PGPA Newsletter 95

A new Flipchart and List of PGPA Act Commonwealth entities and companies was issued on 1 September 2023. Both the Flipchart and the List have been updated to reflect the following changes to current Commonwealth entities and companies for the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013 (PGPA Act): 

North Queensland Water Infrastructure Authority – Abolished 
The Finance Minister has made the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Amendment (2023 Measures No. 4) Rules 2023. Among other things, this amended Schedule 1 of the PGPA Rule to repeal clause 15B, which prescribed the North Queensland Water Infrastructure Authority as a listed entity under the PGPA Act. This amendment is effective from 31 August 2023. 

This amendment reflects the Government’s decision to consolidate water infrastructure planning and investment activities in northern Queensland into the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water. 

Creative Australia – Amended 
The entity formerly known as the Australia Council has been renamed Creative Australia by the Creative Australia Act 2023 which commenced on 24 August 2023. 

Additionally, the List of Commonwealth entities and companies has been updated to reflect changes to the membership of the accountable authority (the CEO is now a member) for the Wreck Bay Aboriginal Community Council, as a result of the Aboriginal Land Grant (Jervis Bay Territory) Amendment (Strengthening Land and Governance Provisions) Act 2023. 

Further detail on these updates are available in the Table of Changes for 2023-24. Here are the latest versions of the Flipchart and its associated List of Commonwealth entities and companies. 

Feedback on the Flipchart and List and how you use these tools are always welcome and can be sent to PGPA@finance.gov.au.

The Australian Government Organisation Register (AGOR) 30 June 2023 Quarterly Report is now available on the Finance website – this includes the AGOR Dashboard, Spreadsheet of bodies and the Register of movements list.

AGOR provides information on the function, composition, origins and other details of Australian Government entities and bodies and is updated on a quarterly basis. The online searchable version of AGOR is located on Directory.gov.au. The Directory is your guide to the structures, organisations and key people in the Australian Government. The Spreadsheet of bodies is also available for download from data.gov.au.

Please send any questions on AGOR or the datasets provided to OAR@finance.gov.au.

RMG-413 Banking and Management of CRF money has been updated and enhanced using Finance’s digital first approach to guidance. The substantive updates include:

• additional information added to the Central banking and Cash Management roles sections
• removal of most of the ‘Other CRF’ content. This information can be found in RMG-303 Other CRF money.

The Digital Annual Reporting Team will be hosting our next Community of Practice event on Wednesday 6 September from 11am to 12pm. 

The event will be streamed via a GovTEAMS event as well as hosted in person at the Department of Finance tenancy, One Canberra Avenue, Forrest ACT. 

The event will present on frequent requests for advice (including gender reporting, HR matters, APS Net Zero reporting), provide a demonstration on how to populate the List of Requirements and Data Templates in the Digital Annual Reporting Tool. 

To stream the event via GovTEAMS: Access the event link from 11am Wednesday 6 September 

To attend in person: The event will be hosted at the Department of Finance (Galambany Centre). There will be signs located in the foyer, next to the café, along with a sign in sheet. 

A Finance officer will escort you into the Centre – there is no need for a temporary pass at reception. Please aim to arrive from 10:45am to sign in and find a seat so the presentation can start at 11am. 

Please email us at dar@finance.gov.au if you have any questions.

The 2023 Commonwealth Awards for Excellence in Risk Management (the Awards) are closing on 15 September. The Awards raise awareness of the significance of risk management across the Commonwealth by highlighting best practice risk management and rewarding entities that exhibit excellence in risk management thinking and practice. 

Who is eligible for nomination? 
The Awards are open to all Commonwealth entities. Entities can nominate in one or more of the following categories:

• Enterprise-Wide
• Risk Initiative
• Insurable Risk

The Comcover Education Program assists officials at all levels to understand the principles of good risk management. Being able to understand the risks at each stage of the procurement lifecycle is important in achieving successful procurement outcomes. Being able to understand the risks associated with issuing an indemnity or warranty or the most appropriate method of risk retention or risk transfer support innovative outcomes though the procurement process. 

The Program consists of four tailored learning pathways designed to increase risk management capability across the Commonwealth. Key features of the Program are eLearning, face-to-face training, access to reference material, and networking. 
 

• Foundation level: All Commonwealth officials, regardless of level or role who are required to understand basic risk management concepts and how risk is managed in the Commonwealth.
• Generalist level: Commonwealth officials, regardless of level, whose role requires them to engage with and apply their entity's risk management framework to successfully deliver outcomes. Generalists engage with risk at the activity level and have attained Foundation level capability.
• Specialist level: Job role specialists who are required to design, implement and embed an entity's risk management and insurance framework. Specialists facilitate generalists and executives to fulfil their risk management responsibilities.
• SES Professional Development Program: Senior Executive Service officials whose role requires them to communicate the acceptable levels of risk that are appropriate to their entity's profile, allocate resources and model the adoption of risk management policies, strategies and best practice in their entity.

Upcoming training for the remainder of 2023 is provided below: 
 

To learn more about enrolling in these workshops and accessing Comcover Education opportunities please visit Education | Department of Finance or call 1800 651 540 and select Option 2. 
 

Are you interested in gaining valuable experience in a unique financial policy environment? There is currently an exciting opportunity available for an APS 6 Grants Policy Advisor with the Department of Defence’s Financial Policy team.

We are looking for someone who has a keen interest in analysing proposals and providing advice to support informed recommendations to Defence decision makers. You will assist with the development and maintenance of Defence’s grants management policy, and meaningfully contribute to high-level briefs and correspondence. In this role you will have the opportunity to learn and develop your skills in a supportive team environment.

For further information please contact David MacArthur on 02 5108 6074 or david.macarthur@defence.gov.au.

Applications close at 11.30pm on Sunday 10 September 2023.

Is your supplier delivering innovation or undertaking a new and exciting initiative?  Does your supplier have a different approach or contribution to routine government services? 

The Centre of Procurement Excellence (CoPE) is seeking expressions of interest from Commonwealth entities to spotlight the contributions that our suppliers are making to Australian industry sectors, local communities, and the broader Australian economy, through their participation in Commonwealth procurement and contracting.  

While the nomination period for the Commonwealth Procurement and Contract Management Awards for Excellence has closed, the ‘Supplier Spotlight’ series will showcase suppliers who have innovative economic, social or environmental initiatives. The series will also provide an opportunity for procurement and contract management officials to hear from suppliers on what they are doing and to gain an insight into procurement from a supplier’s perspective; the barriers (real or perceived) that they face, as well as develop officials’ understanding of the broader economic benefits that can be achieved though diversity in procurement and contracting activities.

This could include (but is not limited to) activities such as:

• diversifying supply chains to support small and medium enterprises (SMEs), First Nations businesses, supported employment providers or other social enterprises
• developing and adopting innovative products or practices that benefit Australian communities 
• reducing environmental and climate change impacts by requiring ethically sourced goods and services in their supply chains, energy efficient inputs, using goods containing recycled content, and using inputs that produce minimal waste to support sustainable procurement 
• employing apprentices or trainees 
• partnering with communities to deliver programs.

Shortlisted spotlights may be featured at upcoming events such as the 2023 Commonwealth Procurement and Contract Management Awards for Excellence and future Community of Practice events, subject to interest.

For more information, or to spotlight a supplier, please download the Expression of Interest form. We encourage you to include your Central Procurement Team in your communication to Finance when submitting your nomination. For further information, please contact Procurement Excellence.

Finance hosts a suite of RMGs that support the PGPA Act Commonwealth entities and companies to meet the requirements of the PGPA framework. 

The index of RMGs can be found on the Finance website. The index allows users to navigate the available guidance quickly and can be sorted alphabetically, by number, or by topic. 

An RMG explains the legislation or policy requirements in plain language supporting entities in the application of the PGPA framework. A number of RMGs also provide examples of good practice. 

RMGs are evolving to support a ‘self-help’ environment, enabling stakeholders to interact with information in real time. The guides are available electronically which means they can be updated as required in real time, this ensures stakeholders are informed of policy and legislative amendments quickly - allowing Finance to support stakeholders efficiently and effectively.