1996-1997
7.2: Corporate Services
The 1996-97 Portfolio Budget Statements, informs Senators and Members of Parliament of the proposed allocation of resources to portfolios outcomes and their objectives and targets including the agencies within the Health and Family Services portfolio.
Objectives
- To provide cost-effective support to the Secretary, programme managers and their staff in achieving optimal programme outcomes.
- To assist peak bodies and client organisations to enable them to contribute to government policy development and implementation.
Goals
- The provision of financial, staffing, legal and coordination services to programme managers which are cost-competitive, accountable, efficient and continuously improving.
- The orderly management of the impact of major change on the Department including COAG reforms, micro-economic reforms and budget measures.
- Ministers, Executive, programme managers and staff are satisfied with the nature, level and quality of advice and support, including in a context of major restructuring.
- The Department fulfils its obligations as a public sector agency.
- The Department has access to necessary infrastructure, and a flexible, diverse and appropriately skilled and equipped workforce which can respond to corporate objectives and changing priorities.
- The Department has a staff management framework which integrates a strong staff support mechanism within a climate of continuous improvement in programme performance.
- Assistance is given to community organisations to help them to give input into policy and programme development and implementation in the Portfolio.
Strategies
- Provide the Secretary with independent advice to ensure that Departmental operations are well-directed, effective, efficient, equitable and accountable.
- Coordinate external reporting and compliance with relevant legislation to ensure the Department meets its obligations as a public sector agency.
- Undertake centralised processing and coordination activities on behalf of programme managers including payroll, accounts, parliamentary and legal services.
- Provide specialist advice and assistance to programme managers including financial management, staff management, property and asset management, legal issues and corporate development.
- Implement staff management, workforce planning and development strategies designed to achieve optimum organisational performance, and enhanced corporate capacity to manage change, while incorporating strong staff support mechanisms.
- Review the Community Sector Support Scheme in accordance with the Budget announcement.
Performance Indicators and Targets
Effectiveness
- Relevant statutory obligations met in relation to the Department's reporting obligations as a public sector agency.
Target: All relevant statutory obligations are met. - Progress made with the realignment of Departmental functions and the workforce.
- Organisational health as demonstrated by time lost due to absenteeism.
Target: A continuing downward trend from levels in 1993-94. - The level of participation of funded peak bodies in relevant policy development and implementation issues, as assessed by programme managers.
Efficiency
- Cost of internal corporate services.
Targets: A five per cent reduction in cost of corporate services as a percentage of the total Departmental running costs compared with 1995-96. - Cost of corporate services as a percentage of departmental running costs equivalent to or less than comparable organisations.
- Efficiencies achieved in terms of:
- Department's workers' compensation premium per staff member;
- Departmental accommodation costs per staff member ;
Target: Three per cent reduction. - energy use in Departmental buildings and vehicles;
Target: Five per cent reduction. - average administrative expenditure per staff member; and
Target: Five per cent reduction. - number of overdue ministerials as a percentage of those on hand.
Target: Less than 20 per cent.
Quality
- Satisfaction with the standard of service in corporate services, in terms of appropriateness, responsiveness, accessibility, timeliness, accuracy, consistency, and courtesy/sensitivity, as assessed through surveys of Ministers, the Executive, other clients and suppliers.
Equity
- Progress towards APS Year 2000 Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) targets.
Target: Progress at least equivalent to that of the APS generally. - Feedback via surveys of staff to indicate satisfaction with Departmental EEO policies and practices.
- The extent to which Departmental training programmes meet the needs of all target groups for equity of access as identified in the Department's EEO programme.
Budget Measures
Savings
Reduction in Community Organisations Support Programme Funds
Top of pageFinancial Implications
1996-97 $m | 1997-98 $m | 1998-99 $m | 1999-00 $m |
-1.7 | -2.9 | -3.7 | -3.7 |
- a number of time-limited grants (for projects and for seed-funded national secretariats) expire during the four year period; and
- the Volunteer Management Programme finishes at the end of 1997-1998.
Purpose of Measure
To ensure that organisations funded under the new Community Sector Support Scheme focus on activities which respond to the needs of the community in the health and family services sector. The nature and level of funding under the Scheme will be reviewed in 1996-97.Expected Implementation Strategies for Measure
The Community Sector Support Scheme replaces the existing Community Organisations' Support Programme.National secretariats receiving ongoing funding will continue to be funded in 1996-97 but with a reduction of 10% on the 1995-96 level.
The nature and level of funding for these secretariats will be reviewed during 1996-97 and considered in the 1997-98 Budget context with a requirement that from 1 July 1997, funds paid to secretariats will be tied to the achievement of specific outcomes relevant to the needs of the community with respect to health and family services.
Funding for agencies which recruit, train and place volunteers in services relevant to the government's objectives will be continued in 1996-97 and 1997-98 (but reduced by 10% across the board).Currently approved seed-funding for secretariats will also be reduced by 10% in 1996-97 and phased out as their time-limited contracts expire. As part of the wider review to be undertaken of the relevance of funded secretariats, it is possible that some seed funded organisations may be transferred to ongoing funding in cases where they can demonstrate clear relevance and the ability to deliver specific outcomes.
The Scheme will no longer contain components for national innovative projects and management support. However, current projects will be funded until they are completed.
Intended Impacts of Measure
Streamlining of current arrangements under the Community Organisations' Support Programme and the creation of a new Community Sector Support Scheme.Following the review of secretariat funding in 1996-97, it is envisaged that those secretariats which are still considered to be of relevance will have contracts which are more strongly tied to specific expected outcomes.
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Application of an Efficiency Dividend to Commonwealth Own Purpose Outlays and Specific Purpose Payments of a Running Costs Nature - Department
1996-97 $m | 1997-98 $m | 1998-99 $m | 1999-00 $m |
-0.2 | -0.3 | -0.4 | -0.5 |
Application of an Efficiency Dividend to Commonwealth Own Purpose Payments and Specific Purpose Payments of a Running Costs Nature - Health and Community Services Ministerial Council
1996-97 $m | 1997-98 $m | 1998-99 $m | 1999-00 $m |
-0.03 | -0.04 | -0.05 | -0.07 |
Across-the-Board Reduction of 2% in Running Costs - Department
1996-97 $m | 1997-98 $m | 1998-99 $m | 1999-00 $m |
-0.8 | -0.8 | -0.8 | -0.9 |
Across-the-Board Reduction of 2% in Running Costs - Health and Community Services Ministerial Council
1996-97 $m | 1997-98 $m | 1998-99 $m | 1999-00 $m |
-0.02 | -0.02 | -0.02 | -0.02 |
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