Part 4: Management and Accountability
This Page:
- ARPANSA management
- Corporate and operational planning and performance
- Compliance with Commonwealth Fraud Control Guidelines
- Ethical Standards
- External Scrutiny and advice
- Judicial decision and decisions of administrative tribunals
- ARPANSA Service Charter
- Management of Human Resources
- Workforce planning, staff retention and turnover
- 2014 APS Employee Census
- Performance Pay
- Workplace agreements in ARPANSA
- Common law contracts
- Statistics on Staffing
- Purchasing
- Asset Management
- Consultants
- Grants
ARPANSA's role, functions and powers are defined by the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Act 1998 (ARPANS Act). ARPANSA is constituted by the CEO, created by the ARPANS Act, who is authorised to engage employees under the Public Service Act 1999. ARPANSA is a statutory agency for the purpose of the Public Service Act and a prescribed agency under the Financial Management and Accountability Act 1997 (FMA Act).
The CEO reported during 2013–14 to the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Health and Ageing and then the Assistant Minister for Health, following the September 2013 Federal Election, on the administration of the following Acts:
- Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Act 1998
- Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety (Consequential Amendments) Act 1998
- Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety (Licence Charges) Act 1998.
ARPANSA has an integrated corporate governance framework designed to provide a sound basis for decision making, to define the mechanisms for accountability and stewardship, to support the achievement of organisation goals and to ensure all legal and regulatory requirements are met.Top of Page
ARPANSA management
The CEO has delegated various powers and functions to Branch and Office Heads, and staff reporting to them, to ensure that ARPANSA business is carried out efficiently and effectively. The CEO requires his delegates to act in accordance with approved policies and procedures, including Chief Executive Instructions, formulated in accordance with the Commonwealth legislative framework, including the FMA Act. A program of mandatory formal training on various compliance issues is maintained to provide refresher training to staff over a rolling three year cycle.
The ARPANSA General Counsel provides independent advice to the CEO on regulatory and operational matters.
The CEO and senior executives (the Executive Group) meet regularly, usually weekly, to discuss day-to-day administrative and operational matters. Additionally, a number of advisory committees support the CEO and Branch and Office Heads in their management role.
Strategic Management Committee
The Strategic Management Committee is an administrative body established by the CEO to provide advice to the CEO and leadership to staff within ARPANSA. The Strategic Management Committee supports the CEO and is the major vehicle for collegiate decision making in the Agency. The Strategic Management Committee assists the CEO by:
- advising the CEO on corporate governance responsibilities in ARPANSA, including in relation to the approval of :
- the Agency's strategic plan and annual business plans
- the Agency's annual budget and five year rolling plan for capital expenditure
- internal policy making
- ensuring that the Agency has:
- adequate reporting systems at a strategic level
- a robust control environment in place (both operational and financial)
- an appropriate risk management framework
- good management practices and the highest standards of financial and ethical behaviour
- clearly defined delegations of authority across the Agency
- monitoring
The Strategic Management Committee is composed of the following:
- CEO (Chair)
- Branch and Office Heads
- Chief Financial Officer (the Chief Administrator is also ARPANSA's Chief Financial Officer)
- General Counsel
- one or more external members appointed by the CEO.
In its deliberations, vigorous and informed discussion of the issues by members is not only encouraged, but expected. The primary role of the external member is to challenge organisational attitudes and approaches, as well as to enhance the range of skills and experience of the SMC. During this financial year, Ms Megan Morris was the external member of the SMC. The SMC generally meets on the third Tuesday of each month.
Audit and Risk Committee
The ARPANSA's Audit and Risk Committee comprised an independent chair, two senior managers from within ARPANSA and an external member. Representatives of the Australian National Audit Office attended committee meetings as observers provided external audit services through PriceWaterhouse Coopers. The Agency's internal auditor, RSM Bird Cameron (who also served as the secretariat for the Committee) and Chief Financial Officer attended meetings to report on particular matters. Branch Heads were also invited to attend on occasions to discuss particular audit reports and risks relevant to their responsibilities. The CEO is an observer to the Committee.
The Audit and Risk Committee, through the internal audit program, assists the CEO to maintain and improve:
- the effectiveness of the internal control framework
- the effectiveness of ARPANSA's risk management processes including business continuity and fraud control
- the quality of financial management and reporting processes
- overall compliance with relevant legislation in particular the FMA Act.
The Audit and Risk Committee met four times in 2013–14. As well as considering audit reports, during the year the Audit and Risk Committee:
- reviewed the risk based rolling five year strategic audit plan
- maintained a program of self-assessing its own performance and reviewing the performance of internal audit
- provided assurance to the CEO on the integrity of the Agency's Financial Statements and compliance processes.Top of Page
Work Health and Safety Committee
The Work Health and Safety Committee is chaired by the CEO, assisted by the ARPANSA Work Health and Safety Co-ordinator, and comprises staff health and safety representatives and management representatives from both the Yallambie and Miranda premises. The Work Health and Safety Committee meets every two months and reviews and reports to the Strategic Management Committee on work, health and safety (WHS) issues, on the effectiveness of ARPANSA's performance in these areas and compliance with relevant legislation in accordance with the ARPANSA Work Health and Safety Management System. During this financial year the Work Health and Safety Committee conducted a number of WHS work area inspections. Further information in respect of Work Health and Safety arrangements within the Agency is at Appendix 2.
Senior officers at each campus, Yallambie, Miranda and Canberra are authorised to perform the functions of a Site Manager. As the CEO can never be present in all sites at the same time it was necessary to ensure that at all times each site has an officer who is authorised by the CEO to take necessary action to comply with ARPANSA's duties under the Work Health and Safety Act 2011.
Radiation Safety Committee
The Radiation Safety Committee, chaired by the Radiation Safety Officer and comprised of Branch Radiation Safety Advisors and other relevant staff, reports to the Work Health and Safety Committee on matters relating to workplace radiation protection and safety.
ARPANSA Staff Consultative Forum
ARPANSA's enterprise agreement continues to provide for a Staff Consultative Forum as the key employee consultative body. The Staff Consultative Forum comprises the CEO, employees elected by staff and officials from unions that are party to ARPANSA's enterprise agreement.
During the year, the Staff Consultative Forum met on seven occasions to discuss a range of issues relating to the management of ARPANSA. Agenda papers and outcomes of meetings were provided to all staff. Standing reports on the Agency's finances, activities of the Work Health and Safety Committee and matters considered by the Executive Group and Strategic Management Committee were also provided and discussed at Forum meetings with the CEO. Top of Page
Corporate and operational planning and performance
The ARPANSA Strategic Directions 2012-2016 sets out strategic directions and key priority areas the Agency intends to focus on during the coming year and beyond.
The Strategic Directions are supported by Corporate and Section operational business plans that describe the activities undertaken to accomplish those key priorities. Individual performance and development plans provide the framework for performance and accountability assessment. The framework is underpinned by management systems and strategies including internal audit, risk management, security, fraud control, compliance, business continuity, quality and information management.
Figure 7: ARPANSA Corporate frameworks
(click for larger view)
Identification and management of risk
Risk management is an integral part of ARPANSA's Corporate Governance Framework. The Agency's business planning framework, including setting of performance targets for staff, is also underpinned by relevant risk assessment processes. Strategic and key operational or project risks are reviewed quarterly by the Audit and Risk Committee and monitored by the Strategic Management Committee.
ARPANSA has developed a Risk Appetite Statement which describes in general terms the extent to which the Agency is willing to pursue or accept risk associated with its various objectives. The Agency's appetite for risk is categorised into levels described as low, medium or high and provides guidance in determining agency risk tolerances in various categories and in developing appropriate treatments for each risk.Top of Page
Internal control
The CEO must report annually to the Portfolio Minister, by way of a certificate of compliance, on the financial management and sustainability of the Agency.
The certificate requires the CEO to certify that, based on ARPANSA's internal control mechanisms, management assurance and Audit and Risk Committee advice, ARPANSA has:
- complied with the Australian Government's financial management framework and other specified Commonwealth policies
- operated within the agreed resources for the current year and has adopted, or will adopt the appropriate management strategies for all known risks that may affect the financial sustainability of their Agency.
ARPANSA has a robust internal governance and control framework comprising formal plans, policies, instructions, and guidelines. The Agency has adopted the Compliance Self Assessment methodology for annual compliance sign-off and developed a risk-based compliance assessment questionnaire to guide management in their review. The annual Compliance Self Assessment by management and internal audit review of the effectiveness of internal control mechanisms provide the assurances required to support the certification. Branch and Office Heads are required to provide additional assurances and certifications regarding compliance for their areas of responsibility, and to report on any instances of non-compliance with the framework.
Oakton Services Pty Ltd has been ARPANSA's internal auditor since November 2008 and they were replaced by RSM Bird Cameron in November 2013. Significant internal audits conducted this financial year included reviews of:
- Budgeting, Financial Management and Sustainability
- Review of Project Management Framework.
In response to these audits, ARPANSA is addressing all findings.
Business continuity
The ARPANSA Business Continuity Plan was tested as required during 2013–2014. It is planned to be revised later in 2014 according to the lessons learned from this testing and aligned with the ARPANSA Incident Management Plan.Top of Page
Compliance with Commonwealth Fraud Control Guidelines
ARPANSA's fraud control plan is in accordance with the requirements set out in the ARPANSA Risk Management Framework and conforms to the Commonwealth Fraud Control Guidelines. The plan outlines strategies and processes to detect, prevent, investigate and minimise the effect of fraud.
In accordance with the Commonwealth Fraud Control Guidelines ARPANSA provided the Annual Fraud Report to the Australian Institute of Criminology for the year ended 30 June 2014.
ARPANSA Quality System
The ARPANSA Quality System employs two levels of management review. The first, at the Branch level, reviews each Branch's service activities in detail, and the second at senior management level is conducted by the ARPANSA Quality Management Committee. The Quality Management Committee, which comprises the CEO, Branch and Office Heads and the Quality Manager, acts under the auspices of the Strategic Management Committee Charter. The Quality Management Committee has the overall responsibility for ensuring the services offered by ARPANSA are delivered in a manner consistent with the principles of quality and as set out in ISO 17025 and are subject of the Agency's progress against the ISO 9000 series.
Seven of ARPANSA's laboratories maintain National Association of Testing Authorities (NATA) accreditation and are regularly assessed by NATA. During the year, NATA conducted technical re-assessments of the quality systems in place in each of the Chemical Testing services.
As required by the Quality Standard, AS ISO/IEC 17025, all service activities are internally reviewed annually by qualified auditors selected from the ARPANSA Quality Assurance Team made up of representatives of the services. Operational procedures and aspects of the management requirements of the Standard are audited in accordance with an approved schedule.Top of Page
Ethical standards
All ARPANSA staff must adhere to the Australian Public Service (APS) Values, APS Employment Principles and Code of Conduct under the Public Service Act 1999. ARPANSA actively promotes ethical standards among its staff by conducting training and awareness program relevant to the APS Values, Employment Principles and Code of Conduct. Additionally, a mandatory training program is in place which includes refresher training over a three year cycle on a range of issues including Preventing Bullying and Harassment in the Workplace and Privacy.
A commitment to ethical standards is also highlighted in the ARPANSA Agreement 2011-2014, the ARPANSA Strategic Directions 2012-2016 and the Workplace Diversity Program 2012-2015 and is included in the induction packages provided to all new employees. ARPANSA's Strategic Management Committee also endorsed a supplement to an all staff Performance Agreement, APS Values and ARPANSA Workplace Ethics, which staff are assessed against.
There are formal procedures to ensure disclosure of any real or apparent conflict of interest. Staff are required to disclose to the CEO all direct or indirect pecuniary interests in businesses and companies which may be affected by ARPANSA's decisions. As a matter of course, members of the Strategic Management Committee, the Audit and Risk Committee, and the advisory bodies to ARPANSA (see Appendix 2) are reminded to declare any conflict of interest in general, and specifically in relation to agenda items at meetings, and requested to excuse themselves when such issues are discussed.
External scrutiny and advice
Key external accountability institutions for ARPANSA include the:
- Commonwealth Parliament
- Commonwealth Auditor General, who is an officer of the Parliament
- Commonwealth Ombudsman
- Australian Information Commissioner, including the FOI and Privacy Commissioners
- Administrative Appeals Tribunal, and
- Federal system of courts, including the Federal Court and High Court of Australia.
As required by the ARPANS Act, the following mechanisms for external stakeholder input to ARPANSA's processes are in place:
- Radiation Health and Safety Advisory Council
- Radiation Health Committee
- Nuclear Safety Committee.
Their activities for the current year are reported in Appendix 8 of this Report.Top of Page
Australian National Audit Office Performance Audit
In May 2014, the Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) released its report into Regulation of Commonwealth Radiation and Nuclear Activities (Audit Report No. 29 2013–14).20
Commencing in April 2013, the objective of the ANAO audit was to assess the effectiveness of ARPANSA's management of the regulation of Commonwealth nuclear, radiation facilities and sources, including ARPANSA's compliance with its legislative requirements.
The ANAO found that ARPANSA has largely been effective in managing key aspects of its regulatory framework and is considered by licensees to be professional and service-oriented. However, the ANAO made the following four recommendations to enhance the Agency's risk-informed approach, management of conflict of interest, and program of independent inspections for ARPANSA licences:
| Recommendation No. 1 Paragraph 2.23 |
To maintain stakeholder confidence in the independence and impartiality of its regulatory operations and decisions, the ANAO recommends that ARPANSA: (a) periodically conducts training for regulatory staff on identifying and managing conflicts of interest, including personal conflicts; and (b) obtains written declarations from regulatory staff at annual intervals indicating whether they have any potential, perceived or actual conflicts. ARPANSA response: Agreed |
|---|---|
| Recommendation No. 2 Paragraph 3.48 |
To streamline its applications process and more effectively use its limited resources, the ANAO recommends that ARPANSA implements a documented risk based approach to assessing licence applications, having regard to the: (a) hazard of the source or facility to workers, the public and environment; and (b) the applicant's compliance maturity. ARPANSA response: Agreed |
| Recommendation No. 3 Paragraph 4.30 |
To strengthen its risk based approach to monitoring compliance, the ANAO recommends that ARPANSA more directly links its management of licences to risk rankings, focusing particularly on: (a) clearly aligning its planned inspection program to risk rankings of licences; and (b) strategic targeting of unannounced inspections. ARPANSA response: Agreed |
| Recommendation No. 4 Paragraph 4.65 |
To improve transparency and support continuing public confidence in the regulation of licences held by ARPANSA, the ANAO recommends that: (a) inspections of its own licences are conducted periodically using inspectors from a state or territory radiation regulator; and (b) provisions are made for independent review of other regulatory decisions relating to ARPANSA's own licences, particularly licence applications and Regulation 51 approvals. ARPANSA response: Agreed |
Top of Page ARPANSA accepted the four recommendations and will continue to:
- advance staff understanding of conflicts of interest and the related procedures and processes
- improve internal procedures to support and promote a risk-informed approach
- strengthen our risk-informed compliance monitoring program and strategic targeting of inspections, and
- look to advance the frequency of our rigorous self-inspection program and explore options for a broader base of suitable organisations for independent oversight of regulatory decisions relating to ARPANSA's own licences.
While the ANAO audit was not a follow up to the performance audit conducted in 2005, the ANAO were able to assess the extent to which ARPANSA has implemented the recommendations in the previous audit noting that 11 of the 19 recommendations from the 2005 performance audit had been fully implemented and six had been partially implemented. ARPANSA accepts the recommendations contained in the ANAO report and has developed an Action Plan for implementing the recommendations. This Action Plan also includes activities to address ANAO's assessment of ARPANSA's progress of previous recommendations from the ANAO's 2005 performance audit of ARPANSA's regulatory function.21,22 The Action Plan with status updates as at 30 June 2014 is at Appendix 9.
Judicial decisions and decisions of administrative tribunals, reports by the Auditor-General, a Parliamentary Committee or the Commonwealth Ombudsman
There have been no judicial decisions and decisions of administrative tribunals during 2013–14 that have had, or may have, a significant impact on the operations of ARPANSA.
There have been no reports on the operations of ARPANSA by the Auditor General (other than the report on financial statements), a Parliamentary Committee, or the Commonwealth Ombudsman during 2013–14.Top of Page
ARPANSA Service Charter
This Service Charter outlines what the Agency is and what it does, the standards of service expected from ARPANSA and how our stakeholders can help us improve our service. ARPANSA's vision is to be the leading organisation in Australia for scientific excellence and practical expertise in radiation protection and nuclear safety and to be a highly effective and efficient regulator of Commonwealth Government entities. The current service charter was established in 2013–2014 and will be reviewed every three years.
ARPANSA's customers are in both the public and private sectors (overseas as well as within Australia) and include:
- people who use radiation in medicine, research and industry (including mining)
- Commonwealth, state and local government agencies
- environment protection agencies
- international organisations
- academia and research organisation
- general public, interest groups and the media.
Services provided by ARPANSA include but are not limited to:
- traceable calibrations of ionising and non-ionising radiation monitoring equipment
- the Personal Radiation Monitoring Service
- the assessment of Ultraviolet Protection Factors
- advice, measurements, consultancy, and training on a range of radiation protection issues, and
- issuing Customs (Prohibited Imports) permits for the importation of radioactive materials into Australia.
The charter provides a complaints resolution mechanism and is available in full on the ARPANSA website at www.arpansa.gov.au/AboutUS/corporate/servicecharter.cfm. Agency Formal Complaints Management Process will be established in 2014–2015 which, in addition to the establishment of associated customer service performance monitoring, will enable future comprehensive reporting of performance against the charter.
As part of the quality management system of ARPANSA and services accredited by the National Association of Testing Authorities, all corrective actions arising from client complaints are recorded. In accordance with the quality system, these actions are reported to the ARPANSA Quality Manager and the relevant Branch Head. The RF Calibrations Client Complaints received a minor complaint in April 2014 relating to an invoice. This was reported to the Quality Manager and the Branch Head at the last Quality Management Committee meeting.Top of Page
Management of human resources
Organisational capability
ARPANSA's organisational capability is built around the skills and capacities of its staff and involves the Agency's systems, structures, processes, governance and culture; and how resources are utilised to address evolving priorities by building capacity to ensure ARPANSA can adapt to its changing environment.
Learning and development undertaken
Executive Leadership Development Program
As part of ARPANSA's ongoing commitment to the development of its current and future leadership cadre it conducted an APS level 5 and 6 Leadership Development program over two days in December 2013. Twenty-four staff attended this program and this was the third in a series of leadership development programs which commenced in 2012 and early 2013.
Managing behaviour in the workplace
Mandatory training for all staff on Managing Behaviour in the APS Workplace was held in July and August 2013. The sessions were organised as part of ARPANSA's ongoing corporate compliance training program. With amendments to the Public Service Act in 2013 coming into effect on 1 July 2013, it was timely to inform staff of the changes to the Act and reinforce expectations about general workplace behaviour. Staff feedback on these sessions was very positive.
Workplace Diversity Program and Commonwealth Disability Strategy
ARPANSA's Workplace Diversity Program 2012-2015 continued to operate during the reporting period and this program is supported by a Workplace Diversity Action Plan and in line with recent amendments to the Public Service Act 1999; it has been posted on ARPANSA's website. The program is linked to ARPANSA's Corporate Plan and is aimed at creating an inclusive environment which respects, values and uses the contributions of staff with different backgrounds, experiences and perspectives. ARPANSA continued to promote workplace diversity and reinforce the roles and responsibilities of all staff in increasing awareness and acceptance of workplace diversity principles through fostering diversity and using the broad range of skills, experience and cultural backgrounds of staff.
Underpinning ARPANSA's 2012-15 Workplace Diversity Plan is an implementation plan outlining various initiatives, responsibilities and outcomes. The strategy sets standards for performance and accountability to meet the objectives of having a productive and supportive workforce by enabling individuals to achieve successful results in a supportive environment as well as assisting them to balance their work and personal responsibilities.Top of Page
The Commonwealth Disability Strategy is taken into account in ARPANSA's forward-planning and corporate planning processes. ARPANSA's workplace diversity program ensures that we meet our legal obligations, both as a government agency and as an employer, to apply the principles of equity, merit and equal employment opportunity. Part of this process requires that ARPANSA make allowances for reasonable adjustment to the workplace or work practices to accommodate the needs of people with a disability.
Prevention of workplace harassment and bullying
The Agency's Respect – ARPANSA Policy for the Prevention of Workplace Harassment and Bullying seeks to minimise harassment and bullying that may arise in the workplace. The policy:
- provides information on informal and formal approaches to resolving claims of harassment and bullying (including the legislative framework)
- reinforces the role of the APS Values and Code of Conduct
- broadens the concept of harassment by including definitions of bullying behaviours
- clarifies the roles and responsibilities of managers and staff.
Support for staff
ARPANSA continues to promote a work environment that provides a reasonable work/life balance for all employees, and supports staff otherwise in situations where circumstances (internal or internal) affect the work life and ability to perform. These initiatives include access to flexible working arrangements, including:
- flextime
- job-sharing
- part-time and home based work, and
- extensive leave provisions contained in the ARPANSA enterprise agreement including:
- 4-weeks annual leave each year with provision to take this leave at half pay and access to purchased annual leave
- cumulative personal/carers leave
- increased paid leave for maternity leave purposes of up to 22-weeks which can be taken at full or half pay, paid paternity/non primary care giver leave of up to 6 weeks and parental leave
- study leave, and
- a range of miscellaneous leave entitlements which can be taken with or without pay.
Converge International is the provider of the Employee Assistance Program for ARPANSA employees across all three offices: Victoria, New South Wales, and Australian Capital Territory. Assistance is available to all ARPANSA employees and their immediate families with personal or work related problems that might affect their work or life. Converge have many years of experience and are available to help employees clarify and/or resolve issues. The program is recognised as a valuable resource for managing personal and workplace difficulties.
ARPANSA provides a carer's room in its Victorian office and has provision to arrange for a carer's room in New South Wales at short notice. Staff in ARPANSA's Canberra offices have access to a carer's room under the terms of their tenancy arrangements. The rooms provide a temporary workplace for employees to carry out as much of their normal work as possible while caring for their dependents and family members for whom care is temporarily unavailable. The rooms provide a quiet, comfortable environment for a variety of uses including a facility for nursing mothers.Top of Page
Workforce planning, staff retention and turnover
At 30 June 2014, ARPANSA employed 132 staff; 123 of whom are employed on an ongoing basis. These staff were divided between the Agency's Victoria office (Yallambie) (78%), New South Wales (Miranda) (19%) and Canberra Office (3%). More detailed information on the nature and breakup of ARPANSA's workforce is set out in Tables 4 and 5.
| Table 4: Staff retention and turnover 2012–13 and 2013–14 | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Female | Male | VARIATION | ||||||||
| Ongoing | Non-Ongoing | Ongoing | Non-Ongoing | |||||||
| Classification | June 2013 | June 2014 | June 2013 | June 2014 | June 2013 | June 2014 | June 2013 | June 2014 | June 2013 | June 2014 |
| SES | ||||||||||
| Commencement | ||||||||||
| Separation | -1 | -1 | -1 | -1 | ||||||
| Executive Level 1-2 | ||||||||||
| Commencement | +1 | +1 | +2 | +1 | +2 | +4 | +3 | |||
| Separation | -4 | -1 | -3 | -7 | -2 | -3 | -6 | -14 | ||
| APS Level 1–6 | ||||||||||
| Commencement | +1 | +2 | +2 | +3 | +2 | +7 | +3 | |||
| Separation | -2 | -1 | -1 | +3 | -4 | -8 | -8 | |||
| Table 5: Staff employed under the PS Act | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full-time Ongoing |
Full-time Non-Ongoing |
Part-time Ongoing |
Part-time Non-Ongoing |
TOTAL | ||||||
| June 2013 | June 2014 | June 2013 | June 2014 | June 2013 | June 2014 | June 2013 | June 2014 | June 2013 | June 2014 | |
| Female | 48 | 41 | 1 | 1 | 11 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 62 | 54 |
| Male | 79 | 71 | 4 | 2 | - | 1 | 4 | 4 | 87 | 78 |
| TOTAL | 127 | 112 | 5 | 3 | 11 | 11 | 6 | 6 | 149 | 132 |
In 2013, ARPANSA prepared a three year Workforce Plan covering its Information and Communication Technology (ICT) staffing resources and needs. The plan was approved by the Agency's Strategic Management Committee and received a positive response from the APSC. The priorities outlined in the plan remain relevant and are reflected in the ICT staffing and recruitment decisions made during 2013–2014.Top of Page
In late 2013, the commencement of work on the development of a Succession Planning strategy covering the Agency's Radiation Health Services Branch which represents approximately one third of the Agency's staffing. Positions were assessed in terms of the likelihood of the occupant leaving, the impact of the occupant leaving unexpectedly and the degree of difficulty in replacing them. The next stage of this process is the development of strategies to address those roles and positions representing the greatest vulnerability. This process will be rolled-out across ARPANSA with an agency-wide succession plan being the ultimate aim.
2014 APS Employee Census
During the period May to June 2014, the Australian Public Service Commission (APSC) conducted an employee census. This is the third year the census has been conducted by the APSC with the timing aligned with the annual APSC State of the Service Report. This year ARPANSA's participation rate was 79%, which placed ARPANSA in the top third in terms of response rates and above the APS average return of 68%.
The results of the census will be a valuable source of information for ARPANSA's workforce management issues and organisational priorities and will link back into the Agency's strategic decision-making and future planning. The feedback will also help maintain ARPANSA's reputation for professional and technical excellence.
Performance Pay
No staff received performance pay this financial year.
Workplace agreements in ARPANSA
The Agency's seventh enterprise agreement, ARPANSA Agreement 2011–2014, which was approved by the Fair Work Commission on 15 December 2011, continued to operate throughout the 2013–14 financial year.
The agreement provides the terms and conditions of employment for all employees below the Senior Executive Service level. The agreement has a nominal expiry date of 30 June 2014. ARPANSA has commenced negotiating a successor enterprise agreement in accordance with the Australian Government's Public Sector Workplace Bargaining Policy. The salary ranges for ARPANSA's classification levels are set out in Table 6.
| Table 6: Salary ranges as at 30 June 2014 | |
|---|---|
| APS Classification | Salary Range ($) |
| ARPANSA Graduate | 58 524 – 76 221 |
| APS Level 1 | 43 901 – 49 901 |
| APS Level 2 | 51 398 – 56 424 |
| APS Level 3 | 58 524 – 65 484 |
| APS Level 4 | 67 449 – 70 481 |
| APS Level 5 | 72 596 – 76 221 |
| APS Level 6 | 78 507 – 89 800 |
| Executive Level 1 | 96 987 – 111 593 |
| Executive Level 2 lower | 118 512 – 134 581 |
| Executive Level 2 upper | 139 963 – 150 329 |
Common law contracts
Terms and conditions of employment for the Agency's Senior Executive Service (SES) employees are covered under common law contracts. As at 30 June 2014, ARPANSA approved common law contracts for one ongoing senior executive service employee; noting that a second employee is currently acting at the SES level and a third SES employee resigned in June 2014. Recruitment action is underway for the two SES vacancies in ARPANSA. The salary range available for senior executive service employees on common law contracts is from $174 000 to $187 000 per annum.Top of Page
Statistics on staffing
Remuneration, statistics and staffing profile
All ARPANSA staff are employed under the Public Service Act 1999. The CEO is a full-time holder of a Public Office, whose salary and allowances are determined by the Remuneration Tribunal.
Statistics on staffing are set out in Tables 7 to 9.
| Table 7: Full-time equivalent (FTE) staff by gender and classification | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Classification | Female | Male | TOTAL | |||
| June 2013 |
June 2014 |
June 2013 |
June 2014 |
June 2013 |
June 2014 |
|
| Graduate | - | - | - | - | - | |
| APS Level 1 | - | - | - | - | - | |
| APS Level 2 | 7.68 | 7.6 | - | - | 7.68 | 7.6 |
| APS Level 3 | 9.8 | 9.4 | 2 | 1 | 11.8 | 10.4 |
| APS Level 4 | 6.6 | 4.8 | - | 1 | 6.6 | 5.8 |
| APS Level 5 | 7.29 | 6.69 | 10.6 | 10 | 17.89 | 16.69 |
| APS Level 6 | 10 | 7.4 | 20 | 18.2 | 30 | 25.6 |
| Executive Level 1 | 13.6 | 11.2 | 26.2 | 24.2 | 39.8 | 35.4 |
| Executive Level 2 | 2 | 2 | 22 | 19.2 | 24 | 21.2 |
| SES Band 1 | - | - | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 |
| TOTAL | 56.97 | 49.09 | 83.8 | 75.6 | 140.77 | 124.69 |
Table 8: Staff by locatoin, gender and classification
(
)
| Table 9: Distribution of staff by Branch | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Female | Male | |||||||||
| Ongoing | Non-Ongoing | Ongoing | Non-Ongoing | TOTAL | ||||||
Branch |
June 2013 | June 2014 | June 2013 | June 2014 | June 2013 | June 2014 | June 2013 | June 2014 | June 2013 | June 2014 |
| Office of the CEO | 4 | 6 | - | - | 2 | 5 | - | - | 6 | 11 |
| Legal Office | 2 | - | - | - | 2 | 1 | - | - | 4 | 1 |
| Radiation Health Services | 22 | 18 | - | 1 | 29 | 26 | - | - | 51 | 45 |
| Medical Radiation Services | 4 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 10 | 8 | 5 | 22 | 20 |
| Regulatory Services | 9 | 6 | 1 | - | 18 | 17 | - | 1 | 28 | 24 |
| Corporate Office | 18 | 18 | 1 | - | 19 | 13 | - | - | 38 | 31 |
| TOTAL | 59 | 51 | 3 | 3 | 79 | 72 | 8 | 6 | 149 | 132 |
Purchasing
In 2013–14, with exception of those instances reported in the Certificate of Compliance, ARPANSA complied with the Government's purchasing policies as stated in the Commonwealth Procurement Rules (CPRs). ARPANSA's Procurement activities for the year, were consistent with the ‘value-for-money' rule underpinning the CPRs.
ARPANSA's Annual Procurement Plan was published on the AusTender website in June 2014.
Asset management
ARPANSA manages non-financial assets totalling $28.9 million. The major categories are land and buildings and infrastructure plant and equipment. ARPANSA's capital investment plan is reviewed annually to ensure on-going building maintenance and renovation; equipment purchases and IT infrastructure upgrades meet future research and operational requirements. Top of Page
Consultants
During 2013–14, eight new consultancy contracts were entered into involving total actual expenditure of $99 972. In addition, six ongoing consultancy contracts were active during the 2013–14 year, involving total actual expenditure of $463 892.
The Agency policy on selection and engaging consultants is in accordance with the CPRs, based on the core rule of value for money and underpinned by:
- encouraging competitive and non-discriminatory processes
- using Commonwealth resources in an efficient, effective, economical and ethical manner that is not inconsistent with the policies of the Commonwealth
- making decisions in an accountable and transparent manner
- considering the risks, and
- conducting a process commensurate with the scale and scope of the procurement.
ARPANSA engaged consultants where there was a requirement for specialist expertise that was not available within the Agency, or where an independent assessment was required. The selection process included selection from a panel or direct engagement of a recognised or pre-eminent expert.
The annual report contains information about actual expenditure on contracts for consultancies. Information on the value of contracts and consultancies is available on the AusTender website www.tenders.gov.au.
Grants
ARPANSA did not administer any grants in this reporting period.
20. The full ANAO report into Regulation of Commonwealth Radiation and Nuclear Activities (Audit Report No. 29 2013–14) is available at: www.anao.gov.au/Publications/Audit-Reports/2013-2014/Regulation-of-Commonwealth-Radiation-and-Nuclear-Activities.
21. While this audit was not a follow up to the ANAO's 2005 performance audit of ARPANSA's regulatory function, the ANAO also assessed the extent to which ARPANSA has implemented the previous 19 recommendations noting that 11 had been fully implemented and six had been partially implemented.
22. See ANAO Audit Report No.30 2004–05 Regulation of Commonwealth Radiation and Nuclear Activities available from:
www.anao.gov.au/Publications/Audit-Reports/2004-2005/Regulation-of-Commonwealth-Radiation-and-Nuclear-Activities/Audit-brochure.
