2 Agency responses to recommendations

This Part provides information on the extent to which agencies accept and implement our performance audit recommendations, including their timeliness.

2.1 Conclusion

Nothing has come to our attention to indicate that, overall, agencies are not effectively implementing past performance audit recommendations.  

Most agencies accepted audit recommendations and have taken action to complete or progress their implementation. However, this action is not always timely, which all agencies can work to improve.

1 Context

We published 71 performance audits between 2015–16 and 2017–18. 

In this review, we examined progress made by agencies on recommendations from 44 of those audits—including the 17 performance audit reports we published in 2017–18, for which we assessed the status of recommendations for the first time. The other 27 are audits from earlier years that had recommendations outstanding.

Overview

Context

Through our performance audits, we identify opportunities for public agencies to improve how they work. We do this by uncovering risks, weaknesses and poor performance, as well as by sharing examples of better practice. We then make recommendations to agencies to address areas for improvement. 

Acronyms

Acronyms
DEDJTR Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources
DELWP Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning
DET Department of Education and Training
DHHS Department of Health and Human Services
DJCS Department of Justice and Community Safety
DJPR Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions

Transmittal letter

Independent assurance report to Parliament

Ordered to be published

VICTORIAN GOVERNMENT PRINTER June 2020

PP No 137, Session 2018–20

The Hon Shaun Leane MLC
President
Legislative Council
Parliament House
Melbourne
 
The Hon Colin Brooks MP
Speaker
Legislative Assembly
Parliament House
Melbourne
 

Dear Presiding Officers

Responses to Performance Audit Recommendations 2015–16 to 2017–18

Body

In our first Assurance Review, we looked at how public entities monitored and responded to performance audit recommendations made by VAGO between 2015-16 and 2017-18.

Nothing has come to our attention to indicate that overall, agencies are not effectively implementing past performance audit recommendations.

Most agencies report having governance arrangements that allow their senior management and audit committees to monitor progress in implementing our audit recommendations.

Appendix A. Submissions and comments

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:

3 Screening contractors and consultants

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.