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Chief Operating Officer Group

Chief Financial Officer Division

First Assistant Secretary: Michael Burton
Phone: (02) 6215 3518

Chief Financial Officer Division provides cost effective, timely and reliable delivery of financial and business services, through innovative, practical, and responsible solutions, that drive improved organisational performance.

Financial Services Branch

Assistant Secretary: Andrew Harvey
Phone: (02) 6215 3825

Financial Services Branch (FSB) contributes towards the outcomes of the Department by providing reliable and timely financial information that supports decision making and seeks to drive improved organisational performance.  The key products and services of FSB are as follows:

• Reporting, covering: monthly management and financial reporting, financial statements, general ledger management and accounting policy.
• Budgets, covering: capital planning, external and internal budgeting, review of new initiatives, major reforms, business planning and small agency monitoring.
• Procurement Advice and Financial Policy, covering: advice and clearance of procurement processes as well as CEI/FMA policy matters.
• Strategic Support, covering: integration and project management of key process improvement initiatives, continuous improvement, communication, training and professional development.
• Group Financial Advice, covering: preparation of Group budgets and costings, Certificate of Compliance, advice to Business Groups on financial performance, accounting journals and the development of ad hoc and tailored Business Group specific reports.
  

Financial Operations Branch

Acting Assistant Secretary: Alison Eager
Phone: (02) 6215 3539

Financial Operations Branch contributes towards the outcomes of the Department by ensuring reliable and accurate financial information is recorded in our financial systems through robust processes encompassing:

• Financial Operations, covering: accounts processing, payroll, cash flow and appropriation management, banking, expenses, petty cash, credit cards, taxation, asset management and journals.
• Systems Administration, covering: management of the Department’s financial management system, SAP and other supporting systems such as the iCMS expense management system.
• SAP Remediation Project.

Business Services Branch

Assistant Secretary: Daryl Wight
Phone: (02) 6215 3021

The Business Services Branch manages the provision of a number of services required for the successful functioning of the Department. These services are either delivered in-house or through contractual arrangements with outsourced suppliers and include:

• office services
• records management
• property and accommodation
• departmental physical and personnel security arrangements

Shared Services Project

Assistant Secretary: Michael Nelson
Phone: (02) 6215 3642

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Chief Information Officer Division

First Assistant Secretary: Michael Burton (Acting)
Phone: (02) 6215 3518

The Chief Information Officer Division is responsible for the supply of cost effective, innovative and practical IT solutions to Finance's Business Groups.

IT Services Branch

Assistant Secretary: Brett Quester
Phone: 02 6215 2352

IT Services Branch is responsible for the provisioning and delivery of the departmental ICT infrastructure and services.  This includes the day-to-day support and management of ICT operations using industry best practice standard framework. The following key services of the branch including:

• IT Service Desk
• IT education, communication and training
• ICT security management and technical advice
• ICT disaster recovery and service continuity planning
• ICT problem, change and release management
• ICT procurement, business relationship and client management
• ICT architecture and future capabilities
• Management of the Department's outsourced ICT provider contracts
• Telephone provisioning

Business Applications Services Branch

Assistant Secretary: Paul Stokoe
Phone: (02) 6215 1706

Business Applications Services Branch provides applications development, support and IT governance services to Finance, through:

• Developing and implementing new business application systems, through the provision of services including project management, business analysis, design, build, testing and database administration
• Maintaining and supporting the Department's existing business applications
• Developing and maintaining IT policies and methodologies
• Developing and maintaining Finance's IT Strategic Plan
• Providing support to the Finance IT Governance Committee and other IT project governance fora 

Government Financial Systems Branch

Assistant Secretary: Chris Markovitch
Phone: (02) 6215 2502

Government Financial Systems Branch is responsible for the management, development, support and operations of the Central Budget Management System (CBMS) and the Accrual Information Management System (AIMS) which are used to facilitate the Government’s budget, financial reporting and cash management processes.

The key services of the Branch are as follows:

• CBMS Service Desk which provides a single point of contact for CBMS and AIMS support matters, including user access, incident management, and usage assistance
• Communications and training for CBMS
• Business Support – provides subject matter expertise and support to the CBMS user community
• Operations Management – covering system and environment management and technical support
• Product development – covering identification, design, development and testing of new functionality, system changes and enhancements
• Common Information Tree (CIT) Administration Unit - administers the various policy and economic type classifications that are applied to the CBMS Chart of Accounts

Corporate Services Division

First Assistant Secretary: Colin Plowman
Phone: (02) 6215 2575

Portfolio Coordination and Communications Branch

Assistant Secretary: Clive Hawkins
Phone: (02) 6215 3929

The Portfolio Coordination and Communications Branch contributes to the achievement of the Department's outcomes by providing a general coordination, liaison and advisory function across the Department and the Portfolio on issues. The Branch also is responsible for initiatives designed to build the capability of the organisation by improving access to departmental information online, including:

• legislation bids
• Cabinet scheduling
• general ministerial support
• communications and marketing
• management and development of Finance's intranet and internet sites
• preparation of portfolio budget bids
• media and issues management
• Senate Estimates coordination

In supporting our Ministers, the Branch also provides a central coordinating and policy role for Finance and other agencies in the Portfolio.

Legal Services

Assistant Secretary: Stephen Taylor
Phone: (02) 6215 3160

The Legal Services Branch reports directly to the General Manager and provides the Department of Finance and Deregulation with in-house legal advice and assistance including on:

• commercial and public law matters,
• assistance in the management of litigation,
• drafting commercial and other instruments; and
• co-ordination of FOI and Finance Legislative Instruments.

Also, in consultation with their Business Group clients, they arrange for legal advice and assistance to be provided by Finance's panel of external legal service providers (the Legal Panel).

Legal Expenditure for 2009-2010 PDF version [ 180 KB]

Legal Expenditure for 2009-2010 RTF version [ 343 KB]

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HR Services

Acting Assistant Secretary: Jane Miles
Phone: (02) 6215 3905

HR Shopfront
Phone (02) 6215 3937

The Human Resources (HR) Services Branch delivers a range of in-house Human Resource services to the department including:

• Recruitment & Payroll Services
• Advice and support on Employee Relations and Conditions
• Occupational Health and Safety services
• Strategic HR including Workforce planning and the Graduate program
• Administration of the Human Resource Management Information System Aurion
• Contract management for external HR service providers
• Advice and support on HR policy and programs
• Management and provision of learning and development opportunities

For more information, feel free to contact the friendly staff at the HR Shopfront

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