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Request for audit
Review of the Workforce Australia procurement processes
Response provided
Responded: Tuesday 5 July 2022
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The Auditor-General responded on 5 July 2022 to correspondence from the Hon Richard Marles MP dated 31 May 2022, requesting that the Auditor-General conduct an investigation to review the Workforce Australia procurement processes.
Auditor-General's response
5 July 2022
The Hon Richard Marles MP
Deputy Prime Minister
Minister for Defence
By email: Richard.Marles.MP@aph.gov.au
Dear Minister
Review of the Workforce Australia procurement processes
I am writing in response to your letter of 8 June 2022 requesting that I consider an audit of Workforce Australia procurement processes.
I have considered your request in relation to other competing priorities for audit coverage across the public sector and decided that the matter you referred has merit and ‘Workforce Australia Services’ will be included as a potential audit in the Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) 2022–23 Annual Audit Work Program (AAWP). This audit if commenced would assess the establishment of the National Panel for Workforce Australia Services, and the selection of the 41 suppliers from the panel to deliver the first three years of services.
The AAWP reflects the ANAO’s audit strategy and informs the Parliament, government entities and the public of the planned audit coverage for the Australian Government sector. The 2022–23 AAWP is expected to be published on the ANAO website Annual Audit Work Program | Australian National Audit Office (anao.gov.au) in early July 2022.
I have copied this letter to the Hon Tony Burke MP, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations.
Yours sincerely
Grant Hehir
Cc:
The Hon Tony Burke MP
Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations
Tony.Burke.MP@aph.gov.au
Correspondence from the Hon Richard Marles MP
Transcript of letter from the Hon Richard Marles MP
Mr Grant Hehir
Auditor-General
Australian National Audit Office
GPO Box 707
CANBERRA ACT 2601
Dear Auditor-General
Review of the Workforce Australia procurement processes
As you may be aware, the Department of Education, Skills and Employment recently undertook a large-scale procurement exercise to select providers to deliver a range of employment and related services from 1 July 2022.
It is important that the Australian public can have confidence in the commissioning of Government services and on 4 April 2022, the Australian Labor Party committed to review the process by which these employment services procurement decisions were made.
I believe the Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) is ideally placed to undertake such a review as a trusted independent Office of the Parliament and consistent with the ANAO's focus on the public service delivery of key accountabilities outlined in the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013 (PGPA Act).
I am therefore writing to seek your agreement for the ANAO to review the recent procurement process compliance with the PGPA Act and the Commonwealth Procurement Rules and the effectiveness of the independent assurance measures that were put in place.
I look forward to a response at your earliest convenience.
Yours sincerely
Richard Marles
31/5/2022