A performance audit of entities within the Attorney-General’s portfolio has found that some, but not all, recommendations from Parliamentary Committees and Auditor-General reports have been implemented.
In his report Implementation of Parliamentary Committee and Auditor-General Recommendations — Attorney-General’s Portfolio, Auditor-General Grant Hehir said this was the fifth in a series of audits that highlighted whether entities have implemented recommendations in line with commitments made to the Parliament.
Mr Hehir said he examined recommendations directed to the Attorney-General’s Department (AGD), the Australian Federal Police (AFP), and the Office of the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions (CDPP).
He said nine out of 19 recommendations had been fully or largely implemented by the AGD, while AFP and CDPP had each implemented two out of four recommendations.
“The selected entities within the Attorney-General’s portfolio have effectively implemented some, but not all, of the agreed parliamentary committee and Auditor-General recommendations,” Mr Hehir said.
“AGD did not have fit-for-purpose arrangements for Parliamentary Committee recommendations,” he said.
“The Department did have fit-for-purpose arrangements for Auditor-General recommendations.
“AGD did not have an effective system to monitor the implementation of recommendations.”
Mr Hehir said AFP had largely fit-for-purpose arrangements for Parliamentary Committee recommendations and partly fit-for-purpose arrangements for Auditor-General recommendations.
He said AFP had an effective system to support the arrangements.
“CDPP had largely fit-for-purpose arrangements for Auditor-General recommendations but should improve its arrangements for Parliamentary Committee recommendations,” the Auditor-General said.
“AGD’s implementation planning was largely fit-for-purpose and its monitoring of recommendations was largely effective,” he said.
“AFP and CDPP’s implementation planning was partly fit-for-purpose, and the two entities’ monitoring of recommendations was largely effective.”
Mr Hehir made five recommendations to AGD, AFP and CDPP relating to processes; governance and reporting arrangements; systems; and assurance and evaluation.
The Auditor-General’s report can be accessed at this PS News link and an 80-page pdf version at this link.
The audit team was Laura Trobbiani, Irena Korenevski, Michael Dean, Hasani Ganewatta, Edwin Apoderado, Kelvin Le, Yahya Mohammad, Olivia Robbins, Lesa Craswell and Alex Wilkinson.
