In a report released today, the NSW Auditor-General, Margaret Crawford provides a snapshot of reported fraud in the NSW public sector and an analysis of NSW Government agencies’ fraud controls based on a survey of 102 agencies.

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 spend over $73 billion on programs to deliver services.

Parliamentary reference - Report number #277 - released 3 November 2016

This report focuses on key observations from financial and performance audits in 2015. The findings have been broadly classified into four themes, which has informed the focus of financial and performance audits for 2016.

The current benefits realisation approach for Service NSW needs to improve so benefits and savings can be effectively measured, reported and realised, according to a report released today by the NSW Acting Auditor-General, Tony Whitfield.

Customers are finding that Service NSW provides a convenient and practical way to access all government transaction services.

Parliamentary reference - Report number #266 - released 17 February 2016

The Public Service Commission is making good progress with leading the implementation of public sector management reforms, according to a report released today by the Acting New South Wales Auditor-General, Tony Whitfield.

'The Commission developed a sound evidence base for the reforms and gained wide public sector support by engaging with agency heads and using public sector working groups to develop options', said the Acting Auditor-General. 'They developed good guidance for government agencies and have improved the senior executive structure in the NSW public sector', he added.

Parliamentary reference - Report number #264 - released 28 January 2016

Overall, The Audit Office found that the NSW public sector is not as prepared as it could be. Beginning in May 1996, the Department of Public Works and Services (DPWS) commenced a program to increase awareness of, report on and assist agencies with Year 2000 issues. However, significant areas of risk are still yet to be fully assessed, and action to resolve and implement appropriate solutions are lagging in areas of the public sector. A substantial acceleration and expansion of Year 2000 related activity is essential over the next twelve months to address this situation. In broad terms, the Year 2000 problem could affect both information technology (IT) and non IT. The latter includes systems dependent upon programmable logic controllers. These drive machines and equipment, including building services and medical equipment.

Parliamentary reference - Report number #43 - released 8 December 1997

This Report, Volume Two: Corporate Governance in Practice reports upon how actual corporate governance practices by NSW public sector boards compare with “better practice”.

It found criteria and processes for appointing directors to boards are not always transparent. It also found a more systematic and rigorous approach to the range of corporate governance issues is required across the public sector if it is to approach "better practice", there is a lack of accountability for board decision making and board performance and where boards are to serve a governance role, then a basic framework needs to be created to ensure they can operate efficiently and effectively.

Parliamentary reference - Report number #39 - released 17 June 1997

A Supplement to Volume Two: Survey Findings has also been prepared, presenting The Audit Office’s survey findings in detail. This may serve as a useful benchmark for governance in the NSW public sector.

It found that, supporting/enabling legislation, governance structures and boards creation processes should facilitate better governance practice. It also found boards and management should understand their roles, responsibilities and duties and that these should be clearly articulated in legislation, board directors should possess appropriate qualifications and expertise to fulfil their responsibilities, boards need to ensure that adequate systems are in place to be able to oversight on the activity of the agency and boards must be accountable to those whose interests they represent.

Parliamentary reference - Report number #39 - released 17 June 1997

The audit identified that overall the agencies had carried out the redundancy process satisfactorily and the process, with some exceptions, complied with Government and internal policies. Government policy states that performance problems should be dealt with by managing the performance of the employee rather than restructuring/redundancy processes. In a limited number of instances certain employees, whose performance had been questioned, had been offered and accepted voluntary redundancy.

The audit also indicates that the process of redundancies has resulted in lower salary costs, in real dollar terms, without undue increase in either overtime or consultancy costs nor any detrimental effect on service quality. However, it is noted that the decrease in staffing levels occurred exclusively in the non-budget sector. Budget sector staffing levels increased by 1.4 per cent during 1989-95. There are also signs that the need for and the benefits arising out of redundancies are not well planned or measured. The need for redundancies often arises from a desire to reduce staff related costs while there is no comparison of the costs of redundancy compared to benefits.

Parliamentary reference - Report number #37 - released 17 April 1997