AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL AUDIT OFFICE (ANAO) REPORTS

As a central agency, Finance was referred to in a large number of ANAO reports for 2000–01. The following list includes reports in which Finance was directly involved or where recommendations were directed specifically at Finance:

Audit Report No. 3: Environmental Management of Commonwealth Land—Follow-up Audit (tabled 31 July 2000).

Audit Report No. 13: Certified Agreements in the Australian Public Service (tabled 4 October 2000).

Audit Report No. 19: Management of Public Sector Travel Arrangements—Follow-up Audit (tabled 4 December 2000).

Audit Report No. 46: ATO Performance Reporting under the Outcomes and Outputs Framework (tabled 6 June 2001).

Audit Report No. 9: Implementation of Whole-of-Government Information Technology and Infrastructure Consolidation and Outsourcing Initiative (tabled 6 September 2000).
This audit reviewed the implementation of the Whole-of-Government Information Technology Infrastructure Consolidation and Outsourcing Initiative (IT Initiative). The objectives of the audit were to examine the administrative and financial effectiveness of the implementation of the IT Initiative, focusing on the first four tenders conducted. Finance coordinated a whole-of-government response to the ANAO report.

Audit Report No. 15: Agencies' Performance Monitoring of Commonwealth Government Business Enterprises (tabled 9 November 2000).
This audit examined the monitoring by the Department of Finance and Administration and relevant Portfolio Departments of GBEs since 1 July 1997, against the requirements of the Governance Arrangements for Commonwealth GBEs and relevant legislation.

The audit report reflects positively on the administration of the current Governance Arrangements with no material issues of non-compliance. The report notes that the current GBE governance framework represents a marked improvement on previous systems.

Audit Report No. 38: The Use of Confidentiality Provisions in Commonwealth Contracts (tabled 24 May 2001).
This audit assessed, amongst other subjects, agencies' use of confidentiality clauses in contracts and the effectiveness of existing accountability and disclosure arrangements for the transparency of Commonwealth contracts.

Finance was interviewed as part of the audit, but did not formally respond to the ANAO's final report, noting that the Department would provide a formal response to the Senate Finance and Public Administration References Committee report on Accountability to the Senate in Relation to Government Contracts.