| Outputs |
Chamber, committee room, office and printing support, ceremonial services, and security advice.
Corporate services, including payroll services for senators and human resources strategies and services for departmental staff, and support to the Clerk in meeting public governance, performance and accountability and certain record keeping requirements.
Support services, in conjunction with the Department of the House of Representatives, to the Association of Former Members of the Parliament of Australia (AFMPA).
Financial management and human resource corporate services to the Parliamentary Budget Office (PBO). |
Services are provided to the satisfaction of the President, office holders, Senate committees and senators so that they are able to fulfil their roles. |
Services were delivered within timeframes and legislative requirements. Consistently positive feedback from senators, including office holders, and their staff was received throughout the reporting period. |
Provision of corporate services facilitates the operations of the Senate and meets accountability obligations under the law and to the Senate. |
Services were delivered within timeframes. Services supported the Clerk as the accountable authority to meet legislative obligations and the requirements of the Senate. |
Services to the AFMPA are of a high standard, are provided promptly and are accurate. |
Support was provided to the AFMPA as required and to a high standard. |
Provisions of services to the PBO is of a high standard and is in accordance with the memorandum of understanding which includes a service level agreement. |
Services were delivered to the satisfaction of the PBO. |
Overview
The primary functions of the Black Rod’s Office are to provide support services to the Senate, including to Senate committees and to senators at Parliament House, and to deliver certain corporate services to the department. The office is led by the Usher of the Black Rod and has three operational areas, as shown in figure 16.
The Usher of the Black Rod undertakes duties in the Senate chamber, including clerking and ceremonial roles, assisted by three senior staff and the chamber attendant team, among others. A major focus for the Black Rod’s Office during this reporting period was supporting the Senate and the department with advice and modifications to continue operations through the COVID-19 pandemic. The office worked closely with Health Officials at both the Commonwealth and ACT Government levels to facilitate Senators’ travel to parliamentary sitting periods through multiple State COVID-19 travel restrictions.
The Usher of the Black Rod represented the department at cross-parliamentary forums including the Parliamentary Administration Advisory Group and the Security Management Board. The Usher of the Black Rod also administered the Presiding Officers’ Rules for Media Related Activity in Parliament House and its Precincts as the President’s delegate.
The Black Rod’s Office maintained its high level of service and support to the Senate, the President, senators and committees during this reporting period.
The regular work of the Black Rod’s Office involves frequent and direct contact with Senate office holders, senators and their staff, and other stakeholders, all of whom provide regular informal feedback which is generally positive. The work of the office was also subject to scrutiny by the Appropriations, Staffing and Security Committee, and by the Finance and Public Administration Legislation Committee in estimates hearings.
The average full-time equivalent staffing level for the Black Rod’s Office for 2020–21 was 33.9 (33.6 in 2019–20), and the cost of running the office was $4.6m ($4.5m in 2019–20).
Senators’ services
The Usher of the Black Rod and the Senators’ Services Section assist the President and Clerk on ceremonial and other occasions, and also provide chamber, committee room and message delivery services. Officers from other sections of the department continued to assist with chamber attendant duties to provide additional support as required.
During the reporting period the section also provided certain office support services to senators, their staff and departmental staff.
The printing and delivery services unit continued printing the Notice Paper and Journals of the Senate. Over the period, service turnaround times were met consistently, ensuring that documents, including committee reports, were available when required. The section also provided a high standard of delivery services to senators, their staff and departmental staff.
The section facilitated 8 suite moves for senators in the Senate wing of Parliament House as a result of vacancies, and ministry and shadow ministry changes.
The section also represented the interests of senators and the department in relation to building projects that continued throughout the reporting period, approving over 1,048 individual maintenance and building access requests.
Figure 16 – Responsibilities of the Black Rod’s Office
| Executive |
Procedural, protocol, ceremonial and security advice.
Advice on corporate and certain parliamentary administrative matters.
Membership of the Security Management Board.
Secretariat support to the Senate Standing Committee on Appropriations, Staffing and Security.
Secretariat support to the House Committee.
Secretariat support to various departmental committees including the Audit Committee and Workplace Consultative Committee. |
John Baczynski, Deputy Usher of the Black Rod and Director, Senators’ Services
Agency security advice and support
Information technology security advice
Accommodation
Equipment management
Chamber and committee room support
Comcar shuttle liaison and coordination
Delivery services
Fleet management
Office equipment
Printing
Project board membership |
Olivia Rankin, Director, Human Resource Management
Recruitment and staffing
Pay and conditions
Learning and development
Work health and safety
Rehabilitation coordination
Industrial relations
Performance management
Services to the PBO |
Fiona O’Loughlin, Chief Finance Officer
Financial management and advice
Financial reporting and systems management
Asset management
Accounts processing
Strategic procurement advice
Support for senior management decision-making
Services to the PBO
Corporate governance support and advice
Compliance assurance
Risk and fraud framework management |
Security advice
The Usher of the Black Rod and the Deputy Usher of the Black Rod provided security advice and support to the President, Senate committees, other senators and the department.
In particular, they worked closely with colleagues in the Department of Parliamentary Services’ Security Branch, the Serjeant-at-Arms’ Office and the Australian Federal Police, providing input into security matters from a Senate perspective.
Human resource management
The Human Resource Management Section delivers people strategy and services across the employee life cycle for departmental staff, in addition to administering certain allowances paid to senators and providing payroll services to the Parliamentary Budget Office. During this period the section focused on initiatives to improve staff health and well-being, support to staff during the COVID-19 pandemic, updates to key policies and leadership development training for managers.
Financial management
The Financial Management Section delivers financial management, accounting and budgeting services, and supports the Clerk in meeting his governance and accountability obligations. The section administers the department’s financial management information system and oversees the fraud control framework.
During the reporting period, the section continued to provide assurance to the Clerk and other senior officers that the department had complied with financial reporting responsibilities, including producing audited annual financial statements and in relation to procurement. It also supported the department’s budget process, including the preparation of the portfolio budget statements and internal budgets.
The section also manages the department’s key governance mechanisms including monitoring the department’s compliance with relevant legislation, oversight of the department’s risk framework and administration of the department’s audit committee.
Corporate services for the Parliamentary Budget Office
The office also provides certain financial management and human resource corporate services to the PBO on a fee-for-service basis. This is done in accordance with a memorandum of understanding which includes a service level agreement. The PBO expressed satisfaction with the department’s delivery of the outsourced corporate services functions during the period. Services provided by the department included transactional human resource and financial management services.
Performance outlook
Key priorities for 2021–22 are to support the Senate and the department to continue to operate effectively during the COVID-19 pandemic and preparations for the opening of the 47th Parliament following the next federal election.