The Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) has issued its fourth performance audit on organisations in the Australian Public Service implementing recommendations from the Auditor-General’s office or Parliamentary committees.
The latest report examines recommendations directed to the Department of Home Affairs and finds it was ‘largely effective’ in implementing the recommendations.
In his report Implementation of Parliamentary Committee and Auditor General Recommendations — Department of Home Affairs, Auditor-General Grant Hehir said the ANAO he examined whether Home Affairs implemented all agreed recommendations within the scoped timeframes.
“The Department’s implementation of the agreed Parliamentary committee and Auditor-General recommendations examined in the audit was largely effective,” Mr Hehir said.
“The Department now has largely fit-for-purpose arrangements to respond to, monitor and implement agreed recommendations,” he said.
“The Department introduced arrangements to monitor the implementation of agreed parliamentary committee recommendations in September 2021.”
Mr Hehir said that while the Department introduced arrangements to monitor the implementation of agreed Parliamentary committee recommendations in September 2021, the recent process improvements were yet to be incorporated into Department-wide guidance.
“With respect to the 25 agreed recommendations examined, 16 (64 per cent) were implemented, two (eight per cent) were largely implemented, three (12 per cent) were partly implemented, one (four per cent) was not implemented and for three (12 per cent) implementation was ongoing,” the Auditor-General said.
He made one recommendation to Home Affairs to update its recommendation implementation guidance, which the Department agreed to.
The Auditor-General’s Report can be accessed at this PS News link and a 57-page printable version at this link.
The audit team was Zoe Pilipczyk; Olivia Robbins; Benjamin Harwood; Glen Ewers; and Alex Wilkinson.
