DEEWR undertook a major review of governance arrangements and has subsequently established an agenda of regular reviews. It has also adopted initiatives to support resource agility and ensure the department is able to respond to changing or emerging government priorities. This includes an internal mobility initiative that provides for efficient at-level movement within the department, while supporting development of staff.

DEEWR has improved its performance in a broad range of key business areas. For example, a change to payment of Child Care Benefit from quarterly in advance against estimated family income, to fortnightly in arrears against actual income, has eliminated significant work within the department, and delivered benefits for individual recipients and for service providers who now no longer need to reconcile advances against actual income and recovery of overpayments.

DIAC’s business planning and performance functions have been strengthened to give a sharper focus to management of business performance, to drive performance improvement through target, and to monitor key measures and indicators across its programs. Individuals with specialist economic expertise have been placed in leadership positions to guide the work of the migration program through the global economic crisis, and to ensure the department is well placed to support the economic turnaround when it comes.

Principles of service excellence were embedded into new business processes.

The new operating model was instrumental in significantly improving output in a number of visa caseloads and improving overall service standards. In 2007–08 only 68% of cases were finalised within the published service standard. By 31 December 2008 this figure had risen to almost 86% with the median grant time for primary visa applicants dropping from 43 days to 21 days.

ATO has worked successfully with governments of other countries to share tax information. It has also collaborated successfully with the New Zealand Government to collect significant tax debts.

ATO worked with other federal, state and local government agencies, including Centrelink and the federal and state human services departments, to provide a coordinated and effective response to communities affected by natural disasters.

It has also established an Australian Business Register to help implement a number of whole of government projects, which now has 127 partner agencies involved in data sharing.

ATO has developed a Simulation Centre to support its policy of user-centred design. It allows new products and initiatives to be tested directly with the community using activities and techniques such as user research, contextual enquiries, product walkthroughs, prototyping, simulations and usability testing. These approaches produce better outcomes for the community and help reduce compliance and administrative costs.

ATO has also set up a webpage entitled Economic Downturn which provides taxpayers with a single point of reference and an online calculator that allows them to manage their financial situation by calculating affordable and sustainable payment arrangements for their tax liabilities.

DEEWR took an innovative approach to delivering the government’s grants program to schools following the global financial crisis. It established a Coordination Group, comprising state and territory education departments and block grant authorities in order to oversee development, assessment and implementation of over 24,000 applications for funding from 9,568 schools.

DEEWR also established employment coordinators to work with local communities to develop and put in place rapid responses to deal with locally emerging employment issues.

DFAT developed a new passport with state-of-the-art technology to maintain it as one of the most secure travel documents in the world, continuing Australia’s reputation as a leader in the development of secure travel documentation.

New communications equipment has been designed to support emergency response teams deployed in remote locations overseas during consular emergencies and other high priority operations.

DVA is trialling a new single claim form that can be used regardless of the legislative entitlements of the person applying, or the benefit sought. This initiative removes significant complexity from the client side of the transaction where previously three different forms were required.

DVA has also established a client liaison unit to coordinate service delivery for complex and difficult cases.

FaHCSIA is using external groups to inform policy delivery. For example the National Rental Affordability Scheme benefited from a ‘critical reader’ group that helped FaHCSIA hone implementation details for the scheme.

The department also streamlined and standardised its funding arrangements to community groups to reduce red tape. Terms and conditions for funding have been reduced by two-thirds, and performance indicators reduced from over 400 to 10 core areas.

DBCDE supported two mechanisms to improve advice to government: a youth advisory group to provide advice on cyber safety from the perspective of young people; and a new peak body—the Australian Communications Consumer Action Network—to advocate on behalf of consumers on telecommunications issues.

DBCDE also established a capability to receive online submissions in response to formal public consultation processes.

DIAC extended its Practitioner Information Forums to five states. These forums provide the opportunity for senior managers to brief key stakeholders who work directly with clients on policy or program initiatives at the start of the program year.

DIAC has also centralised the processing of all client feedback by establishing the Global Feedback Unit to collect, analyse and report on all forms of feedback, including telephone calls, web-based feedback and mail.

ATO has worked to ensure its workforce planning is now better integrated with overall business planning. Implementation of an online recruitment system means ATO can bring people into the organisation faster, more efficiently, and in a more coordinated way. This allowed ATO to respond effectively to government initiatives, such as delivery of the tax bonus.

The ATO’s Reconciliation Action Plan is also regarded as best practice by Reconciliation Australia. To extend the ATO’s reach into the Indigenous labour market, external advertising has been expanded to include Indigenous media.