To support the Treasury's policy outcome, Corporate Services Group and the Organisational Strategy Unit provide key services to assist with systems and facilities providing essential support and organisational backup to the policy groups.
Corporate Services Group is responsible for providing corporate services, products and advice including accommodation and facilities management; management of administrative support; financial management; human resource management, training and development; information management and technology services; media management and monitoring; ministerial and parliamentary support; procurement; print and web publishing; internal and external communications; security; travel and managing freedom of information (FOI) requests.
The Organisational Strategy Unit functions include facilitating high level policy coordination and whole-of-department corporate strategy; providing support to the Secretary, the Executive Board and the Audit Committee, including oversight of departmental structures and systems; designing and facilitating whole-of-department policy discussions; coordinating organisational strategy initiatives; overseeing the risk management framework; and undertaking and assisting with departmental reviews.
Corporate Services Group
Corporate Services Group's mission is to provide efficient and effective corporate services, products and advice to the Treasury, Treasury portfolio ministers and other clients to enable them to meet their objectives.
The four divisions in the group are Financial and Facilities Management, Human Resources, Information Management and Technology Services, and Ministerial and Communications.
Key priorities
The key priorities in 2010-11 were to:
- coordinate events associated with the 2011-12 Budget;
- ensure compliance with the amended FOI legislation;
- undertake the Education Tax refund communication campaign;
- negotiate and implement a competitive and flexible workplace agreement;
- commence development of a workforce planning strategy that meets organisational needs and incorporates the APS reform agenda;
- extend existing childcare facilities for Treasury staff;
- review the Treasury's capital management plan in line with new net cash arrangements;
- transition personnel security vetting to the Australian Government Security Vetting Agency;
- refresh the desktop environment and improve the availability of IT infrastructure;
- commence redevelopment of the internet and intranet, and strengthen record keeping; and
- deliver data management and reporting tools to support forecasting activities.
Key outcomes
The key outcomes were:
- successful event, publication (print and online) and media relations support for several major government announcements and initiatives, including the 2011-12 Budget;
- effective management of FOI Act requests, implementation of the Treasury's information publication scheme and provision of FOI advice;
- successful delivery of the Education Tax refund communication campaign;
- implementation of the Treasury Workplace Agreement 2011-2014;
- implementation of refreshed leadership, management and technical development programs;
- implementation of more flexible performance management and career development arrangements to meet business needs;
- completion of the extension of childcare facilities for Treasury staff;
- ongoing payment and financial reporting arrangements under the Federal Financial Relations reforms;
- completion and audit of the 2009-10 financial statements with no major issues raised;
- the capital management plan reviewed;
- ongoing management of personnel security vetting provided by the Australian Government Security Vetting Agency;
- major upgrades and enhancements to the Department's data network, email system, electronic data storage facilities and active directory environment;
- refreshing the Department's desktop computers, including an upgrade to the standard operating environment;
- improvements to the availability and capacity of IT infrastructure, including enhanced disaster recovery arrangements; and
- commencing the development of a new information management and technology strategy, to be launched in late 2011.
Organisational Strategy Unit
The Organisational Strategy Unit seeks to link policy strategy with organisational strategy to maintain the capacity of the department to deliver on its mission.
Key priorities
The key priorities in 2010-11 were to:
- provide high-level services to the Secretary and the Executive Board to support and enable key forums within the Treasury's governance framework;
- establish, coordinate and support processes within the department to develop and progress an ongoing strategic policy dialogue;
- undertake and support departmental reviews relating to organisational issues;
- ensure the effectiveness, efficiency and conformity to legislative and accountability requirements of the Treasury's activities, systems and processes; and
- continue to provide a policy implementation monitoring and advising capability.
Key outcomes
The key outcomes were:
- providing secretariat support to the Executive Board and the Audit Committee;
- organising the ongoing policy dialogue across the department, including arranging policy strategy meetings and senior executive service (SES) forums;
- undertaking data analysis on the recruitment, retention and progression of women in the Treasury;
- evaluating the effectiveness of administrative and executive support arrangements implemented following a review of these services;
- reviewing the Treasury's capacity to understand and analyse issues relating to China;
- developing a new risk management framework and associated products to further improve risk management and corporate planning in the Treasury;
- managing a database of election commitments during the 2010 election campaign; and
- coordinating significant briefing products, including for the 2010 Economic Statement, the Secretaries' Board, the Secretaries' Committee on service delivery and Tri-Treasury meetings with New Zealand and the United Kingdom.