Half-yearly reporting: 1 January to 30 June 2023

Working with Ministerial Offices

Departmental Liaison Officers

A Departmental Liaison Officer (DLO) is a public servant who is temporarily placed in a Minister's office to act as a conduit between their Department and the Minister's office.

Information on the allocation of Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (PM&C) DLOs to Portfolio Ministers is provided below. This information is updated twice a year.

Correct as of: 30 June 2023

Ministerial briefs

Departments and agencies routinely provide briefings to their Ministers.

Statistics for the provision of submissions, briefs and correspondence provided to Ministers by PM&C and its portfolio agencies for the 2022-23 financial year are provided below.

Portfolio entities, Interdepartmental Committees, Taskforces and Reviews

The Australian Government Organisations Register (AGOR) provides information on the function, composition, origins and other details of Australian Government bodies. Bodies include entities such as advisory bodies.

There are 12 main types of bodies reported in the AGOR. PM&C is responsible for collecting information about the Prime Minister and Cabinet portfolio entities and bodies listed, with the exception of the Indigenous Portfolio Agencies which are managed by the National Indigenous Australians Agency.

Quarterly reporting, in the form of the AGOR Dashboard and a register movements of new and/or ceased bodies, is available on the AGOR website.

An Interdepartmental Committee (IDC) is a common governance body for cross-agency taskforces, where officials from representative agencies may discuss work and provide input on deliverables.

PM&C and its portfolio agencies are regularly involved in the work of IDCs.

By their nature, IDCs can be established and conclude their work rapidly as the need arises.

Taskforces have become a dynamic method of doing business across the APS, particularly in PM&C. Taskforces are regularly established within PM&C to meet emerging or high-profile government priorities. Some are short term (3-6 months), some longer (1-3 years), but all require dedicated focus, varying timescales, set-up and delivery resourcing and effort from many parts of PMC and more broadly across the APS.

PM&C and its portfolio agencies are regularly involved in the work of a range of taskforces.

As at 30 June 2023, PM&C hosts the:

• APS Integrity Taskforce
• Care and Support Economy Taskforce
• Net Zero Economy Taskforce
• National Disability Insurance Scheme Review Secretariat
• Women’s Economic Equality Taskforce
• Jenkins’ Report Implementation Team
• ASEAN Commemorative Summit Taskforce
• Quad Leaders’ Summit Taskforce

The Department and its portfolio agencies are also involved in reviews. The outcome of reviews are typically announced by portfolio ministers.

Operational matters

Travel

PM&C’s Official Travel Policy provides the overarching rules and principles for officials undertaking official travel, or organising official travel for others, including:

• Officials should ensure maximum value for money is achieved when booking travel. Value for money requires the use of Commonwealth resources in a proper (efficient, effective, economical and ethical) manner, and is enhanced through competition.
• When booking travel, officials must make decisions based on an impartial consideration of the fares available and not on a personal preference for a particular airline or aircraft type, provision of access to airline lounges or accumulating airline status points.
• Official travel should only be undertaken where other communication tools, such as teleconferencing and videoconferencing, are an impractical option.

PM&C travel statistics for the 2022-23 Financial Year are outlined below.

Travel expenses (including travel for staff, contractors, guests and other travellers)

Secretary and Deputy Secretaries travel (included in total above)*

* Data is provided by the Whole-of-Government contract provider and at the time of publication may not include adjustments of trips (amended travel dates, late cancellations etc.) in this reporting period.

** Deputy Secretary positions reflect titles outlined on the PM&C organisation chart at the time of publication.

Facilities

Upgrades to PM&C’s staff amenities are managed in accordance with Commonwealth guidelines and policies, including the Commonwealth Procurement Rules.

In the 2022-23 Financial Year, PM&C had 1 contract with a total value of $70,259 (GST inclusive) relating to upgrades to staff amenities. PM&C’s procurement contracts with a maximum contract value of $10,000 (GST inclusive) and above are reported on AusTender.

Our people

At PM&C we continue to invest in our people’s capability and grow the diversity of our workforce to support the Government to deliver outcomes for all Australians.

PM&C’s employee data is reported on biannually, based on data as at the end of June and end of December, via the APS Employment Database (APSED).

As at 30 June 2023, PM&C had 184 labour-hire contractors and during the 2022-23 Financial Year, extended 114 labour-hire contracts.

Information regarding the department’s organisation structure, including Senior Executive Services Officers, is available at Our structure.

Average Staffing Level (ASL) for the 2022-23 Financial Year

Work health and safety

PM&C is committed to promoting and sustaining a robust safety and wellbeing culture –valuing physical and psychological health, safety and wellbeing and promoting inclusivity.

In the 2022-23 Financial Year:

• one matter was referred to the Fair Work Commission
• one claim was referred to Comcare.

Advertising and informational campaigns

In the 2022-23 financial year, PM&C:

• has not undertaken any advertising or information campaigns that meet the definition in the Australian Government Guidelines on Information and Advertising Campaigns by non-corporate Commonwealth entities.
• spent $137,252 on reportable non-campaign advertising contracts including:
  • $109,496 for recruitment platforms to support the 2024 Graduate Program.
  • $27,756 for the Public Notice for the National Memorial Service for Her Majesty The Queen.

Promotional merchandise

In the 2022-23 financial year, PM&C spent $6,203 on promotional merchandise for PM&C branded items for career fairs.

Media monitoring

PM&C has a contract for media monitoring with Streem Pty Ltd. PM&C’s total expenditure for the 2022-23 financial year was $451,000 (GST inclusive).

PM&C has a shared services arrangement to provide media monitoring to the National Indigenous Australians Agency, Workplace Gender Equality Agency and the Australian Public Service Commission.

Procurement activities (including Supply Nation)

PM&C’s approach to procuring goods and services, including consultancies, is undertaken in accordance with the Public Governance Performance and Accountability Act 2013 and the principles of the Commonwealth Procurement Rules.

In the 2022-23 Financial Year, PM&C had 378 contracts with a total value of $86,969,313 (GST inclusive), reported on AusTender as at 14 August 2023. The department’s procurement contracts with a maximum contract value of $10,000 (GST inclusive) and above are reported on AusTender.

In the 2022-23 Financial Year, PM&C awarded 36 contracts to Indigenous businesses with a total value of $6,224,739 (GST inclusive) as at 14 August 2023. The PM&C portfolio has exceeded the volume and value targets for the 2022-23 financial year. The categories of contracts awarded to Supply Nation organisations include:

• Building construction and support and maintenance and repair services
• Business administration services
• Components for information technology or broadcasting or telecommunications
• Computer equipment and accessories
• Computer hardware maintenance support service
• Computer printers
• Computer servers
• Computer support parts or accessories
• Editorial and support services
• Education and training services
• Graphic design
• Hardware
• Notebook computers
• Office and desk accessories
• Office furniture
• Personnel recruitment
• Printing
• Promotional merchandising service
• Temporary personnel services

Use of consultants

During 2022-23, 15 new reportable consultancy contracts were entered into with total actual expenditure of $2,385,889 (GST inclusive). In addition, 10 ongoing reportable consultancy contracts were active during the period, with total actual expenditure of $642,347 (GST inclusive).

During this period, the categories of consultancy contracts included:

• Audit Services
• Information technology consultation services
• International relations
• Legal services
• Management advisory services
• Research Programs
• Risk management consultation services
• Strategic planning consultation services

Details about PM&C’s consultancy contracts with a maximum contract value of $10,000 (GST inclusive) and above are reported on AusTender.