COMPLIANCE INDEX

ARC Act Reference Part of report Description Requirement Pages
46 Letter of transmittal The Annual Report prepared by the CEO and given to the Minister under section 46 of the PGPA Act for a period must also deal with: (a) any matters required by other provisions of this Act to be dealt with in the report; and (b) any other matters that the Minister, by notice in writing to the CEO, requires to be dealt with in the report. Note: A provision of this Act that requires matters to be dealt with in the report is subsection 33C(3). Mandatory III
33(c) Letter of transmittal Particulars of any directions given by the Minister under subsection (1) must be (b) included in the Annual Report prepared by the CEO and given to the Minister under section 46 of the PGPA Act, for the period in which the direction is given. Mandatory III
PGPA Rule Reference Part of report Description Requirement Pages
17AD(g) Letter of transmittal
17AI Letter of transmittal A copy of the letter of transmittal signed and dated by the Accountable Authority on the date the final text is approved, with a statement that the report has been prepared in accordance with section 46 of the Act and any enabling legislation that specifies additional requirements in relation to the Annual Report. Mandatory III
17AD(h) Aids to access
17AJ(a) Contents table of contents. Mandatory IV–V
17AJ(b) Alphabetical index Alphabetical index. Mandatory 179–181
17AJ(c) Abbreviations and acronyms Glossary of abbreviations and acronyms. Mandatory 167–168
17AJ(d) Compliance index List of requirements. Mandatory 171–178
17AJ(e) A guide to this report Details of contact officer. Mandatory VI
17AJ(f) A guide to this report Entity's website address. Mandatory VI
17AJ(g) Copyright page Electronic address of report. Mandatory II
17AD(a) Review by Accountable Authority
17AD(a) Review by the Accountable Authority A review by the Accountable Authority of the entity. Mandatory 1-10
17AD(b) Overview of the entity
17AE(1)(a)(i) Roles and functions A description of the role and functions of the entity. Mandatory 13–14
17AE(1)(a)(ii) Organisational structure A description of the organisational structure of the entity. Mandatory 15
17AE(1)(a)(iii) Performance framework A description of the outcomes and programs administered by the entity. Mandatory 17
17AE(1)(a)(iv) Performance framework A description of the purposes of the entity as included in the Corporate Plan. Mandatory 18
17AE(1)(aa)(i) Organisational structure Name of the Accountable Authority or each member of the Accountable Authority. Mandatory 16
17AE(1)(aa)(ii) Organisational structure Position title of the Accountable Authority or each member of the Accountable Authority. Mandatory 16
17AE(1)(aa)(iii) Organisational structure Period as the Accountable Authority or member of the Accountable Authority within the reporting period. Mandatory 16
17AE(1)(b) n/a An outline of the structure of the portfolio of the entity. Mandatory for portfolio departments n/a
17AE(2) n/a Where the outcomes and programs administered by the entity differ from any Portfolio Budget Statement, Portfolio Additional Estimates Statement or other portfolio estimates statement that was prepared for the entity for the period, include details of variation and reasons for change. If applicable, mandatory n/a
17AD(c) Report on the performance of the entity
Annual Performance Statement
17AD(c)(i); 16F Annual Performance Statement Annual Performance Statement in accordance with paragraph 39(1)(b) of the Act and section 16F of the Rule. Mandatory 21–51
17AD(c)(ii) Report on financial performance
17AF(1)(a) Financial performance A discussion and analysis of the entity's financial performance. Mandatory 52–53
17AF(1)(b) Appendix 4 Resource statements A table summarising the total resources and total payments of the entity. Mandatory 157–158
17AF(2) n/a If there may be significant changes in the financial results during or after the previous or current reporting period, information on those changes, including: the cause of any operating loss of the entity; how the entity has responded to the loss and the actions that have been taken in relation to the loss; and any matter or circumstances that it can reasonably be anticipated will have a significant impact on the entity's future operation or financial results. If applicable, mandatory n/a
17AD(d) Management and accountability
Corporate governance
17AG(2)(a) Corporate governance Information on compliance with section 10 (fraud systems). Mandatory 57
17AG(2)(b)(i) Letter of transmittal A certification by the Accountable Authority that fraud risk assessments and fraud control plans have been prepared. Mandatory III
17AG(2)(b)(ii) Letter of transmittal A certification by the Accountable Authority that appropriate mechanisms for preventing, detecting incidents of, investigating or otherwise dealing with, and recording or reporting fraud that meet the specific needs of the entity are in place. Mandatory III
17AG(2)(b)(iii) Letter of transmittal A certification by the Accountable Authority that all reasonable measures have been taken to deal appropriately with fraud relating to the entity. Mandatory III
17AG(2)(c) Corporate governance An outline of structures and processes in place for the entity to implement principles and objectives of corporate governance. Mandatory 57–67
17AG(2)(d) – (e) Corporate governance A statement of significant issues reported to the Minister under paragraph 19(1)(e) of the Act that relates to non-compliance with finance law and action taken to remedy non-compliance. If applicable, mandatory 67
External scrutiny
17AG(3) External scrutiny Information on the most significant developments in external scrutiny and the entity's response to the scrutiny. Mandatory 68–69
17AG(3)(a) External scrutiny Information on judicial decisions and decisions of administrative tribunals and by the Australian Information Commissioner that may have a significant effect on the operations of the entity. If applicable, mandatory 68
17AG(3)(b) External scrutiny Information on any reports on operations of the entity by the Auditor-General (other than reported under section 43 of the Act), a Parliamentary Committee, or the Commonwealth Ombudsman. If applicable, mandatory 68–69
17AG(3)(c) External scrutiny Information on any capability reviews on the entity that were released during the period. If applicable, mandatory 69
Management of human resources
17AG(4)(a) Management of human resources An assessment of the entity's effectiveness in managing and developing employees to achieve entity objectives. Mandatory 70–72
17AG(4)(aa) Management of human resources Statistics on the entity's employees on an ongoing and non-ongoing basis, including the following:

(a) statistics on full time employees;

(b) statistics on part time employees;

(c) statistics on gender;

(d) statistics on staff location.
Mandatory 73–78
17AG(4)(b) Management of human resources Statistics on the entity's APS employees on an ongoing and non-ongoing basis, including the following:
  • Statistics on staffing classification level;
  • Statistics on full time employees;
  • Statistics on part time employees;
  • Statistics on gender;
  • Statistics on staff location;
  • Statistics on employees who identify as Indigenous.
Mandatory 73–79
17AG(4)(c) Management of human resources Information on any Enterprise Agreements, Individual Flexibility Arrangements, Australian Workplace Agreements, common law contracts and determinations under subsection 24(1) of the Public Service Act 1999. Mandatory 70
17AG(4)(c)(i) Management of human resources Information on the number of SES and non-SES employees covered by agreements etc. identified in paragraph 17AG(4)(c). Mandatory 79
17AG(4)(c)(ii) Management of human resources The salary ranges available for APS employees by classification level. Mandatory 79
17AG(4)(c)(iii) Management of human resources A description of non-salary benefits provided to employees. Mandatory 80
17AG(4)(d)(i) n/a Information on the number of employees at each classification level who received performance pay. If applicable, mandatory n/a
17AG(4)(d)(ii) n/a Information on aggregate amounts of performance pay at each classification level. If applicable, mandatory n/a
17AG(4)(d)(iii) n/a Information on the average amount of performance payment, and range of such payments, at each classification level. If applicable, mandatory n/a
17AG(4)(d)(iv) n/a Information on aggregate amount of performance payments. If applicable, mandatory n/a
Assets management
17AG(5) Assets management An assessment of the effectiveness of assets management where asset management is a significant part of the entity's activities. If applicable, mandatory 83
Purchasing
17AG(6) Purchasing An assessment of entity's performance against the Commonwealth Procurement Rules. Mandatory 84
Consultants
17AG(7)(a) Consultants A summary statement detailing the number of new contracts engaging consultants entered into during the period; the total actual expenditure on all new consultancy contracts entered into during the period (inclusive of GST); the number of ongoing consultancy contracts that were entered into during a previous reporting period; and the total actual expenditure in the reporting year on the ongoing consultancy contracts (inclusive of GST). Mandatory 85
17AG(7)(b) Consultants A statement that “During [reporting period], [specified number] new consultancy contracts were entered into involving total actual expenditure of $[specified million]. In addition, [specified number] ongoing consultancy contracts were active during the period, involving total actual expenditure of $[specified million].” Mandatory 85
17AG(7)(c) Consultants A summary of the policies and procedures for selecting and engaging consultants and the main categories of purposes for which consultants were selected and engaged. Mandatory 85
17AG(7)(d) Consultants A statement that “Annual Reports contain information about actual expenditure on contracts for consultancies. Information on the value of contracts and consultancies is available on the AusTender website.” Mandatory 85
Australian National Audit Office access clauses
17AG(8) Australian National Audit Office access clauses and exempt contracts If an entity entered into a contract with a value of more than $100,000 (inclusive of GST) and the contract did not provide the Auditor-General with access to the contractor's premises, the Annual Report must include the name of the contractor, purpose and value of the contract, and the reason why a clause allowing access was not included in the contract. If applicable, mandatory 86
Exempt contracts
17AG(9) Australian National Audit Office access clauses and exempt contracts If an entity entered into a contract or there is a standing offer with a value greater than $10,000 (inclusive of GST) which has been exempted from being published in AusTender because it would disclose exempt matters under the FOI Act, the Annual Report must include a statement that the contract or standing offer has been exempted, and the value of the contract or standing offer, to the extent that doing so does not disclose the exempt matters. If applicable, mandatory 86
Small business
17AG(10)(a) Procurement initiatives to support small business A statement that “[Name of entity] supports small business participation in the Commonwealth Government procurement market. Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) and Small Enterprise participation statistics are available on the Department of Finance's website.” Mandatory 87
17AG(10)(b) Procurement initiatives to support small business An outline of the ways in which the procurement practices of the entity support small and medium enterprises. Mandatory 87
17AG(10)(c) Procurement initiatives to support small business If the entity is considered by the Department administered by the Finance Minister as material in nature, a statement that “[Name of entity] recognises the importance of ensuring that small businesses are paid on time. The results of the Survey of Australian Government Payments to Small Business are available on the Treasury's website.” If applicable, mandatory 87
Financial statements
17AD(e) Australian Research Council financial report Inclusion of the annual financial statements in accordance with subsection 43(4) of the Act. Mandatory 91–142
Executive remuneration
17AD(da) Management of human resources Information about executive remuneration in accordance with Subdivision C of Division 3A of Part 2–3 of the Rule. Mandatory 80–82
17AD(f) Other mandatory information
17AH(1)(a)(i) n/a If the entity conducted advertising campaigns, a statement that “During [reporting period], the [name of entity] conducted the following advertising campaigns: [name of advertising campaigns undertaken]. Further information on those advertising campaigns is available at [address of entity's website] and in the reports on Australian Government advertising prepared by the Department of Finance. Those reports are available on the Department of Finance's website.” If applicable, mandatory n/a
17AH(1)(a)(ii) Appendix 5 Other mandatory information If the entity did not conduct advertising campaigns, a statement to that effect. If applicable, mandatory 159
17AH(1)(b) Other mandatory information A statement that “Information on grants awarded by [name of entity] during [reporting period] is available at [address of entity's website].” If applicable, mandatory 88
17AH(1)(c) Other mandatory information Outline of mechanisms of disability reporting, including reference to website for further information. Mandatory 88
17AH(1)(d) Other mandatory information Website reference to where the entity's Information Publication Scheme statement pursuant to Part II of the FOI Act can be found. Mandatory 88
17AH(1)(e) Other mandatory information Correction of material errors in previous Annual Report. If applicable, mandatory 88
17AH(2) Appendix 5 Other mandatory information Information required by other legislation. Mandatory 159–162

Source: Resource Management Guide No. 135 Annual reports for non-corporate Commonwealth entities (May 2019, Department of Finance).