ACCOMMODATION AND ENTITLEMENTS SERVICES

Improving the Entitlements Framework

Finance is committed to continuous improvement in its customer service. This was delivered in 2000–01 with better collation and analysis of our customer inquiries and by ensuring that the Department was more responsive in providing information to Senators, Members and their staff.

The Account Management Unit (AMU) within Finance is the key point of contact for Senators and Members who require advice relating to their Parliamentary entitlements and, when relevant, information on their use against entitlements. The AMU provides both telephone advice and face-to-face advice, through an office located at Parliament House that is staffed during sitting weeks. The AMU is focused on providing consistently good service and worked in conjunction with the M&PS Service Centre, which is responsible for the processing of entitlements, to deliver a number of service improvements. These improvements resulted from following a number of internal procedures and protocols, including a service level agreement between the AMU and the Service Centre which provides for detailed performance reporting, and the continuous development and revision of guidelines and protocols. These steps were supported by improved customer relationship management systems that enable the AMU to analyse information on customer inquiries and to be more responsive in providing relevant data and advice to the Special Minister of State and to other Senators, Members and their staff. Each capital city has a state M&PS office that provides support to Senators and Members and staff of electorate offices.

Finance provides advice to our Ministers on possible improvements to the entitlements framework, as established by legislation and Remuneration Tribunal Determinations. In carrying out this role, Finance has advanced a number of measures to strengthen entitlements certification and make the accountability system more robust.

In preparation for key national events, such as the Sydney 2000 Olympic and Paralympic Games and the Centenary of Federation Parliamentary sittings in Melbourne in 2001, Finance responded to our clients' needs. We developed and implemented special entitlements arrangements for these events, including special administrative arrangements within the entitlements framework as established by Remuneration Tribunal Determinations and other Determinations under the Members of Parliament (Staff) Act 1984 (MOPS Act).

Continuous Improvements in Accountability and Reporting

Finance continued to improve reporting and accountability procedures for Senators' and Members' entitlements in 2000–01.

The Department improved reporting procedures relating to telephone services charge cards (Telecards) and the system for reconciling Telecard payments with calls made. As part of their monthly management reports, Senators and Members now receive regular reports on their Telecard usage. Tighter Telecard issue and receipt procedures were introduced on 2 November 2000, as well as active monitoring of Telecard accounts.

Finance has continued to work on improving procedures for entitlements of Senators, Members and their staff. These improvements include consistent certification, requiring original signatures on all staffing-related forms, rather than facsimile copies, and the provision of odometer readings at service stations when private-plated vehicles are refuelled. M&PS also distributes end of financial year management reports, listing expenditure against certain entitlements to Senators and Members for certification.

The monthly reports prepared by M&PS for Senators and Members detail expenditure against key entitlements. During 2000–01, these reports were updated to include information on a broader range of entitlements such as:

• listing Telecard costs as a separate line item;
  
  
• information on expenditure against staff budgets;
  
  
• details on individual transactions on private-plated vehicle fuel transaction reports;
  
  
• information on COMCAR usage;
  
  
• listing overseas study costs.

Finance also upgraded the quality of information in these reports, met all distribution deadlines, and finalised plans to review these reports over the next year with the aim of improving them further.

Finance prepares a six-monthly report of Parliamentarians' travel costs, which lists expenditure against travel-related entitlements and is tabled in Parliament by the Special Minister of State. The Department has improved the accuracy and timeliness of these reports in the past 12 months, and will continue to build on this in 2001–02.

In November 2000, the ANAO commenced an audit of Parliamentarians' entitlements. In response to the ANAO's requests, Finance supplied a very large amount of information on use of entitlements. A dedicated response team was involved full-time from the commencement of the audit. At times, a significant number of staff were also diverted from normal duties to attend to the requests of the ANAO. Throughout this process, Finance maintained a focus on providing consistently good service to its clients.

The Department is committed to ongoing development in reporting and accountability, and will work with all stakeholders (including the Government, Senators, Members and the Remuneration Tribunal) to implement these improvements effectively.

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Members of Parliament Staff

In late 1999, a professional development programme for MOPS Act staff was launched. This programme provides training in relevant areas to assist the staff of Senators and Members to work more effectively within electorates. It is another way that Finance draws on its resources to provide training and development opportunities.

During 2000–01, 37 courses were presented around Australia, attended by over 300 participants. The programme for 2000–01 reflected the training priorities identified by Senators, Members and their staff in a survey conducted during the previous financial year. It included courses on constituent management, communication skills and writing skills.

Participants were asked to provide feedback on the programme. The results of this feedback rated components of the programme as good to excellent in most categories.

During 2000–01, Finance also reviewed the existing Electorate Officer Classifications. The Special Minister of State confirmed the Government's commitment to take into account the review's findings when developing the next Certified Agreement.

The Special Minister of State also initiated discussions with staff employed under the MOPS Act on their next Certified Agreement. This involved 22 discussion sessions, held in all State capitals and Canberra, and a number of teleconferences. Employees were encouraged to participate in developing the next Certified Agreement, and to respond to the Report on the Review of Electorate Officer Classifications.

Information Technology Support

The Parliamentary System Suite, implemented in October 1999, underpinned the processing of Senators' and Members' entitlements during 2000–01 with increased entitlements checking and reporting capabilities aligned with the business processes.

The 2001–02 Budget provided for funding to upgrade IT equipment in electorate offices from July 2001. The equipment is being upgraded to provide Senators, Members and their staff with more flexibility, mobility and enhanced communication when undertaking their electorate office work. This reflects the public's growing expectation that its elected representatives will interact with the community in a timely, effective and responsive way, and will use appropriate technologies to do so.