This Part of the report examines the key challenges to public housing in Victoria leading up to the March 2017 release of the housing affordability strategy Homes for Victorians. In doing this, we have followed up on related recommendations from our 2012 audit Access to Public Housing.

Figure 2A shows the three recommendations in our 2012 audit that focused on addressing system-level challenges for public housing.

Figure 2A
Recommendations from our 2012 audit relating to system-level challenges for public housing

Housing is important for all Victorians. Without access to affordable and secure housing, people face an increased risk of homelessness, mental illness and inability to meet living costs. Social housing is an important means of helping those in greatest need. Government, non-government and not-for-profit organisations provide social housing to people who are unable to access suitable accommodation in the private market. Figure 1A shows the types of social housing provided in Victoria.

Figure 1A

Social housing options

Access to affordable and secure housing reduces the risk of homelessness and improves people's capacity to meet living costs. It can also be beneficial in addressing issues such as mental illness.

Government and non-government not-for-profit organisations provide social housing to people who are unable to access suitable accommodation in the private market.

Social housing is an umbrella term for two different types of housing:

Ordered to be published

VICTORIAN GOVERNMENT PRINTER June 2017

PP No 254, Session 2014–17

The New Zealand State Services Commission's (NZSSC) four-year performance framework contains objectives, outcomes, impact and output measures that enable an understanding of its overall performance, and are a useful guide for VPSC, as outlined in Figure C1.

Figure C1

NZSSC Performance Framework 2015–19: System Stewardship

Under the Public Administration Act 2004 (the Act), two of VPSC's functions are issuing and applying codes of conduct derived from the public sector values, and issuing and applying standards derived from the Employment Principles.

Figure B1 outlines the Public Sector Values outlined in the Act.

Figure B1

Public Sector Values

We have consulted with the Victorian Public Sector Commission and the Department of Premier and Cabinet, and we considered their views when reaching our audit conclusions. As required by section 16(3) of the Audit Act 1994 , we gave a draft copy of this report, or relevant extracts, to those agencies and asked for their submissions and comments.

Responsibility for the accuracy, fairness and balance of those comments rests solely with the agency head.

Responses were received as follows:

Working efficiently and effectively enables public sector agencies to make the best use of scarce resources and achieve their objectives. Robust performance information is important for agencies to understand how well they are performing. However, measuring performance can be complex, particularly when agencies are trying to measure the impact of their activities.

Strategic plans and annual plans are necessary for agencies to identify priorities and set out how they will meet them. Planning should meet legislative requirements, be linked to an agency's objectives, and support allocation of resources to achieve priorities.

Under the Public Administration Act 2004 (the Act), the Victorian Public Sector Commission (VPSC) must develop: