Through our performance audits, we identify opportunities for public agencies to improve how they work. We do this by uncovering risks, weaknesses and poor performance, as well as by sharing examples of better practice. We then make recommendations to agencies to address areas for improvement.
| DEDJTR | Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources |
| DELWP | Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning |
| DET | Department of Education and Training |
| DHHS | Department of Health and Human Services |
| DJCS | Department of Justice and Community Safety |
| DJPR | Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions |
Independent assurance report to Parliament
Ordered to be published
VICTORIAN GOVERNMENT PRINTER June 2020
PP No 137, Session 2018–20
Dear Presiding Officers
In our first Assurance Review, we looked at how public entities monitored and responded to performance audit recommendations made by VAGO between 2015-16 and 2017-18.
Nothing has come to our attention to indicate that overall, agencies are not effectively implementing past performance audit recommendations.
Most agencies report having governance arrangements that allow their senior management and audit committees to monitor progress in implementing our audit recommendations.
Figure B1
Compliance with police checks
Report references:
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DHHS |
DPC |
DTF |
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Data source |
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We have consulted with DELWP, DET, DHHS, DJCS, DJPR, DoT, DPC, DTF and VPSC and we considered their views when reaching our audit conclusions. As required by the Audit Act 1994, we gave a draft copy of this report, or relevant extracts, to those agencies and asked for their submissions and comments.
Responsibility for the accuracy, fairness and balance of those comments rests solely with the agency head.
Responses were received as follows:
Contractors and consultants contribute significantly to the VPS. They provide a broad range of services, both onsite and remotely. Like VPS employees, they can hold positions of trust and, where necessary, should be subject to the same screening as employees.
The audited agencies do not have processes to make sure that contractors and consultants undergo risk-based screening prior to working in the VPS. This creates a significant risk that agencies are engaging unsuitable contractors and consultants.
Employment screening is a critical part of personnel security because it helps to ensure that candidates are suitable for VPS roles.
In this Part, we examine all audited agencies’ employment screening policies and procedures, and how DHHS, DPC and DTF implement them.
We also examine if audited agencies are managing COI risks during recruitment.
In 2018–19, the VPS employed 47 961 people. Personnel security—including employment screening—is a critical part of managing this workforce.
VPS employees hold positions of trust, with responsibility for administering Victoria’s finances and assets, and providing a wide range of services to the community, including vulnerable Victorians.
The public expects that VPS employees are competent and appropriately qualified, and that they act in the public interest.
The Victorian public service (VPS) relies on employees, contractors and consultants who are appropriately qualified, competent and act in the public interest.
To achieve this, VPS agencies and departments must have effective personnel security measures, including employment screening. If properly implemented, these measures help to control fraud and corruption risks during recruitment and maintain the integrity of the VPS.