PGPA Newsletter 78

Guidance on the annual report requirements for the 2021-22 reporting period has been refreshed and is available on the Finance website.

• RMG-135 Annual reports for non-corporate Commonwealth entities
• RMG-136 Annual reports for corporate Commonwealth entities
• RMG-137 Annual reports for Commonwealth companies

In line with the changes that occurred for the 2020-21 reporting cycle, the guidance has been further enhanced using a digital first approach, using plain English to make the guidance simple and engaging in a web based format.
While no major policy changes have been made in the 2021-22 reporting period, annual report coordinators are encouraged to familiarise themselves with the enhanced guidance.

These enhancements include new tiles to clearly outline:

• What an annual report is
• Annual report content requirements, including a list of requirements to assist annual report coordinators in ensuring that annual reports include all mandatory reporting requirements
• Publication and presentation requirements, clearly outline tabling and online publishing requirements
• In RMG-135, revised guidance providing suggested words to satisfy the requirement to report on Australia’s Disability Strategy 2021-2031.

For access to the Digital Reporting Tool, and any assistance you may need in completing the data templates, annual report coordinators should email digitalannualreportproject@finance.gov.au.

The executive remuneration reporting threshold for Other Highly Paid Staff (OHPS) (staff who are not key management personnel nor senior executives) has been adjusted based on the indexation factor outlined in the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Rule 2014.

For a reporting period that begins on or after 29 June 2021 and ends on or before 30 June 2022, the threshold remuneration for OHPS is $235,000.

For more information on the executive remuneration reporting requirements please visit RMG-138 Commonwealth entities’ executive remuneration reporting guide for annual reports.

Finance undertakes an annual PGPA Entity Survey (the PGPA Survey) to seek feedback on the effectiveness of the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013 and the Resource Management Framework that the Act established, as well as the effectiveness of the support that we provide since its establishment. Last year, the PGPA Survey was delayed to allow for the review of its information approach and methodology.

This year, the PGPA Survey information focus will be on applicability of the Resource Management Framework rather than implementation, with a focus on the business support information needs. This approach aims to ensure that Finance continues to improve its assistance to Commonwealth entities and companies in the application of the framework.

The PGPA Survey is scheduled to be released in April 2022, with entity Chief Financial Officers (CFOs) the contacts for the Survey coordination. Finance is in the process of securing the arrangement with a new research service provider for management and delivery of the PGPA Survey. We will send out an email with more information to all CFOs shortly.

The Commonwealth Procurement Awards for Excellence (Awards) celebrates the positive achievements of entities and showcases better practice, innovation and excellence in procurement. The Awards aim to build a community of engaged professionals, encouraging open discussions regarding procurement lessons learned and the sharing of innovative procurement approaches.

Nominations for the 2022 Awards are now open and will close on Tuesday 31 May 2022.

We encourage you to reach out to your colleagues to reflect on their procurement activities and related initiatives that could be showcased through the following Awards categories:

• Building Entity Capability
• Delivering Innovation through Procurement
• Engaging with Small and Medium Enterprises
• Procuring for Digital Services.

The Centre of Procurement Excellence (CoPE) encourages participation across all entities regardless of the scale of procurement activity, and entities are encouraged to submit multiple nominations across the categories for different initiatives.

To download nomination forms for the Awards, or to see previous award categories and winners, please go to the Finance website.

For further information, guidance or support please contact the CoPE team at procurementexcellence@finance.gov.au.

The Minister for Finance issued a media release on 29 March 2022 announcing updates to the Commonwealth Procurement Rules (CPRs) and the Supplier Pay On-Time or Pay Interest Policy (RMG-417). These changes will come into effect on 1 July 2022.

These changes reflect the Australian Government’s commitment to improving competitive access for Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) when participating in Commonwealth procurement, leading to better participation and outcomes for both Government and industry.  

Entities should note that the changes to the CPRs will not be retrospective and the 14 December 2020 CPRs will remain in effect until 30 June 2022.

Entities are encouraged to consider implementing the changes to RMG-417 and the CPRs prior to the official date of effect, with the exception of applying the changes to CPR exemption 17 of Appendix A, which allows the Department of Defence to directly engage an SME for procurements valued up to $500,000. Application of these changes to exemption 17 can commence from 1 July 2022.

An advance copy of the CPRs and a table detailing the changes is available on the Commonwealth Procurement Rules page on the Finance website. An advance copy of RMG-417 is also available on the Supplier Pay On-Time or Pay Interest Policy page on the Finance website.

The Minister for Finance released the Commonwealth Evaluation Policy (the Policy) and supporting Toolkit designed to help you evaluate government programs and activities in December 2021.

The Policy is principles-based to support fit-for-purpose evaluative approaches. It promotes better practice evaluation across the policy cycle, and applies to all entities and companies subject to the PGPA Act. It provides a strong foundation to build evaluation capabilities and embed evaluation into everyday practice across the APS.

The Policy has three broad objectives:

1. to embed a culture of evaluation and learning from experience across the Commonwealth to underpin evidence-based policy and delivery;
2. to improve the way entities assess implementation, measure the impact of government programs and activities, and frame policy decisions on revised or new programs; and
3. to improve the quality of performance reporting for the purposes of accountability, continuous improvement and decision-making.

What you can do to help develop evaluation capabilities in your team?

To build evaluation capabilities and expertise in your team, you can start by:

• Reading the Commonwealth Evaluation Policy.
• Watching two short videos (less than 4 minutes each!) that explain:
  • how and why the Policy was developed, and what it aims to achieve. 
    See short policy video overview | See Evaluation policy transcript
  • how to navigate the guidance, tools and resources in the Toolkit 
    See short toolkit video overview | Toolkit video transcript.
• Exploring the curated resources available to help you evaluate government programs and activities in the Evaluation Toolkit.
• Arranging a tailored information session, delivered by the Department of Finance, to help embed evaluation into everyday practice and use these new resources in your team – email PGPA@finance.gov.au for more details.

The Australian Government Regulator Stocktake is now live! The stocktake lists 95 regulatory functions by portfolio with links to published Ministerial Statements of Expectations and Regulator Statements of Intent. It is a useful resource for regulators and policy departments to find out more about the diversity of regulatory functions across government.

With many entities now turning their minds to the development of Corporate Plans, a reminder that the transitional year for the Regulator Performance Guide ends 30 June 2022. Entities should consider how to include performance information on their regulatory functions, with reference to the Guide’s best practice principles, in the 2022-23 Corporate Plan.

Should you wish to discuss your entity’s intended approach to Corporate Plans, or implementation of the Regulator Performance Guide more broadly, please get in touch with us via deregulation@pmc.gov.au.

The 2022 Comcover Education Program is now open for enrolments. 

Comcover’s risk education program has been developed to target four levels of desired capability for Australian Public Service officials: 

• Foundation –Encourages all Commonwealth officials, regardless of level or role to understand the basic risk management concepts of how risk is managed in the Commonwealth;
   
• Generalist – Supports Commonwealth officials, regardless of level, whose role requires them to engage with and apply their entity's risk management framework to successfully deliver outcomes;
   
• Specialist - Assists job role specialists who are required to design, implement and embed an entity's risk management framework. Specialists facilitate generalists and executives to fulfil their risk management responsibilities; and
   
• Senior Executive Service - Help inform SES to recognise key and emerging risk management issues and demonstrate risk leadership by fostering a positive risk culture in their entity and across the Commonwealth.

Due to the success of our virtual workshops Comcover will continue running virtual workshops to allow everyone to participate across the country as well as our face-to-face workshops run in Canberra. Whilst we are continuing to work from home the face-to-face program may be adjusted to accommodate this requirement. We will keep participants informed of any changes in relation to delivery method or venue.

Our workshops for the first six months of 2022 are:

To enrol in the workshops and access more Comcover education opportunities please visit the Comcover Learning Centre at https://learningcentre.comcover.gov.au or call 1800-651-540 and select Option 2.

Resource Management Guides (RMGs) are available to support you through the application of the PGPA Act and Rule requirements.

An index of RMGs is available and all RMGs on the website are the current version. When RMG updates occur users are notified through the PGPA Newsletter, issued via email and available on the Finance website home page under the Latest News section. Printed versions are only current at the time of printing, so be sure to use the digital version in the first instance.

Any comments on the RMGs should be sent to PGPA@finance.gov.au.