The Speaker of the House of Representatives is accountable to the House of Representatives for the department. The Clerk of the House of Representatives, who is responsible for leading the department, reports to the Speaker.

Legislation

During 2014–15, the department’s operations were governed by the Parliamentary Service Act 1999 and the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013. Other legislation, including the Fair Work Act 2009, also applies to the operations of the department. These Acts set out the Clerk’s responsibilities for managing the department.

Executive and senior management

The department’s Executive comprises the Clerk of the House, the Deputy Clerk and three Senior Executive Service Band 1 staff—the Clerk Assistant (Committees), the Clerk Assistant (Table) and the Serjeant-at-Arms—each of whom is responsible for one or more of the department’s offices (see Figure 1). The senior managers of the department are the Executive and staff at the Executive Band 2 Level.

A selection process was conducted for the position of Clerk Assistant (Table) following the retirement of Ms Joanne Towner. Ms Catherine Cornish was appointed to the position in April 2015.

Management committees

Executive

The Executive held 12 formal meetings during the year to discuss and resolve a wide range of departmental management issues. As well as standing items on finance and people strategies, matters addressed included:

• leadership development programs for departmental staff

• departmental ICT requirements and innovations

• corporate and business planning matters

• the department’s organisational structure

• planning for significant events, such as celebrations for the 800th anniversary of Magna Carta

• the department’s interest in the project to refresh the Parliament of Australia website

• the department’s furniture replacement project

• arrangements for staff parking at Parliament House.

Audit Committee    

The department’s Audit Committee met four times in 2014–15. The committee comprised the Clerk Assistant (Table) as chair, the Serjeant-at-Arms, the Clerk Assistant (Committees) and three independent members. At 30 June 2015, the independent members were Mr Tim Courtney of the Australian Electoral Commission, Ms Susan McNeilly of the Office of Parliamentary Counsel and Mr Dermot Walsh of the Office of the Commonwealth Ombudsman. Representatives of the Australian National Audit Office, the department’s internal audit team and the Chief Financial Officer attended all meetings.

During the reporting year, the Audit Committee reviewed the department’s draft financial statements from 2013–14 and recommended that the Clerk sign them. It also reviewed the Chief Financial Officer’s report on the certificate of compliance process, and recommended that the Clerk sign the certificate on the basis that the department’s compliance processes were satisfactory and that the department was financially sustainable.

In May 2015, the department appointed Bellchambers Barrett Pty Ltd as internal auditor for a term of three years. At the end of the reporting year, the internal auditor was engaged in developing a strategic internal audit plan for 2015–18.

The committee’s 2014 annual report was provided to the Clerk on 20 February 2015.

Consultative Committee    

The Consultative Committee is an important mechanism for communicating and consulting with staff on workplace issues. The committee, which is chaired by the Deputy Clerk, has four departmental representatives, two elected staff representatives, and two union-nominated representatives.

The committee met five times during 2014–15. Standing agenda items for the meetings included:

• implementation and monitoring of the enterprise agreement

• proposals for change and other developments affecting staff

• review of implemented changes

• reports on departmental activities.

Matters discussed during the year included the consolidation of the parliament’s ICT services, paid parking arrangements and other parking issues, and the review of the parliament’s international program.

Planning and evaluation

Corporate plan

The department’s Corporate Plan 2013–16 remained in force during the reporting period. The corporate plan contains a statement of the department’s purpose, describes the department’s priorities for the period covered by the plan, and provides the framework for annual business plans. It provides a focus for efforts to build on the department’s capacity to deliver its services, develop its people, sustain its capability, and collaborate internally and with other key people and organisations. The department’s corporate plan is available on the Parliament of Australia website.

Business plan

The department’s business plan for 2014–15 was issued in 2014. Progress on implementing the plan was monitored during the year through six-monthly and quarterly reporting meetings. Solid progress was made on reaching the targets set out in the plan.

Members' survey

The department receives periodic and ongoing feedback from members to gauge the effectiveness of its service provision.

The department conducted its twelfth annual members’ survey in May and June 2015, using the same format as in previous years. A random sample of 30 members were surveyed, 22 of whom responded (21 participated last year). All participants were asked whether they were satisfied with the advice, services and support they received from the department. The results confirmed that the department continues to provide a high standard of service.

Details of the survey findings are in Appendix 3.

Accountability mechanisms

The department’s main formal external accountability mechanisms are the Portfolio Budget Statements and the annual report prepared pursuant to section 65 of the Parliamentary Service Act. The annual report for 2013–14 assessed performance against the targets set in the Portfolio Budget Statements 2013–14 and presented the department’s financial statements.

Copies of the department’s annual report and Portfolio Budget Statements were provided to all members and published on the Parliament of Australia website.

Risk management and fraud control

The department’s risk management policy, fraud control plan and accompanying risk assessments were in place during 2014–15. As in previous years, new staff were informed of their financial management responsibilities and the department’s fraud risk assessment and fraud control plan in the regular induction programs. There were no losses of public money and no instances of fraud identified during the year. In 2015, the department reviewed its risk management and fraud control processes and prepared new documentation for release at the beginning of 2015–16.

A departmental business continuity plan was in force throughout the reporting year. Terms of reference for the department’s business continuity network were adopted in October 2014, which focused on assisting staff to manage the risk of business interruptions. The department also introduced a regime for regular testing of office-level business resumption plans.

Ethical standards

The Parliamentary Service Values and Code of Conduct set out in the Parliamentary Service Act provide a framework for ethical conduct for staff of the department. The department actively promotes sound ethical behaviour. All staff who are new to the department are advised about what it means to work in a values-based environment and how ethical standards apply to their day-to-day work.

Service charter

The department’s service charter for members and the community continued to provide the basis for the standards of service that members and the public can expect from the department. The charter is available on the Parliament of Australia website.

Social justice and equity

The department’s role is to support the House of Representatives rather than to deliver services directly to the public. Accordingly, contributing to achieving social justice within the broader community is not a direct responsibility of the department. However, the department works towards achieving social justice indirectly through the work of the House of Representatives itself, its members and its committees.

Inter-parliamentary departmental collaboration

Meetings of parliamentary departmental heads

Formal quarterly meetings between the Clerk, the Clerk of the Senate, the Secretary of the Department of Parliamentary Services and the Parliamentary Budget Officer continued during the reporting year. Meetings were held on 20 August 2014, 20 November 2014, 18 February 2015 and 20 May 2015. Responsibility for chairing the meetings rotates between the departments on an annual basis.

Matters discussed in 2014–15 included:

• the development of a strategic plan for parliamentary administration

• the introduction of paid parking in the Parliamentary Triangle

• strategic asset and accommodation reviews

• budget processes for the parliamentary departments

• commemoration of the Anzac centenary

• the capital works program

• award modernisation

• ICT projects.

Parliamentary Administration Advisory Group  

The Parliamentary Administration Advisory Group supports the parliamentary departmental heads by overseeing and advising on the implementation of corporate services matters and initiatives of common interest across the parliamentary departments.

The group’s members are the Serjeant-at-Arms, the Usher of the Black Rod, the Chief Operating Officer of the Department of Parliamentary Services, and the Assistant Parliamentary Budget Officer, Corporate Strategy Branch of the Parliamentary Budget Office. Responsibility for chairing the group rotates annually. In 2014–15, the group held four formal meetings; matters discussed included:

• the proposed new parliamentary service determination

• parking in the parliamentary precinct

• proposed legislative amendments, and the development of the policy rationale for these, and

• governance structures and requirements within the parliamentary departments.

Shared services

At the beginning of the year, staff in the department’s People Strategies Office provided payroll services to the Parliamentary Budget Office. In September 2014, the Parliamentary Budget Officer advised the Clerk that the office no longer required these services from the department. The arrangement was officially terminated in November 2014.  

Purchaser–provider arrangements

The department does not have any other purchaser–provider arrangements in place for selling services to or buying services from an Australian government agency.

The department receives certain building and ICT services from the Department of Parliamentary Services, and audit services from the Australian National Audit Office. These services are accounted for in the department’s financial statements as resources received free of charge.

The department also has agreements in place with the Department of the Senate for the provision of inter-parliamentary services (by this department) and parliamentary education services (by the Department of the Senate). The department runs parliamentary education seminars on a fee-for-service basis for government agencies.

The Federation Chamber. Photo: David Foote AUSPIC/DPS.