DIMA Annual Report 1997-98
Sub-program 1.4: Migration Support and Services
Objective
Description
Performance information
Financial and staffing resources summary
Performance outcomes
Objective
To advise on policy and processes which support departmental operations and deliver cost-effective services overseas.
Description
This sub-program provides systems support for over-the-counter services, coordinates telephone information services for clients, oversees initiatives such as the Client Service Charter and advocates on behalf of counter service delivery stakeholders.
The sub-program plans overseas operational structures, allocates and manages resource allocations and advocates on behalf of overseas posts. It plans and manages the Department's Australian and overseas offices and residential properties.
The Corporate Strategy and Support Branch provides policy and administrative support.
[ Top Of Page ]Performance information
Outcomes are measured by the extent to which:
- quality services are provided to clients;
- the cost effectiveness of operations is maximised; and
- support services improve the delivery of services.
Financial and staffing resources summary
1997–98 |
1997–98 |
1996–97 |
|
| Budgetary (cash) basis | |||
| Components of appropriations | |||
| Annual appropriations | |||
| Running costs | 90 053 |
93 816 |
n/a |
| Other program costs | 580 |
0 |
n/a |
| Total appropriations | 90 633 |
93 816 |
n/a |
| Less adjustments | 1 714 |
3 848 |
n/a |
| Total outlays | 88 919 |
89 968 |
n/a |
| Total revenue | 1 133 |
936 |
n/a |
| Staffing | |||
| Staff years (actual) | 957 |
1 025 |
n/a |
Due to program restructures in both 1996–97 and 1997–98, sub-program figures for 1996–97 actuals are not meaningful for comparative purposes to 1997–98 figures. They have therefore not been included in this table.
[ Top Of Page ]Performance outcomes
(i) Quality services
In the temporary entry visa categories, visa processing times have continued to improve. Tourist and business visitors from a number of countries are now issued with an Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) in a few minutes.
The percentage of ETAs issued, relative to total visa numbers, has increased from 21.6 per cent to 67.4 per cent in the last year. In the second half of 1997–98, an average of 71 per cent of tourist and short-term business travellers entered Australia on ETAs.
In the permanent entry categories, the overall processing times have increased by up to 25 per cent.
The lengthened processing times are a result of capping and queuing policy, as well as the Government's integrity measures which involve additional checking processes.
The Department is developing a strategy to reduce backlogs, particularly where cases are old. The Department is also committed to more flexible management of priority processing for immediate family members.
The Department's across-the-counter services continue to be a major method of service delivery to clients. Over 828 000 clients were seen by the Department throughout Australia in 1997–98. The waiting time for clients to be served continued to average 17 minutes in most offices. Receipted transactions remained at a similar level to the previous year, as the following graph shows.
[ Top Of Page ]Chart 1.4 (1): Receipted transactions
[ Top Of Page ]
Client Service Charter
In June 1998 the Department completed preparations for the introduction of its Client Service Charter on 1 July 1998. Ministerial launches were planned for July 1998.
The Charter development involved extensive consultation with staff, client organisations, third party providers and other agencies. Approximately 800 organisations and individuals outside the Department were consulted. Two versions of the Charter, for onshore and offshore clients, took into account the different client groups, service provisions and different operating environments.
The Charter includes a statement of the Department's commitment to high quality service, an explanation of what clients may expect of the Department, clear service standards, an explanation of the client's responsibilities to the Department, and methods for making a suggestion or complaint.
The Charter is to be widely available in an easily accessible brochure format, written in plain English and also available in 19 other languages. The languages were selected on the basis of demand for interpreter services, advice from overseas posts and regional offices, and from immigration advisory service providers.
A key feature of the Charter's implementation is the development of effective complaints handling procedures. The Charter makes it clear that the complaints mechanism is designed to deal with issues of service quality and not dissatisfaction with decisions or with Government policy, which may be pursued using other avenues.
Given the extensive level of client contact for the Department in its onshore operations, responsiveness to client needs has been a focus in the Charter's development.
The training of Departmental officers throughout Australia, preparation of written complaints handling procedures and designing of reporting systems to ensure the Department hears the views of clients on service issues, were completed by the end of June 1998.
Accessibility of the complaints process to clients has been ensured though a network of 34 complaints handling officers throughout Australia, together with a dedicated '13' telephone number and information on the Internet and by facsimile. Overseas posts will have a network of 37 complaints handling officers.
As well as improvements in problem resolution, the feedback provided by clients will be used to inform future improvements to services provided by the Department.
Interactive voice units/'13' number
1997–98 saw continued priority given to enhancing client access. A national '13' telephone inquiry number and Interactive Voice Response Unit (IVRU) operated successfully in many of the busiest offices. Use of the '13' inquiry number grew from 290 000 calls in 1996–97 to 580 000 calls in 1997–98.
A new IVRU was installed in the ACT Regional Office in 1997, bringing the total number of units in operation to six. The first three months of operation of the new unit saw unsuccessful call connections fall from an average of 21 per cent to less than two per cent.
As a result of feedback to the Department on client difficulties with the recorded information provided, extensive work has been conducted on an improved national IVRU script. This work has focused on enhancing client comfort levels with IVRU technology, ensuring the prompt availability of accurate information following changes to policy or legislation, and the use of plain English and professional recording of the script. It is expected that the national script will be implemented in 1998.
[ Top Of Page ](ii) Cost effectiveness
Regional structures
As at 30 June 1998, visa services were being provided through an international network of 74 posts, of which 37 have DIMA Australia-based (A-based) staff. This followed the withdrawal, for operational reasons, of visa services from six posts, with the processing transferred to other posts in the same country or region. The posts closed were Vancouver, Stockholm, Katmandu, New York, Riyadh and Caracas.
There were 112 departmental A-based and 604 Locally Engaged Staff (LES) dedicated to visa functions, compared with 122 A-based and 557 LES at 30 June 1997. There were 32 posts where departmental LES were being supervised by Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) staff, and five posts were supervised by AUSTRADE staff. The visa operations at these posts are supported by regional posts with departmental A-based staff.
Given the range of organisational models operating in 1997–98, the Department had been considering its regional structures overseas.
Some posts, such as Suva, acted as a regional hub and oversaw operations through visits and other support services. The Washington Regional Director oversaw the Department's operations on the American continent, and similar and less formal roles were played by the Regional Directors in London, Bonn and Beijing.
With the announcement of an expanded immigration presence overseas in the 1998–99 Budget, consideration is being given to strengthening operations overseas through a comprehensive regional model. The main benefits are seen as streamlining communication, providing more systematic regional compliance and training coverage, and providing greater flexibility to use resources within regions.
[ Top Of Page ]Cost pressures
In 1997–98 the overseas budget was set at around $41 million but was required to absorb some abnormally high nondiscretionary items. These included foreign exchange losses ($2.4 million) and increased LES payments ($2.1 million). These cost increases had to be met by reallocating resources from elsewhere within the Department. It is expected that these increases will moderate in 1998–99 although the impact of a lower exchange rate had not yet been fully felt – they would require further absorption strategies.
[ Top Of Page ]Common Administrative Services (CAS) Agreement
The Department paid around $3.4 million to DFAT in 1997–98 for the delivery of common services overseas, compared with $3.1 million in 1996–97. Under the agreement between DFAT and attached agencies at DFAT managed posts overseas, DFAT provides, on a fee for service basis, personnel services to A-based and LES staff. They also provided offices, property and financial and communications services.
A new common services agreement was developed by DFAT in 1997–98, in consultation and with the agreement of affected agencies. This will come into effect on 1 July 1998 and is a more transparent model more closely tied to user-pays principles. It incorporates clearer definition of services provided under the agreement, establishes service standards, with provisions for refund of fees for unsatisfactory performance, and puts into place a more effective dispute resolution mechanism. To ensure cost effectiveness, the operation of the agreement will be closely monitored by agencies at overseas posts against set service standards.
[ Top Of Page ](iii) Support services
Help Desk Client Services System (CSS)/Client Service Manager (CSM)
To support the delivery of high quality services over the counter, further enhancements have been made to the key client services support systems, CSS/CSM. The inclusion of the Data Accuracy Record Change Indicator increased the ease of operations and improved data accuracy.
Along with these enhancements were extensive user training in all State and Territory offices.
These changes assisted in improving processing times for departmental clients, as counter staff are able to resolve less complex data accuracy problems on the spot. Help Desk arrangements were streamlined so that urgent matters received priority attention.
[ Top Of Page ]Roll-out of overseas network
The rollout of the overseas communication network was a key initiative in 1996–97 to ensure that staff overseas had more immediate access to modern communication systems, could quickly access operational areas, policy makers and supervisors in Australia, and could network effectively with their colleagues overseas.
By the end of 1997–98, all overseas posts except AUSTRADE posts of Auckland and Dubai had email access through the use of the secure DFAT communications network. Email access for these two posts will be addressed in 1998–99.
Property
The 1997–98 year was the first year of the devolution of overseas property funds from Department of Finance and Administration (DoFA) to DIMA.
As a transitional year, agencies were provided only with a notional budget. These funds are to be devolved to agencies from 1 July 1998, however the rules and protocols have yet to be finalised.
Continued scrutiny was given to the Department's domestic property holdings. Proposals were developed to relocate and expand the Parramatta office, in New South Wales, to a better client servicing site within the same building.
Options for moving out of the expensive The Rocks site, in Sydney, were also examined. A decision was made to relocate the Box Hill office, in Victoria, to a smaller site in the same area.
In Central Office there has been an increase in office space available as a result of the expanded information technology delivery requirements. Some savings will result in guarding services following the introduction of a powerful electronic access facility.
Further savings arose from a new cleaning contract. Consistent with the Government's sale of airports, leases were finalised for all airport office accommodation.