Management Services and Governance

Table of Contents

Management Services Overview
Governance Overview

Management Services Overview

Management Services contributes to the department’s Outcome indirectly by providing services to the Ministers, Parliamentary Secretary and business areas and assists in the overall efficiency and effectiveness of the department by:

enabling the operational performance of the department

• building and improving organisational systems and policies
• supporting the Secretary and Executive in managing change
• providing expert advice as required by senior departmental staff, Ministers, Parliamentary Secretary and their offices.

Management Services is responsible for delivering the following services:

• financial, people and information management
• ministerial liaison, advice and administrative support
• internal and external communication
• administrative and office systems
• outsourced services and contract management
• information technology
• planning, reporting and evaluation.

It delivers these services through a mix of internal and external service provider arrangements. The department has outsourced the provision of its corporate legal (Minter Ellison), information technology (IPEX), human resources (United KFPW), fleet management (LeasePlan), internal audit (Ernst & Young), travel (Qantas) and property services (Jones Lang LaSalle Pty Ltd) to external providers.

Key achievements in 2002-03 included:

• the launch of the department’s business excellence framework and introduction of all SES seminars and workshop series
• improved relationships and consultation with clients, particularly departmental businesses, to ensure their needs were met and increased client satisfaction as measured through feedback forums
• development and implementation of procedures for producing departmental print and electronic publications
• visits by the department’s roadshow to six states – the roadshow reached more than 150 000 people and distributed over 5000 pamphlets and publications on a range of issues relating to our portfolio industries
• re-engineering the functions of the Parliamentary Liaison Services area to provide more strategic and better targeted services to support the Ministers and departmental businesses
• improved internal capability of Corporate Finance by implementing targeted staff recruitment and retention policies
• implementation of strategies for more effective information technology practices and systems such as e-mail content filtering fully implemented, pilot of TRIM Context completed and post-implementation review of Ministerial and Correspondence workflow systems conducted
• redevelopment of the department’s intranet site to better meet user needs
• the department’s commitment to diversity recognised in the 2002 Australian Public Service Workplace Diversity Awards – regional category for guidelines for reaching our clients - young people
• participation in a National Indigenous Cadetship Program
• major review of the performance management system with detailed best practice guidelines due for release in 2003-04.

Governance Overview

The department is also supported by a Corporate Governance Team (CGT) that provides a range of services to the Executive and the department. Corporate governance incorporates the key elements of values and ethics, internal audit, control structures, risk management and executive decision-making support.

Key achievements in 2002-03 were:

• integration of risk management processes with business planning resulting in a consolidated business risk register for each business
• revision and distribution of the department’s security policy and manual.