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Reports

Published

Actions for Planning, Industry and Environment 2019

Planning, Industry and Environment 2019

Planning
Industry
Environment
Asset valuation
Cyber security
Financial reporting
Information technology
Infrastructure
Internal controls and governance
Management and administration
Service delivery
Workforce and capability

This report outlines the results of audits of the financial statements of agencies now grouped in the NSW Planning, Industry and Environment cluster. Unqualified audit opinions were issued for 56 of the 66 cluster agencies’ 30 June 2019 financial statements. Ten audits remain incomplete. The cluster agencies need to improve the timeliness of financial reporting.  The Audit Office continued to identify issues regarding unprocessed Aboriginal l

Published

Actions for Education 2019

Education 2019

Education
Financial reporting
Information technology
Internal controls and governance
Management and administration
Shared services and collaboration
Workforce and capability

This report focuses on key observations and findings from the most recent financial audits of agencies in the Education cluster. From 1 July 2019, the Technical and Further Education Commission, the NSW Skills Board and the functions and activities associated with vocational training and skills form part of the Education cluster. Unqualified audit opinions were issued for all cluster agencies’ financial statements. However, internal control deficiencies

Published

Actions for Ensuring teaching quality in NSW public schools

Ensuring teaching quality in NSW public schools

Education
Management and administration
Regulation
Service delivery
Workforce and capability

The Auditor-General for New South Wales, Margaret Crawford, has released a report on how the New South Wales Education and Standards Authority (NESA) and the Department of Education (the Department) ensure teaching quality in NSW public schools. Around 2,200 NSW public school principals are responsible for accrediting their teachers in line with the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers. The report found that NESA does not oversight princi

Published

Actions for Wellbeing of secondary school students

Wellbeing of secondary school students

Education
Management and administration
Service delivery
Shared services and collaboration
Workforce and capability

The Department of Education has a strong focus on supporting secondary school students’ wellbeing. However, it is difficult to assess how well the Department is progressing as it is yet to measure or report on the outcomes of this work at a whole-of-state level. The Department of Education’s (the Department) purpose is to prepare young people for rewarding lives as engaged citizens in a compl

Published

Actions for Supply of secondary teachers in STEM-related disciplines

Supply of secondary teachers in STEM-related disciplines

Education
Management and administration
Service delivery
Workforce and capability

The NSW Department of Education’s plans and strategies to respond to the demand for secondary teachers in STEM-related disciplines are limited by incomplete data and underperforming scholarship and sponsorship program. The Department does not collect sufficient information to monitor what disciplines teachers actually teach nor does it predict supply and demand for teachers by discipline and location. This restricts the Department’s ability to track

Published

Actions for Implementation of the NSW Government’s program evaluation initiative

Implementation of the NSW Government’s program evaluation initiative

Industry
Justice
Planning
Premier and Cabinet
Treasury
Environment
Financial reporting
Internal controls and governance
Management and administration
Risk
Service delivery
Shared services and collaboration
Workforce and capability

The NSW Government’s ‘program evaluation initiative’, introduced to assess whether service delivery programs achieve expected outcomes and value for money, is largely ineffective according to a report released today by NSW Auditor-General, Margaret Crawford. Government services, in areas such as public order and safety, health and education, are delivered by agencies through a variety of programs. In 2016–17, the NSW Government estimates that it will sp

Published

Actions for Early childhood education

Early childhood education

Education
Compliance
Information technology
Management and administration
Project management
Regulation
Risk
Service delivery
Workforce and capability

Enrolments in quality early childhood education programs in New South Wales are increasing but are below the national benchmark, according to a report released today by the NSW Auditor-General, Margaret Crawford. Ninety-five per cent of children should be enrolled in at least 600 hours in the year before school, but according to the latest NSW figures 77 per cent of children were enrolled in quality early childhood education programs. This 2015 figure i

Published

Actions for Supporting students with disability in NSW public schools

Supporting students with disability in NSW public schools

Education
Information technology
Management and administration
Service delivery
Workforce and capability

The Department of Education is doing a reasonable job in managing how well students with disability transition to a new school and supporting teachers to improve these students’ educational outcomes, according to a report released today by the NSW Auditor-General, Margaret Crawford. The level of support provided to students with disability can vary between schools. This is partly due to cultural resistance in some schools and teachers not always having

Published

Actions for Country towns water supply and sewerage program

Country towns water supply and sewerage program

Industry
Planning
Environment
Internal controls and governance
Management and administration
Project management
Service delivery

The Country Towns Water Supply and Sewerage Program has effectively promoted adoption of better management practices by local water utilities, but will not achieve its objective of eliminating the water supply and sewerage infrastructure backlog in urban areas of country NSW.   The $1.2 billion Program aims to help local water utilities provide appropriate, affordable, cost effective and well-managed water supply and sewerage services in the urban a

Published

Actions for Vocational education and training reform

Vocational education and training reform

Education
Industry
Management and administration
Procurement
Project management
Service delivery
Workforce and capability

The Department’s framework for VET reform has the potential to effectively achieve the government’s immediate objectives for the reform, which are associated with meeting its commitments under the National Partnership Agreement for Skills Reform without spending more. We found that the government is addressing VET reform objectives in the following order of priority: no extra cost (budget neutrality), TAFE viability, quality VET, access to VET for region