This audit would assess the effectiveness of measures taken to strengthen the protection of Australia’s diplomatic posts and staff overseas.

Auditor-General Report No. 5 2017–18 Protecting Australia’s Missions and Staff Overseas and the Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit (JCPAA) Report 471: Security of Overseas Missions reported on the security of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s (DFAT’s) network of overseas missions. The ANAO made seven recommendations in its report and the JCPAA made eight recommendations. In 2018–19, DFAT received $339 million over five years to strengthen management of its security assets and infrastructure, modernise processes and the use of security personnel (Security Enhancements Program). A follow-on audit is proposed to review DFAT’s implementation of recommendations, including in relation to 10 new missions established in recent years, and to review progress in implementing new measures.

This audit would assess the effectiveness of the enterprise governance at Services Australia. The Chief Executive Officer is the accountable authority of Services Australia. The Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013 requires the accountable authority of an entity to establish and maintain an appropriate system of risk oversight and management, and an appropriate system of internal control.

Services Australia delivers payments and services on behalf of other entities (such as income support payments on behalf of the Department of Social Services and pharmaceutical benefits scheme payments on behalf of the Department of Health and Aged Care) and services to other entities (for example, corporate shared services such as payroll or ICT for the National Disability Insurance Agency). These services are underpinned by bilateral agreements between Services Australia and each entity, including oversight arrangements, performance measures and reporting and the management of shared risk.

The audit would examine enterprise level administrative, governance and oversight arrangements within Services Australia and compliance with key legislative and policy requirements, including oversight of bilateral arrangements.

This audit would review the progress of the Digital Identity System implementation, design and functionality, including the roles and responsibilities of stakeholders and the allocation and expenditure of funding, including contract management.

The Digital Identity program is delivered by Services Australia, Australian Taxation Office (ATO), Department of Home Affairs and Department of Finance. Components of the program include the Trusted Digital Identity Framework, the Identity Exchanges (delivered by Services Australia), myGovID (the Commonwealth’s Identity Provider, delivered by ATO) and connected services to the system.

The Digital ID Act 2024 and the Digital ID (Transitional and Consequential Provisions) Act will commence on 1 December 2024 and support the expansion of the Australian Government Digital ID System and introduce a voluntary accreditation scheme for digital ID services providers.

This audit would assess the effectiveness of the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) in the design and implementation of its new customer relationship management (CRM) system named ‘PACE’, including the broader supporting program known as ‘3P’ (Participant, Platform and Process).

PACE will replace existing business and payments systems and portals with a new embedded CRM system. PACE is intended to improve system controls, including controls to validate payments for services. Following a pilot of PACE that started in November 2022 for Tasmanian participants and providers, PACE implementation began across all remaining NDIA locations on 30 October 2023. Full implementation is expected to take 18 months with NDIA’s existing systems continuing to be used alongside PACE during that period.

This audit would assess the effectiveness of Services Australia’s use of enforcement powers in its child support and social security compliance programs.

In 2022–23, Services Australia delivered $140.3 billion in social security and welfare payments on behalf of the Australian Government, including facilitating $1.8 billion in child support payments. In ensuring recipients receive only the payments to which they are entitled, Services Australia has a range of enforcement powers it applies through compliance activities. These include powers to require individuals to provide information, produce documents, answer questions, and make payments (including through the use of garnishee orders).

Under the AusCheck Act 2007 and operating on a cost recovery basis, AusCheck coordinates national security background checks and related functions for the aviation, maritime and national health security sectors. The purpose of AusCheck is to help to prevent criminal, terrorist and foreign interference threats from using privileged, insider access to circumvent security measures. The department has a performance target of completing 98 per cent of checks in five business days or less.

The audit would examine whether the Department of Home Affairs’ administration of AusCheck is efficient including the timeliness of checks and the administration of the review and appeal processes.

This audit would assess the effectiveness of the enterprise governance at the Department of Home Affairs. The Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013 requires the accountable authority of an entity to establish and maintain an appropriate system of risk oversight and management, and an appropriate system of internal control.

The audit would examine enterprise level administrative, governance and oversight arrangements within the department, and compliance with key legislative and policy requirements.

This audit would assess whether the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA’s) procurement of counselling service providers for the Open Arms program has been conducted in accordance with the Commonwealth Procurement Rules.

Open Arms is a counselling service for Australian veterans and their families, provided through DVA. Open Arms counselling is delivered by a national network of mental health professionals, both in Open Arms centres across the country and by partnerships with private psychologists and social workers, called Outreach Program Counsellors (OPCs). In 2022–23, 323,874 Open Arms services were provided to 43,134 veterans and their families with the program costing $115.6 million. In February 2024, DVA commenced a procurement process to develop a panel of OPCs. The establishment of the panel is expected to be completed by 30 June 2024.

As part of its responsibility for managing Australia’s participation in World Expositions, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) manages the design, commissioning and decommissioning of a temporary national pavilion. The department is conducting procurement processes for the design, construction and decommissioning of the pavilion. The pavilion will provide a number of areas: public exhibition and visitor experience areas; function and representational areas; cultural performance areas; commercial retail, food and beverage areas; queuing space and back of house technical areas. The budget for procurements related to the pavilion totals over $68 million, including lead design consultant, project manager and construction contractor.

The audit would examine DFAT’s management of the pavilion project, with a particular focus on the conduct of the procurements and management of the resulting contracts.

The audit would assess Services Australia’s procurement of a Network Transformation Partner including planning, achieving value for money, design of performance measures in the contract with the successful tenderer and progress to date in managing the contract.

On 8 January 2024, Services Australia issued a request for tender titled ‘Provision of a Network Transformation Partner Services Stage 1’. The tender closes on 14 March 2024. Services Australia is seeking: a Network Transformation Partner (NTP) to assist the agency in replacing Services Australia’s existing Wide Area Network (WAN). In replacing the existing network, the agency will seize the opportunity to transform from a traditional network to a Software defined solution across WAN, LAN, and WLAN and mobile satellite services. Working with the agency, the Partner will plan, design, build and implement the transformed network and provide managed network services to enable business as usual operations post implementation.