Purpose 3 | Annual Report 2016-17

PURPOSE

3 Transformation—innovate and improve public sector operations and reform the management and operations of public assets

Outcome 3

Criterion	Whole-of-Australian-Government ICT is improved through the provision of appropriate ICT services and programs to entities as demonstrated by 100 websites using the govCMS platform by 30 June 2017.
Source	Corporate Plan 2016–17, page 14 Portfolio Budget Statements 2016–17, Program 2.2, page 44
Result	Achieved At 30 June 2017 there were 132 websites using the govCMS platform.

Finance is contributing to the transformation purpose through the successful implementation of govCMS, an open source web content management and hosting service developed to help agencies create modern, affordable and responsive websites and to make it easier to collaborate and innovate.

The service helps reduce the technology and compliance burden on government agencies while providing a more cost-effective web content management and hosting option. Key features of govCMS include the following:

Open—it is built on open source software so any new functionality developed for one agency can be shared across all govCMS websites.
Secure—it is proactively tested and maintained to meet government standards and fend off threats.
Compliant—it provides agencies with a starting point and tools to create websites that comply with web content accessibility guidelines for people with disabilities.
Adaptable—it is responsive and adaptable to mobile and new devices.
Reliable—it is designed with load balances and disaster recovery capabilities.

The success of govCMS is demonstrated by the number of entities using the service exceeding:

the current performance goal
the number estimated, prior to the implementation of the service, to be using the service at 30 June 2017.

Criterion	Entities will have access to coordinated procurement arrangements for all leasing and facilities management services for office accommodation and shopfronts by 30 June 2017 under the National Property Efficiency Program.
Source	Corporate Plan 2016–17, page 14
Result	Substantially achieved A strategic property adviser was appointed in February 2017. Property service providers were appointed in September 2017.

The coordinated procurement for property-related services being implemented under the National Property Efficiency Program aims to capitalise on the Commonwealth’s position as a major purchaser of leases and facilities management services in the Australian property market, and to position the Commonwealth as an efficient property manager. The program is being delivered through two key components:

a strategic approach to Commonwealth leasing, through better informed purchasing and consolidation of the Commonwealth’s leased footprint through an overarching Commonwealth leasing strategy
allowing non-corporate Commonwealth entities to benefit from a whole-of-government approach that draws on the Commonwealth’s substantial purchasing power, through better pricing in lease negotiations and through streamlined, consolidated, and more efficient facilities management purchasing under outsourced property service provider arrangements.

Criterion	Driving the government’s transformation agenda through supporting entities to become more effective and efficient as demonstrated by: the majority of non-corporate entities being engaged with streamlining internal processes such as by conducting and actioning internal red tape reduction reviews the majority of non-corporate entities being engaged with developing proportionate risk management tools and processes the majority of non-corporate entities being engaged with the shared and common services agenda/on track to deliver the government’s agenda of a smaller, more efficient and better connected public sector subject to the government’s agreement, the implementation of recommendations and savings delivered from functional and efficiency and contestability reviews.
Source	Corporate Plan 2016–17, page 14 Portfolio Budget Statements, Program 2.2, page 44
Result	Achieved Finance is driving the government’s transformation agenda as demonstrated by the following: Finance continues to engage with secretaries on public sector reform, previously through the Secretaries Committee on Transformation as a consultation forum, and now through the Secretaries APS Reform Committee, which is responsible for strategic oversight of APS-wide innovation and modernisation initiatives. This new committee will work collaboratively to drive reform including positive culture and engagement with the public sector. Finance chairs, and is a member of, the Deputy Secretaries Working Group on Red Tape. This group champions efforts across the public service to reduce internal red tape. More than 30 entities have appointed a key person—a ‘red tape rebel’—to continue to promote and implement red tape reduction activities, including by reducing duplicative, inefficient and unnecessary processes within their organisations. In 2017, 95.5 per cent of non-corporate Commonwealth entities completed the Comcover risk management benchmarking process. The results indicate that entities continue to score higher in those elements of the survey which represent foundational risk management concepts, and that entities are focusing on enhancing maturity in the more complex elements, such as understanding and managing shared risk and building a positive risk culture. In 2017, 87 in-scope non-corporate Commonwealth entities have been scheduled to transition to a shared services hub in the next four years, with 14 of the 87 agencies having already completed transition. To date, 21 functional and efficiency reviews have been completed. Review outcomes announced at the time of the 2016–17 Budget have delivered savings of about $5 billion from 2014–15 to 2020–21, with about a further $14 billion over the period 2021–22 to 2026–27, through streamlining programs, improving span of control, improving systems and compliance processes, and terminating legacy programs.

Criterion	The phased functional roll-out of GrantConnect being completed by June 2017.
Source	Corporate Plan 2016–17, page 14
Result	Substantially achieved GrantConnect is the Australian Government’s grants information system, which centralises the publication and reporting of Australian Government grants. It is being released for public and agency use in three functional phases. The release of GrantConnect Phase 1, enabling agencies to advertise forecast (upcoming or projected) and current grant opportunities centrally, was completed on 6 February 2017. This provides the authoritative source of information in relation to Australian Government grants. To date 18 agencies representing more than 90 per cent of Australian Government granting activity have published 128 grant opportunities on GrantConnect. GrantConnect Phase 2, which adds centralised grant award reporting functionality, is complete and agency implementation and training is underway. Reporting of grants awarded (outcomes of grant rounds) on GrantConnect will be mandatory, in accordance with the Commonwealth Grants Rules and Guidelines 2017, from 31 December 2017. GrantConnect Phase 3, will follow in early 2018 providing an online lodgement facility for grant applications. After all phases are released, GrantConnect will be the authoritative source for the discovery of new grant opportunities, facilitate electronic lodgement of applications for grants applicants, and provide centralised reporting on grants awarded across the Australian Government.

Performance analysis—Transformation purpose

In 2016–17 Finance delivered a number of activities designed to facilitate public sector innovation, improve public sector operations and reform the management and operations of public assets.

In the 2016–17 Corporate Plan, Finance included performance criteria for measuring key transformation activities—for example, the development of an open source web content management and hosting service to help agencies create modern, affordable and responsive websites; establishing a coordinated procurement for property-related services for agencies; and implementing a whole-of-government grant information system.

These performance details demonstrate the significance of Finance’s contributions to the Transformation purpose in 2016–17 with a number of key deliverables being delivered in advance of timeframes.

Performance

Overarching analysis of performance against Finance’s purposes

Case studies