General Practice After Hours Program
Round 3 Reporting Templates and Associated Guide 2010-11
Guide to Completing Project Progress Reportsv (GPAH) for Round 3 (2010-11)
PDF printable version of Guide to completing Project Progress Reports for GPAH round 3 (2010-11) (PDF 35 KB)
In accordance with the Commonwealth Funding Agreement (Clause 11), participants receiving grant funding under the General Practice After Hours (GPAH) Program are required to provide the Commonwealth Liaison Officer with completed Project Progress Reports in the timeframes specified in Item D of the Schedule to the Funding Agreement.
Project Progress Reports provide the Department with information about the performance of project activities, aims and objectives, and expenditure of grant funds.
Reporting information also assists the Department in measuring the program’s overall effectiveness in achieving its objectives. It may also contribute to the ongoing evaluation of the program. Information provided in project reports may be subject to audit by the Department.
The templates for Project Progress Reports are provided as Appendix 1 to the Commonwealth Funding Agreement. Electronic copies of the reporting templates are accessible via the General Practice After Hours (GPAH) Program webpage.If you have difficulties accessing the reporting templates, please contact the Commonwealth Liaison Officer. Note that the Department’s reporting requirements may be subject to change over the term of the funding agreement.
Project Progress Reports – Reporting Templates
- Attachment 1- Project Performance template (Microsoft Word); and
- Attachment 2- Statement of Income and Expenditure template (Microsoft Excel).
In addition, an audited Statement of Income and Expenditure of Commonwealth funding will be required at the end of the Project Period. This audit should be conducted by an approved auditor as defined at Clause 1.1 of the Funding Agreement. Note that the requirement of the Funding Agreement to have the Statement of Income and Expenditure of Commonwealth funding audited separately from other income and expenditure may result in an additional cost being incurred by your organisation. Any such costs will need to be met by your organisation.
How to submit Project Progress Reports
Copies of each Project Progress Report should be provided to the Commonwealth Liaison Officer as follows:- an electronic copy by email; and
- one signed original hardcopy by post.
Certificate of Compliance
The Certificate of Compliance must be signed by two appropriate persons in the organisation, such as a Director, CEO or authorised Practice Manager.Project Performance template (Attachment 1)
Organisation details
1. Have there been any changes to your organisation’s details during the period of reporting? (For example, to your organisation’s name, address, trust arrangements, etc). If yes, please provide details.Achieving your project aims and activities
2. Has your organisation experienced any difficulties in achieving any of the project performance measures or activities specified in Part A of the Schedule to your Funding Agreement? (For example, changes to opening hours, operation of on-call services, continuity of care arrangements etc) If yes, please provide details, including possible solutions and timeframes.This question also refers to changes in staffing/workforce issues, subcontracting delays, public awareness/publicity, need for more referrals, information technology difficulties. Note that some changes may result in a variation to your Funding Agreement. You are encouraged to speak with the Commonwealth Liaison Officer if you have any questions or concerns.
3. Describe your organisation’s achievements in meeting the project performance measures and activities specified in Part A of the Schedule to your Funding Agreement. Exclude reference to accreditation/quality assurance issues here as these are addressed at Question 7 of the Progress Report.
- Note that your reporting template will contain a list of the Project Activities copied from the Schedule to the Funding Agreement. Do not amend these activities. If you consider an activity is no longer applicable or requires modification, please discuss this with the Commonwealth Liaison Officer.
Please comment on all activities listed with at least one dot point under each item covering actions and achievements during the reporting period. A short overall summary of the project’s achievements to date should also be provided.
Community needs
4. Describe how your organisation has contributed to the provision of after hours GP services in the local community.Refer to your response to (Selection Criterion 2) ‘Demonstrated Community Need’ in your original application for funding. Outline your progress in meeting community needs during the reporting period and note any changes to the community environment that have impacted on project outcomes.
Also provide information (if received) about any consultation or feedback about the project from patients, local GPs and the local Emergency Department. This could include issues such as accessibility of the service, safety, population trends etc.
5. Do you consider that the operation of your after hours service assists in alleviating local hospital emergency department presentations. If so, please comment if applicable.
Important Note: This question has been included to assist the Department to determine how the program is assisting local emergency departments. Your response to this question will be considered separately to your achievements against the project’s aims and activities and will not determine the success of your project on an individual basis. Top of page
Insurance
6. Complete the table in the progress report template regarding certificates of insurance for your after hours service. Insert expiry dates for each type of insurance and mark whether the copy of the current certificate is attached or previously provided.Please note it is a condition of the Funding Agreement that you maintain current insurances as specified in Item J. You are required to provide copies of certificates of currency when these insurance policies are updated, and should not wait until a Progress Report is due to forward them to the Department’s Liaison Officer.
Quality assurance
7. Complete the table in the progress report template regarding certificate of accreditation for your after hours service. Specify the Accreditation Provider (eg AGPAL, GPA), expiry date and provide a copy of the current certificate if not previously provided. Where the Project involves more than one practice, please provide details of accreditation for all participating practices.8. If the service is not accredited, what process is being undertaken to achieve accreditation status? Provide detail about processes underway to achieve accreditation, such as provider, and date by which you expect accreditation to be achieved.
- If the service is not accredited, grant recipients are expected to demonstrate a policy or protocol for each of the accreditation processes, or otherwise develop a policy by the time the first Progress Report is due.
10. If you have answered No to any part of Question 9, describe what steps are you taking to develop and implement protocols or policies for these processes.
Financial viability
11. Have there been any changes during the reporting period that may impact on the financial viability of the after hours service during the period of grant funding? (For example, changes to patient throughput or staff recruitment etc). If yes, (a) provide details with possible solutions and timeframes; and (b) In light of these changes, advise if the project activities specified in Part A of the Schedule to your Funding Agreement require amendment or whether any items listed under Item B: Budget require amendment.- Are there any changes needed to current activities to achieve financial viability of the after hours service? For example, recruiting new receptionist, nurses or GPs, advertising to increase patient throughput, etc. When formulating your response consider the extent to which program funding helps meet the cost of the service. If Yes, over what time frame will they be implemented?
Financial reporting
13. Was there an overspend or underspend of greater than 10% for any of the budget line items listed in Part B of the Schedule to your Funding Agreement? Do you expect an overspend or underspend of greater than 10% for the forward reporting report. If yes, provide details including reasons for the variation and expectations about future estimates This should be answered in conjunction with the Statement of Income and Expenditure of Commonwealth funding (Attachment 2).- You are permitted to vary the total expenditure for each line item in the Budget by up to the maximum of 10% of the line item value or $5,000, whichever is the greater, without the prior written approval of the Department provided that the total Budget is not increased. If you wish to add or remove line items from the Budget, please contact the Commonwealth Liaison Officer, as a formal variation to the Funding Agreement will be required.
If the underspend or overspend will continue you need to obtain written approval from the Department. In most cases a request for a formal variation to the Funding Agreement will be considered favourably, providing that the Project continues to meet its aims and objectives. You need not wait for a Progress Report to be due to request a variation, as processing a variation may delay report acceptance and the associated progress payment. Top of page
After hours GP workforce
14. Have you experienced any difficulties in staffing your service with GPs during the after hours period?- Important Information – Information contained in Project Progress Reports will assist the Department in measuring the Program’s effectiveness in achieving its objective of improving access to after hours GP services, and contribute to reporting to the Parliament of Australia if required. The Department requires GP Provider Numbers to be submitted with your Project Progress Reports to enable it to verify the number of after hours consultations provided by funded grant recipients under the GPAH Program. The Department will audit up to 20% of funded organisations on an annual basis. This audit process will involve the use of the GP Provider Numbers. Grant recipients should ensure that practitioner’s whose provider numbers are disclosed in this form are aware of the purpose for which this information will
be collected and used by the Department.
Statement of Income and Expenditure of Commonwealth funding (Attachment 2)
Instructions
1. Statements of Income and Expenditure are required as part of each Progress Report. Submission dates are specified in the Schedule of the Funding Agreement (the Schedule).For the exact reporting periods and due dates refer to the first page of the Project Progress Report template (sent to you electronically when the Funding Agreement was executed)
2. The Statement of Income and Expenditure should only record activity against the Budget line items listed under Item B of the Schedule, and should only show expenditure of Commonwealth grant funds.
- Do not change the line items as these must match those in the Funding Agreement. If you consider the line items are no longer appropriate, please discuss this with the Department’s liaison officer.
If you have expended all of the Budget allocation for the line item you only are required to enter that amount (there is no requirement to report on extra amounts spent by the organisation in the Statement of Income and Expenditure). However, if you have spent some of your organisation’s funds on the item, you may consider noting it in the Project Performance section of the progress report (Attachment 1).
- Receipt and expenditure of funds are to be recorded as they are earned or incurred and included in the financial statements for the accounting periods to which they relate.
5. Fields requiring Participant input are shaded. Populate the shaded fields only.
- Please enter the gross income, interest and expenditure against each of the specified line items and balance of funds in the Bank Account for each reporting period. The spreadsheet will calculate cumulative income and expenditure.
6. Ensure the Certificate of Financial Compliance is signed by two officers authorised in accordance with clause 8 of the Funding Agreement.
- The hard copy of the Progress Report must include this certificate which must be signed by two appropriate persons in the organisation, such as Directors, CEO, Project Officer or Practice Manager authorised to sign.
7. Audited Statements of Income and Expenditure must be submitted for the total funding period with the Final (third) Report. Audited Statements of Income and Expenditure must include:
- A Scope and an Audit Opinion signed by an approved auditor certifying that the financial accounts are complete and accurate as per clauses 11.3(f) and 11.4(d) of the Funding Agreement.
- A declaration by the Participant.
Please Note: The requirement to have Statements of Income and Expenditure of Commonwealth funds audited separately from your organisation's other auditing activity may result in an additional cost being incurred by your organisation. Any such costs will need to be met by your organisation.
8. Variations between the Budget item amounts agreed in Item B of the Schedule and actual expenses against those items will be monitored by the Department. Any variations should be explained under question 15 of the Progress Report.
- Click the link with the RIGHT mouse button
- Choose "Save Target As.../Save Link As..." depending on your browser
- Select an appropriate folder on a local drive to place the downloaded file
- Please contact the Department’s Liaison Officer as soon as you think a variation may be necessary rather than waiting until a Progress Report is due. In most cases requests for variation will be considered favourably, providing the overall Budget is not increased and the Project aims and objectives continue to be met. Top of page
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