Independent Report on the National Binge Drinking Campaign (November 2008 – June 2009) — Parent Brochure in languages other than English

To the Minister for Health and Ageing

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.

You were provided with the Auditor-General’s review reports on other elements of the National Binge Drinking Campaign (November 2008 – June 2009) on 18 November 2008 and 2 December 2008.

Scope

I have now undertaken a review of the National Binge Drinking Campaign (November 2008 – June 2009) — Parent Brochure in languages other than English, to enable me to report on the compliance of this element of the campaign with the Guidelines.

The Guidelines state that advertising campaigns should be instigated only where a need is demonstrated, target recipients are clearly identified and the advertising 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 this element of the campaign 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 Secretary of the Department of Health and Ageing has certified that the Parent Brochure in languages other than English 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 advertising campaign does not comply, in all material respects, with the Guidelines.

Review methodology

I have now reviewed the Parent Brochure in languages other than English for compliance with the Guidelines. In forming my conclusion, I have relied upon:

• an examination of the Parent Brochure translated in to Arabic, Vietnamese, Serbian, Turkish, Khmer, Cantonese, simplified Chinese and Korean;
• an examination of the documentation supporting the accuracy of the translations;
• an examination of the certification provided by the Secretary of the Department of Health and Ageing dated 3 April 2008; and
• the enquiries conducted and the procedures performed in the course of the Auditor-General’s review of the National Binge Drinking Campaign (November 2008 – June 2009), which are outlined in the report dated 18 November 2008.

The ANAO review did not extend to an assessment of the general system controls and supporting procedures in place in the Department of Health and Ageing to manage its advertising activities, but focussed on matters relating specifically to the National Binge Drinking Campaign (November 2008 – June 2009) — Parent Brochure in languages other than English. 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 National Binge Drinking Campaign (November 2008 – June 2009) - Parent Brochure in languages other than English 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
Acting Auditor-General
Canberra, 14 April 2009