Refine search Expand filter

Reports

Published

Actions for Volume Five 2013 focusing on Education

Volume Five 2013 focusing on Education

Education
Asset valuation
Compliance
Financial reporting
Project management
Workforce and capability

Unqualified audit opinions were issued on the following financial statements for the year ended 30 June 2013: Department of Education and Communities (including the TAFE Commission), Technical and Further Education Commission, Board of Studies, Office of the Board of Studies, Board of Studies Casual Staff Division, Institute of Teachers, Office of the Institute of Teachers, NSW Board of Vocational Education and Training. A key issue of focus was ar

Published

Actions for Management of Casual Teachers

Management of Casual Teachers

Education
Management and administration
Workforce and capability

Ten years ago, the then Department of Education and Training responded to concerns about classes without teachers by: increasing the number of teachers approved to teach casually giving temporary employment to extra teachers in hard-to-staff schools running a call centre that helped schools find casual teachers at short notice. These measures significantly improved the supply of casual teachers to schools in South Western and Western S

Published

Actions for Sick Leave

Sick Leave

Premier and Cabinet
Whole of Government
Management and administration
Workforce and capability

NSW public sector sick leave is higher than other States. The NSW public sector has the highest reported public sector sick leave in Australia. Public sector efforts to reduce sick leave over the last five years has seen a fall of a quarter of a day since 2004-05, less than its target of one day. On average, public sector workers take just over eight days sick leave annually. Recent surveys of public and private sector organisations show that sick leave

Published

Actions for Volume Ten 2010 focus on Education and Communities

Volume Ten 2010 focus on Education and Communities

Education
Community Services
Asset valuation
Compliance
Financial reporting
Internal controls and governance
Management and administration
Procurement
Project management
Workforce and capability

The report includes a review on the Building the Education Revolution and outcomes of his financial audits on NSW Government agencies for Education and Communities 2009-10. Whilst the Department of Education appears to have achieved its key objective of rapidly constructing school facilities, costs were higher than business as usual and the preferences of local communities were not always met.

Published

Actions for Severance Payments to Special Temporary Employees

Severance Payments to Special Temporary Employees

Premier and Cabinet
Compliance
Internal controls and governance
Management and administration
Workforce and capability

In reviewing both the severance pay guidelines and a sample of payments, we found the guidelines to be clear and all except two payments were made in accordance with them. In these two cases the severance payment was stipulated in the employment contract guaranteeing the STE a minimum of six months pay on termination, irrespective of the length of service.   Parliamentary reference - Report number #201 - released 16 June 2010

Published

Actions for Injury Management in the NSW Public Sector

Injury Management in the NSW Public Sector

Premier and Cabinet
Treasury
Finance
Management and administration
Workforce and capability

We found that during Working Together, agencies reduced the impact of workplace injuries. Most of the results have been positive in both our sample agencies and the public sector, and savings have been achieved. Between 2005 and 2008, while the number of claims in the sample agencies remained at around 15,000, the average cost of claims reduced by around 22 per cent from $22,349 to $17,360. The incidence rate of claims for the sample agencies also decrea

Published

Actions for Educating primary school students with disabilities

Educating primary school students with disabilities

Education
Internal controls and governance
Management and administration
Service delivery
Workforce and capability

Special education programs so far have been able to support schools to accommodate these students and as a result, we have an inclusive education system. Our concern is that as the number of students with disabilities increases, pressure will be placed on both funding and the capacity of schools to provide quality services. The Government’s special education initiative is a positive step towards addressing these problems. Nevertheless, other changes nee

Published

Actions for Agencies working together to improve services

Agencies working together to improve services

Premier and Cabinet
Treasury
Justice
Transport
Education
Internal controls and governance
Service delivery
Shared services and collaboration

In the cases we examined, we found that agencies working together can improve services or results. However, the changes were not always as great as anticipated or had not reached maximum potential. Establishing the right governance framework and accountability requirements between partners at the start of the project is critical to success. And joint responsibility requires new funding and reporting arrangements to be developed.   Parliamenta

Published

Actions for Using computers in schools for teaching and learning

Using computers in schools for teaching and learning

Education
Information technology
Infrastructure
Management and administration
Workforce and capability

Realisation of the Government’s objectives for integrating computers into the school environment is a major change that will take some time to achieve. The logistics of equipping schools with computers and making them operational have been approached energetically by the Department. Four years into the Computers in Schools Program, student and teacher access to computer hardware, software and the Internet is now substantially greater and teachers are now