DIMIA Annual Report 2004-05
Corporate governance
CORPORATE AND OPERATIONAL PLANNING, AND PERFORMANCE REPORTING AND REVIEW
The department's strategic plan, Business Directions 2002-2005, outlines our strategic directions. It provides high-level guidance for departmental staff on the specific objectives relating to each of the (then) three departmental outcomes, on the provision of client service and on issues of corporate governance.
The plan has two companion documents. The first, Investing for 2005 and beyond, is a more detailed picture of how the department plans to achieve its stated objectives over the longer term. It contains a series of specific projects to enhance business processes and improve service delivery arrangements. The plan is structured to emphasise the links between various activities and to promote integrated planning at all levels.
The second companion document, Investing in People, describes the department's people management strategy. It expands on the 'employer of choice' elements of the Business Directions 2002-2005 and Investing for 2005 and beyond documents. The development of a replacement strategic plan for the period 2005-08 is under way. As well as documenting major changes in our business directions, key objectives will be to identify future information needs, integrate key business risks and ensure alignment between all levels of our business planning and reporting.
The Portfolio Budget Statements (PBS) describe the department's principal business activities for the year ahead and the level of resources available. Business areas develop plans that support the delivery of the strategic priorities outlined in the Business Directions 2002-05 and the PBS. Our business planning principles and planning framework are available on the intranet to assist in planning processes.
Over recent years the links between the Business Directions 2002-2005, the PBS and the annual report have been more clearly articulated as part of a strategy to align planning and performance monitoring with internal and external reporting. To further tighten the link back to individual performance, the department has continued to improve its Performance and Learning Scheme. Improvements to that Scheme are designed to provide a stronger relationship between individual agreements and broader departmental business plans and objectives.
The Monthly Performance Report (MPR) is presented to the MB each month to provide a consolidated summary of information on key, emerging issues and trends across the department. The MPR also highlights noteworthy exceptions to output targets. The look of the MPR has evolved over a number of years, and is the subject of ongoing improvement as work practices and reporting requirements change. A significant development this year was the introduction of a graphical trend analysis, reflecting performance against PBS performance measures over the previous six months.
The Finance Committee, People Management Committee, IT Governance Committee and the Departmental Audit and Evaluation Committee meet regularly and undertake detailed performance monitoring in the areas of resource allocation and performance improvement; human resource management; technology; and audit, evaluation and risk management respectively. In addition, executive management at division, branch and state/territory level meet regularly to monitor and review performance. Each division and state/territory office reports to the MB annually.
In order to improve further reporting and analysis capacity, an enterprise data warehouse is under development. The warehouse covers financial data, human resource information and a wide range of program activity, both onshore and offshore. A Reporting Coordination Unit within the Corporate Governance Division oversights the prioritisation of reporting and analysis requirements sourced from the warehouse to ensure that reporting and analysis activity is closely aligned to current and future business priorities.
A wide range of statistical reports is currently available to line managers to enable continuous monitoring of operational performance. These are provided online and in hard copy at regular intervals, including daily where required. The reporting framework is designed to support effective planning at both the operational and strategic level.
External performance reporting is prepared on an outcomes, outputs and output component basis. The department's activities deliver eighteen outputs:
- Output 1.1 Non-humanitarian entry and stay
- Output 1.2 Refugee and humanitarian entry and stay
- Output 1.3 Enforcement of immigration law
- Output 1.4 Safe haven
- Output 1.5 Offshore Asylum Seeker Management
- Output 2.1 Settlement Services
- Output 2.2 Translating and Interpreting Services
- Output 2.3 Australian Citizenship
- Output 2.4 Promoting the Benefits of Cultural Diversity
- Output 3.1 Indigenous Policy
- Output 4.1 Policy and Advocacy
- Output 4.2 Evaluation and Audit
- Output 4.3 Home Loans
- Output 5.1 Promotion of Cultural Authority
- Output 5.2 Advancement of Indigenous Rights and Equity
- Output 5.3 Improvement to Social and Physical Wellbeing
- Output 5.4 Economic Development
- Output 5.5 Capacity Building and Quality Assurance
The Office of Indigenous Policy Coordination (OIPC) manages Outcomes 3, 4 and 5. Outcomes 4 and 5 were created to provide a mechanism to transfer former Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island Services functions to the department. Outcomes 3, 4 and 5 will be combined to form a new Outcome 3 for the commencement of the 2005-06 program year.