List of Recommendations

Recommendation 1

1.16

The Committee recommends that in future years, the Department of Defence make available to the Committee all documentation that demonstrates the breakdown of Portfolio Budget Statement outcomes to internal programs to enable the Parliament and other agencies to analyse Defence performance.

Recommendation 2

1.17

The Committee recommends that future Department of Defence Annual Reports should clearly report performance against the Portfolio Budget Statement outcomes and detail the level of achievement against all program sub elements. If purposes are used for external communication, the linkages between Portfolio Budget Statement outcomes, Departmental programs and the purposes should also be made clear.

Recommendation 3

3.14

The Committee recommends that the Department of Defence develop a transparent reporting mechanism that demonstrates changes in effectiveness or efficiency resultant from the First Principles Review related change for consideration by the Defence Sub-Committee of the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade by 31 March 2018.

Recommendation 4

3.39

The Committee recommends the Department of Defence consider leveraging private sector expertise during Investment Committee Gate Zero deliberations; where the addition of an Industry expert may increase public confidence in approach to market decisions.

Recommendation 5

3.46

That the Department of Defence work with the Defence Sub-Committee of the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade to harmonise and streamline reporting matrices to the Parliament to allow for independent Parliamentary oversight.

Recommendation 6

3.54

The Committee recommends that the Department of Defence improve:

the consistency between the Defence portfolio budget statements and the Defence annual report;

the reporting of Departmental expenditure on major projects in real as opposed to out-turn dollars; and

the reporting on the cost and status of Australian Defence Force capability.

Recommendation 7

4.29

The Committee recommends that the Department of Defence investigate opportunities to partner with Industry to advance research and innovation on space capabilities.

Recommendation 8

4.88

The Committee recommends that the Department of Defence review the Plan Suakin scope and objective; its implementation timeframe and resourcing to ensure that this signature program is and continues to meet all of the Department’s personnel capability needs.

Recommendation 9

4.106

The Committee recommends that the Department of Defence urgently review security clearance processes, resourcing and timeframe to ensure all organisations that require the Australian Government Security Vetting Agency to complete vetting and subsequent re-assessment of clearances are being serviced in a timely manner.

Recommendation 10

4.147

The Committee recommends that Department of Veterans’ Affairs investigate options for an independent authority to review all unsuccessful Veterans’ Review Board determinations in consultation with the affected veteran or their delegate to alleviate the stress and burden of making their own case to appeal.

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