Independent Report on the Defence Reserves Support — Benefits of Reserve Service Campaign (August 2009–June 2010)

To the Minister for Defence Personnel, Materiel and Science

Introduction

The Government’s Guidelines on Campaign Advertising by Australian Government Departments and Agencies (the Guidelines) state that Government information and advertising campaigns can only be approved for launching by the responsible Minister where:

• the Chief Executive of the agency undertaking the campaign certifies that the campaign complies with the Guidelines and relevant Government policies; and
• for those campaigns with expenditure in excess of $250 000, the Auditor-General provides a report to the Minister responsible for the agency undertaking the campaign as to the proposed campaign’s compliance with the Guidelines.

Scope

I have undertaken a review of the Defence Reserves Support — Benefits of Reserve Service Campaign (August 2009–June 2010), administered by the Department of Defence (Defence) to enable me to report on the proposed campaign’s compliance with the Guidelines.

The Guidelines state that campaigns should be instigated only where a need is demonstrated, target recipients are dearly identified and the campaign is based on appropriate research, and require that:

• material should be relevant to government responsibilities;
• material should be presented in an objective, fair and accessible manner;
• material should not be directed at promoting party political interests;
• material should be produced and distributed in an efficient, effective and relevant manner, with due regard to accountability; and
• advertising must comply with legal requirements.

The criteria I have used to make my assessment of the compliance of the Defence Reserves Support — Benefits of Reserve Service Campaign (August 2009–June 2010) with the Guidelines are the matters specified at paragraphs 11 to 24 of the Guidelines published by the Department of Finance and Deregulation in June 2008.

Responsibilities of the Department

Agencies subject to the Financial Management and Accountability Act 1997 must comply with the Guidelines as a matter of Government policy. The Acting Secretary of Defence has certified that the campaign complies with the Guidelines.

The Auditor’s Responsibility

My responsibility is to express, in this assurance report, an independent conclusion based on my review.

My review is conducted in accordance with the Australian Standard on Assurance Engagements ASAE 3000 Assurance Engagements Other than Audits or Reviews of Historical Financial Information issued by the Australian Auditing and Assurance Standards Board. My review is designed to enable me to obtain sufficient appropriate evidence to form a conclusion whether anything has come to my attention to indicate that the campaign does not comply, in all material respects, with the Guidelines.

Review methodology

I have conducted the review of the campaign by making such enquiries and performing such procedures as I considered reasonable in the circumstances including:

• an examination of the six print advertisements (which will appear in 24 consumer magazines and 23 trade magazines);
• a review of supporting documents and records relevant to the campaign, including related research and campaign funding approvals;
• enquiries made of staff of Defence and Defence contractors involved with the preparation of the campaign;
• an assessment of the reasonableness of the judgements made by Defence against each of the Guidelines;
• an examination of the certification by the Acting Secretary of Defence dated 24 July 2009; and
• an examination of the management representation letter by the Acting Secretary of Defence dated 24 July 2009.

The ANAO review did not extend to an assessment of the general system controls and supporting procedures in place in Defence to manage its advertising activities, but focussed on matters relating specifically to the Defence Reserves Support — Benefits of Reserve Service Campaign (August 2009–June 2010). A review of this nature provides less assurance than an audit.

Conclusion

Based on my review described in this report, nothing has come to my attention that causes me to believe that the Defence Reserves Support — Benefits of Reserve Service Campaign (August 2009–June 2010) does not comply, in all material respects, with the requirements of the Government’s Guidelines on Campaign Advertising by Australian Government Departments and Agencies.

Steve Chapman
Deputy Auditor-General
7 August 2009