Annual Report 2015–2016

COMPLIANCE AND ASSURANCE
AUDIT
The NHMRC Audit Committee has been established under the Public Governance, Performance and
Accountability Act 2013 (PGPA Act).
PART 3 operating environment
The Audit Committee provides independent assurance and advice to the CEO on NHMRC’s risk, control and
compliance framework and on its external accountability responsibilities. The Audit Committee charter
specifies that the committee will review, monitor and advise the CEO on risk management. This is included
in the committee’s annual work plan.
Membership of the Audit Committee comprises an independent Chair, a Certified Practising Accountant,
a member of the NHMRC Council or a Principal Committee, a member with relevant knowledge of the
health and medical research sector, and the General Manager of the Office of NHMRC.
Members of the NHMRC Audit Committee are:
• Ms Gayle Ginnane (Independent Chair)
• Mr Geoff Knuckey (CPA/Qualified Accountant)
• Dr Jeannette Young (member of NHMRC Council)
• Prof Matthew Gillespie (member with relevant knowledge of the health and medical research sector)
• Mr Tony Kingdon (NHMRC General Manager).
Participating observers include representatives from the Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) and
the internal auditor (McGrathNicol), as well as the Chief Finance Officer, Internal Audit Officer and the
Executive Director of the Evidence, Advice and Governance Branch. The Audit Committee met on four
occasions in 2015–16.
The 2015–16 Annual Internal Audit Work Plan approved by the Audit Committee included performance,
compliance and assurance audits designed to augment and complete the internal audit themes initiated
during the previous year to manage whole-of-agency key risks. Audit focus areas included:
• management of declaration of interest
• frameworks for the development and approval of guidelines by external and internal developers
• Information Technology (IT) security and access controls.
RISK MANAGEMENT
In support of its mission and strategic objectives, NHMRC is committed to managing its risks both
strategically and systematically.
The NHMRC Risk Management Policy and Framework 2016–17 (RMF) provides the foundations and
organisational arrangements for designing, implementing, monitoring, reviewing and continually improving
risk management throughout NHMRC. The RMF was developed in accordance with the international
standard on risk management AS/NZS ISO 31000:2009 Risk Management Principles and Guidelines and is
consistent with the requirements of the PGPA Act.
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Annual Report of the National Health and Medical Research Council 2015–2016