The Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) has completed the third in a series of audits examining whether Australian Public Service entities have implemented recommendations in line with commitments made to the Parliament.
In this performance audit, the recommendations directed to the Department of Defence came under review with Auditor-General, Grant Hehir finding that less than half had been fully implemented.
Of 32 agreed Parliamentary Committee and ANAO performance audit recommendations examined, the ANAO assessed 15 (46.9 per cent) as implemented, six (18.8 per cent) as largely implemented, four (12.5 per cent) as partially implemented and seven (21.9 per cent) as not implemented at all.
“For the 18 Parliamentary Committee recommendations examined in this audit, the ANAO assessed eight as implemented, two as largely implemented, three as partially implemented and five as not implemented,” Mr Hehir said.
“Of the ANAO recommendations examined, the ANAO assessed seven as implemented, four as largely implemented, one as partially implemented and two as not implemented,” he said.
Mr Hehir said Defence had appropriate governance arrangements for responding to, monitoring and implementing ANAO recommendations and partially appropriate governance arrangements for Parliamentary Committee recommendations.
He said the audit made three recommendations directed at strengthening guidance, ensuring the implementation of recommendations was subject to periodic risk review and monitoring, and improving the clarity of responses.
The Department of Defence agreed to all recommendations.
The Auditor-General’s online report can be accessed at this PS News link with its 93-page printed report at this link.
The audit team was Grace Guilfoyle, Elizabeth Wedgwood, James Sheeran and Michelle Page.
