The Department has various reporting requirements, including the:
- Senate Order on Agency Contracts listing
- Continuing Order of the Senate—indexed list of departmental and agency files
- reporting of grants.
Senate Order on Agency Contracts listing
On 20 June 2001, the Senate agreed to an order requiring each minister to table a letter of advice that a list of contracts, in respect of each agency administered by that minister, has been placed on the internet, with access to the list through the department's home page. Subsequent amendments (27 September 2001, 18 June 2003 and 26 June 2003) have varied the reporting periods and information required. The advice must be tabled no later than two months after the last sitting day of the financial or calendar year.
Pursuant to the Senate Order on departmental and agency contracts, the Senate Order on Agency Contracts Listing sets out contracts entered into by the Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism which provide for a consideration to the value of $100,000 or more and which either:
- have not been fully performed as at 31 December 2012
- have been entered into during the 12 months prior to 31 December 2012
Continuing Order of the Senate—indexed list of departmental and agency files
On 14 November 1994, the Senate agreed to a motion by Senator Harradine requiring that each minister table indexed lists of file titles created by central offices of each department or agency he or she administers. The lists are to be tabled twice a year, once in the Spring sittings, comprising file titles created in the preceding July to December, and once in the Autumn sittings, comprising titles created in the preceding January to June.
The Order was varied by the Senate on 3 December 1998 and now requires:
- that each department and agency provide, on its Internet home page, access to an indexed list of all relevant files created
- tabling of a letter from the Portfolio Minister to the President of the Senate, advising that such indexed lists have been placed on the internet.
In addition, under the terms of the order, 'relevant files' include those relating to policy advising functions, the development of legislation and matters of public administration. Case related files, those related to internal administration of a department or agency, and those files transferred to the Australian Archives, are specifically excluded.
Inquiries regarding access to departmental records under the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act 1982 can be made to the FOI coordinator:
Phone: 02 6243 7026
The files below set out the department's current indexed listing of files:
Reporting of grants
The department acknowledges the requirement to publish, on it's website, information on it's individual grants no later than seven working days after the funding agreement for the grant is signed by both parties. The document was last updated 08 May 2013. Funding agreements include contracts, deeds, letters of offer or any other instrument used to detail the terms and conditions of the grant.
Consultants overview
Consultants continued to provide specialised skills not available in the Department and where staff or other in-house resources are limited.
The Commonwealth Procurement Rules and Chief Executive Instruction on procurement contain procedures and guidelines for engaging consultants. Proposals for consultancies are required to specify project requirements, justify the use of a consultant, identify the expected costs, recommend a procurement method and explain how the consultant's performance will be evaluated and monitored.
The link will provide a list of consultants engaged during the 2011–12 financial year.