Corporate Plan 2020–21


 Corporate plan 2020-21 (PDF 432kb)

The 2020–21 Corporate Plan for the Department of the Senate, which covers the period 2020–21 to 2023–24, is published to meet the requirements of paragraph 35(1)(b) of the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013.

From the Clerk

I tend to start these overviews by observing that the role and aims of the Senate department remain constant, although the context of our work is dynamic. This is perhaps more pertinent in 2020 than ever, given Australia's still-evolving response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the unpredictable trajectory of that crisis. Quite apart from the tragic consequences of the virus for so many in the community, public health imperatives have recast our social interactions around unfamiliar risks and rewritten the rules on working together. It seems certain that these factors will have longterm consequences for the operations of the Senate and parliamentary committees, and for the way we support them.

The pandemic introduced a stop-start element to the sittings in the early part of the year and unpredictability to future sittings. It also necessitated the adoption of new approaches to much of our work. This has included rapid adjustment to working from home, where practical, and the introduction of new technologies and new approaches to teams collaborating and keeping in touch. We proposed and managed procedural changes for the Senate itself, and changed our chamber support processes to minimise the risk of transmission. Similarly, our staff have been involved in implementing public health advice on hygiene practices and social distancing in their own work. A great deal of time and effort has been directed to reconfiguring our parliamentary education processes, to focus on virtual outreach programs for dispersed groups of students and to reset onsite experiences to meet distancing advice.

Responding to the pandemic has also introduced wholesale changes to the operations of parliamentary committees, requiring staff to adjust numerous aspects of their work. The most obvious effect has been the move to videoconferencing. The Senate first authorised its committees to meet "by electronic communication" more than 2 decades ago, however it has been rare until now for committees to meet with multiple senators and witnesses participating remotely. This is now the predominant means by which committees are taking evidence, and is now being implemented for Senate proceedings. We have supported, and been appreciative of, the efforts of our colleagues in DPS to scale up the parliament's capacity to operate this way. However, there have been significant logistical challenges in organising so many virtual hearings and ensuring they run smoothly. At the same time, tentative moves to reinstate interstate hearings and site visits, which have long been a common aspect of committee work, have also brought additional logistical complexity, not least because of travel restrictions applicable to senators and secretariat staff and the need for social distancing in hearing venues. Each of these developments have added significantly to the work of our secretariats.

Stepping away from those matters, the other most significant factor currently affecting our work flows from the continuing elevated demand for the services we provide. There is a large degree of variability in the demand for the advice and support we provide. Some of this is driven by broadly predictable cycles in the parliamentary calendar, which play out over three years. These can be sketched as a lull in legislative and committee activity over an election period, ramping up over the first few months of a new parliament; a busy second year, with often intense levels of activity and demand for our services, tailing off in the third year as the next election looms. These cycles map imperfectly to financial years, but help us to estimate the resources – in essence, the complement of staff – required to meet forecast levels of activity.

The current session – the 46th Parliament – began, unusually, with three sitting weeks in July 2019, and a rapid escalation of parliamentary and committee activity to match the elevated levels seen in recent years. An element of this, indicative of the demand for our services, was the appointment last year of eight Senate and three joint select committees. Select committees are committees of members and senators that sit outside the Parliament's established committee system. For many years, there was an agreement among parties in the Senate that no more than 3 or 4 select committees would operate at any one time. The average number running concurrently in the 45th Parliament was 5. The department is currently supporting twice that number.

The department has generally sought to absorb support for select committees within its standing committee secretariats. This is not possible when large numbers of select committees run concurrently, without affecting the level of support available to legislation and references committees. To that end, the President obtained the endorsement of the Senate Appropriations, Staffing and Security Committee to seek additional funds for committee secretariats. The outcome of that bid will not be known until the Budget is handed down in October, complicating the task of providing secretariat support in the meantime.

Needless to say, the demand for our services and the vicissitudes of COVID-19 are largely beyond our control. Planning in this context poses a range of challenges, for which the tonic remains a focus on purpose. With this in mind, it is worth reciting the key objectives of the Senate department. We provide the secretariat to the Senate and to dozens of parliamentary committees. We succeed when they are able to meet in accordance with their decisions, and when senators and others have the advice and support they require to participate in those meetings. The specialist advice and support we provide relies, as ever, on the capabilities of our staff. From this flows another constant for the department: our aims of recruiting well and supporting the development and well-being of our staff.

Each year this plan draws together the threads of our governance. It outlines the department's unique place in the machinery of government, our approaches to measuring performance and maintaining the capability of our staff, and to analysing and mitigating the risks against which our work is undertaken. The factors discussed above will significantly influence our planning and risk management, how we support our staff, and how we do our work. No doubt, when we report on our performance next year, we will have more to say about the adaptability required to navigate them, of the resilience of our people and teams, and also of the lasting innovations they have driven.

Richard Pye
Clerk of the Senate

The Senate secretariat

The Senate department is the secretariat to the Australian Senate. All of our functions derive from this purpose and our work is substantially driven by the requirements of the Senate and senators.

We provide the secretariat to the Senate – enabling its legislative and accountability activities – and to dozens of parliamentary committees, whose work encompasses the Senate's scrutiny functions and its exercise of Parliament's broad investigative powers. In doing so, we provide expert, impartial advice about Senate and committee operations, encompassing their powers, privileges and immunities, and reflecting well over a century of procedural precedent.

With our colleagues from across the Parliamentary Service we also provide specialised advice and logistical support to senators so they may undertake their duties. We publish the Senate's records, and produce an array of information resources so that people may understand and engage in its work. These public information activities enhance the transparency of government and, by contributing to a better-informed electorate, promote Australia's democracy.

Our capacity to meet the needs of senators and the Senate rests on our people. Among our key objectives are to recruit well and to enhance the skills and knowledge of our staff through targeted learning and development activities, and by mentoring them in the specialised work we undertake.

We strive to ensure adherence to public governance and accountability requirements, and to meet our accountability obligations to the Senate and senators. Our work supports an institution that performs a key role in maintaining the accountability of the executive, so we are particularly mindful of the need to meet the highest standards of probity. Moreover, our daily interaction with senators provides a constant performance measure.

We succeed in our purpose when the Senate and its committees meet in accordance with their decisions and when senators and others receive their advice and support they need to participate in these meetings. The mechanisms by which we deliver and assess our services are detailed below.

Program delivery

In planning terms, the department's purpose is expressed as a single outcome – to provide advisory and administrative support services to enable the Senate and senators to fulfil their representative duties and exercise the legislative power of the Commonwealth.

These services are delivered through a single program.

Program 1

Advice and support – Secretariat support for the Senate and its committees, and advice and support to enable senators and others to participate in their meetings.

Delivery

The department's outcome is delivered under a single program, comprising services and activities in the following areas:

  • Advice about Senate and committee proceedings
  • Secretariat support for the Senate
  • Secretariat support for committees
  • Administrative advice and support for senators
  • Public information and parliamentary education
  • Capability, governance and accountability.

Assessment

Senators (and others) have the advice and support they require to participate in meetings of the Senate and its committees.

The department's activities enable the Senate and its committees to meet in accordance with their decisions.

Senators are satisfied with the administrative advice and support they receive from the department.

Public information about the work and role of the Senate and its committees and parliamentary education programs are current and accessible to all.

Further information about the department’s performance framework is summarised under the heading Performance.

Structure and roles

The department is responsible to the Senate through the President of the Senate, Senator the Hon. Scott Ryan. The administrative head of the department is the Clerk of the Senate, Mr Richard Pye.

To achieve our purpose, the department is structured into seven offices. Their roles and responsibilities are set out in the department's annual work plans and are summarised below:

Department of the Senate organisation chart

The Parliament’s website contains further information about the department’s corporate structure and functions.

Environment

The department occupies a unique place in the machinery of government in supporting the Senate; an independent House of Parliament established by the Australian Constitution.

Our work is determined by the Senate and its committees. The character of our work reflects the constitutional role of the Senate as a constituent part of the Parliament, in which the legislative power of the Commonwealth is vested. Our day-to-day tasks have evolved along with the processes the Senate has developed for scrutinising government policies, operations and legislative proposals.

The department is responsible, not to the government of the day, but to the Senate and all senators, and maintains complete impartiality in serving equally senators from all political parties and independent senators. Our approach and values arise from the need to provide non-partisan advice and support to each senator, to each committee on which senators serve and to the Senate as an institution.

The department is subject to the same financial pressures faced by other public sector agencies. The need for innovative, productive responses to the impact of efficiency dividends on budgets and changing expectations of senators pose particular challenges. These challenges can be particularly pressing because there is no intrinsic connection between the demand for the department's services and the resources for their delivery.

Finally, in addition to working within the constitutional framework and standing orders of the Senate, we work in accordance with the public governance and accountability arrangements set out in the PGPA Act and other legislation in so far as they apply to the parliamentary departments.

Collaboration

The department is one of four departments of the parliamentary service established under the Parliamentary Services Act 1999, the others being the Department of the House of Representatives, the Department of Parliamentary Services (DPS) and the Parliamentary Budget Office.

While our perspectives necessarily differ, we work collaboratively with our colleagues to service and support the parliament. To achieve this, the department adheres to the guiding objectives of the Strategic Plan for Parliamentary Administration, namely:

  • providing services and support to enable the Houses and their committees to function effectively
  • ensuring parliamentarians are supported in their work today and we are responsive to the future
  • enhancing engagement in the work of the Parliament
  • ensuring Australian Parliament House operates as a safe and accessible workplace and national institution, and
  • enhancing our capability as an independent, non-partisan and professional parliamentary service.

The department participates in a range of interdepartmental committees through which the parliamentary departments coordinate common and joint activities. Chief among these are quarterly meetings of the heads of the four parliamentary departments; the Parliamentary Administration Advisory Group; the Security Management Board; the Parliamentary ICT Advisory Board (and its subordinate ICT committees); and numerous boards managing joint projects and endeavours such as the implementation of the Parliament's Reconciliation Action Plan.

Capability

Our capability to provide the highest standards of advice and support to senators, the Senate and its committees is founded upon the knowledge, skill, motivation and professionalism of our staff.

 

It is supported by our learning and development framework; our approach to workforce planning and recruitment; our priorities in negotiating and implementing employment frameworks; and effective governance structures.

Although difficult to measure, the goal here is institutional continuity. The achievement of this goal lies in the recruitment of exceptionally capable staff, in numbers commensurate with workload and within budgetary constraints; the provision of ongoing staff training and support; and the production of authoritative procedural guides and reference works. A renewed focus on the health and well-being of our staff has been an evolving priority over the past two years, with the release of a strategy in May 2019. Together these strategies maintain a continuous focus on our capacity to advise and support senators.

We uphold the values set out in the Parliamentary Service Act 1999, which are embedded into our systems, practices, procedures and culture, and support our relationship with the Parliament and public. These place the highest value on impartial service to the institution of Parliament. They are essential to the department's performance and support good administration. Our values also underpin our relationships and behaviour and establish the way work is completed.

In the period of this plan and into the future, there will be continued investment in the development of our critical capabilities to deliver effective services to the Senate. There will be a continued focus on procedural and legislative support and mentorship of the staff involved. Strong and supportive working relationships, knowledge sharing and the effective capture of corporate knowledge through strong record keeping are key elements in the continuing evolution of the management team and staff and ongoing succession planning.

Information technology

ICT and administrative systems underpin our ability to support the Senate, committees and senators, and to produce and share information about their work. The department is constantly looking for innovative ways to deliver services, while maintaining the integrity of the advice and support provided.

The support for our systems is largely provided by the Department of Parliamentary Services. The risk of ICT problems interrupting the core work of the Senate is shared with DPS and mitigated through service agreements with DPS, business continuity planning, participation in user groups and management committees, and strategic oversight through the Parliamentary ICT Advisory Board. The parliamentary departments have in place an ongoing annual formal assurance process of the services provided.

In 2020–21 and beyond, the department is looking to:

  • continue project work to enhance the publishing systems used in the Table, Procedure and Committee offices
  • promote cyber security awareness among staff, in line with DPS initiatives
  • contribute to the strengthening of the ICT Governance arrangements and the development and implementation of strategic roadmaps, and
  • strengthen our engagement in and oversight of joint ICT projects managed by DPS.

Assurance and accountability

We strive to deliver services with innovation and efficiency, and to manage risks and resources effectively and accountably. Our services are enabled by our governance and accountability arrangements.

These facilitate the department's work and provide assurance to the Clerk, as its accountable authority, in fulfilling accountability obligations to the Senate, under the Parliamentary Service Act 1999 and under the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013.

The department also works within a strong ethical framework guided by the Parliamentary Service Values, Parliamentary Service Employment Principles and the Parliamentary Service Code of Conduct set out in the Parliamentary Service Act 1999.

Risk oversight and management

Risks to the department may arise from circumstances which introduce uncertainty into its capacity to meet its purpose of providing support services to the Senate. Through our risk management strategies, the department aims to ensure that we have in place robust planning and decision making practices that will sustain the department into the future.

The department has a current risk management framework that is fit-for-purpose and consistent with the Commonwealth Risk Management Policy and the requirements of the PGPA Act. The framework acknowledges that the department's application of the Senate Standing Orders, procedures and the Parliamentary Service Values are the foundation of our risk management practices. The framework also includes an articulation of the department's risk appetite and tolerance, and provides guidance to further embed effective risk management practices throughout the department and to support staff to understand their role in risk management. This framework was reviewed in 2019 and further revisions were made in 2020 to strengthen its relevance and appropriateness.

The main vehicle for the ongoing monitoring and treatment of risks is our strategic risk assessment report which, the department regularly reviews and updates to address any emerging areas of risk. The risk assessment provides a focus for talking about risk and incorporating appropriate mitigation activities in our governance and business processes and is a primary focus of the department's annual internal audit program.

Monitoring of the risk assessment, and other risk related matters, is the responsibility of senior management and the strategies to address the department's key risks are considered at each Program Managers' group meeting. Program Managers regularly report to the Clerk and the department's Audit Committee, which in turn provides advice to the Clerk on the appropriateness of our risk oversight and management.

Key business risks

The following table provides a snapshot of the department's five strategic risk categories at 1 July 2020. The risk ratings are determined after the effective implementation of risk treatment strategies and controls.

Risk Risk strategies and controls Risk rating
Workforce capability1
The risk that the department does not have the skills, capacity or experience to provide the advice and support required.		 The department's Program Managers' group oversees the department's workforce plan and engages in strategic workforce management. The department encourages ongoing learning and development, as well as the rotation of staff, to broaden the skills and experience of staff. Low
ICT operations
The risk of failure of the ICT systems or a cyber-attack, and an inadequate response by the department.		 The department has a memorandum of understanding and service level agreement with the Department of Parliamentary Services for the outsourced delivery of ICT services. Senior staff members of the department sit on key ICT governance boards and steering groups. The department supports Department of Parliamentary Services' initiatives to provide cyber–security education to its staff. Medium
ICT systems and resources
The risk that ICT systems and resources do not adequately support the work of the Senate (or Parliament) and its committees, and long term strategic planning to ensure that appropriate systems and resources are developed for the future is inadequate.		 The department has a memorandum of understanding and service level agreement with the Department of Parliamentary Services for the outsourced delivery of ICT services. The department actively engages in ICT project boards to ensure ICT platforms are fit for purpose and planned ICT development appropriately reflects the needs of the Senate and its committees, and the department. Medium
Management of relationships
The risk that the department fails to maintain productive relationships with:
  • senators and their staff
  • external agencies
  • parliamentary departments
  • the community.
 The department maintains or supports various forums (most significantly, the Standing Committee on Appropriations, Staffing and Security) which provide a conduit for direct communication with the President, office holders and other senators. The department maintains complete impartiality in serving equally senators from all political parties and independent senators. The department works closely with the other parliamentary departments through both formal and informal bodies. The department also engages with the broader Public Service through participation in various forums, including the Chief Risk Officer forum, HR Professional Network and CFO forums. Medium
Governance and accountability
The risk that the department fails to appropriately manage its governance and accountability obligations and financial resources.		 The department's Program Managers' group closely monitors the performance of each function through monthly reporting of key activities to the Clerk. In addition progress against the department's performance indicators is monitored and discussed bi-annually. The department has mature and well-developed accountability frameworks which are regularly reviewed through the department's audit committee and internal audit. Low

Governance forums and activities

The department's capacity to achieve its purpose is supported by effective governance arrangements. These include:

  • advice, support and scrutiny provided by a senior management committee, the Program Managers' Group, chaired by the Deputy Clerk
  • a Workplace Consultative Committee through which formal consultation on workplace relations occurs between the department and staff, and
  • regular reviews of compliance with relevant legislative requirements and obligations, the results of which are articulated to the various governance bodies of the department.

To complement these internal mechanisms, the department's activities are also scrutinised by both an internal audit service provider and the Australian National Audit Office. In addition, to provide relevant independent advice to the Clerk, the department also has an Audit Committee which is led by an external chair. The Audit Committee:

  • reports regularly to the Clerk
  • provides independent written advice to the Clerk on the appropriateness of the department's financial reporting, performance reporting, system of risk oversight and management, and system of internal control, and
  • produces an annual report, which is provided to the President of the Senate and the Appropriations, Staffing and Security Committee as part of the department's accountability arrangements.

We report on the activities and recommendations arising from these forums in our annual reports.

Performance

The department's performance framework focuses on our ability to achieve our purpose. We succeed when the Senate and its committees meet in accordance with their decisions, and when senators and others receive the advice and support needed to participate in these meetings. This Plan describes our approach to measuring success.

Evaluation of the department's performance is based upon the degree to which its services meet the requirements of the Senate and its committees, and senators, principally measured against the following criteria:

These criteria are the cornerstones of all services and activities provided by the department. The mechanisms for measuring performance are described below, under the heading How performance is measured.

Factors influencing demand

The department will also report on the demand for its services. A constant in our planning and reporting has been the recognition that much of the demand for our services shifts in line with levels of Senate legislative and committee activity. Demand is overwhelmingly driven by decisions of the Senate and its committees.

Each year, significant factors include:

  • the political dynamics of the Senate
  • the number of days and hours, and distribution, of the sittings of the Senate
  • the legislative workload of the Senate, and
  • the number of committees, and their workload.

Monitoring and assessment

Workload and deadlines are largely dictated by decisions of the Senate and its committees, so it is not always possible to set specific targets. Assessing performance relies on a measurement of the work undertaken and the feedback received from those who rely on these services.

The department monitors its performance through formal and informal channels. Formally, performance is measured through such tools as outputs from management information systems and seminar evaluation forms. Additional formal processes for assessing senators' satisfaction with our work includes the use of targeted surveys designed to elicit feedback from senators and their offices on specific services, providing both quantitative and qualitative information, on our performance. To improve the level of survey responses, the department has established a benchmark and will use the new electoral cycle to schedule future surveys. Much of the department's work involves contact with senators and their staff, presenting a direct means of eliciting, often informal, feedback about services and performance and an avenue for addressing concerns as they are raised. Senators' comments about the department and its staff, placed on the public record during Senate and committee proceedings, constitute a valuable source of performance information.

The department will undertake an annual case study to illustrate the connection between its work and the activities of the Senate. The results will be included in the annual performance statements.

Performance can also be measured through external scrutiny. Senate committees provide opportunities for senators and others to monitor the department's performance. The Clerk and other officers appear at estimates hearings of the Finance and Public Administration Legislation Committee during each round of Senate estimates. This provides an important accountability mechanism by which senators may test advice provided by departmental officers and evaluate the department's performance in a public forum.

The Appropriations, Staffing and Security Committee also has a specific role in relation to the department's appropriations as well as matters concerning the department's structure, staffing and ICT and security arrangements. Quarterly reports on the department's financial performance are provided to the President of the Senate and the Appropriations, Staffing and Security Committee. The Chairs' Committee typically meets biannually providing an opportunity for those senators who chair Senate committees to give feedback on the advice and services provided by the department.

Finally, it is important to note that the department's performance framework continues to be influenced by consideration of internal audit recommendations, results of better practice assessments and the advice of our audit committee. This framework has and will continue to evolve and mature.

How performance is measured

The department's purpose is achieved through the delivery of its core services, outlined in the department's draft 2020–21 Portfolio Budget Statements and summarised on page 3. These services are demand driven and to demonstrate our success, the department will report on the provision of significant services and the feedback received from those who rely on these services.

The following tables show the measurements and activities that the department will use to demonstrate its performance over the period covered by this plan:

Service and activity
  • Advice about Senate and committee proceedings
  • Secretariat support for the Senate and its committees
PBS performance criteria
  • Senators (and others) have the advice and support they require to participate in meetings of the Senate and its committees
  • The department’s activities enable the Senate and its committees to meet in accordance with their decisions
PBS target
  • Advice and support are consistently sound and timely
  • Secretariat support is provided for all meetings
Key measurements 2020–21 2021–22 2022–23 2023–24
Records of advice provided to senators and others yes yes yes yes
Data on bills and amendment services provided yes yes yes yes
Statistics of secretariat support services provided to the Senate and its committees yes yes yes yes
Demonstration of services provided (via case study)* yes yes
Survey of senators and their staff – services provided by the Table Office* yes yes
Survey of senators and their staff – services provided by the Procedure Office* yes  
Survey of chairs of committees – services provided to Senate committees yes yes  
Informal feedback from senators and others
– satisfaction with:
  • advice and support
  • secretariat support for the Senate and its committees
 yes yes yes yes

* Case studies and surveys are scheduled in accordance with the electoral cycle.

Service and activity
  • Administrative advice and support for senators
PBS performance criteria
  • Senators are satisfied with the administrative advice and support they received from the department
PBS target
  • Advice and support are consistently sound and timely
Key measurements 2020–21 2021–22 2022–23 2023–24
Statistics of the administrative support services provided yes yes yes yes
ICT projects that enhance the administration of the work of the Senate yes yes yes yes
Demonstration of services provided (via case study)* yes yes
Survey of senators and their staff – services provided by the Black Rod’s Office* yes yes  
Informal feedback from senators and others
– satisfaction with administrative advice and support provided by the department		 yes yes yes yes

* Case studies and surveys are scheduled in accordance with the electoral cycle.

Service and activity
  • Public information and parliamentary education
PBS performance criteria
  • Public information about the work and role of the Senate and its committees and Parliamentary education programs are current and accessible to all
PBS target
  • Relevant public information is available as soon as possible following activity and planned education programs are provided
Key measurements 2020–21 2021–22 2022–23 2023–24
Statistics of the Senate information published online yes yes yes yes
Records of parliamentary education services provided by the department yes yes yes yes
Survey of teachers using Parliamentary Education Office services yes yes yes yes
Evaluation of Senate seminars, training programs and lectures yes yes yes yes
Informal feedback from senators and others
– satisfaction with:
  • public information
  • parliamentary education services
 yes yes yes yes
Service and activity
  • Capability, governance and accountability
PBS target
  • All identified accountability obligations to the Senate are met
Key measurements 2020–21 2021–22 2022–23 2023–24
Participation in cross-parliamentary service meetings and forums yes yes yes yes
Record of activity in relation to enhancing the capability of staff yes yes yes yes
Accountability activities to Senate Committees yes yes yes yes
Results of external assessments yes yes yes yes

These key measurements were reviewed in 2019–20.

Reporting

The department's program managers are responsible for maintaining the department's performance information and ensuring there is a clear line of sight from our planned performance, outlined in the department's Portfolio Budget Statements and this plan, through to how we have achieved these performance targets.

The department reports performance to its audit committee biannually. The audit committee uses this information to form an opinion and provide advice to the Clerk on the appropriateness of the department's performance reporting framework.

Formally, the measurement of the department's performance in achieving its purpose is reported in its annual performance statements, included in the department's annual report.

1 Particularly relevant in 2020–21 - the risk that the department does not respond effectively to the COVID-19 pandemic and this affects the department's capacity to provide advice and support.