Annual Report 2001–02

Management and accountability PDF (376kb)

< Corporate governance > • Enabling our people • Environmental management • External scrutiny • Financial management • Information strategies and technology management • Internal controls • Ministerial and parliamentary services • Partnerships for people • Right payments to the right people • Social Security Appeals Tribunal

Corporate governance

FaCS includes the Child Support Agency (CSA) and, until 30 June 2002, CRS Australia. These two entities within FaCS have distinct governance arrangements that recognise the specialist nature of their business in comparison to the rest of FaCS. Where applicable, these distinct governance and management arrangements are highlighted in this report.

Boards and committees

FaCS Executive Board

FaCS’s Executive Board is an advisory group that helps the Secretary exercise his management responsibilities. This is consistent with Australian National Audit Office recommendations on good practice governance arrangements for Australian Public Service agencies. The board builds strong links across the business of the department, supports integration of FaCS outcomes and enables a high level of collegiate decision-making across the senior executive.

As well as providing strategic leadership, the board considers matters of significant strategic importance and monitors departmental performance against goals in the Strategic Plan. Key outcome areas, including finance, people, communication and budget assist the board by providing regular performance reports.

The FaCS Executive Board meets monthly. The board consists of the Secretary, deputy secretaries, executive directors, the General Manager—Child Support Agency, the Chief Financial Officer and two assistant secretaries on rotation. Centrelink is also represented. The General Manager—CRS Australia ceased to be a member of the Executive Board subsequent to the announcement of the third Howard Ministry in November 2001 and CRS Australia's incorporation into the Department of Health and Ageing.

Board subcommittees

Four committees underpin the work of the board:

The Business and Resource Allocation Committee is responsible for guiding business planning and determining and monitoring resource allocation and expenditure.
The Knowledge and Information Committee sets and monitors key strategies associated with information and knowledge management. This year’s focus has been on document management, management information, developing an enterprise architecture and an integrated non-government organisation funding system, as well as email management improvements. An information technology review subcommittee has the job of making sure that FaCS’s investment in information technology delivers the best return to the organisation.
The Research and Evaluation Committee coordinates strategic decisions about research and evaluation, including funding decisions.
The People Committee provides strategic policy advice on people and organisational development to the executive and the board and makes decisions on operational matters.

A deputy secretary chairs each subcommittee.

Subcommittees reporting to the Secretary

Two Committees report directly to the Secretary:

The Budget Policy Committee considers issues and priorities at key points in the Budget process.
The Risk Assessment and Audit Committee reports directly to the Secretary. Its objectives are to:
— ensure FaCS’s approach to the implementation of its control framework is effective
— provide assurance to the Secretary on the preparation and review of the financial statements of the department.

The Risk Assessment and Audit Committee has one subcommittee, the Protective Security Policy Committee, which may report directly to the Secretary on significant protective security matters that affect FaCS’s operations.

Figure 22 FaCS Committee structure (Text description)

Figure 22 FaCS Committee structure

Integrated governance

FaCS is integrating its governance processes and structures to give staff a clear line of sight between their individual performance and the strategic directions of the organisation.

FaCS—strategy and planning

Work has begun on integrating planning approaches, decision-making structures and performance reporting by standardising processes and linking them using information technology.

The Strategic Plan was reviewed during the year. A revised Strategic Statement and Priorities Plan will be released in the coming year.

Child Support Agency—strategy and planning

The Child Support Agency collaborates closely with other areas of FaCS, contributing extensive knowledge of client and community interests to policy and implementation decisions. The 2001–02 Child Support Agency business plan outlines the clear links to outcomes prescribed to FaCS. The Child Support Agency executive built on its business management framework during 2001–02 to ensure comprehensive corporate governance across CSA.

Business management system

The Child Support Agency is in the final stages of implementing a comprehensive, integrated business management system. This system consists of a series of auditable frameworks for managing clients, resources, corporate governance, service quality and innovation. CSA continues to improve these frameworks.

The client management framework provides a disciplined approach to the management of all operational activities. It includes workload prediction, workforce planning, stream strategy, workload management, team management and coaching. Clients across Australia will benefit from a consistent, quality service.

The resource management framework describes the environment and responsibilities for managing all resources. It has been broken down into separate sub-frameworks covering people, finance, security, telephony, information technology and accommodation and facilities.

The corporate governance framework presents the business management system as a corporate governance tool and outlines CSA’s accountability structure.

The service quality and innovation framework seeks to ensure that all opportunities for improvements in service to clients and the community are maximised through an integrated approach.

CRS Australia—strategy and planning

CRS Australia’s governance framework integrates a three-year corporate plan and an annual business planning cycle. These plans are the basis of operational planning and internal budgeting for CRS Australia divisional and regional offices. A regular reporting cycle is maintained for all business plans.

The CRS Australia performance achievement system, which encompasses individual performance plans for all employees, is also integrated with the business planning cycle to operationalise business objectives with individual performance requirements.

The FaCS business model

The FaCS business model, introduced last year for the implementation of Australians Working Together (AWT), has been broadened to incorporate the key tasks of policy development and ongoing business management. This means that the business model is used for all aspects of FaCS’s business.

This integrated model strengthens FaCS’s quality assurance by providing an effective and consistent business approach. Use of the business model ensures that the right people are involved throughout the process. It provides guidance to staff about standard processes and saves duplication. A range of practical project management tools, standards, guidelines and training is available to support the use of the business model.

Network Management Group

The Network Management Group’s responsibilities include:

setting strategic directions for the state and territory office network and the North Australia Office within the context of FaCS’s business priorities
making decisions about directions, operations and resourcing for the network
managing the network’s input into policy development and implementation.

The group’s members are the Executive Director—Community and Locational, each of the state and territory office managers, and the manager of the North Australia Office.

Work is under way to formalise its roles, responsibilities and accountabilities, particularly in relation to the governance of the department.

More accessible government

FaCS is contributing to the More Accessible Government (MAG) initiative, managed by the Department of Transport and Regional Services. MAG aims to deliver better regional community access to Commonwealth government grant programs and improve grant administration across government agencies. Some of the MAG projects include:

GrantsLINK, a whole-of-government web site that offers links to information on Commonwealth government grants
the Standard Organisation Information form, designed to be used across all Commonwealth government grants programs to achieve a degree of consistency for grant applicants.

Senior management

FaCS—senior management

The two deputy secretaries, Wayne Jackson and Lisa Paul, assist the Secretary in managing FaCS.

The Deputy Secretary—Family and Strategic Policy, Wayne Jackson, works with the following executive directors:

Peta Winzar—Economic and Social Participation
Robyn McKay—Families
Kerry Flanagan—Strategic Framework and Coordination
David Kalisch—Welfare Reform.

The Deputy Secretary—Community and Business Strategy, Lisa Paul, works with the following executive directors and general managers:

Denise Swift—Community and Locational
Barry Wight—Corporate Facilities and Services
Virginia Mudie—Partnership Framework
Cathy Argall—Child Support Agency
Margaret Carmody (A/g)—CRS Australia.

Executive directors are responsible for achieving nominated strategic outcomes. They are responsible for the systemic management of ‘cluster’ outputs and making sure that branches work together to achieve policy interests. Branch outputs support outcome achievements, and clustering of branches around outcomes reflects this. Assistant secretaries and state/territory managers are responsible for managing their branches/offices and delivering particular outputs, including programs and services.

Child Support Agency—senior management

The Child Support Agency operates as a semi-autonomous business unit within FaCS. The General Manager is a member of the FaCS Executive Board.

Figure 23 Child Support Agency top structure (Text description)

Figure 23 Child Support Agency top structure

During 2001–02, the Child Support Agency had around 2600 staff located in 16 metropolitan sites and 22 regional service centres. Child Support Agency staff profiles are in Appendix 8—Staffing overview.

CRS Australia—senior management

CRS Australia’s General Manager, Deputy General Manager (Corporate), Deputy General Manager (Service Delivery) and Chief Financial Officer make up its executive management team. The executive develops, implements and monitors CRS Australia’s strategic directions as articulated in the corporate plan.

Following the federal election in November 2001, the Government announced the transfer of administration of CRS Australia to the Department of Health and Ageing from 1 July 2002. CRS Australia will continue to deliver vocational rehabilitation programs for FaCS under a service level agreement.

Figure 24 CRS Australia organisational structure (Text description)

Figure 24 CRS Australia organisational structure

Strategic Business Group

The Strategic Business Group delivers on operational objectives against the service delivery business plan. The Deputy General Manager (Service Delivery) chairs the group. Its membership comprises all the divisional managers and national managers responsible for service delivery practice and service delivery operations.

Corporate Management Team

The Corporate Management Team delivers on operational objectives against the corporate business plan. The Deputy General Manager (Corporate) chairs the group. Members are the national managers responsible for corporate services and planning and evaluation, and a representative from the human resource and finance management teams.

SES remuneration

FaCS—SES remuneration

All FaCS’s senior executive service (SES) staff have Australian workplace agreements (AWAs) in place.

FaCS’s executive remuneration policy provides for an annual review of SES salaries taking account of the Australian Public Service SES Remuneration Survey published each year.

FaCS’s executive remuneration and performance pay is set out in the Financial statements.

Australian workplace agreements

FaCS (including CSA and CRS Australia) offers AWAs to all SES staff and key non-SES staff. These agreements provide flexible or specially tailored remuneration and conditions. AWAs also are used to recruit or retain specialist staff and/or to recognise particular expertise, additional work responsibility and complexity, or especially valuable individual contributions to FaCS’s outcomes.

See Appendix 8—Staffing overview for more information on AWAs.

Service charters

FaCS—service charter

The FaCS service charter was launched on 2 November 2000. The charter was developed in consultation with the staff of FaCS, advocacy groups, peak bodies, service providers and individuals who deal with FaCS. It helps staff to better understand their roles and responsibilities and sets out the standards of service that people can expect when they have dealings with FaCS.

The charter is being reviewed.

FaCS’s complaints handling mechanism

Under the service charter, FaCS must have a strategy for managing and reporting on feedback and complaints. FaCS must also publish a summary of the complaint data in its annual report and provide this report for the whole-of-government report on service charters.

FaCS’s performance in recording the number and nature of feedback and complaints is improving.

An agency-wide reporting system will be launched in September 2002.

Child Support Agency—service charter

The CSA charter was developed with the assistance of clients, community representatives and staff. It outlines the Child Support Agency’s commitment to provide a quality service, and the responsibilities of clients of the Child Support Agency.

The Child Support Agency’s service ranges from providing information to help clients manage their child support responsibilities through to working out, registering and collecting child support payments. The Child Support Agency wants to provide a high standard of service to all clients.

For information about CSA’s success at the Service Charter Awards for Excellence, see Performance reporting—Output Group 1.3.

Child Support Agency—professionalism index and client satisfaction

The Child Support Agency conducted a professionalism survey in February 2002. Results for this survey remain stable and attributes relating to the personal characteristics of staff (that is, politeness, helpfulness, sincerity and ability to listen) were rated well by clients. This indicates a high level of satisfaction with the service provided.

The Child Support Agency commissioned an external survey to explore client perceptions of what constitutes good and bad service. The resulting report, Qualitative Analysis of Client Perceptions of Service, is being used to identify areas that will improve the delivery of quality client service.

CRS Australia—service charter

The CRS Australia service charter outlines CRS Australia’s commitment to providing high-quality vocational and consultancy services to clients, and details what clients can expect from CRS Australia.

An internal review of the service charter in March 2002 revealed that compliance with service standards is high. Areas of strength include:

provision of an ethical, professional service (98 per cent compliance)
prompt, efficient response to letters, telephone calls, faxes and emails (95 per cent compliance)
a commitment to making informed and objective decisions (95 per cent compliance)
privacy protected and information kept confidential (99 per cent compliance).

An opportunity for improvement exists for the agency to seek its clients’ views more regularly—compliance here is now 80 per cent. Client feedback is now integrated into and handled through improvement activities as identified in business plans.

CRS Australia—quality assurance

External certification assessment against the FaCS quality assurance framework took place in December 2001 and January 2002. Sixteen locations including regional units and divisional offices participated in this assessment.

The auditors noted that CRS Australia has quality management systems and practices in place. In particular, they noted that the agency should identify ways of ensuring opportunities for consumer input into service provision in the broadest sense. In addition, the agency needs to be able to show that it considers and acts on consumer feedback at a more strategic level.

CRS Australia achieved certification in July 2002.

The annual internal and external analysis of quality assurance data provides CRS Australia with a clear indicator of its service capabilities for the year and areas for continuous improvement.

Disability Action Plan

FaCS—disability action plan

The FaCS Disability Action Plan 2001–04, Diversity pays, aims to make considering access and opportunities for people with a disability part of how the department does all its business. This will help it meet its obligations under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 and the Commonwealth Disability Strategy (CDS). The plan sets out what actions FaCS will take as an employer, policy adviser and purchaser to improve access and opportunities for people with disabilities. Progress will be evaluated every 12 months.

In 2001, FaCS assessed how it was going against the CDS performance indicators. While many of the recommended activities were happening, there were no procedures in place to make sure they occurred across FaCS and that they were consistently recorded. Recognising this gap, the department developed the FaCS Disability Action Plan.

Challenges

One of the greatest challenges for FaCS is to raise awareness that accessibility is an issue for all areas of the department. Over the past year, a number of approaches have reinforced this message and made it part of the way the department does business.

For example, the checklist for new budget proposals now prompts areas to consider the impact of their proposed new policy on people with disabilities and to document the process. The Practical Guide to Program Administration, due for release in late 2002, includes a note on how to provide information in alternative formats. This information is also being included in the revised procurement manual.

Checklists and guides on conducting inclusive consultations and considering accessibility in developing new policies and purchasing goods and services have also been developed. They are distributed to each staff member in their copies of the FaCS Disability Action Plan. The guides are included in every new registry file created.

FaCS’s standard contract has also been amended to include a reference to the Disability Discrimination Act and a working group has been set up to establish FaCS service standards for producing material in alternative formats.

Achievement

FaCS received a commendation from the Institute of Public Administration Australia (ACT) for the accessibility of last year’s online annual report. FaCS is proud of this achievement but acknowledges there is much work ahead to ensure accessibility is integrated across all of its business.

The year ahead

Over the next year the focus of the action plan will move to integrating accessibility issues into the formal business planning processes for all areas of FaCS.

Child Support Agency—disability action plan

A key component of the Child Support Agency Workplace Diversity plan is support for staff with disabilities. To that end the Child Support Agency is developing tools for staff and team leaders to support them in accommodating the needs of staff with disabilities. A working party of interested staff has been formed to review career path options for staff with disabilities, including deaf and hearing-impaired staff. The working party has examined the work availability and skill set required within the Child Support Agency for people with disability, the impact and opportunity new technology has on the work of people with disability, and the ability of the Child Support Agency to meet obligations under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992.

CRS Australia—disability action plan

CRS Australia has developed a disability action plan to help it meet its obligations under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 and the Commonwealth Disability Strategy (CDS). The plan is based on the principle that equal access to opportunities for people with disabilities is a right and not a privilege.

The plan aims to consider the needs of people with disabilities in all aspects of the organisation’s business. Three of the five roles identified in the CDS—purchaser, provider and employer—are relevant to CRS Australia operations. The remaining roles (policy adviser and regulator) are not. In 2001–02, CRS Australia assessed its progress against the CDS performance indicators for the three roles (see also Appendix 2—Commonwealth Disability Strategy performance report).

A number of disability strategy-related activities are under way in CRS Australia, including the strategic linking of activities such as meeting requirements of the FaCS certification process and finalising a workplace diversity plan.