DOFA Annual Report


TERM	MEANING

Accounting Centre of Excellence	DOFA's Accounting Centre of Excellence draws together accounting expertise and focuses on keeping DOFA at the forefront of international governance, budgeting and accounting developments.

Accrual	The accounting basis that brings items to account as they are earned or incurred (and not as cash received or paid) and includes them in financial statements in the related accounting period.

Actuary	Mathematician who compiles and uses statistics mainly for insurance and finance purposes.

Agency	Department, executive agency (established under section 65 of the Public Service Act 1999) or statutory agency.

Agency Head	Secretary of a department, head of an executive agency or statutory agency.

Appropriation	Monies set aside by parliament for a particular purpose.

Australian National Audit Office (ANAO)	Assists the Auditor-General by providing an integrated professional Office (ANAO) audit practice that produces audit related products and services to its clients.

Australian Workplace Agreement (AWA)	Individual written agreement between an employer and employee agreement about terms and conditions of employment, made under the Workplace Relations Act 1996.

Benchmarking	Tests functions, particularly efficiency and price of outputs, against a standardised function or set of achievements, to place it in the context of its peers.

Browser	Software application used to locate and display information on the Internet.

Business Group	DOFA comprises seven business groups; General Managers oversee each business group and report to the Secretary of DOFA.

Certified Agreement (CA)	Collective agreements made directly between an employer and a group of employees, or between an employer and a union or unions representing employees.

Competitive Tendering and Contracting (CTC)	Process of contracting out to other organisations the delivery of contracting government activities previously performed by a Commonwealth agency. The activity is submitted to competitive tender, and the preferred provider is selected from bidders by evaluating offers against predetermined selection criteria.

Consultant	Entity (individual, partnership or corporation) engaged to provide professional independent and expert advice or services. A consultancy contract typically defines the nature and purpose of the task to be performed but does not detail how the task is to be performed.

Contractor	A party who agrees to provide supplies or services in accordance with a valid and legal contract.

Corporate Governance	Process of directing and controlling agencies.

Dividend	Payment by an organisation to its shareholders.

e-business	Using the Internet to do business.

Equity	Residual interest in an entity's assets after deducting its liabilities.

e-Solutions Group	DOFA's new business group for managing knowledge in an innovative way.

Federal Government Entry Point	Internet portal for Commonwealth Government information, www.fed.gov.au.

General Manager	General Managers oversee each of DOFA's business groups and report to the Secretary.

Gross Domestic Product (GDP)	Total net value added in an economy.

Internet Portal	Single entry point for accessing information on the world wide web.

Knowledge Management	Organising, sharing and applying knowledge through the support of people and technology.

Management Board	DOFA's peak decision making body, establishes strategic directions and manages overall performance.

Material Agencies	Agencies that in aggregate comprise at least 99 per cent of the general government sector's total assets, liabilities revenue and expenses.

Net Assets	Assets after deducting liabilities.

Non-ongoing Employee	Employee engaged for a specified term or duration of a specified task, or for irregular or intermittent duties (in accordance with the Public Service Act 1999).

OECD	Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development.

Ongoing Employee	Employee engaged on an ongoing basis (in accordance with the Public Service Act 1999).

Outcome-Output	Outcome and output structures reflect an agency's business and enable sound performance reporting to Parliament. Outcomes reflect Government's objectives and priorities and their community impact. Outputs contribute to outcomes, and are specified by price, quantity and quality.

Performance Indicator	Allows an agency's performance to be assessed. Targets are set in May and reported against at the end of the next financial year.

Return on Net Assets	Earnings before interest and tax Assets minus liabilities

The New Tax System	On 1 July 2000, Australia implemented a new tax system, including cutting personal income tax and increasing government benefits, introducing a GST and abolishing wholesale sales tax, and introducing Pay As You Go tax instalments and abolishing provisional tax.

Vertigan Review	Dr Michael Vertigan's review of the first accrual Budget in 1999.

Web site	A site (location) on the world wide web.

Work and Home Life Balance Programme	Allows staff to achieve high performance within a supportive, flexible and safe environment, while maintaining a healthy balance between work and home.