Section Six Reference information
Contents
Acronyms and Glossary
Corrections to the Annual Report 2012-13
Compliance index
Department of Communications Annual Report 2013-14
Acronyms and Glossary
Acronyms
Acronyms / DefinitionABC / Australian Broadcasting Corporation
ACCAN / Australian Communications Consumer Action Network
ACMA / Australian Communications and Media Authority
ANAO / Australian National Audit Office
APS / Australian Public Service
CAC / Commonwealth Authorities and Companies Act 1997
CBF / Community Broadcasting Foundation
CEIs / Chief Executive's Instructions
CPRs / Commonwealth Procurement Rules
ELF / Executive Leadership Forum
EMG / Executive Management Group
FMA / Financial Management and Accountability Act 1997
FOI / Freedom of Information
FTTN / Fibre-to-the-node
FTTP / Fibre-to-the-premises
HAS / Household Assistance Scheme
HSC / Health and Safety Committee
IGB / Incoming Government Brief
IPS / Information Publication Scheme
IRC / Implementation Risk Committee
LCCs / Local Community Contacts
NBN / National Broadband Network
NFP / Not for profit
NICTA / National Information Communications Technology Australia
NRS / National Relay Service
PAES / Portfolio Additional Estimates Statements
PBS / Portfolio Budget Statements
PGPA / Public Governance and Performance Accountability Act 2013
SAU / Special Access Undertaking
SBS / Special Broadcasting Service
SES / Senior Executive Service
SMEs / Small-to-medium enterprises
SSS / Satellite Subsidy Scheme
TAP / Teachers and Parents Advisory Group
TUSMA / Telecommunications Universal Service Management Agency
VAST / Viewer Access Satellite Television
WCC / Workplace Consultative Committee
WHS / Work Health and Safety
YAG / Youth Advisory Group
Glossary
Glossary / DefinitionActivity / What an agency does to convert inputs into outputs.
Additional estimates / Where amounts appropriated at Budget time are insufficient, Parliament may appropriate more funds to portfolios through the Additional Estimates Acts.
Administered items / Expenses, revenues, assets or liabilities managed by agencies on behalf of the Commonwealth. Agencies do not control administered items. Administered expenses include grants, subsidies and benefits. In many cases, administered expenses fund the delivery of third party outputs.
Agency / Agencies are Departments of State, Departments of Parliament and 'prescribed agencies' for the purposes of the Financial Management and Accountability Act 1997. Where the term is used generally in this document, it is meant to refer to departments, agencies, authorities and non-commercial companies.
Appropriation / An authorisation by Parliament to spend monies from the Consolidated Revenue Fund for a particular purpose.
APS employee / A person engaged under section 22, or a person who is engaged as an APS employee under section 72, of the Public Service Act 1999.
Assets / Future economic benefits controlled by an entity as a result of past transactions or other past events.
Chief Executive's Instructions / Instructions on the administration of the Department issued by the Secretary under Regulation 6 of the Financial Management and Accountability Regulations 1997.
Consultancy services / Consultancy services are one particular type of service delivered under a contract for services. They are distinguished from other contracts for services by the nature of the work performed. A consultant is an entity, whether an individual, a partnership or a corporation, engaged to provide professional, independent and expert advice or services. Typically, the term consultancy services is used to describe the application of expert professional skills to investigate or diagnose a defined issue or problem, carry out defined research, reviews or evaluations, or to provide independent advice, information or creative solutions to help the agency in management decision-making.
Corporate Governance / The process by which agencies are directed and controlled. It is generally Understood to Encompasses authority, accountability, stewardship, leadership, direction and control.
Deliverables / The tangible product of a programme that should be measurable or quantifiable units or activities.
Depreciation / An expense recognised systematically for the purpose of allocating the cost of a non-current asset over its useful life.
Digital dividend / Refers to the radiofrequency spectrum currently used for analog television, which is freed up by the switchover from analog to digital-only television.
Enterprise Agreement / A written agreement about working conditions and wages made between an employer and its employees.
Expense / Total value of all of the resources consumed in producing goods and services.
Financial results / The results shown in the financial statements of an agency.
Key performance indicators / The basis on which to assess the effectiveness of a programme in achieving its objectives.
Liabilities / Future sacrifices of economic benefits that an entity is presently obliged to make to other entities as a result of past transactions or other past events.
NBN Co Limited / The company established by the Government to build and operate the NBN.
Non-ongoing employee / A person engaged as an APS employee under subsection 22(2)(b) or 22(2)(c) of the Public Service Act 1999.
Ongoing employee / A person engaged as an ongoing APS employee under subsection 22(2)(a) of the Public Service Act 1999.
Outcomes / The results, impacts or consequences of actions by the Commonwealth on the Australian community.
Structural Separation / The separation of ownership of Telstra's retail business units from the ownership of its customer access network. Such separation prevents Telstra as a network owner advantaging its downstream retail operations to the detriment of its competitors. Within the NBN Co fibre rollout area, it will be achieved by the migration of Telstra's customer services to the NBN Co fibre network as that network is rolled out.
Universal service obligation / The universal service obligation ensures standard telephone services are reasonably accessible to all people in Australia (other than people in designated STS areas) on an equitable basis, wherever they reside or carry on business; and ensures payphones are reasonably accessible to all people in Australia on an equitable basis, wherever they reside or carry on business.
Corrections to the Annual Report 2012-13
At Appendix 4, page 163 of the Annual Report 2012-13, the explanatory note that appears under table 5.9 incorrectly refers to that table including 'all staff who received a performance payment in 2010-11'. This footnote should have referred to 2011-12 period, not 2010-11 period.
Compliance index
Part of Report / Description / Requirement / Page— / Letter of transmittal / Mandatory / III
— / Table of contents / Mandatory / IV, V
— / Index / Mandatory / 180-186
— / Glossary / Mandatory / 172-173
— / Contact officer(s) / Mandatory / II
— / Internet home page address and Internet address for report / Mandatory / II
Review by Secretary / Review by departmental secretary / Mandatory / 2-5
Review by Secretary / Summary of significant issues and developments / Suggested / 2-5
Review by Secretary / Overview of department's performance and financial results / Suggested / 2-5
Review by Secretary / Outlook for following year / Suggested / 4-5
Review by Secretary / Significant issues and developments—portfolio / Portfoliodepartments—suggested / N/A
Departmental Overview / Role and functions / Mandatory / 6-12
Departmental Overview / Organisational structure / Mandatory / 10
Departmental Overview / Outcome and programme structure / Mandatory / 7
Departmental Overview / Where outcome and programme structures differ from PB Statements/PAES or other portfolio statements accompanying any other additional appropriation bills (other portfolio statements), details of variation and reasons for change / Mandatory / N/A
Departmental Overview / Portfolio structure / Portfoliodepartments—mandatory / 12
Report on Performance / Review of performance during the year in relation to programmes and contribution to outcomes / Mandatory / 14-52
Report on Performance / Actual performance in relation to deliverables and KPIs set out in PB Statements/PAES or other portfolio statements / Mandatory / 14-52
Report on Performance / Where performance targets differ from the PBS/PAES, details of both former and new targets, and reasons for the change / Mandatory / 14-52
Report on Performance / Narrative discussion and analysis of performance / Mandatory / 14-52
Report on Performance / Trend information / Mandatory / 14-52
Report on Performance / Significant changes in nature of principal functions/services / Suggested / N/A
Report on Performance / Performance of purchaser/provider arrangements / If applicable, suggested / N/A
Report on Performance / Factors, events or trends influencing departmental performance / Suggested / 14-52
Report on Performance / Contribution of risk management in achieving objectives / Suggested / 58
Report on Performance / Performance against service charter customer service standards, complaints data, and the department's response to complaints / If applicable, mandatory / 59
Report on Performance / Discussion and analysis of the department's financial performance / Mandatory / 69-71
Report on Performance / Discussion of any significant changes in financial results from the prior year, from budget or anticipated to have a significant impact on future operations. / Mandatory / 69-71
Report on Performance / Agency resource statement and summary resource tables by outcomes / Mandatory / 158-161
Management and Accountability
Corporate Governance / Agency heads are required to certify that theiragency complies with the 'Commonwealth Fraud Control Guidelines' / Mandatory / III, 58
Management and Accountability
Corporate Governance / Statement of the main corporate governance practices in place / Mandatory / 56-60
Management and Accountability
Corporate Governance / Names of the senior executive and their responsibilities / Suggested / 8-10
Management and Accountability
Corporate Governance / Senior management committees and their roles / Suggested / 54-56
Management and Accountability
Corporate Governance / Corporate and operational plans and associated performance reporting and review / Suggested / 56-57
Management and Accountability
Corporate Governance / Internal audit arrangements including approach adopted to identifying areas of significant financial or operational risk and arrangements to manage those risks / Suggested / 58
Management and Accountability
Corporate Governance / Policy and practices on the establishment and maintenance of appropriate ethical standards / Suggested / 59
Management and Accountability
Corporate Governance / How nature and amount of remuneration for SES officers is determined / Suggested / 68
Management and Accountability
External Scrutiny / Significant developments in external scrutiny / Mandatory / 59
Management and Accountability
External Scrutiny / Judicial decisions and decisions of administrativetribunals and by the Australian Information Commissioner / Mandatory / 59
Management and Accountability
External Scrutiny / Reports by the Auditor-General, a Parliamentary Committee, the Commonwealth Ombudsman or an agency capability review / Mandatory / 59
Management of Human Resources / Assessment of effectiveness in managing and developing human resources to achieve departmental objectives / Mandatory / 65-68
Management of Human Resources / Workforce planning, staff retention and turnover / Suggested / 68
Management of Human Resources / Impact and features of enterprise or collective agreements, individual flexibility arrangements (IFAs), determinations, common law contracts and Australian Workplace Agreements (AWAs) / Suggested / 68
Management of Human Resources / Training and development undertaken and its impact / Suggested / 66
Management of Human Resources / Work health and safety performance / Suggested / 68
Management of Human Resources / Productivity gains / Suggested / N/A
Management of Human Resources / Statistics on staffing / Mandatory / 164-165
Management of Human Resources / Enterprise or collective agreements, IFAs, determinations, common law contracts and AWAs / Mandatory / 68, 165
Management of Human Resources / Performance pay / Mandatory / 166
Assets management / Assessment of effectiveness of assets management / If applicable, mandatory / 71
Purchasing / Assessment of purchasing against core policies and principles / Mandatory / 72
Consultants / The annual report must include a summary statement detailing the number of new consultancy services contracts let during the year; the total actual expenditure on all new consultancy contracts let during the year (inclusive of GST); the number of ongoing consultancy contracts that were active in the reporting year; and the total actual expenditure in the reporting year on the ongoing consultancy contracts (inclusive of GST). The annual report must include a statement noting that information on contracts and consultancies is available through the AusTender website. / Mandatory / 72
Australian National Audit Office Access Clauses / Absence of provisions in contracts allowing access by the Auditor-General / Mandatory / 73
Exempt contracts / Contracts exempted from publication in AusTender / Mandatory / 73
Financial Statements / Financial Statements / Mandatory / 76-156
Other Mandatory Information / Work health and safety (Schedule 2, Part 4 of theWork Health and Safety Act 2011) / Mandatory / 68
Other Mandatory Information / Advertising and Market Research (Section 311A of the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918) and statement on advertising campaigns / Mandatory / 167
Other Mandatory Information / Ecologically sustainable development and environmental performance (Section 516A of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999) / Mandatory / 64
Other Mandatory Information / Compliance with the agency's obligations under the Carer Recognition Act 2010 / If applicable, mandatory / N/A
Other Mandatory Information / Grant programmes / Mandatory / 73
Other Mandatory Information / Disability reporting—explicit and transparent reference to agencylevel information available through other reporting mechanisms / Mandatory / 67
Other Mandatory Information / Information Publication Scheme statement / Mandatory / 60
Other Mandatory Information / Correction of material errors in previous annual report / If applicable, mandatory / 174
Other Mandatory Information / Agency Resource Statements and Resources for Outcomes / Mandatory / 158-161
Other Mandatory Information / List of Requirements / Mandatory / 175-179
Reference information Section Six1