Annual Report 2008-09 Glossary and Indexes
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Glossary
| Administrative Arrangements Order | Under the Constitution, the Governor-General, on the advice of the Prime Minister, appoints ministers, establishes Departments of State and formally allocates executive responsibility among ministers through the Administrative Arrangements Order (AAO). The Administrative Arrangements Order is published in the Commonwealth Gazette. It sets out the matters dealt with by each Department of State and the legislation administered by a Minister of State administering a Department. The Administrative Arrangements Order entry for each Department of State covers the principal matters and legislation administered by all agencies (including statutory agencies and executive agencies) within the relevant portfolio. |
| all-hazards | Threats to the national critical infrastructure that can come from a range of sources, including natural disasters, criminal activity, terrorism, espionage/foreign interference, etc. |
| Alternative dispute resolution | A term used to describe a variety of different processes that can help people resolve conflicts and disputes. The word ‘alternative’ is usually understood to mean these processes are an alternative to going to court and having a judge decide the outcome. |
| Australian National Audit Office access clauses | Non-mandatory standard access clauses developed for inclusion within tender documentation and contracts to provide the ANAO, and Australian Government agencies access to information contractors hold, including third party subcontractors for the purpose of audits. |
| AUSASSISTPLAN | The Australian Government Overseas Disaster Assistance Plan for managing Australia’s assistance to overseas countries after disasters. This assistance may be financial, technical or physical. |
| AUSCONPLAN-SPRED | The Australian Contingency Plan for Space Re-Entry Debris plan provides a framework to coordinate the activities of Commonwealth, State and Territory departments/authorities involved in recovering and neutralising any radiological threat arising from re-entry of space debris over Australia and its island territories. |
| backcapture | The process by which legislative instruments that were made before the commencement of the Legislative Instruments Act 2003 are required to be registered on the Federal Register of Legislative Instruments. |
| CobiT standard | An international standard for information technology governance, better practice and audit. |
| COMDISPLAN | The Commonwealth Government Disaster Response Plan that provides the framework for addressing State and Territory requests for Commonwealth physical assistance arising from any type of emergency. |
| ComLaw | The website that provides access to the Federal Register of Legislative Instruments as well as to Acts and other legislative material in a single integrated system. See also SCALEplus. |
| common law | Law derived from custom and judicial precedent (case law) rather than from legislation. |
| competitive tendering | The process of contracting out the delivery of government and contracting activities previously performed by an Australian Government agency to another organisation (outsourcing). The activity is submitted to competitive tender, and the preferred provider of the activity is selected from the range of bidders by evaluating offers against predetermined selection criteria. |
| COMRECEPLAN | The Commonwealth Government Reception Plan details the coordination arrangements for the reception of persons evacuated into Australia following an overseas event. |
| consent determination | A decision by an Australian court (or a recognised State or Territory body) that native title does or does not exist in a particular area of land or waters after the parties have reached an agreement as to the terms of the determination. |
| consultancy contract | A contract that typically defines the nature, purpose and duration of the task to be performed but not (in any detail) the manner in which the task is to be performed by a consultant. The consultant is usually paid on completion of milestones or in a lump sum upon completion of the project. |
| consultancy service | A particular type of service delivered under a contract for services, distinguished from other contracts by the nature of the work performed. Consultancy services involve application of expert professional skills to investigate or diagnose a defined issue or problem, carry out defined research, reviews or evaluations; or provide independent advice, information or creative solutions to help the agency in management decision making. |
| consultant | An entity (whether an individual, a partnership or a corporation) engaged to provide professional independent and expert advice or services. Consultants are not employees of the department and are not paid wages or other employee entitlements. |
| corporate governance | The process by which agencies are directed and controlled. It is generally understood to encompass authority, accountability, stewardship, leadership, direction and control. |
| CrimTrac | Agency responsible for delivering and maintaining national policing information services. |
| cybercrime | An array of criminal activity, including offences against computer data and systems, computer-related offences, content offences and copyright offences. |
| e-commerce | Use of computers and electronic communication networks to do business. |
| e-learning | Learning facilitated and supported through the use of information and communications technology. |
| e-security | Electronic security on the internet. |
| emergency management | Organisations and individuals involved in the prevention, preparedness, response, recovery and management of risk to communities; that is, federal, State and local government authorities, community organisations, volunteers. |
| extradition | Surrender by one country to another of a person for trial on criminal charges or to serve a sentence already imposed for a criminal offence. |
| Federal Register of Legislative Instruments | A mechanism for managing Commonwealth legislative instruments, which provides the public with quick and easy access to legislative instruments and related material through the internet. All Commonwealth rule-making agencies are required to lodge new legislative instruments for registration as soon as practicable after making and to have registered all existing instruments by the end of 2007. See also backcapture |
| GovCERT.au | The Australian Government’s point of contact for foreign governments on computer emergency response issues affecting the national information infrastructure. |
| legislative instrument | A legislative instrument, for the Legislative Instruments Act 2003, covers the following instruments made under a provision of an Act: all regulations, statutory rules, disallowable instruments and proclamations, and any other instrument that is of a ‘legislative character’; that is, it determines a law or lays down a rule, rather than applying to a particular case, and affects privileges, rights, interests or obligations. The legislative character depends on the content of the individual instrument rather than on the provision under which it is made. |
| mitigation | Measures taken in advance of a disaster aimed at decreasing or eliminating its impact on society and the environment. |
| native title | A pre-existing property interest, held communally or individually by Aboriginal peoples and Torres Strait Islanders, which is capable of being recognised by Australia’s common law. Native title can exist over land and waters where Aboriginal people or Torres Strait Islanders maintain traditional laws and customs that give them a connection to the specified area. Native title rights are not ‘granted’ by governments or courts. Native title is not an underlying title but rather a bundle of rights that can be extinguished by inconsistent acts of government. |
| ongoing APS employee | A person engaged as an ongoing APS employee as mentioned in paragraph 22(2)(a) of the Public Service Act 1999. |
| operations | Functions, services and processes performed in pursuing the objectives or discharging the functions of an agency. |
| outcomes | The results, impacts or consequence of actions by the Australian Government on the Australian community. |
| outputs | The goods or services produced by agencies on behalf of government for external organisations or individuals. Outputs include goods and services produced for other areas of government external to an agency. |
| people trafficking | The recruitment, transportation, harbouring or receipt of persons, by means of threats, force, coercion, deception or abuse of power, for the purposes of exploitation. |
| performance information | Evidence about performance that is collected and used systematically, which may relate to appropriateness, effectiveness and efficiency, and the extent to which an outcome can be attributed to an intervention. It may be quantitative (numerical) or qualitative (descriptive), but it should be verifiable. Evaluations may also be periodically used to assess the performance of programs and activities. |
| performance pay | Also known as performance-linked bonuses and usually taking the form of a one-off payment in recognition of performance. Retention and sign-on payments are not considered to be performance pay, nor is performance-linked advancement, which includes advancement to higher pay points that then become the employee’s nominal salary. Where an employee receives both a performance-linked bonus and performance-linked advancement (such as a one-off payment plus an increase in regular salary), only the bonus element is reportable. |
| precursor chemicals | Those chemicals, compounds and reagents that are used in manufacturing illicit drugs. |
| reasonable adjustment | Where a person with a disability can perform the inherent requirements of a job, the employer is required to make appropriate adjustments to the workplace or work practices to accommodate any additional needs that person may have. These reasonable adjustments facilitate equal opportunity to employment for all people and ensure a safe work environment. See also <http://www.jobaccess.gov.au>. |
| risk management | The culture, frameworks and structures that are directed towards effective management of potential opportunities and adverse effects. Risk management involves systematic application of management policies, procedures and practices to establishing the context, identifying, analysing, evaluating, treating, monitoring and communicating risk. |
| SCALEplus | Statutes, Cases Automated Legal Enquiry. A website upon which the Department previously published up-to-date Commonwealth legislation that is being superseded by ComLaw. |
| service charter | Public statement about the service a department or agency will provide. |
| workplace diversity | The central tenet of workplace diversity is creation of workplaces free from discrimination, harassment and bullying—workplaces where all employees act in accordance with the APS Code of Conduct and demonstrate their commitment to the APS Values. |
Abbreviations and acronyms
| AAO | Administrative Arrangements Order |
| ACT | Australian Capital Territory |
| AGDCC | Attorney-General’s Department Coordination Centre |
| AFP | Australian Federal Police |
| AGIS | Attorney-General’s Information Service |
| ANAO | Australian National Audit Office |
| AO | Officer of the Order of Australia |
| APEC | Asia–Pacific Economic Cooperation |
| APS | Australian Public Service |
| ASEAN | Association of Southeast Asian Nations |
| ASIC | Aviation Security Identification Card |
| ASIO | Australian Security Intelligence Organisation |
| ASNET | Australian Secure Network |
| ASVS | Australian Security Vetting Service |
| ATSILS | Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services |
| ATWS | Australian Tsunami Warning System |
| AusAID | Australian Agency for International Development |
| AusCERT | Australian Computer Emergency Response Team |
| AusCheck | The Australian Background Checking Service |
| AUSTRAC | Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre |
| AWA | Australian workplace agreement |
| CCA | Commonwealth Copyright Administration |
| CDS | Commonwealth Disability Strategy |
| CEI | Chief Executive Instructions |
| CIPMA | Critical Infrastructure Protection Modelling and Analysis |
| COAG | Council of Australian Governments |
| DIAC | Department of Immigration and Citizenship |
| DVD | digital versatile disc |
| DVS | Document Verification Service |
| EMA | Emergency Management Australia |
| FCA | Family Court of Australia |
| FMA Act | Financial Management and Accountability Act 1997 |
| FOI | freedom of information |
| FRLI | Federal Register of Legislative Instruments |
| FTA | free trade agreement |
| FTE | full-time equivalent |
| FVPLS | Family Violence Prevention Legal Services |
| GST | goods and services tax |
| H1N1 | Influenza A virus subtype H1N1 (swine flu) 2009 pandemic |
| HCA | High Court of Australia |
| HREOC | Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission |
| HSMAs | health and safety management arrangements |
| ICACSCP | International Child Abduction, Child Support and Civil Procedure |
| ICC | International Criminal Court |
| ICT | information and communications technology |
| ILSAC | International Legal Services Advisory Council |
| IOT | Indian Ocean Territories |
| IP | intellectual property |
| JBT | Jervis Bay Territory |
| JSCOT | Joint Standing Committee on Treaties |
| KAVHA | Kingston and Arthur’s Vale Historic Area |
| LCD | liquid crystal display |
| MP | Member of Parliament |
| MSIC | Maritime Security Identification Card |
| NCCPP | National Community Crime Prevention Programme |
| NAIDOC | National Aboriginal and Islander Day Observance Committee |
| NCTC | National Counter-Terrorism Committee |
| NDMP | Natural Disaster Mitigation Program |
| NDRRA | Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements |
| NGO | non-government organisation |
| NICNAS | National Industrial Chemicals Notification and Assessment Scheme |
| NTER | Northern Territory Emergency Response |
| OEA | Office of Evaluation and Audit |
| OECD | Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development |
| OH&S | occupational health and safety |
| OLSC | Office of Legal Services Coordination |
| PAES | Portfolio Additional Estimates Statements |
| PBS | Portfolio Budget Statements |
| PDRR | Prevention, Diversion, Rehabilitation and Restorative Justice Program |
| PPI | Program for Performance Improvement |
| PPQ | possible parliamentary question |
| QC | Queen’s Counsel |
| SC | Senior Counsel |
| SCAG | Standing Committee of Attorneys-General |
| SES | Senior Executive Service |
| The Hon | The Honourable |
| TISN | Trusted Information Sharing Network |
| UN | United Nations |
| UNCITRAL | United Commission for International Trade Law |
| USAR | urban search and rescue |
| WTO | World Trade Organization |
Index of tables and figures
Figure 1: Attorney-General’s Department Mission and Outcomes
Figure 2: Appropriations, 2008–09
Figure 3: Organisational structure, at 30 June 2009
Figure 4: Small airline usage between Canberra and Sydney, 2008–09
Figure 5: Number and type of calls to the National Security Hotline, 2008–09
Figure 6: AusCheck client satisfaction survey results, comparing 2008 and 2009
Figure 7: Rumah Baru passenger and freight facility, Cocos (Keeling) Islands
Figure 8: Planning and performance framework, 2008–09
Figure 9: Departmental revenues and expenses, 2007–08 and 2008–09
Figure 10: Administered expenses, 2007–08 and 2008–09
Figure 11: Departmental staff numbers from 2005 to 2009, at 30 June 2009
Figure 12: Extradition requests made by Australia, 2004–05 to 2008–09
Figure 13: Extradition requests made to Australia, 2004–05 to 2008–09
Figure 14: Mutual assistance requests made by Australia, 2004–05 to 2008–09
Figure 15: Mutual assistance requests made to Australia, 2004–05 to 2008–09
Table 1: Attorney-General’s Department resource statement, 2008–09
Table 2: Services to ministers and Parliament, 2008–09
Table 3: Resource summary, Outcome 1—An equitable and accessible system of federal civil justice
Table 6: Performance indicators, Output 1.3—Classification, copyright and human rights
Table 7: Performance indicators, Output 1.4—International law
Table 8: Demand for drafting, advising and publishing services, 2007–08 and 2008–09
Table 9: Performance indicators, Output 1.5—Legislative instruments
Table 10: Performance indicators, Output 1.6—Native title
Table 11: Performance indicators, Output 1.7—Indigenous law and justice and legal assistance
Table 12: Performance indicators, Output 1.8—Personal property securities
Table 14: Performance indicators, Output 2.1—Criminal justice and crime prevention
Table 15: Performance indicators, Output 2.2—International criminal justice cooperation
Table 17: Performance indicators, Output 2.4—National emergency management
Table 19: Performance indicators, Output 2.6—AusCheck
Table 20: Resource summary, Outcome 3—Assisting regions to manage their own futures
Table 21: Performance indicators, Output 3.1—Services to Territories
Table 22: Performance indicators, Output 3.2—Natural disaster relief and mitigation
Table 23: Audit Committee membership and meeting attendance 2008–09
Table 24: Staffing trends, 2004–05 to 2008–09
Table 26: Performance payments for performance in 2008–09
Table 27: Six-year premium rate comparison, 2004–05 to 2009–10
Table 28: Compliance with customer service standards, 2008–09
Table 29: Consultancy services let during 2008–09, to the value of $10,000 or more
Table 30: Payments to advertising, market research and other designated organisations, 2008–09
Table 31: Legal services expenditure summary, comparing 2008–09 and 2007–08
Table 32: External legal services expenditure summary, comparing 2008–09 and 2007–08
Table 33: Professional service providers, comparing 2008–09 and 2007–08
Compliance index
Under subsection 63(2) of the Public Service Act 1999, departmental annual reports must be prepared in accordance with guidelines approved on behalf of the Parliament by the Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit (JCPAA). The Requirements for annual reports for departments, executive agencies and FMA Act bodies (the Requirements) were revised and re-issued on 17 June 2009. The Requirements stipulate a core set of mandatory information, which must be included in annual reports to ensure that accountability requirements are met and to provide consistency for readers. There are other items that are suggested to be included on the basis of making the annual report as informative as possible.
| Description | Location (section/page) |
|---|---|
| Letter of transmittal | Page iii |
| Aids to access— | |
| Table of contents | Page iv |
| Index | Page 376 |
| Glossary | Page 361 |
| Abbreviations and acronyms* | Page 366 |
| Contact details for further information | Page vi |
| Internet addresses for home page and report | Page vi |
| Review by Secretary | Page 2 |
| Summary of significant issues and developments* | Pages 5–9 |
| Overview of Department’s performance and financial results* | Pages 6–9 |
| Outlook for the following year | In secretary’s review and under each output, pages 4, 42, 52, 60, 67, 74, 82, 93, 100, 110, 119, 130, 139, 149, 156, 166, 175 |
| Significant issues and developments in the portfolio* | Pages 14, 184 |
| Departmental overview | About the Department (pages 16–24) |
| Description of department | Pages 16–24 |
| Role and functions | Pages 16–24 |
| Organisational structure | Pages 17–24 |
| Outcome and output structure | Page 18 |
| Details of variations in structure and reasons for changes | Pages 2, 144, 180, 183, 184–85, 206 |
| Portfolio structure | About the portfolio (pages 11–15, Appendix 1, 318) |
| Report on performance | Pages 26–176, Appendix 8, page 345 |
| Review of performance in relation to outputs and contribution to outcomes | Performance reports (pages 26–176) |
| Actual results against performance targets set out in PBS/PAES | Performance reports (pages 26–174) |
| Details of any variations in performance information and reasons for change | Performance reports (nil) |
| Performance of purchaser–provider arrangements | Performance reports (pages 41, 60, 73, 91, 110, 128, 165, 174) |
| Narrative discussion and analysis of performance | Performance reports (pages 16–24, 206–211) |
| Trend information* | Performance reports (pages 16–24) |
| Factors, events or trends influencing departmental performance* | Performance reports (pages 2,109, 138, 187, 202, 208) |
| Significant changes in nature of principal functions/services* |
Departmental overview and in various output reports in performance reports (pages 2, 5, 18, 184–86, 206, 212) |
| Performance against service charter standards | Management and accountability—corporate governance (page 188) and Appendix 3, page 328 |
| Social justice and equity impacts* | Management and accountability—Social equity impacts (pages 38, 219–21, 226–236) |
| Discussion and analysis of financial performance | Management and accountability—financial management (pages 206–11) |
| Significant changes from the prior year or from budget* | Management and accountability—financial management (page 206) and in various output reports in performance reports |
| Agency resource statement and summary resource tables by outcomes | Performance reports (pages 27, 35, 102, 161) |
| Post end-year developments significantly affecting future operations or financial results | Page 266 |
| Management and accountability | Page 179 |
| Corporate governance | Page 180 |
| Main corporate governance practices in place | Pages 180–94 |
| Names of the senior executive and their responsibilities* | Pages 180–81 |
| Senior management committees and their roles* | Page 183 |
| Corporate and operational planning and associated performance reporting and review* | Pages 182, 184–86 |
| Approach to identification and management of risks* | Page 184 |
| Certification of compliance with Commonwealth Fraud Control Guidelines | Page 186 |
| Policy and practices concerning ethical standards* | Page 187 |
| How nature and amount of remuneration for SES officers is determined* | Page 188 |
| External scrutiny | Pages 195–203 |
| Significant developments in external scrutiny | Pages 184 and 195–203 and various output reports in performance reports |
| Judicial decisions and decisions of administrative tribunals | Pages 197–99 |
| Reports by the Auditor-General, a Parliamentary Committee or the Commonwealth Ombudsman | Pages 195 and 199–203 and various output reports in performance reports |
| Management of human resources | Pages 213–23 |
| Assessment of effectiveness in managing and developing human resources | Pages 212, 219, 345 |
| Workforce planning, staff turnover and retention* | Page 214 |
| Impact and features of collective agreements and AWAs | Pages 215–17 |
| Training and development undertaken and its impact* | Pages 218, 345 |
| Occupational health and safety performance* | Pages 348 |
| Productivity gains* | Pages 213, 217 |
| Statistics on staffing | Pages 213, 217 and Appendix 7, page 340 |
| Collective agreements and AWAs | Pages 215–17 |
| Performance pay | Pages 217–18 |
| Assets management | Page 210 |
| Purchasing | Page 210 |
| Consultants | Page 208 and Appendix 4, page 330 |
| Australian National Audit Office Access Clauses | Page 208 |
| Exempt contracts | Page 208 |
| Commonwealth Disability Strategy | Human resource management (page 221), social equity impacts (pages 222–32) and Appendix 10, page 350 |
| Financial statements | Pages 241–316 |
| Other information required by legislation— | |
| Occupational health and safety | Management and accountability—human resource management (pages 221–23) and Appendix 9, page 348 |
| Freedom of information | Appendix 2, page 320 |
| Advertising and market research | Management and accountability—financial management (page 208) and Appendix 5, page 336 |
| Ecologically sustainable development and environmental performance | Management and accountability—ecologically sustainable development (pages 239–40) |
| Other mandatory information— | |
| Grant programs | Management and accountability—financial management (page 209) |
| Correction of material errors in previous annual report | Management and accountability—corporate governance (page 192) |