Purchaser/Provider Arrangements
Table of Contents
Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry / Australian Government Analytical Laboratories (AGAL)
Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry / Centrelink
Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry / CSIRO – Australian Animal Health Laboratory (AAHL)
Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry / Department of the Environment and Heritage
Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry / Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT)
ABARE / Department of Industry, Tourism and Resources (DITR)
BRS / Environment Australia
Purchaser/provider arrangements have been put in place where one Australian Government agency is buying or selling services from another Australian Government agency. The arrangements aim to improve program efficiency, effectiveness and accountability. They explicitly describe roles and responsibilities for service delivery and avoid duplication in service delivery infrastructure by recognising the complementary strengths of different agencies.
The following purchaser/provider arrangements were held between the department and other agencies during 2002-03.
Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry / Australian Government Analytical Laboratories (AGAL)
The National Residue Survey engages AGAL through a competitive tender process to provide analytical testing services. Services provided are in accordance with individual contracts for each program for which AGAL is the successful tenderer.
Performance against outcomes and outputs
Performance is assessed based on terms and conditions set out in individual contracts.
Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry / Centrelink
There is a Memorandum of Understanding for Centrelink to deliver the Agriculture – Advancing Australia (AAA)- Farm Help program and the Exceptional Circumstances Relief Payment. Centrelink also delivered additional Drought Assistance Package measures and the Sugar Industry Reform Program (SIRP) on behalf of the department during the year.
Performance against outcomes and outputs
AAA - Farm Help
The department’s memorandum of understanding and protocols with Centrelink allow for the gathering of relevant information to help evaluate program and service delivery performance. Representatives from the department and Centrelink met regularly to discuss issues affecting program delivery. The department carried out regular surveys of AAA-Farm Help recipients in cooperation with Centrelink, for example, four-monthly, post-program exit surveys to determine the program’s effectiveness.
The Australian National Audit Office reviewed the administration of AAA-Farm Help in 2002-03 as part of a performance audit of the administration of the key programs in the AAA package. The final report is expected to be tabled in Parliament in 2003-04.
Sugar Industry Reform Package
Centrelink provided weekly updates in the first 10 months of the SIRP on the number of people accessing the program’s assistance elements and weekly expenditures.
Performance information on programs delivered by Centrelink for the department can be found in the Report on Performance section.
Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry / CSIRO – Australian Animal Health Laboratory (AAHL)
The department contributes to the cost of AAHL in order to maintain Australia’s capacity to diagnose exotic and emerging animal diseases.
Performance against outcomes and outputs
The department participated in AAHL Advisory Council meetings in November 2002 and February and June 2003. The annual departmental-AAHL review of departmental-funded projects was completed in April 2003 to link with AAHL's detailed 2003-04 budget and work plans.
AAHL continued to provide exotic animal disease diagnoses and undertake related research as per the agreed work program for departmental-funded projects at AAHL. The project to enhance foot and mouth disease diagnostic capability at AAHL has been largely completed. Work is continuing on implementing the laboratory information management system and automating the sample testing, tracking and reporting systems, which remain high priorities for both AAHL and the department.
Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry / Department of the Environment and Heritage
National Action Plan for Salinity and Water Quality administration and implementation
The department and the Department of the Environment and Heritage have a joint portfolio arrangement for the administration and implementation of the Action Plan. The success of the joint delivery arrangement is outlined below.
Performance against outcomes and outputs
At 30 June 2003, all three Integrated Regional Natural Resource Management (NRM) Plans accredited by Australian Government ministers are for Action Plan regions. A steady flow of Integrated Regional NRM Plans is now expected to progress to Australian Government and state/territory ministers for accreditation in 2003-04.
Australian Government officials have been working with the states, territories and regional bodies to prepare investment strategies concurrently with the development of Integrated Regional NRM Plans. Investment strategies are expected to be ready to put to ministers during the first half of the 2003-04 financial year.
The NRM Ministerial Council recently agreed to fund 10 pilot programs and a dryland salinity tender under the National Market Based Instruments (MBI) Pilots Program. The program’s goal is to increase Australia's capacity to use MBIs to deliver natural resource outcomes. The recommended pilots aim to increase Australia’s capacity to develop more innovative approaches to enhance biodiversity, manage salinity in irrigation areas and improve water quality.
All finalised bilateral agreements reflect the objectives of the Intergovernmental Agreement. Bilateral agreements between the Australian Government and the respective state/territory set out institutional arrangements for regions and a set of agreed policy reforms and milestones to address natural resource management issues. Arrangements are in place to ensure that regional plans and regional agreements are consistent. Australian Government ministers accredited three regional Integrated Regional NRM Plans against the agreed accreditation criteria.
Bilateral agreements for the Action Plan include a commitment to develop a monitoring and evaluation strategy that is consistent with the National Framework for NRM Standards and Targets. The framework, which was agreed by the NRM Ministerial Council in October 2002, included an integrated set of matters for target that address NRM and biodiversity issues.
Natural Heritage Trust administration and implementation
Section 43 of the Natural Heritage Trust of Australia Act 1997 (the Act) requires the Minister for the Environment and Heritage to prepare an annual report on the Natural Heritage Trust’s (the Trust) activities. Accordingly, there will be some minor references to the Trust’s activities in this annual report and the Department of the Environment and Heritage annual report, but the full report of the Trust’s performance will be in the 2002-03 Trust annual report.
Natural Heritage Trust (Phase 1) administration and implementation
As a number of Phase 1 projects are yet to be finalised, it is expected that the final evaluation will now be completed in 2003-04 and reported in the corresponding Trust annual report.
Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry / Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT)
This arrangement is to provide the delivery of personnel, office, residential, financial, communication and property services for all departmental overseas posts.
Performance against outcomes and outputs
Performance measures are outlined in the Service Level Agreement (SLA) with DFAT. Performance against each of the services is discussed at regular meetings of senior administrative officers and the senior departmental representatives at the posts. The requirements of the SLA have been met.
ABARE / Department of Industry, Tourism and Resources (DITR)
This arrangement is to provide a program of economic forecasting, market analysis and research services relating to the energy and minerals sectors.
Performance against outcomes and outputs
ABARE has an SLA with DITR that provides a general framework for delivering high quality economic research and related analytical services to DITR.
Performance is measured against the delivery of outputs, as listed in the SLA for each program. ABARE reported quarterly to DITR on performance.
ABARE released four issues of Australian Commodities, which contain forecasts for a number of energy and minerals commodities, comprehensive statistical tables, macroeconomic indicators and articles on issues of relevance to the minerals and energy sectors. The Bureau published four issues of Australian Mineral Statistics containing quarterly and annual information on production, exports and prices for major minerals and energy commodities. ABARE also published Australian Commodities Statistics 2002, which provides a comprehensive coverage of current and historical data on price, production and exports for more than 40 commodities.
ABARE published a number of reports during the year:
- Australian Energy Outlook to 2019-20
- Australian gas supply and demand balance to 2019-20
- Deregulating energy markets in APEC: economic and sectoral impacts
- Offshore petroleum exploration work program bidding in Australia
- Mining technology services in Australia
- China’s coal exports: implications for Asia Pacific trade
- Energy Statistics – Australian energy update 2002
- Mineral exploration in Australia: trends, economic impacts & policy issues;
- Australia’s petroleum resource rent tax: an economic assessment of fiscal settings
- China’s changing coal industry: implications and outlook
- Natural gas in Eastern China: the role of LNG
- Major Australian minerals and energy development projects
- Feasible GTEM baselines of the world economy for the next 100 years
- Australian energy: national and state projections to 2019-20
- Trends in Australian energy intensity: 1973-74 to 2000-01
- Excluding technologies from the mandatory renewable energy target
- Tax Incentive Options for Junior Exploration Companies
- Energy Sectorwide Systems Analysis of Fuel Ethanol: Role in Abatement of Carbon Dioxide Emissions from the Australian Energy System
- Electricity Licence Harmonisation Survey
- Gas Licence Harmonisation Survey
- Australian Liquified Petroleum Gas Supply Research Study 2000-01 to 2019-20
- Characteristics of a Competitive Wholesale Gas Market.
BRS / Environment Australia
BRS have an arrangement with Environment Australia (EA) to provide EA with scientific advice as requested.
Performance against outcomes and outputs
Work performed under this arrangement comes within the outcomes and outputs of EA.
07 May 2009