Chief Executive's Instructions (CEIs)

What are CEIs?

Chief Executives of agencies, subject to the Financial Management and Accountability Act 1997, may issue instructions to officials in their agencies on any matter that promotes the proper use and management of public money, public property and other resources of the Commonwealth (see section 52 of the FMA Act and FMA Regulation 6).

CEIs form a key part of the department’s internal controls and operational framework. They are the primary source of information on the internal financial management practices and provide practical and useable information on departmental policies and rules. They are often supplemented by additional departmental guidelines.

CEI topics

The Chief Executive has chosen to provide instructions the following topics:

• CEI No. 1.1 Delegations and Authorisations
• CEI No. 1.2 Fraud Control
• CEI No. 1.3 Gifts
• CEI No. 1.4 Official Hospitality
• CEI No. 1.5 Protection and Disclosure of Information
• CEI No. 1.6 Recordkeeping
• CEI No. 2.1 Risk Management
• CEI No. 2.2 Business Continuity
• CEI No. 2.3 ICT Services Continuity Plan
• CEI No. 3.1 Procurement
• CEI No. 3.2 Payment of Accounts
• CEI No. 3.3 Grant Management
• CEI No. 3.4 Official Travel
• CEI No. 3.5 Corporate Credit Card
• CEI No. 3.6 Vehicles
• CEI No. 4.1 Official Bank Accounts
• CEI No. 4.2 Receipting and Custody of Public Money
• CEI No. 4.3 Debt and Loan Management
• CEI No. 4.4 Cost Recovery
• CEI No. 5.3 Discretionary Compensation Schemes
• CEI No. 6.1 Care and Custody of Public Property

How are CEIs used in the department?

CEIs help DAFF officers to properly use and manage Commonwealth resources in accordance with legislation and to take account of their actions in doing so.

What framework is applied to the CEIs?

The DAFF CEI framework comprises three tiers:

• CEIs
  Primary high level documents of 2-3 pages approved by the Secretary that contain the core instructions on a given topic.

• CEI Guidelines (often known as an ‘All about…’ document)
  Guidance on a given CEI topic. These guidelines are approved by the Chief Operating Officer and/or the Chief Finance Officer.

• Operational Manuals, Forms and Procedural documents
  More detailed ‘how to’ instructions for staff to follow in carrying out their duties.

Where can I get more information?

For more information on DAFF’s CEIs please send an email CEI.

For further information about the Australian Government’s CEI framework, see Finance Circular 2011/05. This circular provides guidance on the development and operation of CEIs.