text:
… that a single, integrated border agency, to be known as Border Control Australia, be established through the merger of the border control functions of the Department of Immigration and Border Protection and the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service.
2. On 9 May 2014, the Minister for Immigration and Border Protection announced that the government would carry out this recommendation and integrate Australia’s immigration and customs functions into a single entity—the Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP—the department). The Australian Border Force (ABF), headed by a Commissioner, would be established within the department as the ‘frontline operational border agency’. The new department and the ABF came into existence on 1 July 2015, and operated under this nomenclature through to 2017.
3. On 18 July 2017, while this audit was in progress, the Prime Minister announced that the government had decided to establish a Home Affairs portfolio. From 20 December 2017, the Department of Home Affairs has assumed all of the department’s functions (including the ABF) in addition to functions from each of the Departments of Prime Minister and Cabinet; Social Services; Infrastructure and Regional Development and the Attorney-General’s department.
the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation.
5. This audit principally focusses on the period May 2014 to December 2017, while the department was known as DIBP. However, some of the department’s responses to ANAO inquiries occurred after it became the Department of Home Affairs. For simplicity, this report refers to ‘the department’ to signify both the Department of Immigration and Border Protection and the Department of Home Affairs (except where the context requires a distinct reference).
6. Effective immigration and border control are essential to Australia’s national security. The possibility of combining both functions within one entity have been considered on a number of occasions historically. The emergence of threats such as people smuggling and transnational crime led the government to decide in 2014 that integration of the Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP) and the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service (ACBPS) would more effectively address the emerging threats and deliver efficiencies.
7. Both DIBP and ACBPS are sizeable entities from a geographical and functional perspective, and have a history of publicised administrative issues. The ANAO has previously audited both entities on numerous occasions, and this audit presented an opportunity to provide assurance that risks associated with the integration process were being properly managed.
8. The objective of this audit was to examine the effectiveness of the integration of the Department of Immigration and Border Protection (the department) and the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service (ACBPS).
Did the department establish sound governance arrangements for implementation of the integration and capability reform process?
Did the department manage the integration and capability reform process in accordance with government decisions and relevant plans?
Can the department demonstrate that the intended outcomes of integration and the capability reform process are being achieved, including financial outcomes?
10. The Department of Immigration and Border Protection achieved the integration of DIBP and ACBPS and the creation of the Australian Border Force in a structural sense and is also progressing with the implementation of a suite of reform projects. However, it is not achieving commitments made to government in relation to additional revenue, and is not in a position to provide the government with assurance that the claimed benefits of integration have been achieved.
11. The department established largely effective governance arrangements which were revised over time in response to emerging issues.
12. The department’s record keeping continues to be poor.
13. The department is effectively managing a suite of 38 capability reform projects and has developed sound monitoring arrangements, although the Executive Committee does not have visibility of the overall status of individual projects.
14. The efficiency savings committed to by the department were removed from its forward estimates and have thus been incorporated in the budget. However, the department has not verified whether efficiencies have been delivered in the specific areas which were nominated in the Integration Business Case.
15. Based on progress to the end of December 2017, if collections continue at the current rate the department will only collect 31.6 per cent of the additional customs duty revenue to which it committed in the Integration Business Case.
16. In the Integration Business Case, the department committed to a detailed Benefits Realisation Plan. The plan was not implemented despite several reviews identifying this omission. As a result, the department cannot demonstrate to the government that the claimed benefits of integration have been achieved.
17. The department moved quickly to establish a sound governance framework for the integration. The framework was revised on a number of occasions in response to emerging issues, particularly with respect to the capability reform projects. The abolition of the Reform and Integration Task Force resulted in a loss of momentum in the reform process and a drop-off in internal communication with staff. The department recognised this and re-established a similar coordination mechanism. More recently, the department has engaged a consultant to review the framework.
18. Reporting to the Executive focused primarily on integration and organisational reform, with minimal coverage of progress in delivery of the suite of 38 capability reform projects. Following the identification of this as a gap in the 2017 Gateway Review, an Enterprise Transformation Blueprint was established to provide the Executive Committee with greater visibility over the progress of activity across the department.
19. There was no evidence identified to indicate that written briefings were provided to the Minister on progress throughout the implementation process.
20. Detailed communication plans were established and implemented to support the integration process. ‘Pulse Check’ surveys were regularly taken to evaluate staff satisfaction and engagement with the process.
21. The audit found that the department did not maintain adequate records of the integration process. This finding repeats the outcomes of a substantial number of audits and reviews going back to 2005. The department’s own assessment is that its records and information management is in a critically poor state. The problems and their solutions are known to the department, and it has an action plan to address them, although numerous previous attempts to do so have not been successful.
22. The department also experienced a loss of corporate memory due to the level of turn-over of SES staff, with almost half of SES officers present in July 2015 no longer in the department at July 2017.
23. The department initially identified possible risks to effective integration. However, regular reporting against those risks ceased when the Reform and Integration Task Force was disbanded.
24. The department made extensive use of consultants to assist it with the integration process. Despite a requirement to evaluate contracts upon completion, this did not occur in 31 out of 33 (94 per cent) of contracts with a value of more than $1 million examined by the ANAO, and therefore it is unclear whether these services represented value for money.
25. Following a series of governance changes in October 2015, the department established an effective Project and Program Management Framework which was broadly consistent with the intended future governance state described in the Integration Business Case. While some projects are facing challenges, it is too early to form a view about whether all will be delivered on time and within budget.
26. The department has been subject to budgetary reductions equal to the efficiency savings required by government. It has not verified whether efficiencies were achieved in the specific areas identified in the Integration Business Case.
27. By the end of December 2017, the department had only delivered 42.2 per cent of the additional revenue to which it committed in the Integration Business Case, and if collections continue at the current rate, it will only collect 31.6 per cent of the additional revenue.
28. The department cannot demonstrate that the claimed benefits of integration have been achieved because it did not implement the Benefits Realisation Plan which formed part of the Integration Business Case.
The Department of Home Affairs give priority to addressing its records and information management deficiencies including by implementing the Records and Information Management Action Plan 2016–20.
The Department of Home Affairs develop a business assurance approach to enforce its requirement in the Contract Management Manual that contracts be evaluated on completion.
The Department of Home Affairs implement the Benefits Realisation Plan which was included in the Integration Business Case to allow the government to assess whether the claimed benefits of integration have been realised.
29. The Department of Home Affairs (Home Affairs) recognises and appreciates the efforts of the Australian National Audit Office staff who conducted the audit.
30. Overall the report concludes that the then Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP) successfully achieved integration and continues with the implementation of reform projects. With integration achieved through the establishment of a sound Governance Framework and an effective Project and Program Management Framework, that was supported by detailed communication plans and ‘pulse check’ surveys. Having in place these frameworks enabled flexible and timely responses to the management of emerging issues.
31. Home Affairs does acknowledge that record-keeping at that time was not in line with best practice and has undertaken significant steps to rectify the situation. Additionally continual improvements are being made in contract management with an automated solution being put in place that will facilitate the assessment of contract performance.
32. Home Affairs disputes in some instances the financial conclusions drawn within the report, and whether or not certain elements were outside the scope of the audit, as well as statements made in regards to project management and the overall visibility of the Executive in relation to the integration project.
33. With the inception of Home Affairs the ongoing development and review of new organisational priorities and strategies, to ensure that governance arrangements are robust, remains a primary focus.
Below is a summary of key learnings identified in this audit report that may be considered by other Commonwealth entities when managing large scale organisational change.
coordinate internal communications to ensure all staff are engaged with, and feel part of, the process.
provide project management oversight, support and reporting of the business led integration and reform activity.
An effective governance framework with clearly assigned responsibilities and scopes of authority is essential. Entities should be prepared to revise the framework in response to experience or changing circumstances.
Benefits Realisation Plans should clearly identify intended strategic benefits. When drafting such plans, entities should think carefully about whether indicators designed to demonstrate benefits are ‘real’, measurable and reportable (as opposed to simply aspirational). Implementation work on plans needs to commence from the outset, not left until after the change (or project) is completed.
In operating an Electronic Data Records Management System, entities should mandate its use and provide relevant training to all staff in order to ensure the full benefits are obtained through the consolidation of fragmented systems and manual records.
During major organisational change, regular and effective internal communication is critical to fostering staff engagement. Both content and the choice of ‘channel’ (for example, emails, blogs, FAQs and staff meetings) are important and communication should continue until change has been completed and embedded.
Entities should consider introducing an internal requirement to conduct end-of-contract evaluations of consultancies and other contracts (possibly with a value above a set amount). This would help to ensure that value for money is being achieved from contracts and to identify providers who have not performed satisfactorily.
1.2 On 9 May 2014, the Minister for Immigration and Border Protection announced that the government would carry out this recommendation and integrate Australia’s immigration and customs functions into a single entity—the Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP – the department). The Australian Border Force (ABF), headed by a Commissioner, would be established within the department as the ‘frontline operational border agency’.2 The new department and the ABF came into existence on 1 July 2015, and operated under this nomenclature through to 2017.
1.4 The Department of Home Affairs has assumed all of the department’s functions (including the ABF) in addition to functions from each of the Departments of Prime Minister and Cabinet; Social Services; Infrastructure and Regional Development and the Attorney-General’s department.
1.6 The new entity formally came into existence on 20 December 2017. Fieldwork for this audit was undertaken between June and December 2017. This audit principally focusses on the period May 2014 to December 2017, while the department was known as DIBP, however some of the department’s responses to ANAO inquiries occurred after it became the Department of Home Affairs. For simplicity, this report refers to ‘the department’ to signify both the Department of Immigration and Border Protection and the Department of Home Affairs (except where the context requires a distinct reference).
1.7 The objective of this audit was to examine the effectiveness of the integration of the Department of Immigration and Border Protection (the department) and the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service (ACBPS).
1.9 The ANAO examined the department’s high-level arrangements for tracking the progress and financial status of the reform program, but did not examine the administration of individual projects within the program.
1.10 The announcement of the creation of the Home Affairs portfolio occurred after the audit had commenced and is not within the scope of the audit.
1.11 The audit was conducted in accordance with ANAO Auditing Standards at a cost to the ANAO of approximately $530,000.
1.12 Team members for this audit were Julian Mallett, Bradley Medina, Anne Kent, David Lacy and Paul Bryant.
1.13 There have been a number of internal and external reviews of aspects of the department’s administration of the integration and reform process. These are shown in Table 1.1. The ANAO has drawn upon these reviews during the audit and, where appropriate, referred to them throughout this report.
Gateway reviews are required for major government-funded projects and programs.a They are conducted at key stages of eligible projects or programs.
Prepared by Boston Consulting Group.
Prepared by a DIBP’s contracted provider of internal audit services (Ernst and Young).
Prepared by the RAND Corporation.
Functional and efficiency reviews aim to comprehensively assess the efficiency and effectiveness of all aspects of an entity’s operations, programs and administration.
Prepared by DIBP’s contracted provider of internal audit services (Ernst and Young).
Note a: This includes projects with an estimated cost of more than $30 million or programs with a total estimated cost of more than $50 million. Review teams are appointed by the Department of Finance in consultation with the relevant entity.
Source: ANAO from DIBP data.
This chapter examines the high-level governance arrangements adopted by the department for the process of integrating the department with the ACBPS.
The department established largely effective governance arrangements which were revised over time in response to emerging issues.
The department’s record keeping continues to be poor and there was no evidence that the Minister was provided with written briefing on the progress of integration.
The ANAO recommended that the department develop a strategy to enforce its requirement for contract evaluations.
2.1 The government made the decision to integrate the department and ACBPS in May 2014. Full implementation required the passage of legislation, and it was decided that the effective date for the formal creation of the new department, the creation of the ABF and the abolition of the ACBPS would be 1 July 2015. There was consequently a period of over 12 months in which the department had time to commence structural reorganisation and to prepare the staff from the respective entities for the change.
2.3 The overall program, known at the time as the Portfolio Reform Program, included two implementation plans: one for the period from the Minister’s announcement in May 2014 to June 2015 and the other for the period from 1 July 2015 onwards. The initial allocation of funds for the Portfolio Reform Program in the 2014–15 budget was $710.4 million.5 Additional funds were approved in successive budgets which brought the total funding for the Program to $977.8 million. Further detail about the funding arrangements is included in Chapter 3.
2.4 The conceptual structure of the Portfolio Reform Program is shown in Figure 2.1.
the management of 38 major capability reform projects with a total value of $977.8 million.
2.7 The Integration Business Case was the key document detailing the overarching plan for the integration of the department and ACBPS. It also represented the department’s commitment to the government on what was to be achieved, by when, and the expected benefits of integration.
Objective 1: Consolidate the Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP) and the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service (ACBPS) as a single border organisation.
Objective 2: Establish the Australian Border Force as part of the single organisation.
Objective 3: Implement reform measures to strengthen Australia’s borders, tackle crime, and support economic growth and productivity by supporting legitimate trade and travel by reducing the burden of compliance.
Objective 4: Bring forward submissions to Government to secure funding and establish the authority to continue the integration and reforms in the out years.
2.9 The Integration Business Case also outlined the benefits expected to accrue from integration. This is discussed further in Chapter 4.
Did the department establish a sound governance framework?
The department moved quickly to establish a sound governance framework for the integration. The framework was revised on a number of occasions in response to emerging issues, particularly with respect to the capability reform projects. The abolition of the Reform and Integration Task Force resulted in a loss of momentum in the reform process and a drop-off in internal communication with staff. The department recognised this and re-established a similar coordination mechanism. More recently, the department has engaged a consultant to review the framework.
2.10 Following the Minister’s 9 May 2014 integration announcement, a Portfolio Reform Task Force6 was created on 12 May 2014, a Portfolio Reform Board (PRB) met for the first time on 16 May 2014 and a new Executive Division, combining the most senior executives of the former department and the ACBPS, was ‘stood up’ in August 2014. In October 2014, the Secretary released a Blueprint for Integration which provided staff with details of the department’s mission, the new organisation, the organisational focus and the integration timeline.
2.11 The Integration Business Case outlined a proposed high-level governance framework as shown in Figure 2.2.
Note: The Independent Assurance Partner was Third Horizon.
2.12 The role and functions of key parts of the framework are shown in Table 2.1.
Provide strategic oversight, prioritisation, direction, and decision-making for integration, establishment of the new ABF and capability reform.
Consultant (Third Horizon) engaged to provide an assurance and compliance function over the consolidation approach.
management and integration of portfolio costings.
Note a: The Assurance Partner was engaged by DIBP as a consultant for the period 19 June 2014 to 18 June 2016 with a contract value of $2 million The total paid to the consultant was $1.6 million. Due to the department’s concerns with the Assurance Partner’s performance, the engagement ended early in August 2015.
Note b: The RITF was a division of the department with four branches and comprised approximately 100 people.
2.14 In April 2015, as the date of formal integration approached, the Executive Committee decided to adopt a governance model that ensured that ‘accountability for change outcomes is placed squarely with relevant business owners’ to better align capability delivery and business needs and approved a revised governance framework as shown in Figure 2.3.
The approach to implementation did not have a clear sequencing or prioritisation logic.
2.17 Following consideration of the ‘readiness’ review, the Executive Committee decided upon a substantial revision of the governance framework as shown in Figure 2.4. The key change in the framework was the creation of a ‘Deputies’ Committee’ comprising all Deputy Secretaries and Deputy Commissioners to provide high level oversight of capability reform projects. In particular, emphasis was given to the establishment of program boards, each chaired by a Deputy Secretary.
As identified internally, and in the 2016 Rand Report, a loss of momentum with Reform occurred following integration, so the SRG [Strategic Reform Group] was established to provide a central area to coordinate and oversight Reform.
2.19 The SRG was established in December 2015. It was disbanded in December 2016 and its functions transferred to the Enterprise Strategy, Reform and Performance division.
2.20 In December 2016, with the structural integration of DIBP and the ACBPS completed, the department engaged Deloitte to review its governance arrangements. The review found that while the various committees which form the governance structure are operating as designed, ‘the committee structure is not operating as effectively as it could to support enterprise-wide decision making.’ Since the review, the Home Affairs portfolio has been created, with consequential changes needed to governance arrangements. The department advised that it has used the review to inform the development of new governance arrangements.
Was implementation progress reported to relevant stakeholders?
Reporting to the Executive focused primarily on integration and organisational reform, with minimal coverage of progress in delivery of the suite of 38 capability reform projects. Following the identification of this as a gap in the 2017 Gateway Review, an Enterprise Transformation Blueprint was established to provide the Executive Committee with greater visibility over the progress of activity across the department.
There was no evidence identified to indicate that written briefings were provided to the Minister on progress throughout the implementation process.
2.21 As noted previously, the Portfolio Reform Board (PRB) and the Reform and Integration Task Force (RITF) were the two key internal bodies managing and coordinating the reform and integration process until they were discontinued in April 2015.10 The ANAO examined the records of both bodies to assess the adequacy of the processes for reporting on progress.
legal framework for the department and ACBPS and establishment of the ABF.
2.23 The RITF was a division of the department. In addition to its role in coordinating and managing the integration process, it also provided the secretariat function to the PRB.
2.24 The First Assistant Secretary (Senior Executive Band 2) of the RITF chaired a weekly meeting, known as the Portfolio Programme Management meeting. This body met some 40 times between July 2014 and May 2015. Senior Executive Service Band 1 officers were required to provide the RITF with a two-page weekly report (using a standard template) on ‘matters of significance’ within their areas of responsibility, which the department described as a ‘succinct summary of achievement over the last week and a forecast of planned management focus over the coming week’.
2.25 As noted at paragraph 2.5, the integration of the department and ACBPS comprised the integration of the ‘old’ department and ACBPS, the creation of the ABF as well as a suite of 38 capability reform projects with a value of $977.8 million. While the PRB and RITF documents examined by the ANAO demonstrated that there was routine reporting on organisational change and integration, there appeared to be minimal emphasis on reporting to the Executive about, and consideration of, progress in the suite of 38 capability reform projects.
2.26 While the ANAO located a small number of ‘project dashboard’ reports prepared during 2015, these carried the caveat ‘preliminary’ and were incomplete as they contained no financial status reporting.
Ensure that the Executive Committee has visibility of critical project and program performance information through regular reporting.
2.29 In July 2017, the Enterprise Strategy, Reform and Performance division provided the Executive Committee with an Enterprise Transformation Blueprint which had been in development for some months. The purpose of the Blueprint was to provide the Executive Committee with a document which detailed eighteen ‘change initiatives’ across six ‘transformation outcomes’.14 For each initiative15, the Blueprint showed key milestones and whether each was complete, on track, a cause for concern or requiring corrective action. As a high-level document, while the Blueprint did not explicitly show the status of each of the 38 capability reform projects, it provided a consolidated high-level overview of ‘transformation’ activity across the department. Arrangements for monitoring the progress of capability reform projects is discussed in Chapter 3.
2.30 The Integration Business Case stated that one of the responsibilities of the PRB was to ‘report progress to the Minister’. In examining PRB documents and minutes, the ANAO found reference to officials having met with the Minister (or staff in his office) at various times but saw no written briefs to formally advise on progress, despite the commitments the department gave the government in the Integration Business Case that it would provide an assessment of the benefits of integration (see Chapter 4).
Did the department establish communication plans?
Detailed communication plans were established and implemented to support the integration process. ‘Pulse Check’ surveys were regularly taken to evaluate staff satisfaction and engagement with the process.
2.31 The department recognised that communication of the reform agenda to its staff would be a key to success. In July 2014, it commissioned Nous Group to assess the ‘change readiness’ of the former department and ACBPS and to recommend appropriate strategies. The consultant’s report found that while the workforce recognised that integration could bring future opportunities, change readiness and engagement in both entities was low and there were low levels of confidence in the ability of mid-level and senior leaders to achieve integration and reform.
2.32 Following the Minister’s announcement in May 2014, there was a range of activities to inform the department’s staff about integration. These included launches by the Secretary and Australian Border Force Commissioner, all staff emails, information packs for all staff and more than 200 ‘National Roadshow’ sessions held across Australia. In October 2014, the Secretary and Commissioner released the Blueprint for Integration which provided staff and external stakeholders with information about the department’s mission, organisation and focus as well as an indicative timeline.
2.33 A portfolio integration communication plan was developed in July 2015.
2.35 Surveys of staff engagement have demonstrated mixed results. A ‘Pulse Check’16 survey conducted in April/May 2015 found on the one hand, that ‘communication, when content is informative, timing is appropriate and regular, and feedback opportunities are provided (i.e. all-staff emails and weekly newsletters), has contributed to employee awareness and understanding of integration and reform outcomes’. However, the survey also reported that ‘Communications thus far have failed to provide relevant, targeted detail that is satisfactory to employees… Some of the workforce have felt overwhelmed by too many high-level, untargeted all-staff communications. Key messages in emails are lost in large bodies of text and are not effectively disseminated to employees by their leaders’.
2.36 In 2016, the department engaged the RAND Corporation to undertake an assessment of the ‘consolidation’ of ACBPS and the department. The RAND review report observed that there had been a ‘loss of momentum’ shortly after integration formally began and stated that ‘Several interviewees mentioned that the early road shows used to talk about the integration of the workforce had stopped and had not been replaced with any other engagement efforts. This was mentioned as a shortfall from all levels, from DIBP headquarters to the regional commands’.
2.37 The most recent Pulse Check (conducted in early 2016) showed that there had been increases in the proportions of staff who: will contribute to the department’s objectives where possible; understand their role in achieving the department’s role and mission; and are clear about how the implementation of the department’s objectives will impact them. However, there were significant decreases in the proportions of staff who: felt valued for their contribution; had confidence in the senior leadership to achieve the department’s vision and mission; and believed that communication between senior leaders is open and transparent.
Has the department maintained adequate records?
The audit found that the department did not maintain adequate records of the integration process. This finding repeats the outcomes of a substantial number of audits and reviews going back to 2005. The department’s own assessment is that its records and information management is in a critically poor state. The problems and their solutions are known to the department, and it has an action plan to address them, although numerous previous attempts to do so have not been successful.
The department also experienced a loss of corporate memory due to the level of turn-over of SES staff, with almost half of SES officers present in July 2015 no longer in the department at July 2017.
2.38 In accordance with its usual practice, the ANAO sought the department’s assistance in locating key documents which were referred to in other documents.
2.40 Inadequate record keeping has been a persistent theme in the ANAO’s audits of the department. Since July 2010, seven audit reports of the department have identified issues with record keeping20, with three of the reports having made specific recommendations aimed at improving the department’s record keeping, to which the department agreed.
… evidence of a record keeping system that is seriously flawed. It was difficult to pull together all DIMIA23 records on this case because relevant documents were kept in several different locations and as both hard copy and computer records. Throughout its investigations the inquiry found DIMIA file management practices poor, and there seemed to be no unified organisational approach to file establishment, access and control … File discipline was lax. This situation exposes DIMIA to risk.
Similarly, an unpublished report found that the unlawful detention in June 2017 of two Australian citizens was caused partially by access to poor data.
The Panel experienced considerable challenges in reviewing some of the cases presented by the Secretariat because of poor record keeping by the Department and some service providers.
Since 2006 at least 17 reviews of various aspects of records and information management (IM) have been completed, all of which identify significant scope for improvement. An assessment of the collective review recommendations confirms a consistent theme throughout each; a lack of sustained follow through, which in turn has left the Department’s IM in a critically poor state.
Failure to deliver on strategic objectives and priorities (risk and crisis management).
2.44 The submission noted that while two projects had been approved totalling $4.29 million26, this represented funding for 2016–17 only, and that an investment of $14.55 million over five years would be required to implement the recommendations of an earlier review. It also stated that should the Executive Committee wish to ‘expedite critical aspects of the Action Plan’, additional resourcing of two staff and $320 000 would be required. In May 2018, the department advised that this additional resourcing had not been provided.
Excess exposure to litigation, FOI, investigations, audits and government accountability.
2.46 The Department of Home Affairs give priority to addressing its records and information management deficiencies including by implementing the Records and Information Management Action Plan 2016–20.
Department of Home Affairs response: Agreed.
2.47 The Records Management Action Plan 2016–20 commenced in mid-2016 with a number of foundational activities having been completed. This included the introduction of mandatory online training, the development of a Business Classification Scheme and Taxonomy, and completed transition to a single records management System (TRIM RM8). There will be ongoing reviews undertaken to assess record keeping practices in high-risk business areas which will commence in 2018–19.
Did the department develop an integration risk management plan and strategy?
The department initially identified possible risks to effective integration. However, regular reporting against those risks ceased when the Reform and Integration Task Force was disbanded.
2.48 The Public Governance Performance and Accountability Act 2013 and the Commonwealth Risk Management Policy27require all Commonwealth entities to establish and maintain appropriate systems of risk oversight, management and internal control.
2.49 Prior to integration, both the department and ACBPS had established risk management frameworks in accordance with policy and legislative requirements. After the integration announcement in May 2014, the department recognised that the process of integration would present its own set of risks. The Integration Business Case included a list of these integration risks and noted that once the two entities were integrated, there would be a need for the separate development of an Enterprise Risk Management framework in relation to ‘business as usual’.
2.50 The 16 integration risks that were developed are shown in Table 2.2.
Reform and Integration fails to meet its objectives due to complex interdependencies.
Industrial disharmony negatively impacts the achievement of portfolio reform and integration outcomes.
Insufficient organisational capacity and capability to sustain integration and reform activities.
Technology architecture and systems integration does not support the delivery of Portfolio outcomes.
Reduction in reform and integration benefits due to divergence between programme objectives and changing organisational priorities.
Resistance from external stakeholders and partners prevents or delays the agreed reforms.
Design and implementation of the foundation and functions of the ABF fail to meet Government intent.
Failure to achieve timely legislative reform.
Inadequate change leadership, due to lack of experience or failure to engage with reform & integration.
Integrity and fraud exposure arising from reform and integration activities.
Deterioration of enterprise information quality and data integrity.
Change adversely affects staff morale, productivity and commitment to the organisation.
Funding for future reform initiatives not released in a timely manner.
Effective portfolio integration is undermined by cultural dissonance.
Loss of critical skills and subject matter expertise impact achievement of reform and integration objectives.
Reduction in border operations and security during reform and integration activities.
2.51 Each of the risks was assigned to a Risk Lead at the SES officer level. The status of each risk was reported through the RITF to the PRB. As with other aspects of the RITF’s work, integration risk reporting ceased in April 2015 when the RITF was disbanded and the PRB was subsumed into the Executive Committee.
2.52 Project-level risks for capability reform projects were included in the Project Initiation Document (PID) for each project, and are managed in centralised project risk registers. High and extreme risks are extracted into the project monthly status reports for executive reports and governance bodies.
What external assistance did the department engage to assist with integration?
The department made extensive use of consultants to assist it with the integration process. Despite a requirement to evaluate contracts upon completion, this did not occur in 31 out of 33 (94 per cent) contracts with a value of more than $1 million examined by the ANAO, and therefore it is unclear whether these services represented value for money.
2.54 All entities are required to report details of contracts that they enter into on AusTender, the Australian government’s procurement information system. Consultancy contracts are required to be indicated with a ‘flag’.29 Figure 2.5 shows the value of consultancy contracts entered into by the department since 2007–08. The total value of consultancy contracts entered into by the department between 2007–08 and 2016–17 was $358.9 million.
Note: Data for years prior to integration includes ACBPS and the department combined.
Source: ANAO analysis of AusTender data.
2.55 Figure 2.5 shows that the value of consultancies entered into by the department increased significantly following the government’s announcement of integration, although the department was not able to identify which consultancy contracts related to integration (as opposed to its ‘business as usual’).
It is DIBP policy that an evaluation of the contract and contract outcomes must be undertaken at the end of each contract. The evaluation should encompass the overall performance of both the contractor and DIBP.
Has the contract facilitated the achievement of the activity identified in the approach to the market?
Did the contract achieve its objectives?
Did the contract deliver quality outcomes?
How well did the performance regime work?
Did the management arrangements established by DIBP facilitate achievement of contract outcomes?
2.58 The CMM requires staff managing contracts to ‘document the lessons learnt’ and ‘keep sufficient records’, which includes providing a report ‘in which conclusions are supported by the data’.
had a contract value of $1 million or greater.
2.60 There were 33 consultancies with a total value of $83.3 million which met these criteria. Of these, only two (with a total value of $8.1 million) had been evaluated as required by the CMM.
The Department has already commenced a project to implement an end to end Procure to Pay system which will enforce the requirement and more importantly support consideration of past performance as part of the ongoing procurement process.
2.63 The ANAO examined the Project Initiation Documentation (PID) for the Procure to Pay system. While the system is intended to ‘provide improved information and analytic capability for contract management’, the PID is a project planning document and does not refer to the CMM requirement for evaluation of contracts.
2.64 The Department of Home Affairs develop a business assurance approach to enforce its requirement in the Contract Management Manual that contracts be evaluated on completion.
2.65 The Department is currently implementing a Procure to Pay (P2P) solution that will provide an automated process to guide contract managers when commencing and finalising arrangement/contracts.
This chapter examines the department’s governance and management of a program of 38 capability reform projects, delivery of efficiency savings and collection of additional revenue in accordance with its commitments to the government.
The department is effectively managing a suite of 38 capability reform projects and has developed sound monitoring arrangements, although the Executive Committee does not have visibility of the overall status of individual projects.
The efficiency savings committed to by the department were removed from its forward estimates and have thus been incorporated in the budget. However, the department has not verified whether efficiencies have been delivered in the specific areas which were nominated in the Integration Business Case.
Based on progress to the end of December 2017, if collections continue at the current rate the department will only collect 31.6 per cent of the additional customs duty revenue to which it committed in the Integration Business Case.
Has the department managed capability reform projects effectively?
Following a series of governance changes in October 2015, the department established an effective Project and Program Management Framework which was broadly consistent with the intended future governance state described in the Integration Business Case. While some projects are facing challenges, it is too early to form a view about whether all will be delivered on time and within budget.
3.1 Since the governance changes in October 2015 outlined in Chapter 2, the Major Capability Division (MCD) has had carriage of the 38 capability reform projects. Figure 3.1 shows the department’s ‘capability lifecycle’ and the project governance arrangements that the MCD has instituted.
3.2 The functions of the key committees shown in Figure 3.1 are outlined in Table 3.1.
oversee capability performance and expenditure.
identify and develop strategies to improve project and program delivery.
guidance to the CDC on performance issues, support identification, resolution and endorsement of outstanding decisions and risks.
Source: DIBP: Programme and Project Delivery at a glance.
3.3 The 38 capability reform projects are grouped together into five programs. Table 3.2 shows the programs and the budget as originally approved by government.
Capability to assist with the clearance of travellers, goods and cargo through Australia’s borders. Projects in this stream relate to processing of goods for customs purposes and facilitation of passengers.
Capability to assist with the delivery of compliance, monitoring and status resolution activities for Immigration and Customs Operations, including ABF enforcement and operational activities.
Capability to assist with the delivery of strategy and provide enabling services across the agency to support the delivery of all functions. Capabilities include property, payroll, procurement services.
Capability to assist with the gathering of data and information from all sources so that it can be analysed and assessed. These capabilities support risk assessment, prioritisation, targeting and resource allocation for immigration and cargo processing.
Capability within the department related to ICT infrastructure, end user computing, software developments and management, including project management and delivery services.
resource management strategy and plan.
3.5 ANAO review confirmed that there is a Project Initiation Document (or project plan) for each project and that the costings were agreed by the Department of Finance in accordance with usual practice.
3.7 The ANAO did not attempt to verify the accuracy of the dashboards but noted that for the purposes of the individual program boards, they provide a comprehensive overview of the status of the capability reform program.
two projects have been cancelled, one is under review, one is closed and one is yet to commence.
Has the department delivered required efficiency savings and additional revenue?
The department has been subject to budgetary reductions equal to the efficiency savings required by government. It has not verified whether efficiencies were achieved in the specific areas identified in the Integration Business Case.
By the end of December 2017, the department had only delivered 42.2 per cent of the additional revenue to which it committed in the Integration Business Case, and if collections continue at the current rate, it will only collect 31.6 per cent of the additional revenue.
$498.0 million in additional revenue through improved customs duty compliance (known as revenue uplift).
Source: ANAO analysis of DIBP data.
other contracts: reductions in spending33 on non-ICT contractors and consultants.
3.11 Table 3.4 shows the efficiency savings proposed as a result of the Efficiency Delivery Strategy.
3.12 In the 2015–16 budget, the government reduced the department’s budget funding for existing operations by $270.1 million over 2015–16 to 2018–19.34 This was to partly offset the new expenditure on the capability reform projects. In that sense, the proposed savings were factored into the budget process. The ANAO examined whether the department had taken steps to implement the Efficiency Delivery Strategy as proposed.
3.13 Since 2014–15, the department has not undertaken any detailed analysis to confirm that the efficiency measures which were directly costed and agreed in the Integration Business Case have been completely implemented or achieved at the rate proposed. This is inconsistent with the commitments made to government in relation to the achievement of efficiency savings.
undertaken a workforce requirements analysis and functional accountability review that examined, amongst other things, span of control.
3.15 These activities were all agreed actions as part of the original Integration Business Case.
3.16 As the government’s second-largest collector of revenue behind the Australian Taxation Office (ATO), the department collects a range of duties, taxes and other charges. The most substantial of these is Customs duty, which totalled $14.2 billion in 2016–17. Like the ATO, the department has a responsibility to ensure that companies and individuals comply with their payment obligations. ‘Compliance’ covers a range of regulatory activities intended to collect duty that has not been paid, whether inadvertently or as a result of deliberate evasion. Revenue uplift was the term given in the Integration Business Case to a number of initiatives aimed at improving the effectiveness of the department’s compliance efforts. At the time of integration, ACBPS’ compliance activity resulted in additional duty collection of approximately $29 million per year.
3.17 In April 2014, prior to the public announcement of integration, the department had proposed to the government that it would improve revenue collection and compliance and collect an additional $346.6 million over the six years from 2014–15 to 2019–20.
3.19 Table 3.5 details the amount of additional revenue that the department ultimately committed to collecting in each year.
3.20 After the initial revenue uplift commitment in April 2014 (but before the further commitment in April 2015), the Executive Committee had received Monthly Finance Updates in March 2015 and April 2015 which highlighted trends indicating that the initial uplift commitment would not be realised. By May 2015, the Monthly Finance Update advised that ‘the annual revenue uplift will fall well short of the full year forecast’.
3.21 An April 2015 report entitled Revenue Uplift – the way forward noted that targets were not being met and growing shortfalls were developing. The report stated that development of the initiatives had encountered ‘technical design difficulties’, and that the only initiative that had been fully completed to date had raised doubts about how effective it would be in predicting non-compliance that was not already known to ACBPS.
delays in implementing the ‘initiatives’.
3.23 In October 2016, revenue uplift was discontinued as a separate capability reform project and the responsibility was transferred into ‘business as usual’ operations in the Customs Compliance branch. An End Project Report completed to close out the process noted that there had been difficulties in developing the proposed fourteen initiatives, and another February 2016 report stated that ‘the predictive analytics models originally planned to be developed by the Task Force were not feasible’. The Customs Compliance branch has continued with revenue compliance work, but work on the originally envisaged advanced analytics approach and the ‘fourteen initiatives’ appears to have ceased.
3.24 In the meantime, revenue uplift collection results have continued to be reported to the executive. Figure 3.2 shows amounts of additional revenue actually identified for collection compared with the commitment given to the government in April 2015.
Note a: The peaks shown in February to April 2017 are due to a small number of large value transactions associated with elements such as tobacco product imports. Figures shown are additional to the baseline collection of approximately $29.0 million per year (see paragraph 3.16).
3.25 By the end of 2016–17, the amount of additional revenue collected since July 2014 was $80.3 million compared with a commitment for the same period of $190.2 million (42.2 per cent). If revenue uplift collections continue at the same average monthly rate as to date ($2.2 million per month), the shortfall by the end of 2019–20 will be $340.6 million and the department will have achieved less than a third (31.6 per cent) of its commitment to the government. Figure 3.2 shows that the revenue uplift commitment was met in six of 36 months in the period 2014–15 to 2016–17.
As the performance of Customs Duty to budget is in line with expectations (variation of <1%) to the published PAES 2016–17 budget numbers, the department considers we are achieving our revenue targets.
3.27 The department’s advice is inconsistent with both the Integration Business Case and the department’s specific commitment to increase the revenue collected from its customs duty compliance activity, to which the government agreed as part of the offsets to the costs of integration and reform.
This chapter assesses the department’s ability to demonstrate the benefits of integration.
In the Integration Business Case, the department committed to a detailed Benefits Realisation Plan. The plan was not implemented despite several reviews identifying this omission. As a result, the department cannot demonstrate to the government that the claimed benefits of integration have been achieved.
Can the department demonstrate to the government the benefits of integration?
The department cannot demonstrate that the claimed benefits of integration have been achieved because it did not implement the Benefits Realisation Plan which formed part of the Integration Business Case.
The decision to support and fund the Programme hinges, among other things, on whether or not the investment in this major transformation can be justified. A key question that needs to be considered is whether the envisaged Programme objectives and outcomes will deliver benefits that justify the investment that Government will be asked to make.
4.2 A Benefits Realisation Plan was included as an attachment to the Integration Business Case. Ten key program benefits were specified, forming four overarching benefits. These are shown in Table 4.1.
Source: Integration Business Case, Benefits Realisation Plan.
4.3 The Plan also listed 27 ‘proposed measures of benefit’.36 The department advised in March 2018 that it had not collected any data in relation to these measures.
4.4 The Benefits Realisation Plan gave a detailed description of the benefits management framework, including the approach and process, governance and reporting. The Plan required the development of the documents and reports outlined in Table 4.2.
Documents expected benefit, including categorisation, quantification and timing of realisation.
Documents logical linkage between deliverables, outcomes and benefits.
Provides an explanation of the change to expected benefits for a program or project.
When a Benefit Profile is updated and as a result the expected realisation value changes by more than the agreed tolerance level.
Provides the basis of quarterly reporting of benefits being realised by business-as-usual areas.
4.5 Despite establishing a detailed benefits management framework (including the development of blank templates for each of the components in Table 4.2), this work was not progressed until 2017 and, as at the time of audit, none of the documents or reports outlined in Table 4.2 have been finalised.
4.6 A number of reviews over aspects of the program have stated that there was no evidence a benefits management framework had been implemented as outlined in Table 4.3.
… at the program level, the benefits management plan, including arrangements for reporting and monitoring of benefits, is still at the outline stage. The review team understands the pressures on the task force staff, but considers that priority attention will need to be given to this issue relatively soon. (Recommendation: ‘Complete the detail of the overarching program level benefits management plan’).
The Benefits Realisation Plan has not been updated to reflect the post-integration organisational environment.
A benefits management plan was developed and included in the Business Case. The review team did not see evidence that the Program was actively tracking benefits.
Lack of, or inconsistent approach to benefits realisation will make it difficult to reallocate capital requests on an objective basis: a benefits assessment has not been consistently applied or implemented to compare the achievement of benefits put forward in the Cabinet Submissions.
There are a number of areas that require early attention. These include benefits realisation, where the identification and measurement of program benefits remains at an early stage. The review team was concerned that if this matter is not addressed in the shorter term, the demonstration of program benefits would become even more difficult at later stages in the Program.
Source: ANAO from review reports.
While much has been achieved, it is a work in progress and as such I expect that processes will mature over the coming year. At this point, we have established benefits for each of the Programmes and all bar one has provided the detailed Benefit Profile information.
4.8 Notwithstanding this advice, the Benefits Realisation Plan included in the Integration Business Case and approved by government has not been implemented.
4.9 On 22 September 2017, the Department advised the ANAO that it was moving from a benefits realisation model to an ‘outcomes measurement model’ and provided two related documents: the Measures of Success and the Future Operating Model.
this in turn will enhance programme prioritisation and decision-making by tying programmes of work to tangible business changes and impacts.
The [Gateway] report acknowledges the work done to identify benefits at an individual work package level. A Benefits Management Approach has been released for the integrated DIBP. The Strategic Reform Group has developed an Outcome focussed view of Strategic Reform and have drafted Measures of Success…The Investment Programme is based on integrated delivery and governance structures to focus more on delivering business outcomes and less on original ACBPS Reform structure.
In terms of FOM implementation, it was never officially rolled out to the broader Department. Key SROs [Senior Responsible Officers] received a copy however feedback was that the document was too long and difficult to digest.
4.14 The Measures of Success and the Future Operating Model were the ‘deliverables’ of a contract that the department entered into with a consultant (the Boston Consulting Group). The contract value was $4.7 million and the Boston Consulting Group was actually paid $3.7 million. This contract was not evaluated at its completion as required.
The current 20 measures of success developed by the Boston Consulting Group—referred to as the “measures of success”—are largely operational metrics, and as such do not consider the full strategy-to-resources continuum… As none of the measures being developed can be considered to be strategic, assessing strategic outcomes will likely be problematic. Furthermore, with such measures, assessing whether the overarching strategy of the DIBP is being achieved will also likely not be possible.
4.16 At the time of the audit, the department has not provided the government with any assessment of the benefits of integration. Additionally (as noted in Chapter 3), while the efficiency savings to which the department committed were delivered through reductions in its base funding, the department cannot identify specifically what efficiencies have been delivered and in what areas.
4.17 The Department of Home Affairs implement the Benefits Realisation Plan which was included in the Integration Business Case to allow the government to assess whether the claimed benefits of integration have been realised.
4.18 The Department acknowledges the need for an enterprise and strategic approach to benefits management, tracking and harvesting that goes beyond project delivery. While project level benefits are still maturing, the Department is working with key internal stakeholders to develop an approach, framework, and accountabilities for the tracking of benefits at an enterprise level.
4.19 The Department proposes to develop the program level benefit plans and profiles incorporating key elements of the Integrated Business Realisation Plan recognising the changed circumstances and responsibilities with the stand-up of the Department of Home Affairs. This will enable effective reporting using baselines and measures that are appropriate and targeted, and enable the Department to report on existing strategic objectives.
forecast end date is as revised by the department as at 31 December 2017.
1 The NCOA was established in October 2013 by the newly elected government to ‘review and report on the performance, functions and roles of the Commonwealth government.’ The key objective was to make recommendations to return the budget to a sustainable surplus of 1% of GDP by 2023–24.
2 The Australian Customs and Border Protection Service would be abolished.
3 Subject to the passage of legislation by the Parliament.
4 DIBP defines capability as ‘the capacity and ability to achieve and sustain a desired effect or output in order to meet one or more of the Department’s strategic objectives’. A capability may include the acquisition of capital equipment (such as a boat or a CCTV system) but can also include training, facilities, information and systems, equipment and supplies, support and laws, policy, procedures and administration.
5 All funding approved for reform and integration was offset in accordance with government policy. Funding comprised offsets through increased revenue collection, efficiencies and redirection of existing funding. See Chapter 3 for further information.
6 The Portfolio Reform Task Force was renamed the Reform and Integration Task Force (RITF) in November 2014.
8 Capability Reform Programme Readiness Review, June 2015.
9 The chart shown in Figure 2.4 is the governance framework that existed at the time of the ANAO audit and differs in a few minor respects from the one that was approved in October 2015.
10 The Integration Business Case did not specify at what stage the PRB and RITF should be disbanded.
11 Information and Communications Technology.
13 Program boards form part of the current governance framework: see Figure 2.4.
14 These were immigration, border, trade, intelligence and identity, technology and workforce and corporate.
15 ‘Initiatives’ included the 38 capability reform projects, initiatives being ‘executed through everyday branch activity’, ‘emerging’ initiatives, areas of Ministerial priority and other investment proposals under consideration for internal capital funding.
16 The survey had 3,300 responses from DIBP staff and also included focus groups with over 200 employees in NSW, VIC, QLD, SA, WA and the ACT.
17 The ANAO found numerous non-personal network drives with names which give no indication of their contents such as ‘Random useful stuff’, ‘old stuff’, ‘Ministerial stuff’ and simply ‘stuff’.
18 The website of the National Archives of Australia states that ‘a network drive is not a records management system’ and lists several risks in using it as such: records stored in network drives can be easily altered or deleted by anyone who has access to the drive; it is difficult demonstrate the authenticity, integrity and trustworthiness of uncontrolled records in network drives; metadata is often missing and there are no links between documents and their business context; poor management can result in large volumes of uncontrolled information which is difficult to manage and takes up network space; it can be difficult to find relevant records, posing a reputational risk; and it can be difficult to identify the status or version of information.
19 The ANAO compared the 1 July 2015 and 3 July 2017 SES organisation charts. Of the SES Band 3 (Deputy Secretary) officers shown on the July 2015 chart, 50 per cent had left the organisation by July 2017. At the SES Band 2 (First Assistant Secretary) level, 61 per cent had left and at SES Band 1 (Assistant Secretary), 43 per cent had left. Overall, 47 per cent of SES officers present in July 2015 were no longer in the department in July 2017. Some (but not all) of the consequential vacancies were filled.
20 No.21 2012–13 Individual Management Services Provided to People in Immigration Detention; No.13 2014–-15 Management of the Cape Class Patrol Boat Program; No.47 2014–15 Verifying Identity in the Citizenship Program; No.13 2015–16 Managing Compliance with Visa Conditions; No.16 2016–17 Offshore Processing Centres in Nauru and Papua New Guinea: Procurement of Garrison Support and Welfare Services; No.32 2016–17 Offshore Processing Centres in Nauru and Papua New Guinea: Contract Management of Garrison Support and Welfare Services; No.39 2016–17 The Australian Border Force’s Use of Statutory Powers.
21 Inquiry into the circumstances of the immigration detention of Cornelia Rau, M J Palmer, July 2005.
22 Ms Rau was a permanent resident who was detained in March 2004 as a suspected illegal immigrant for about 300 days.
23 At that time, DIBP was the Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs.
25 The submission noted that this figure is growing at an estimated 30 per cent year on year and that ‘TRIM is aging technology which the Department is quickly outgrowing’.
26 The department advised in March 2018 that the budget for these projects was now $6.14 million.
27 Commonwealth Risk Management Policy, Department of Finance, July 2014.
29 The ANAO’s examination of AusTender data showed that some contracts which were almost certainly consultancies were not flagged as such. The department accepted that there have been discrepancies in AusTender reporting of consultancy contracts and advised that it has instituted processes to scrutinise contracts more closely to better identify which ones were consultancy contracts. Consequently, in addition to those consultancy contracts which were flagged as such by DIBP, the ANAO has included contracts whose description included ‘consultant’, ‘review’ or ‘evaluation’ (and variants thereof). Equally, however, some contracts flagged as being consultancies are probably not.
30 This was the date of the government’s announcement of the integration of DIBP and Customs.
31 The consultancy worth $17.6 million was ‘terminated for convenience’ on 30 June 2015 at the end of the first year of a two year contract. By that time, $17.1 million (97.1 per cent) of the contract’s value had been paid. With respect to the consultancy worth $2 million, the department’s concerns about its performance caused it to revise the scope of the contract. The department advised that this reduced the cost of the contact by approximately $80,000 (four per cent of the contract’s value).
32 Under DIBP’s project management framework, an exception report must be prepared when there has been a significant change to the project’s scope, milestone/schedule, finance, quality, risk, issues, resource, benefits and dependencies. Exception reports are provided to the Senior Responsible Officer.
33 Expenditure to be reduced by 2.5 per cent in 2016–17 and 5 per cent per annum after that.
34 The $263.6 million shown in Table 3.4 was adjusted to $270.1 million in the budget process.
35 The April 2014 and April 2015 commitments to increased revenue collection were based upon a March 2014 Value Determination Study by a consultant engaged by ACBPS, and a September 2014 report entitled Delivering the Revenue Commitment. These reports examined ACBPS revenue compliance work in earlier years and developed a number of ‘initiatives’ which it believed would deliver the additional revenue proposed. Some of the initiatives required the development of ‘predictive analytic models’. The March 2014 Study proposed ten initiatives and the revised September 2014 report proposed fourteen.
36 Examples of proposed measures of benefit were: number of export and import entries cleared; proportion of cargo found to violate fair trading practices or that exploit Australia’s resources; proportion of asylum-seeker care activities found to meet policy requirements and proportion of workforce effort expended on low value or low priority tasks.

industry_corpus2: Politics & Administration


text:
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industry_corpus2: Subject Education


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Product: Baby Personalised Magazine Cover was added to cart.
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industry_corpus2: Manufacturing


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industry_corpus2: Film & Entertainment


text:
Head to France’s legendary Chamonix-Mont-Blanc (Chamonix) ski resort, an area of the French Alps, for epic mountain sports, breathtaking landscapes and snow-capped adventures for the whole family!
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industry_corpus2: Travel & Geography


text:
As rumors of a later-than-usual iPhone launch for 2011 persist, a new report reveals that the notoriously secretive Apple is being even more careful than usual when dealing with overseas suppliers.
"Apple is keeping its iPhone 5 cards extra close to the vest on this launch to avoid a falloff in iPhone 4 demand ahead of a refresh, especially given the February launch of the CDMA iPhone 4 with Verizon," Analyst Brian White with Ticonderoga Securities said in a note to investors on Friday. He believes that the iPhone 5 could still launch in June or July, as previous models have.
White noted that various rumors have pointed toward a launch later than June this year for the fifth-generation iPhone. One report from March alleged that Apple has not even begun ordering components for the anticipated "iPhone 5," and the device is slated to arrive in the company's 2012 fiscal year, which begins in late September.
And a third report alleged that Apple is working on a major revamp of iOS, its mobile operating system, for version 5.0. New features like cloud-based storage of music, photos and video are rumored to arrive in the update this fall, likely alongside new iPhone hardware.
But despite all of those reports, White isn't yet convinced that the iPhone 5 will be introduced later than its typical June or July timeframe.
"Although we do not have a smoking gun that definitively rules out a delayed autumn unveiling or one that supports a launch this summer, there is a pattern of activity in motion with the supply chain that makes us question a delayed launch," he said.
White also cited sources who indicated that iPad sales could reach up to 40 million units in calendar year 2011. And supply chain sources also indicated that disruption from the earthquake and tsunami disaster in Japan will actually end up benefitting Apple, as suppliers will "rush to support Apple at the expense of competitors."
The analyst already revealed earlier this week that Apple has been offering upfront cash payments to component suppliers in order to secure components in the wake of the disaster in Japan. Apple has apparently also been using a "three cover guarantee," referring to capacity, stock and price, to block out competitors and prevent them from building ample supply of devices.
1st woot. And obviously... Close to the "vest"? WTF? Did he forget that the word "chest" exists?
This makes more sense than the delayed fall release.
Apple's suppliers (particularly those who provide materials and components for the touch panel display) do not have capacity to do a simultaneous launch of new iPhone and iPod models. We have repeatedly witnessed enormous supply constraints when the iPhone is launched, leading to a staggered worldwide launch that still only nets limited availability.
Last year, the iPod touch was in short supply for the first few weeks as well (Apple sells two iPod touches for every three iPhones).
Apple really cannot do a simultaneous iPhone/iPod/iPad launch given its current supply chain requirements and what its partners are able to produce.
Go Apple..! Crush them all..
if that is the ONLY new feature of iOS 5, i'd be happy.
I didn't know that before..! Thank u for the information..
Me too. Not so much for the iPhone as it's a personal item (connected to a phone number) but the iPad and iTouch should allow family members to share each with personal set ups for mail calenders etc.
That will never happen, Steve Jobs would cry to know that you share an iPad instead of buy one for each of your family members..
I had only ever heard the "vest" version before, so I was puzzled at the initial comment. Googling around a bit suggests that both versions ("chest" and "vest") are common, but "vest" might be more popular in America. Interesting!
Back on topic, this iPhone5 business is turning into one of the more interesting product updates in a while, at least as far as the rumor mill goes. Like some others, though, my interest is more on seeing what they're going to do with iOS 5. I agree that multiple users would be a great feature, though I imagine it will be challenging to implement in a very user-friendly Apple-esque way.
Aaah Google, can't hate it, can't live without it nowadays..
Apple's PR will make a kill with such rhyming cathprhases..
Launching a new phone and cloud service at the same time will set up a repeat of the iPhone 3G/MobileMe launch since we're likely to see a huge influx of Verizon customers who were smart enough to wait for the iPhone 5. Plus, as far as we know, the datacenter in NC hasn't officially started full operations yet.
I'm sure they'll let out some coy remark during their quarterly report on April 20th (it'll also be interesting to see what they say about future quarter reports then too).
I agree that multiple users would be a great feature, though I imagine it will be challenging to implement in a very user-friendly Apple-esque way.
Easy, front facing camera is activated when the phone is picked up (using the accelerometer), takes some pictures, uses FACES to determine who you are and displays your account.
So today's rumor is that nobody knows anything - yet they'll keep talking about it endlessly.
Gee - just like yesterday's rumors.
I would settle with a variant. Profiles, So we can sync to more than one set of information.
It is a never ending annoyance that i can't sync my work computer and home computer. We don't all use corporate exchange contact directories.
One imagines that Apple would like us to be using a Mac at home and work, with their contacts systems.
In my opinion, Apple has to be very careful here. They have a substantial lead and it is critical that they not drop the ball now. We've seen what happens when they dropped the ball in the past, and the competition came in to crush them into the ground. I think it's high time that it's Apple pulverizing the competition into the ground.
I skip generations of Apple tech as a standard rule. It's also in response to those two year contracts AT&T has. I am using an iPhone 3GS right now and the graphics are choppy on a lot of games and transition menus. It's clearly at the edge of its capabilities. When iPhone 5 is released, I'll be upgrading to it. I prefer Apple keeping their upcoming products secret. I hate it when people release pictures of the product, specs of the product, or new functionality before it's been revealed by Steve. It's sort of like being told what a movie is like, and its ending, prior to walking into a theater, or being told what your presents are for your birthday before you open them. I guess I would just prefer to have Steve say, "Oh, there is one more thing?" and have people NOT know what that one more thing is already.
This is the easy part. Then there are third party apps that will need to be updated to support multiple user accounts (database access, user information storage, account info.. etc). I find it interesting though that Apple still didn't announce iOS 5.0 to developers. It could be that most changes are related to OS and won't have that effect on apps and how they work, which makes sense since all the major needs were done already (multitasking, copy & paste..etc). Maybe iOS 5 will focus more on UI.
I assume I’m in the minority here but I’d very much like Apple to hold off on the releasing the iPhone 5 this Summer. I think it’s an increasingly difficult goal to try to release both new HW and a new OS at the same time.
I think a tick-tock cadence Ã* la Intel would make for a more releases and help spread out demand, even if only slightly, for those that are waiting for either the newest OS or newest HW features. The iPad doesn’t seem to have been hurt by this method.
So my iPhone turns on and off as easily as my iPad with a Smart Cover.
Runs to trademark Lodestone brand underwear then realizes what a crappy name that is.
Seriously though, on the iPad multiple user accounts would be great. On all devices a guest account that I can dis/allow permissions to certain apps and features like Parental controls would be very welcome.
PS: One oversight I’ve hated since Find My iPhone was introduced was that anyone with access to your phone could disable the service with a few clicks because the MobileMe account wasn’t lockable. Meaning, if you didn’t have a system passcode or someone access your device before it locked they could disable that service and use your device without first having to wipe it clean. I recently found a workaround. If you enable Restrictions (I.e.: Parental Controls) you can lock your accounts so even if they have access to your device they can’t disable the Find My iPhone service. I know it’s a narrow window of use, but the omission has always bothered me.
Apple is tired of all those new product supply chain rumours spread by analyst eunuchs who claim to have a friend whose mother-in-law's hairdresser's second cousin used to work in a Chinese factory, and now they're cracking the whip on the secrecy issue.

industry_corpus2: Computing & Telecommunications


text:
RAMSAR CONVENTION 1971 PDF Download – Criteria ,Ramsar Sites in india – Hello Friends Welcome to studydhaba.com .Here We are Sharing Ramsar Convention Short Notes in pdf for UPSC prelims and Mains 2017 Exam. you can Download this Article in Pdf Form from Download Link given below .
The Convention was adopted in the Iranian city of Ramsar in 1971 and came into force in 1975 after UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization), the Convention’s depositary received the instruments of accession from the countries.
Criterion 1:If the site is representative, rare, or unique example of a natural or near-natural wetland type found within the appropriate biogeographic region.
Criterion 2: if it supports vulnerable, endangered, or critically endangered species or threatened ecological communities.
Criterion 3: if it supports populations of plant and/or animal species important for maintaining the biological diversity of a particular biogeographic region.
Criterion 4: if it supports plant and/or animal species at a critical stage in their life cycles, or provides refuge during adverse conditions.
Criterion 5: if it regularly supports 20,000 or more water-birds.
Criterion 6: if it regularly supports 1% of the individuals in a population of one species or subspecies of water-bird.
Criterion 7: if it supports a significant proportion of indigenous fish subspecies, species or families, life-history stages, species interactions and/or populations that are representative of wetland benefits and/or values and thereby contributes to global biological diversity.
Criterion 8: if it is an important source of food for fishes, spawning ground, nursery and/or migration path on which fish stocks, either within the wetland or elsewhere, depend.
Criterion 9: if it regularly supports 1% of the individuals in a population of one species or subspecies of wetland-dependent non-avian animal species.
The convention entered into force in India on 1 February 1982.
India currently has 26 sites designated as Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar Sites), with a surface area of 689,131 hectares. See Appendix 1.
Keoladeo National Park, Loktak Lake, are designated in Montreux record, and Chilka lake was designated but removed since 2002.

industry_corpus2: Agriculture & Fisheries


text:
Stress is a common experience for lawyers, and if the go-to solution for coping with it is drinking or using drugs, they are setting themselves up for trouble.
In our survey of Am Law 200 leaders about substance abuse and mental health problems in large law firms, we asked them to opine about the causes. After all, who better to understand the situation on the ground than those who regularly encounter these problems among their lawyers?

industry_corpus2: Law & Justice


text:
Fritz Kucklick’s engineering and business expertise in the fields of mass production machinery, automated assembly processes, and metal products manufacturing are based on a mechanical engineering degree and over 25 years’ ownership, top management, international sales, design engineering, field startup, troubleshooting & installation, and project management positions with automotive component and heavy industrial machinery manufacturing companies in the USA and Europe.
"Thanks for your work on Friday. A long day, but a job well done. You were very well prepared."
Kucklick developed strong written, spoken, demonstrative and presentation skills from many years making technical presentations to non-English speaking audiences, while growing a machinery manufacturing company from its two founders to 500 employees.

industry_corpus2: Automobiles


text:
Veterans Day has unfortunately become just one more day when government workers and bankers receive a paid holiday so they can go to the mall, sit in front of the Tube or play video games. For all too many Americans however, it’s a day, like every other day, to morn the loss of loved ones killed, injured or maimed in defence of their nation.
The sad truth is however, our nation has been captured by International Banking Interests and their Military Industrial Complex. Our sons and daughters aren’t dying for America, but rather for International Zionist Bankers. This may be a bitter pill to swallow, but the truth often is.
The following article does an excellent job of exposing the truth about massive military waste, corruption, incompetence and abuse. It’s a long and tedious read, but if you care about your family and nation, it’s well worth your time.
Previous Has America’s Military Become a Joke?

industry_corpus2: Finance & Economics


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There’s a lot of jargon involved in real estate. Ronald Ginyard, Sr. can speak for you and explain industry language plainly and clearly. As Ronald Ginyard, Sr.’s client, you can expect honest and ethical treatment in all transaction-related matters. The first obligation of every Nesbitt Realty agent is to you, the client. If you have questions about this home in the City of Alexandria, contact Ronald Ginyard, Sr..
Ronald Ginyard, Sr. can also help you with these similarly priced homes in Alexandria.
How Much Will A Condominium At Park Place Sell For?

industry_corpus2: Real Estate & Construction


text:
Free up some space, stop renting it to then fill it with waste, old files and useless, out of date office equipment. Any business must comply with environmental regulations and therefore safely contain and dispose of all the waste you create. Not doing so can lead to fines or prosecutions.
To have a good clear out, hire a skip or get office clearance professionals to bring a truck and do the job for you. They can dispose of bulky items, electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) and can even shred your old confidential documents.
But why not focus on not allowing the rubbish to build up in the first place? Minimising waste production is both ecological and economical.
Only print when it really is necessary, and use small font, you can save a surprising amount of paper. We are after all in the digital age. Use projectors or white boards instead of printed sheets. Also buy recycled paper to begin with.
There are increasingly more office suppliers offering more ecological products. Take a look for yourself.
Encourage recycling by providing strategically placed recycling containers.
Often without having to pay for the shipping costs you can return used ink cartridges and other products to their manufactures to recycle.
Team work! Educate employers on the importance of eco work ethics.
Make sure computers have energy saving settings.
A mug is nicer than a paper cup.
Motion sensors ensure that switches are not left on.
Turn down the heating a little at night time.
Updated computers are more energy efficient.
Plants help by recycling the air.
Get rid of screen savers.
These money saving tips can help you keep the environment and your office cleaner every day – it is okay that it will get messy during to day but make sure you tidy up when you’ve finished. It will help you reset your mind also to mentally finish your work and when you come in the morning to your office you will start anew without distractions.

industry_corpus2: Others


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If you’ve never had a fresh, homemade tortilla, you haven’t had a tortilla. It’s a completely different experience than the store-bought versions. Don’t be intimidated by the thought of making tortillas from scratch. I promise, it’s super easy.
Most flour tortillas are made with lard, which I’ll admit is delicious. The fat adds a moisture and flavor that can’t be beat. Still, I’m not so psyched about using lard in my cooking. It feels too indulgent and I start to worry about how I’m affecting my arteries. That’s why I was so excited when I found this recipe which doesn’t use the bad, but is every bit as good.
Place the butter and milk into a pot and on medium-low heat cook until butter has melted. Turn off the heat and stir in the vegetable oil.
In a bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Pour in the melted butter, milk and oil and stir until a loose, sticky ball is formed. Place dough on a floured surface and knead for 2 minutes until dough is firm and smooth. Still until well combined. Cover the dough and let it rest for 1 hour.
After an hour, divide the dough into 8 pieces. Cover again and let it rest for 30 minutes. After dough has rested, place each dough ball one at a time on a floured surface, pat it out into a 4-inch circle, and then roll with a palote or a rolling pin from the center until it’s thin, about 8 inches in diameter. Don’t overwork the dough, or it will be stiff. Keep rolled-out tortillas covered until ready to cook.
In a dry cast-iron skillet heated on high, cook each tortilla for 30 seconds on one side, flip it, and then cook for 1 minute on the other side. It should start to puff a bit. Flip it again and cook for 30 more seconds. Place cooked tortillas in a basket lined cloth or in a tortilla warmer. Repeat process for remaining balls of dough.
From The Homesick Texan Cookbook by Lisa Fain.

industry_corpus2: Hospitality & Catering


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Hocoma’s robotic equipment allows our patients to participate in continuous repetitive motions that help foster neuroplasticity, improve function, and quality of life.
It allows our therapists to ensure proper mechanics, ROM, strengthening, and endurance building.
These products help keep our patients engaged and stimulated and has opened up a whole new world of recovery and hope for our clientele.
Most of our patients have neurological deficits. Currently we treat patients as young as 2 all the way up to 91 years old, but we accept practically all ages at the clinic.
Commonly treated pathologies in the adult population at Neurological Recovery Center (NRC) are: SCI, TBI, and stroke; less common pathologies treated include MS, among others.
For pediatric patients, Cerebral Palsy is a common diagno-sis, although recently we have had cases of children with other developmental delays and Rett syndrome.
Most patients have seen or heard about our use of technol-ogy through social media or local media coverage; because of this reason they come into the clinic expecting to use such technology in their therapy, especially the Lokomat.
We try to comply and include technology in their therapy as long as there are no contraindications as outlined by Ho-coma.
For our more acute patients who have blood pressure is-sues we begin on the Erigo. Once they can tolerate upright activity for more than 20 minutes we move on to more in-volved devices like the Lokomat.
Andago is one of our favorite devices. We use it for standing balance and core stability. It is a great tool for evaluation as well: sit to stand, hip extension, etc. After these tests, we walk with them if it is within their capabilities.
In the case of the Armeo devices, barring any contraindica-tions, we encourage our patients to start on the ArmeoSpring to assess their abilities on their own. From this first approach, we decide whether they should continue with the ArmeoSpring or the ArmeoPower.
sessions are the distance the patient has to travel—some patients drive for hours for the robotic therapy our clinic offers – and the financial situation of the families.
Some patients just come once or twice a month for “maintenance”.
Each session lasts anywhere from 1 to 2 hours. Usually the 2-hour sessions are for patients who drive a long way to come see us.
We incorporate at least one Hocoma device in each therapy session, depending on the patient’s therapy goals.
A typical patient evaluation takes 2 hours. In our experience, most patients come to our facility to talk about our technology and the possibility of using it. During the initial assessment, we valuate what type of technology they would be candidates for, and provide an overview of realistic expectations for treatment and outcomes.
Trying out the devices the patient may use during evaluation also allows us to gather information on fitting and set-up to ensure that the therapy time is used efficiently from day one.
Progression evaluations are done after 10 visits or 30 days, whichever comes first, after initial evaluation.
Additionally, every 8 weeks we evaluate the progress made on the goals that were defined for each patient. Based on this evaluation, new goals are set and sent to the treating physician for the approval of additional therapy sessions.
We want to be a place of hope for our patients and provide the highest level of care there is.
Robotic technology allows our therapists to do continuous intensive therapies without the associated physical strain. This also enables us to incorporate new factors into the therapy since the devices are providing the support to the patient during his/her therapy session.
Correct pattern for each movement.
Allowing our therapists to focus on the patient.
Data collection which helps us to determine what areas we and the patients need to work on.
The use of technology has truly been a game-changer in how we provide treatment to our patients every day.
Traditional therapy techniques as needed.
Basic therapy equipment such as therabands, working on mats, etc.
VR Studio with Oculus system. We are developing our virtual reality applications to work with technology we own, such as Lokomat and Armeo.
Hippotherapy Equine Center (coming soon).
Every person on our team is trained to use most of the equipment used in the clinic.
We also incorporate students in our team and we train them to use all of our devices. Students work with us under the supervision of a certified therapist.
Our clinical director has the most experience with the application of our therapeutic devices. She relays therapy parameters and plans therapy progression.
3 technicians for the afternoon shift.
We are also working on a Non-Profit VA Center for military veterans and service members.
There are patients who cover the cost of their therapy out of pocket, and we also work with different insurances including state, private, and military.
Robotic therapy does not have a separate billing code, but we try to incorporate it into our billing system to make it convenient for our patients.
We offer a 10-visit package which includes robotics at a flat rate that also covers conventional therapy. After the first 10 visits, there is an additional cost for including robotics in the therapy plan.
We charge by the hour and Bruce Conti, the owner, really wants to help the community so we offer discounts when needed, or facilitate as much as we can so that we can reduce the monetary roadblocks a patient may have to continue with his/her therapy.
The Neurological Recovery Center is a unique PT practice whose professionals are dedicated to serving a clientele seeking the highest level of personalized one-on-one care. We have some of the most advanced robotics systems for intensive gait therapy as well us upper extremity functional rehabilitation.
Through our customized clinical process, we seek to identify individual needs, evaluate functional deficits and deliver the highest standards of care to help patients achieve their goals.
This clinical experience report is meant to serve as an example of how the Erigo, Lokomat, Andago, and ArmeoSpring are integrated into an ambulatory rehabilitation setting in an outpatient clinic. It is not necessarily a standard recommendation from Hocoma.

industry_corpus2: Health & Medicine