Whole of Government

APS developments

In 2006–07 there were a number of developments relevant to improving whole of government approaches in the APS.

At a structural level, the Cabinet Implementation Unit (CIU) in PM&C has continued to ensure that major whole of government projects are being planned, monitored and delivered effectively. In October 2006, the ANAO and PM&C published a Better Practice Guide, Implementation of Programme and Policy Initiatives: Making Implementation Matter.³ The guide recognises that many of the Government’s initiatives have a whole of government dimension. It identifies a range of better practice considerations which managers can take into account when implementing a policy or programme initiative.

Finance has continued to implement the Gateway Review Process (Gateway) to assist agencies covered by the Financial Management Act 1997 (the FMA Act) improve their project delivery. Gateway involves short, sharp and confidential reviews at critical points throughout a project’s life, conducted by reviewers not associated with the project. Gateway applies to new information technology projects over $10 million and procurement and infrastructure projects over $20 million in FMA agencies where it is warranted by risk.

As part of Gateway, Finance produces Lessons Learned. Lessons Learned are generic observations emanating from Gateway reviews which highlight opportunities for improvements in project management practice across the APS. The first of these reports is based on reviews conducted in 2006–07 and was issued in August 2007.⁴

In addition to the Gateway review process, on 9 October 2006, the Government agreed to adopt a strategic review framework to assess a selection of government initiatives in respect of their efficiency, effectiveness and continuing alignment with current policy priorities. The framework is intended to establish a more systematic and comprehensive approach to major reviews undertaken by the Government, including examining initiatives across programmes and across agencies. Finance developed the framework in consultation with PM&C and Treasury.

Indigenous affairs continue to be a major focus of whole of government effort in the APS. Whole of government governance arrangements for Indigenous affairs are guided by the Ministerial Taskforce on Indigenous Affairs which is supported by the Secretaries’ Group on Indigenous Affairs and receives advice from the National Indigenous Council. FaCSIA, through the Office of Indigenous Policy Coordination Group, is responsible for leading the development of coordinated whole of government policy and service delivery. Indigenous Coordination Centres (ICCs), which are a FaCSIA responsibility, coordinate the delivery of most of the Australian Government’s Indigenous-specific programmes at the local level.

In October 2007, ANAO released the findings of a performance audit into whole of government Indigenous service delivery arrangements.⁵ ANAO found that the mainstreaming of Indigenous services provided Australian Government departments with the opportunity to develop more integrated solutions to entrenched Indigenous disadvantage. While the report found that implementation of the Government’s policy objective was progressing, it concluded there were opportunities to streamline the administrative arrangements supporting the delivery of services to Indigenous communities and regions. In addition, a stronger collective focus by departments was required on performance against the priorities established by the Government to assess progress being made, and to inform decisions relating to the effectiveness of ongoing administrative arrangements.

The national emergency response to protect Aboriginal children in the Northern Territory, announced in June 2007 by the Prime Minister and the Minister for Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, continues a whole of government approach. A key element of the response is the coordination of interventions involving a number of agencies through a central operational control centre. In addition, Government business managers are being appointed in prescribed townships to manage Australian Government activities and assets.

Effective approaches to collaboration are also important when working with State or Territory government agencies, and are particularly important to the implementation of the COAG agenda. COAG is the peak intergovernmental forum in Australia—its role is to initiate, develop and monitor the implementation of policy reforms that are of national significance and which require cooperative action by Australian governments.

In June 2006, the Prime Minister announced that COAG had been complemented by the COAG Reform Council (CRC). The role of CRC is to monitor progress in implementing National Reform Agenda reforms and to assess the costs and benefits of reforms referred to it unanimously by COAG. COAG has already referred a number of proposals to CRC in the areas of transport, energy and regulation reform—initially for monitoring of progress and, subsequently, for assessment of costs and benefits.

Agencies have reported a wide range of whole of government achievements in 2006–07, including in the areas of the environment, welfare reform, law enforcement, disaster preparedness and service delivery. The effectiveness of the focus on whole of government service delivery is supported by employee survey results, where 57% of service delivery employees believed that cooperation between their agency and other APS agencies had improved their work area’s capacity to tailor service delivery to the needs of clients—a significant increase on last year’s result of 47%.

Whole of Government Achievements in 2006–07

PM&C—Emissions Trading Task Group Report
PM&C chaired and provided secretarial support for the Prime Ministerial Task Group on Emissions Trading. The report of the joint government-business Task Group informed the Prime Minister’s announcement establishing an Australian emissions trading scheme.

Customs—Illegal Foreign Fishing
Customs provided leadership in delivering an enhanced whole of government response to illegal foreign fishing in Australia’s northern waters.

Health—Exercise Cumpston 06
Health tested and improved Australia’s preparedness for responding to an influenza pandemic by conducting exercise Cumpston 06, a ‘whole-of-health system’ exercise simulating the widespread, human-to-human, transmission of a new strain of the influenza virus. The Department worked with other Australian Government agencies, State and Territory governments, medical professional bodies, the private sector and non-government organisations.

DEWR—Welfare to Work
As the lead agency, DeWR played a key role in the successful implementation of the Welfare to Work reforms that came into effect on 1 July 2006. DeWR worked in close consultation with other government agencies, such as Centrelink and DhS, to ensure successful and timely implementation of the new measures, and to monitor their progress.

DVA—Cooperation with Defence
DVA collaborated with Defence to provide serving Defence force members with access to the same range of hospitals as veterans, and established a single access mechanism to reduce the time taken for DVa to access Defence records.

DEW—Climate Change Initiatives
Together with DITR, the Department has completed grant assessments and funding announcements for the first round of the $500 million Low Emissions Technology Demonstration Fund and has funded four new ‘Solar Cities’.

DITR—Regulatory Reform
DITR continued to pursue regulatory reform on a whole of government basis to provide a measurably simpler and less costly business environment. DITR worked with PM&C and Treasury to introduce a new regulatory framework for business regulation. Through the COAG process, the Department achieved agreement on a national system of trade measurement.

AGD—Predicting the Effect of Disasters on Critical Infrastructure
AGD significantly upgraded its ability to accurately predict the impact of a disaster— such as an earthquake, tsunami or terrorist attack—on the nation’s critical infrastructure and the flow-on effects to the Australian economy and community. The Critical Infrastructure Protection Modelling and analysis Programme was developed in conjunction with lead technical partners, Geoscience Australia and the CSIRO, and with the cooperation of the private sector and State, Territory and Australian Government agencies.

DHS—Cross-portfolio Service Coordination
DHS coordinated a cross-portfolio package of 18 measures to reduce health and welfare fraud and improve compliance in the delivery of government services. It also improved customer access to services by developing Family Assistance Office services in Medicare offices.

FaCSIA—Indigenous Affairs
FaCSIA continued to oversee national implementation of the Australian Government’s whole of government arrangements in Indigenous affairs. The June 2007 announcement of a National emergency Response to Protect Aboriginal Children in the Northern Territory has focused the Department’s attention in 2007–08.

Customs—Illicit Drugs
Customs worked closely with the Australian Federal Police, the Australian Crime Commission and other law enforcement agencies to enhance Australia’s response to the threat posed by illicit drugs, particularly the shift to methamphetamines.

3 ANAO and PM&C 2006, Implementation of Programme and Policy Initiatives: Making Implementation Matter, Commonwealth of Australia, Canberra, <http://www.anao.gov.au>

4 Department of Finance and Administration 2007, Gateway Review Process—Lessons Learned, Commonwealth of Australia, Canberra, <http://www.finance.gov.au/gateway/lessons_learned.html>

5 ANAO 2007, Whole of Government Indigenous Service Delivery Arrangements, Performance Audit Report No. 10, 2007–08, Commonwealth of Australia, Canberra, <http://www.anao.gov.au>