Chapter 3
Australian Crime Commission performance measurement
3.1
This chapter considers the ACC's performance against the outcomes found
in the Portfolio Budget Statements (PBS) and the ACC's new Key Performance
Indicators (KPIs). It examines the measurement tools utilised to inform the
KPIs and to track performance over time. The committee notes that 2013-14 marks
the first year of the assessment of the ACC's work against the new KPIs.
Portfolio Budget Statements
3.2
The ACC is required, by the Attorney-General Department's PBS, to
contribute to outcomes that are intended results, impacts or consequences of
actions by the government on the Australian community:
Commonwealth programs are the primary vehicle by which
government agencies achieve the intended results of their outcome statements.
Agencies are required to identify the programs that contribute to government
outcomes over the budget and forward years.[1]
Outcome 1
3.3
The PBS indicates that the ACC's outcome requires:
Reduced serious and organised crime threats of most harm to
Australians and the national interest including through providing the ability
to understand, discover and respond to such threats.[2]
3.4
The PBS notes the ACC's approach to this outcome:
The ACC's strategic approach of discovering new and emerging
threats, understanding them more deeply, prioritising against the highest
threat and initiating preventative or disruptive responses with its partners,
will direct the allocation of resources and ACC capabilities to the serious and
organised crime threats of most harm to Australians and the national interest.
Core elements of the ACC’s strategy include providing national strategic advice
on serious and organised crime threats and coordinating and participating in
national responses with its partners. A highly developed understanding of the
threats posed by serious and organised crime will underpin the ACC's provision
of specialised criminal intelligence capabilities and will focus response
strategies on targets that pose the highest risk to Australians. The ACC will
specifically focus on two core areas—building capability and working with
partners—to deliver its outcomes and guide internal strategy development.[3]
New Key Performance Indicators
3.5
The annual report notes that this is the first year of the ACC reporting
against its new KPIs, as part of the ACC's Strategic Plan 2013–18. The annual
report states:
[The ACC] expect to further develop our ability to capture
and report on our performance in both qualitative and quantitative terms and to
build relevant comparisons over the coming years.[4]
3.6
In this regard the committee notes that the performance audit report
from the Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) titled Development and
Implementation of Key Performance Indicators to Support the Outcomes and
Programs Framework emphasised the importance of an 'appropriate mix of
qualitative and quantitative KPIs including targets against which progress
towards program objectives could be assessed'.[5]
The ANAO noted that a tendency to rely on qualitative KPIs reduces the ability
of an agency to measure the results of program activities over time. Whereas:
A mix of effectiveness KPIs, that place greater emphasis on
quantitative KPIs and targets, would provide a more measurable basis for
performance assessment.[6]
3.7
The ANAO argued that because KPIs are statements of the pre‐defined and expected
impacts of a program, it is important that they are:
-
specific—so as to focus on those results that can be attributed
to the particular intervention/program;
-
measurable—include quantifiable units or targets that can be
readily compared over time;
-
achievable—realistic when compared with baseline performance and
the resources to be made available;
-
relevant—embody a direct link between the program’s objective and
the respective effectiveness KPI; and
-
timed—include specific timeframes for completion.[7]
3.8
The committee notes the inclusion of the new key performance indicators
in this annual report. The new KPIs for the ACC are as follows:
-
the ACC produces useful intelligence that identifies and provides
insights on new and emerging serious and organised crime threats;
-
the ACC fills intelligence gaps through the identification of
vulnerabilities and indicators of serious and organised crime;
-
the ACC collects and maintains national intelligence holdings of
serious and organised crime threats and targets;
-
the ACC interprets and analyses national holdings to create a
national serious and organised crime intelligence picture;
-
the ACC informs and influences hardening of the environment against
serious and organised crime;
-
the ACC influences or enables the disruption, disabling or
dismantling of serious and organised crime; and
-
the ACC participates in or coordinates collaboration in joint
investigations and operations to prevent and disrupt serious and organised
crime.[8]
3.9
As in previous years, the ACC falls within Program 1.1.1 of the broader
Attorney-General’s Portfolio Budget Statement 2013-14.[9]
The committee has not reproduced all of the measures within each KPI, but has selected
notable highlights that are demonstrative of the ACC's work and effectiveness
against each KPI.
3.10
The ACC again managed and conducted its annual stakeholder research for a
second time in 2013-14. The annual report notes that the survey results for 2013-14
will provide a baseline for stakeholder satisfaction against the new KPIs that
will assist the measurement of their performance in future.[10]
The results from aspects of this year's stakeholder survey are included below.
KPI 1 - Producing useful intelligence
that identifies and provides insights on serious and organised crime
3.11
The first KPI requires the ACC produce useful intelligence that can
identify and provide insight on new and emerging serious and organised crime
threats.[11]
The ACC has contributed towards this KPI through numerous achievements,
including:
-
producing over 60 intelligence reports; and
-
identifying and producing intelligence on money laundering,
illicit enterprises, foreign fighters, visa migration fraud and significant
crime targets.[12]
3.12
The annual report notes that 93 per cent of stakeholders agreed or
strongly agreed that the ACC achieved this KPI.[13]
KPI 2 – Fills intelligence gaps
through the identification of vulnerabilities and indicators of serious and
organised crime
3.13
KPI 2 requires the ACC to fill intelligence gaps through the
identification of vulnerabilities and indicators of serious and organised
crime.[14]
The ACC worked towards this criterion through:
-
producing an assessment on 3D printing technology and serious and
organised crime, with attention on alternative anonymous currencies; and
-
developing insights into criminal methodologies used by high risk
crime groups in relation to illegal labour hire.[15]
3.14
The annual report notes that 89 per cent of the ACC's stakeholder survey
agreed or strongly agreed that the ACC achieved this KPI.[16]
KPI 3 – Collects and maintains
national holdings of serious and organised crime threats and targets
3.15
KPI 3 requires the ACC to collect and maintain national holdings of
serious and organised crime threats and targets.[17]
The ACC contributed towards this KPI through:
-
maintaining the National Criminal Target List and the Australian
Criminal Intelligence Database and conducting 263 coercive examinations;
-
maintaining 1.8 million firearm transaction records;
-
responding to requests for information from international and
domestic partners with 114 disseminations of intelligence; and
-
compiling national illicit drug data and provided a shared
understanding of serious and organised crime threats.
3.16
The annual report notes that 96 per cent of respondents to the ACC's
stakeholder survey agreed or strongly agreed that the ACC met this KPI.[18]
KPI 4 – Interprets and analyses
national holdings to create a national serious and organised crime intelligence
picture.
3.17
KPI 4 requires the ACC to interpret and analyse its data to create
intelligence products for the wider law enforcement community, including the
Organised Crime Risk Assessment and the Illicit Drugs Data Report, both of
which are discussed in further detail in Chapter 4. Additionally, the ACC worked
towards this KPI through its production of numerous products, including:
-
Strategic assessments on illicit tobacco, superannuation fraud,
submissions to parliamentary inquiries; cannabis markets;
-
Contribution to the review of AML/CTF regime review;
-
Development of intelligence pictures on financial crime impacting
the Commonwealth (Project Wickenby);
-
Identification of money laundering schemes by high risk criminal
targets;
-
Production of intelligence on the national crystal
methylamphetamine and organised crime and sport links; and
-
Shared 2164 intelligence products with 254 agencies.[19]
3.18
The annual report notes that 91 per cent of the ACC's stakeholders agreed
or strongly agreed that the ACC had achieved KPI 4.[20]
KPI 5 – Informs and influences the
hardening of the environment against serious and organised crime
3.19
KPI 5 requires the ACC to inform and influence the hardening of the
environment against serious and organised crimes. The ACC contributed towards
this KPI in 2013-14 through:
-
supporting a stronger alternative money remittance sector and
regulatory responses;
-
reducing vulnerabilities to organised investment fraud;
-
identifying legislative gap in relation to drug analogues;
-
engaging with chemical companies to identify potential diversions
of chemicals;
-
supporting the development of strategies to mitigate serious and
organised crime risks to Australia Post; and
-
informing policy and program design through the work of the
National Indigenous Intelligence Task Force.[21]
3.20
The annual report notes that 83 per cent of stakeholders surveyed agreed
or strongly agreed that the ACC had achieved KPI 5.[22]
KPI 6 – Influences or enables the
disruption, disabling or dismantling of serious and organised crime
3.21
KPI 6 requires the ACC to influence or enable the disruption, disabling
or dismantling of serious and organised crime.[23]
In 2013-14 the ACC has:
-
Disrupted 39 serious and organised criminal groups or networks;
-
Seized $23.03 million in cash, $386 million estimated street
value of illicit drugs and more than $132 million precursor chemicals;
-
Restrained more than $150 million in assets;
-
Assisted in the issuing of $81.5 million tax assessments and the
arrests of 371 people on 617 charges;
-
Seized 84 firearms and referred 130 entities to the Criminal
Assets Confiscation Taskforce with an estimated value of $166 million.[24]
3.22
The annual report notes that 83 per cent of respondents to the ACC's
survey agreed or strongly agreed that the ACC had achieved KPI 6.[25]
KPI 7 – participates in or
coordinates collaboration in joint operations and investigations to prevent and
disrupt serious and organised crime
3.23
KPI 7 requires the ACC to participate in or coordinate collaboration in
joint operations and investigations to prevent and disrupt serious and
organised crime.[26]
The ACC worked towards this KPI through its leadership or participation in:
-
Attero Task Force (Rebels outlaw motorcycle gang);
-
Australian Gangs Intelligence Coordination Centre/Project Legion;
-
Criminal Assets Confiscation Taskforce (proceeds of crime
recovery);
-
Eligo National Task Force (money laundering);
-
Maritime task forces;
-
National Indigenous Intelligence Task Force;
-
Project Advection (foreign fighters—national);
-
Project Alysse (criminal exploitation of Australia post);
-
Project Birsham (analytical support for Operation Sovereign
Borders);
-
Project Chives (organised crime and visa migration fraud);
-
Project Conway (high risk crime targets—Qld, NSW);
-
Project Cumulus (identity crime and card skimming);
-
Project Latchkey (high risk crime targets—Tas);
-
Project Tallowwood (cyber and new technology crime);
-
Project Tricord (high risk crime targets—WA);
-
Project Wickenby (nationally significant tax fraud);
-
Protect Lightfoot (foreign fighters—Qld); and
-
Task Force Gallilee (investment fraud).[27]
3.24
The annual report notes that 91 per cent of the ACC's stakeholder
respondents agreed or strongly agreed that the ACC had met KPI 7.[28]
Committee view
3.25
The committee appreciates the ongoing complexity of the new qualitative
KPIs that the ACC has developed, and acknowledges that some of the ACC's work
remains unquantifiable.
3.26
In its previous report the committee noted that the ACC planned to
include information on progress made towards establishing qualitative and
quantitative KPIs. The committee is concerned that in 2013-14, no quantitative
KPIs have been developed, and notes that the ANAO has highlighted the
importance of agencies having an appropriate mix of qualitative and
quantitative KPIs.
3.27
The committee notes the high levels of satisfaction expressed in the
stakeholder survey. However, the committee is not convinced that the new KPIs
provide a more measureable basis for performance assessment, noting that this
year was their first full year of use by the ACC.
3.28
As noted last year, the committee expects that the performance results
of the ACC will be measureable over time, and encourages the ACC to examine
whether the KPIs are instructive, and achieve and appropriate mix between
qualitative and quantitative indicators. The committee will continue to examine
the performance of the ACC against the new KPIs in the ACC's next annual report.
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