When public money is invested in a major project, a rigorous planning and approval framework is necessary. DTF provides guidance to all government entities for planning major projects through its Investment Lifecycle and High Value High Risk Guidelines.

We examined VicRoads’ planning and approval processes that secured TAC’s investment in flexible barriers. To do this, we assessed if:

1.1 Why this audit is important

Unlike previous road safety initiatives in Victoria, the Towards Zero Strategy and the Top 20 Program use continuous lengths of flexible barrier to prevent run off road and head-on serious casualty crashes. This new approach is the largest financial investment and rollout of continuous flexible barriers in the state’s history.

The number of deaths on Victoria’s roads declined from 776 in 1989 to 266 in 2019. Road safety strategies, such as mandatory seatbelts, breath testing, speed cameras and safety infrastructure upgrades at blackspots, have successfully reduced Victoria’s road toll.

Acronyms

Independent assurance report to Parliament

Ordered to be published

VICTORIAN GOVERNMENT PRINTER June 2020

PP no 133, Session 2018–20

Figure B1
Compliance with police checks

Report references:

• Audit Overview—Figure A
• Part 2—Figure 2B

We have consulted with DELWP, DET, DHHS, DJCS, DJPR, DoT, DPC, DTF and VPSC and we considered their views when reaching our audit conclusions. As required by 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:

Contractors and consultants contribute significantly to the VPS. They provide a broad range of services, both onsite and remotely. Like VPS employees, they can hold positions of trust and, where necessary, should be subject to the same screening as employees.

3.1 Conclusion

The audited agencies do not have processes to make sure that contractors and consultants undergo risk-based screening prior to working in the VPS. This creates a significant risk that agencies are engaging unsuitable contractors and consultants.

Employment screening is a critical part of personnel security because it helps to ensure that candidates are suitable for VPS roles.

In this Part, we examine all audited agencies’ employment screening policies and procedures, and how DHHS, DPC and DTF implement them.

We also examine if audited agencies are managing COI risks during recruitment.

In 2018–19, the VPS employed 47 961 people. Personnel security—including employment screening—is a critical part of managing this workforce.

1.1 Why this audit is important

VPS employees hold positions of trust, with responsibility for administering Victoria’s finances and assets, and providing a wide range of services to the community, including vulnerable Victorians.

The public expects that VPS employees are competent and appropriately qualified, and that they act in the public interest.