Preliminary pages

Foreword

It is with pleasure that I present the fifth review of the administration and expenditure of the Australian Intelligence Community by the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security.  

The review examined all aspects of the administration and expenditure of the six intelligence and security agencies, including the financial statements for each agency.  

The review revisited recruitment and training issues which were examined in detail during the fourth review of administration and expenditure.  The Committee found that agencies continue to deal with substantial challenges related to recruiting, training and retaining staff in a very tight marketplace.

Budgetary growth has been significant over the last several years for most of the agencies, and, for some, growth will continue for several more years.  It has been a concern of the Committee in previous reviews that rapid expansion could bring with it unavoidable stresses and strains in the organisations at a time when they could least afford growing pains.  Agencies discussed the challenge they have faced and continue to face—handling considerably increased budgets in conjunction with, in most cases, rapidly increasing staff numbers. 

All the AIC agencies have undergone some structural reorganisation, to varying degrees, to absorb recent growth in the most effective way.  In some of the agencies structural reorganisation has meant quite significant change within the organisation while other agencies have absorbed increased staff numbers into the existing structure with little structural change. 

The agencies all demonstrated to the Committee that they are mindful of the dangers of rapidly expanding at the expense of maintaining high standards of professionalism and each agency continues to review its strategies to manage this risk.  

The Committee is satisfied that the administration and expenditure of the six intelligence and security agencies is currently sound and it thanks the Heads of the AIC agencies and all those who have contributed to this review.

The Hon David Jull MP

Chair

Membership of the Committee

Committee Secretariat

Terms of reference

This review is conducted under paragraph 29(1)(a) of the Intelligence Services Act 2001:

n  to review the administration and expenditure of ASIO, ASIS, DIGO, DIO, DSD and ONA, including the annual financial statements (of) ASIO, ASIS, DIGO, DIO, DSD and ONA.

List of abbreviations