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Department of the Environment and Heritage Annual Report 2003-04

Department of the Environment and Heritage, 2004
ISSN 1441 9335

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Management and accountability (continued)

Corporate governance

The Department improved the way it operates - its corporate governance arrangements - to respond to the challenges of a whole-of-government approach to environment protection and cross-portfolio linkages on key environmental issues. During 2003-04, the Department took concerted steps to clarify the roles and responsibilities of senior management committees, review performance information in the portfolio budget statements, and improve its risk management framework.

Senior executive staff

The Department's senior executive staff is responsible for setting the Department's policies, priorities and strategic directions. The senior executive staff comprises Senior Executive Service employees:

Figure 2 shows the names and responsibilities of these officers in a departmental organisational chart.

In February 2004, the Secretary, Mr Roger Beale AM, retired after a total of over 37 years in the Australian Public Service, with 19 years at department head level (see the 'Review by departmental secretary' part of this annual report). The current Secretary of the Department is Mr David Borthwick.

Table 68 shows the numbers of senior executive employees in the Department by classification and gender during 2002-03 and 2003-04.

Table 68: Numbers of Senior Executive Service employees(a)
Classification (b) Male Female Total
2002-03
2003-04
2002-03
2003-04
2002-03
2003-04
SES Band 1
19(c)
18
8(c)
7
27
25(d)
SES Band 2
7
8
2
1
9
9(d)
SES Band 3
3
1
1
1
4
2
Total
29
27
11
9
40
36

(a) Figures for 2002-03 are as at 30 June 2003 and figures for 2003-04 are as at 30 June 2004.
(b) 'SES' stands for Senior Executive Service.
(c) Includes 6 Executive Level 2 employees acting in SES Band 1.
(d) Includes 1 inoperative employee.

Table 69 shows the number of changes to the Department's senior executive staff during 2002-03 and 2003-04.

Table 69: Mobility of Senior Executive Service employees
Type of movement
2002-03
2003-04
Commencements
0
4
Cessations
4
3
Transfers/promotions within Department
2
3

Senior executive remuneration

The Department's remuneration strategy for Senior Executive Service employees is based on the following set of principles:

All Senior Executive Service employees have Australian Workplace Agreements. Senior Executive Service remuneration packages comprise base pay, performance pay and other benefits, such as a maintained vehicle. From time to time, the Secretary reviews Senior Executive Service remuneration. The fourth round Senior Executive Service Australian Workplace Agreements became effective on 1 July 2003 and has a nominal expiry date of 30 June 2005.

Table 70 shows the amount of performance pay the Department paid to senior executive employees in 2002-03 and 2003-04. (Table 76 shows performance pay for executive level employees and Table 77 shows the base salary ranges for employees at each level of employment).

Table 70: Performance pay for Senior Executive Service employees(a)
Performance pay statistic Classification(b)
SES Band 2 and 3 SES Band 1
2002-03
2003-04
2002-03
2003-04
Number of performance payments
13
12
24
25
Average performance pay
$10 771
$10 791
$6 546
$7 303
Range of performance pay
$6 211 - $13 196
$5 144 - $13 566
$1 508 - $8 458
$1 549 - $8 897
Total
$140 020
$129 495
$157 105
$182 585

(a) Includes employees of the Australian Antarctic Division. Senior Executive Service performance pay bonuses for the 2002-03 appraisal cycle were paid during 2003-04. Some payments were made on a pro-rata basis as Senior Executive Service employment did not span the full appraisal.
(b) 'SES' stands for Senior Executive Service.

Senior management committees

The Environment and Heritage Portfolio is responsible for delivering a broad range of policies and programmes. The Portfolio covers a range of locations across Australia and its offshore territories, so that cross-portfolio communication and coordination is a particular challenge.

The Executive Roundtable is the Portfolio's key decision making forum. The Executive Roundtable is chaired by the Secretary and members include the deputy secretaries, division heads and agency heads. It meets weekly (including via video-conferencing) to consider policy, programme and corporate matters across the Portfolio. A summary of outcomes from these weekly meetings is made available to all employees via the Department's intranet.

Several sub-committees assist the Executive Roundtable to carry out its responsibilities. Table 71 shows the current roundtable sub-committees and their roles.

Table 71: Subcommittees of the Executive Roundtable and their roles
Subcommittee Role
Audit Committee Oversees internal audit programme evaluation, fraud control, risk management, and corporate governance related matters.
Budget, Finance and Strategy Committee Considers significant budget and financial matters, and guides and monitors activities to improve the portfolio's strategic engagement in the Sustainable Environment Committee of Cabinet.
Compliance Executive Committee Sets strategic policy and direction for compliance work across the Department, endorses operational policies and practices, and sets performance measures and reviews performance.
International Steering Committee Oversees and provides strategic direction to the international work of the Department, and sets priorities for its international activities.
Knowledge Management Committee Works towards providing ready access to and sharing of knowledge across the Department.
Marine and Coastal Coordination Committee Coordinates marine and coastal issues, including international marine issues, to provide a consistent and strategic approach.
Workforce Management Committee Provides high level strategic oversight and direction for people management in the Department.

During 2003-04, the Executive Roundtable reviewed the governance arrangements of these sub-committees. As a result, each sub-committee developed a charter of operations that outlined its terms of reference. In addition, briefing formats and meeting procedures were improved and standardised.

Currently, the Audit Committee, International Steering Committee and the Knowledge Management Committee report their activities on the Department's intranet. As at 30 June 2004, the Department was upgrading its intranet and expected to make each sub-committee's charter of operations, meeting minutes and other relevant papers available to employees in the second half of 2004.

In addition, the Department has a range of other committees and networks that provide advice to the Executive Roundtable and its sub-committees. These include senior management boards such as the Procurement Review Board, as well as more widely representative bodies such as the Department of the Environment and Heritage Consultative Committee and the Network on Indigenous Issues.

Planning and review

A five-year corporate plan, an annual cycle of planning and review, and a service charter support the Department's corporate governance framework.

Launched in April 2001, the corporate plan is aligned with the Department's output structure and supported by the annual strategic plan.

The annual strategic plan highlights the Department's key directions, challenges and priorities against each output. The Department reviews performance continually through an annual programme of internal audits and evaluation, and periodically through its annual report. These reviews inform development of future strategic and corporate plans and the portfolio budget statements.

The Department's service charter has been in place since 1 July 1998. The charter sets out the standards of service that clients can expect from the Department, their rights and responsibilities, and how to find out more about the Department. The charter applies to all clients, including other government agencies, community organisations, industry and members of the public. The principal means of accessing the charter is through the Department's web site (for external clients - see www.deh.gov.au/about/publications/eacharter.html) and intranet (for employees).

Internal audit and risk management

The Department's Audit Committee oversees internal audit and risk management. The Department engages WalterTurnbull to provide internal audit functions, including reviewing risks, and advising on risk management policy, fraud investigations and programme evaluations.

During 2003-04, the Department:

The Audit Committee oversees the Department's Fraud Control Plan. During 2003-04, WalterTurnbull continued to provide fraud prevention services, which include assisting in the development and review of the Department's fraud prevention policy, providing fraud advice, and conducting investigations of potential fraud.

In 2003-04, the Department finalised its Fraud Control Plan, which is a requirement of the Commonwealth Fraud Control Guidelines. The Department's fraud control capabilities were also enhanced by:

Comcare, the Australian Government's workforce insurance provider, covers the Department and provides support and guidance aimed at reducing the likelihood of workplace injury.

The Department's Occupational Health and Safety Unit plays an important role in reducing the risk of injury through preventive programmes, awareness raising, workplace assessments, and inspections to identify, remove and reduce risks. The unit also provides rehabilitation case management services to ill and injured employees to help them to return to the workplace in a timely manner. Health and safety awareness is maintained and raised through training and orientation programmes.

An Occupational Health and Safety Committee and a network of health and safety representatives and first aid officers further assist the Department to identify and minimise risks. On occasions, external experts are engaged to provide advice on risk elimination, reduction and management strategies. See also Appendix 1.

Ethical standards

In its dealings with clients, the Department is committed to acting ethically with integrity, responsiveness and responsibility, as set out in the Department's service charter.

For employees, the Department reinforces its commitment to the Australian Public Service Values and Code of Conduct by:

The Department's Australian Antarctic Division has separate arrangements for human resource management. To uphold the Australian Public Service Values and Code of Conduct, the Division has developed a Code of Organisational Behaviours for Australian-based employees and the Antarctic Service Code of Personal Behaviour for personnel (whether employees or not) based principally in the Antarctic and sub-Antarctic.

These codes underpin the Division's human resource management strategies, including recruitment. As part of the selection process for senior head office vacancies, during 2003-04, the Division used psychometric testing focused on the relevant behavioural code. The Division continued to separate technical and personal quality assessments for the majority of Antarctic employment opportunities, reflecting its strong commitment to an Antarctic culture that respects tolerance, diversity, the environment, and agreed social standards.

The Australian Antarctic Division advises potential employees about the need to disclose any potential conflict of interest and that the Australian Public Service values apply. On commencement, all employees receive a copy of the Division's certified agreement, which clarifies staff behavioural requirements.

The behavioural codes also form the basis for performance management, and are incorporated in employees' performance agreements. During 2003-04, the Division upgraded training and reporting arrangements to focus more on corporate governance. Managers are prepared to intervene where conduct or performance does not meet reasonable minimum expectations. Recent indications, based largely on employee feedback, suggest these initiatives are helping to promote increasingly harmonious and supportive Antarctic communities.

All Australian Workplace Agreements administered by the Department (including the Australian Antarctic Division) require a personal commitment to the Australian Public Service Values and Code of Conduct.

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