1999-2000

Part C: Information on Planned Outcomes and Outputs

The 1999-2000 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.

Overview of Outcomes and Outputs

The Government has adopted ten outcomes for the Health and Aged Care Portfolio under the new framework. These outcomes provide a direct link between the directions being set by Government and the policy and operational activity undertaken in the Department of Health and Aged Care and portfolio agencies. Details about the performance information and resource allocation for each outcome are presented in chapters in this section of the PBS.

The following diagram shows the relationship between the health and aged care portfolio outcomes and the contributing outputs of the Department and portfolio agencies. The diagram also summarises the resource allocation for departmental expenses and administered expenses for each outcome.

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Details of the allocation of resources within the portfolio are included under each outcome description. The total administered expenses for the portfolio in the 1999-2000 financial year is $23,230.563 million compared with the total departmental/agency expenses of $696.613 million. Administered expenses represent 97.1 per cent of the total portfolio expenses.

The Department has grouped its outputs into seven standard output groups: Policy advice to the Ministers and Government, Services to the Ministers and Parliament, National Leadership, Information, Contract Administration and Funds Management, Regulatory Activity, and Direct Delivery of Services. A description of each of the standard output groups is provided below. Portfolio agencies other than the Department were given the opportunity to develop independent output groups to define their outputs, or to use standard Departmental output groups. Most agencies have used the standard groups, though the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency developed an output group unique to that agency. The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare has four output groups: the first is unique to the Institute and the other three correspond to Departmental groups.

Departmental Output Groups: Standard Descriptions

1. Policy advice to the Ministers and Government - This output group involves the provision of a policy advice capacity or service. It includes monitoring, analysing and reporting to the Ministers on specific issues; and providing Ministers with a policy advice. It spans Ministerial briefs, new policy proposals, budget packages, Cabinet Submissions, Memoranda, legislative drafting, supporting Bills through Parliament and Coordination Comments.
2. Services to the Minister and Parliament - This output group covers the various outputs that are provided for the Ministers and Parliament, for example, ministerial correspondence, QTBs, questions on notice, ministerial speeches, providing information to and appearing before Parliamentary committees, Portfolio Budget Statements and Annual Reports.
3. National leadership - This output group provides for the activities associated with working with States, Territories and peak bodies in the development of national strategies and infrastructure. Examples of outputs in this group include representing the Government at international forums, development of minimum data sets, coordinating research and development activities on behalf of Commonwealth-State Ministerial Councils, preparing reports and papers for these Councils, and providing secretariat services to these Councils.
4. Information - This output group provides for the production of publications, responding to queries from the media and the public and public awareness campaigns. It spans the regular publication of Medicare statistics, publication of Australian Casemix Reports, the publication of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Schedule, marketing government programs, and maintaining the Department's Internet.
5. Contract Administration and Funds Management - This output group covers the activities associated with the development and management of contracts and grants for administered funds and the payment of administered funds. It includes making new service or funding recommendations to the Ministers, developing grant guidelines and tender briefs, renegotiating funding or contractual agreements, monitoring contracts, payments, acquittals, and resolving provider concerns with funding arrangements.
6. Regulatory Activity - This output group involves the administration of legislation, including activities related to the development of regulations, amendment to regulations, and enforcement of legislation. Examples of outputs in this group include amendments to regulations relating to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, drugs for sale in the Australian market, issuing licences, approving service providers, verifying that services meet national quality standards, and testing samples.
7. Direct Delivery of Services - This output group is for those areas of the Department which are engaged in some area of service delivery activity for either the Minister or the Community. Examples of outputs in this group include the payment of benefits by the Health Insurance Commission under a purchaser provider relationship with the Department.

• an overview of the relevant outcome and an outline of the role that the Portfolio will play in achieving this outcome;
• Budget measures for 1999-2000;
• effectiveness indicators, designed to measure how effectively the outcome has been achieved;
• a resource summary table which shows total resourcing for each outcome;
• information on the contribution of administered items and outputs from the Department and relevant agencies towards achieving each outcome;
• performance measures to identify planned performance for administered items (in terms of quality, quantity, effectiveness and efficiency) and for departmental outputs (in terms of quality, quantity and price); and
• information on any planned evaluations for activities contributing to each outcome.