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Chapter ThreeLegal services expenditureIn accordance with the requirements of the LegalServices Directions 2005, the Office reports thattotal expenditure on external legal services in2011–12 was $142,150 (including GST). Allexpenditure incurred was for solicitors’ fees. Asignificant expense related to an appeal lodged inthe Administrative Appeals Tribunal by an applicantwhose FOI request was refused on the basis thatthe documents did not relate to matters of anadministrative nature (s6A, FOI Act 1982).Competitive tenderingand contractingDuring the reporting year, the Office did notcontract to another organisation the delivery ofany program activities it had previously performed.Australian National AuditOffice access clausesThe Office did not enter into any contract of$100,000 or more (including GST) during 2011–12that did not provide for the Auditor-General to haveaccess to the contractor’s premises.Exempt contractsThe Official Secretary did not exempt any contractor standing offer in excess of $10,000 from beingpublished in AusTender on the basis that it woulddisclose exempt matters under the Freedom ofInformation Act 1982.Advertising and market researchThe Office did not undertake any advertisingcampaigns or market research during 2011–12.Discretionary grantsThe Office neither made nor administered anydiscretionary grants during the financial year.Information technologyThe Office continued to improve the security,reliability and functionality of its ICT through a rangeof initiatives in 2011–12:• after a thorough vulnerability assessment, stepswere taken to implement recommendations toenhance the security of the Office’s systems• database systems were upgraded to streamlinedata import and use by two critical businessgroups (the Honours and Awards Branch and theInvitations Unit)• BlackBerry tablets were introduced for selectedstaff to enhance functionality and networkavailability away from the office• the Information Publication Scheme (IPS) portalon the Office’s website was developed• the Office participated in the whole-ofgovernmentconsolidated gateway initiative withthe assistance of the Department of the PrimeMinister and Cabinet• a regular replacement and upgrade program of ICTequipment including desktop computers, laptops,printers and multifunction print devices continued• ICT support was provided to several visitingdignitaries and delegations.As an FMA Act agency, the Office participatedin and benefited from a range of the FederalGovernment’s whole-of-government initiatives,including co-ordinated telecommunications services,software and hardware procurement.Changes to disabilityreporting inannual reportsSince 1994, Commonwealth departments and agencieshave reported on their performance as policy adviser,purchaser, employer, regulator and provider underthe Commonwealth Disability Strategy. In 2007–08,reporting on the employer role was transferred tothe Australian Public Service Commission’s State ofthe Service Report and the APS Statistical Bulletin.These reports are available at www.apsc.gov.au. From2010–11, departments and agencies have no longerbeen required to report on these functions.The Commonwealth Disability Strategy has beenovertaken by a new National Disability Strategy whichsets out a ten year national policy framework forimproving life for Australians with disability, their familiesand carers. A high level report to track progressfor people with disability at a national level will beproduced by the Standing Council on Community,Housing and Disability Services to the Council ofAustralian Governments and will be available atwww.fahcsia.gov.au. The Social Inclusion Measurementand Reporting Strategy agreed by the Governmentin December 2009 will also include some reportingon disability matters in its regular How Australia isFaring report and, if appropriate, in strategic changeindicators in agency annual reports. More details onsocial inclusion matters can be found atwww.socialinclusion.gov.au.56 OFFICE OF THE OFFICIAL SECRETARY TO THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL
Management and accountabilityFreedom of informationThe Office continues to build and foster an agencyculture that embraces appropriate proactivedisclosure of its information holdings through theIPS on its website at www.gg.gov.au.The IPS was established by Part II of the Freedomof Information Act 1982 (FOI Act) with effect from1 May 2011. Agencies subject to the FOI Act arerequired to publish information released to thepublic as part of their IPS. This requirement hasreplaced the former requirement to publish asection 8 statement in annual reports.The IPS section of the Office’s website publishesother information (in addition to the informationpublished under s 8(2)), taking into account theobjects of the FOI Act (s 8(4)).Optional information is published under thefollowing headings:• Our priorities- this includes a link to relevant sections of thewebsite and the Annual Report• Our finances- this includes links to the Financial Statementscontained within the Annual Report and thePortfolio Budget Statements• Our lists- this includes a link to the Senate File List,Agency Contracts and Honours Lists• Governor-General’s Program- daily program of official engagements• Speeches- copies of official speeches given by theGovernor-General.The Office proactively identifies and publishesinformation additional to the mandatoryrequirements that may be of interest to the public,such as new policies or reviews undertaken, in theDisclosure Log on its IPS.Organisation, function andpowers affecting the publicThe Office’s organisational chart and functionsare detailed in Chapter 1of this report and on thewebsite, where a series of links appear in the sectionon the IPS.FOI procedures and initialcontact pointThe Official Secretary is the principal decisionmaker under section 23 of the FOI Act in respectof requests for access.The FOI Act applies to the Office as a bodyestablished for a public purpose by an enactmentand, therefore, is a ‘prescribed authority’ as definedin section 4. However, Section 6A of the FOIAct provides:6A Official Secretary to the Governor-General1. This Act does not apply to any request for accessto a document of the Official Secretary to theGovernor-General unless the document relatesto matters of an administrative nature.2. For the purposes of this Act, a document inthe possession of a person employed undersection 13 of the Governor-General Act 1974 thatis in his or her possession by reason of his or heremployment under that section shall be taken tobe in possession of the Official Secretary to theGovernor-General.The Act thus has a restricted application to theOffice, being relevant only in respect of requestsfor access to documents that relate to ‘matters ofan administrative nature’. Implicitly, the Act doesnot apply to requests for access to documents thatrelate to the Governor-General’s discharge of officialfunctions.Members of the public seeking access to documentsrelating to ‘matters of an administrative nature’ inthe possession of the Official Secretary should applyin writing to:The Official Secretary to the Governor-GeneralGovernment HouseCanberra ACT 2600Facsimile: (02) 6260 5967Initial enquiries may be directed to the Office’s FOIContact Officer on telephone (02) 6283 3514.Annual Report 2011–201257
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Chapter Three© 2012, Commonwealth
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ContentsChapter 1: Overview 1Offici
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The Conspicuous Service Cross(CSC)
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OverviewOffice overviewThe Office o
Page 12 and 13: Medal of the Orderof Australia(OAM)
Page 14: Chapter TwoOutcome performanceThe O
Page 17 and 18: Report on performanceThe Governor-G
Page 20: Chapter TwoMr Chandy Paul (second f
Page 23 and 24: Report on performanceTable 3: Finan
Page 25 and 26: Report on performanceProfileMargare
Page 27 and 28: Report on performanceConstitutional
Page 29: Report on performanceCommander-in-C
Page 32 and 33: Chapter TwoCeremonial activitiesIn
Page 34 and 35: Chapter TwoOfficial overseas visits
Page 36 and 37: Chapter TwoD e sp atchIn Touch with
Page 38 and 39: Chapter TwoPatronagesThe Governor-G
Page 40 and 41: Chapter TwoD e sp atchSouth Pacific
Page 42 and 43: Chapter TwoOfficial properties andc
Page 44 and 45: Chapter TwoProperty managementThe V
Page 46 and 47: Chapter TwoTABLE 6: FINANCIAL PERFO
Page 48 and 49: Chapter TwoProfileDebbie Bowden,Ass
Page 50 and 51: Chapter Twoof Australia provides fo
Page 53 and 54: Ch a pte r Th rManagement andaccoun
Page 55 and 56: Management and accountabilityFinanc
Page 57 and 58: Management and accountabilityBusine
Page 59 and 60: Management and accountabilityThe Of
Page 61: Management and accountabilityManage
Page 65: Management and accountabilityEcolog
Page 69 and 70: AppendicesMembers - ex officioMr Du
Page 71 and 72: AppendicesTable B1 Cont.LocalGovern
Page 73 and 74: AppendicesTable B2 Cont.Library &Re
Page 75 and 76: AppendicesTable C2: Australian Brav
Page 77: AppendicesAppendix E: Staffing over
Page 80 and 81: Appendix G: Trends in consultancies
Page 82 and 83: TABLE H2: EXPENSES AND RESOURCES FO
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Page 86 and 87: Part of Report Description Requirem
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