Preliminary Pages
Foreword
In the 43rd Parliament, the Joint Committee of
Public Accounts and Audit (JCPAA) has spent quite some time on how government
measures its own performance, and the process of transparent (or otherwise)
grant approvals.
It is therefore appropriate that one of our final oversight
reports covers a Key Performance Indicator trial undertaken by the Audit
Office; as well as looking at the Energy Efficiency Information Grants program,
which once again showed concerns around process.
With public sector reform happening through the Commonwealth
Financial Accountability Review, having a culture of very clear and measurable
Key Performance Indicators is important.
Getting the processes right on grant programs is also
important. The Auditor–General has repeatedly reported his concerns on this
issue, and the JCPAA shares this frustration. It is time for Parliament and the
Executive to place greater priority on getting this right.
This is the 100th anniversary of the oversight
and scrutiny work of the JCPAA in Australia. Oversight and audit is expanding
throughout many democracies, and Australia is increasingly being looked on for
leadership and guidance in this area.
I make this point for two reasons. The JCPAA is a special
institution of its own to be valued into the future. Its status deserves
ongoing respect.
I also make this point to acknowledge the Secretariat, and
their very good work over the past three years. They play a vital role between
Executive Government and Parliament, and have done so very professionally. They
have done the history of oversight in Australia proud.
Robert Oakeshott MP
Chair
Membership of the
Committee
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Chair
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Mr Robert Oakeshott MP
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Deputy
Chair
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Ms Gai Brodtmann MP
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Members
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Hon Dick Adams MP
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Senator Mark Bishop
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Mr Jamie Briggs MP
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Senator the Hon Kim Carr
(from 14 May 2013)
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Mr Darren Cheeseman MP
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Senator Louise Pratt
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Mr Josh Frydenberg MP
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Senator Anne Ruston
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Mr Harry Jenkins MP
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Senator Dean Smith
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Ms Deborah O’Neill MP
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Ms Laura Smyth MP
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Hon Alex Somlyay MP
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Committee Secretariat
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Secretary
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Mr David Brunoro
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Inquiry
Secretaries
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Mr James Nelson
Ms Vikki Darrough
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Research
Officer
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Ms Elina Gilbourd
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Administrative
Officers
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Ms Jazmine Rakic
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Ms Karen Underwood
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List of abbreviations
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ACAG
|
Australasian Council of
Auditors-General
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ANAO
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Australian National Audit Office
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CFAR
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Commonwealth Financial
Accountability Review
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DCCEE
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Department of Climate Change and
Energy Efficiency
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EEIG
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Energy Efficiency Information
Grants
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Finance
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Department of Finance and
Deregulation
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JCPAA
|
Joint Committee of Public
Accounts and Audit
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KPI
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Key Performance Indicator
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PAC
|
Program Advisory Committee
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PM&C
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Department of the Prime Minister
and Cabinet
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RET
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Department of Resources, Energy
and Tourism
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List of recommendations
The Australian Government Performance Measurement and Reporting Framework – Pilot Project to Audit Key Performance Indicators
Recommendation 1
The Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit recommends
that the Department of Finance and Deregulation, in consultation with the
Australian National Audit Office, prioritise the review and update of the
performance measurement and reporting framework. A goal should be to have clear
policy and guidance in place for the 2014–15 financial year that can be used by
agencies to produce auditable Key Performance Indicators, irrespective of the
passage of the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Bill 2013.
Recommendation 2
The Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit recommends
that:
the
Government reinforce the requirements for agencies to incorporate specific
performance monitoring, reporting and evaluation activities into the design and
costing of their programs;
agencies
be appropriately funded to carry out these activities; and
monitoring
be used to provide assurance that these activities are implemented.