Chapter 3—Management and accountability
Procurement
All procurement and purchasing activities in 2012–13 were conducted in accordance with the Commonwealth Procurement Rules, the Chief Executive’s Instructions, and administrative procedures and accounting policies. All of these were available to staff online or in hard copy, and the Finance Section provided relevant advice and training.
Although the agency has a dedicated procurement officer to coordinate and advise on procurement, it operates a devolved framework that places responsibility for procurement activity with line area managers.
Purchaser–provider arrangements
The agency had no purchaser–provider arrangements in 2012–13, as it is not appropriated funds to deliver outcomes through purchaser–provider arrangements.
Consultancies
Consultants are engaged where the agency requires specialist expertise or when independent research, review or assessment is required. Consultants are typically engaged to investigate or diagnose a defined issue; carry out defined reviews or evaluations; or provide independent advice, information or creative solutions to assist in decision-making. Prior to engaging consultants, the agency takes into account the skills and resources required for the task, the skills available internally, and the cost-effectiveness of engaging external expertise. The decision to engage a consultant is made in accordance with the FMA Act and related regulations including the Commonwealth Procurement Rules and relevant internal policies.
Annual reports contain information about actual expenditure on contracts for consultancies. Information on the value of contracts and consultancies with a value of $10,000 or more (GST inclusive) is available on the AusTender website, www.tenders.gov.au.
No contract with a value of $100,000 or more was entered into without provision for the Auditor-General to have access to the contractor’s premises.
During 2012–13, eight new consultancies were entered into, involving total actual expenditure of $121,456 (GST inclusive). These were for the provision of a valuation of assets; and reviews relating to exhibitions, visitor experiences, the accessibility of the museum website, and exhibition lighting systems. No consultancy contracts were ongoing from 2011–12.
Grants
The agency did not make or administer grants in 2012–13.