Federal Police and transitioned to an in-house training model.

Performance criterion 12—Parliament House works program

Table 17: Performance criterion 12—Parliament House works program

Effective delivery of the Australian Parliament House Works Program
Performance Measure	Target	Result
27. % of Capital Works Branch projects in delivery phase	80%	Achieved
28. % of Capital Works Branch budget spent in the financial year	80%	Achieved
29. % of Security Upgrade Implementation Plan projects in delivery phase	80%	Achieved
30. % of Security Upgrade Implementation Plan budget spent in the financial year	80%	Achieved

Criterion source: Program 1, 2018–19 Portfolio Budget Statement, p11; Program 1, 2018–19 Corporate Plan, p31

Figure 13: Parliament House Works Program KPIs

Methodology

Measure 27:

• Number of capital works projects in delivery phase divided by number of capital works projects planned.

Measure 28:

• The actual amount spent on capital works projects divided by the total budget.

Measure 29:

• Number of Security Upgrade Implementation Plan (SUIP) projects in delivery phase divided by number of Security Upgrade Implementation Plan projects planned.

Measure 30:

• The actual amount spent on Security Upgrade Implementation Plan projects divided by the total budget.

A standard industry measure of project success is delivering on time and on budget. Given the restrictions of sitting periods and other parliamentary activities, project time frames have to be regularly adjusted. This makes it difficult to define a consistent measure of whether projects are delivered on time. Therefore, DPS is tracking the number of projects in delivery compared to the planned number of projects. Combined with tracking whether DPS is on budget, this provides a picture of whether the Capital Works Program and SUIP are successfully adapting to the changing requirements and managing to use the annual budget.

Analysis

The 2018–19 year was very productive for the Capital Works Program, with all four targets achieved. Good progress was made on both the physical and electronic components of the security works. The perimeter fencing construction activities were completed with only the remedial works on nearby landscaping remaining. Work on the Senate, House of Representatives and main public entrances progressed more slowly than expected; in part because of poor performance and eventual liquidation of a subcontractor and the consequent delays while a new subcontractor was engaged to complete the works.

The roll-out of electronic security measures—including improved Closed Circuit Television coverage and the Electronic Access Control System (EACS) for selected areas—is substantially complete with a small amount of EACS installation and testing remaining.

The non-security works program accelerated dramatically in 2018–19. Significant improvements were made to the climate control system with major upgrades to plant and the roof structure to rectify water ingress, including the Senate Chamber skylight. Improvements were also made to the electrical network, lifts and the Emergency Warning Intercommunication System.