Attorney-General’s Department stakeholder survey 2020

The department conducts an annual stakeholder survey to evaluate performance against measures that apply across our strategic priority areas. For the third consecutive year, we engaged EY Sweeney to independently conduct the stakeholder survey, using a list of stakeholders provided by the department.

Who we survey

The department provides policy advice and legal services to the Australian Government, and administers programs that support national standards for workplaces. For results to be comprehensive and reliable, the survey seeks feedback from representatives of organisations and individuals who have worked with us during the year. The 2020 survey was sent to 2,513 stakeholders.

In an effort to survey as broad a range of stakeholders as possible, business units were asked to provide contact details for stakeholders with whom they had engaged in the past year, and not to exclude stakeholders unless there was a legal or other reason they should not be contacted. This approach resulted in a larger number of stakeholders being identified to receive the survey than in previous years. In early June, the department sent an email to stakeholders informing them about the survey and providing the opportunity to remove or update their contact details. Stakeholders who did not want to receive the survey, or who were not contactable during the survey period, were removed before the department provided the stakeholder list to EY Sweeney.

How the survey was conducted

In previous years, the survey has been conducted in late April. In 2020, the survey was delayed by several weeks as staff and stakeholder agencies were involved in the government’s response to the COVID‑19 pandemic. The survey was available from 11 June 2020 and closed at midnight on 24 June 2020.

Stakeholders were invited to take part via email and each respondent used a unique link to access the online survey. This ensured that respondents completed the survey only once. Survey responses were anonymised. Respondents could receive a PDF version of the survey to help them to respond.

Measuring success over time

Our corporate plan includes 10 performance measures that rely on the annual stakeholder survey – five measure our effectiveness and five measure our efficiency.

The survey questions have remained largely the same since 2017, with minor adjustments this year to reflect the emphasis in our Corporate Plan 2019–23 and 2019–20 Portfolio Budget Statements on the high‑level performance measures of ‘effectiveness’ and ‘efficiency’. This, combined with the different approach to identifying stakeholders, means that results between years may not be directly comparable.

However, where questions have remained the same, and considering there were more responses to this year’s survey (which provides a greater confidence in results), a comparison of survey results gives us a useful way to assess our performance over time. This also acknowledges that machinery-of-government and other structural changes in the department over the past three years may limit the analysis available for some priority areas. For example, Workplaces was added to our priorities following machinery‑of‑government changes on 29 May 2019, and was included in our performance framework for the first time this financial year.

Survey results and analysis

We received 734 responses from across 349 organisations. This is a response rate of 29 per cent per cent, which is a two per cent increase on the 2019 response rate. The highest response rate came from Australian Government departments and agencies, which is consistent with our stakeholder profile and the nature of our activities.

The overall levels of satisfaction of those surveyed have remained high since the 2018 survey (88 per cent overall satisfaction) and 2019 survey (90 per cent overall satisfaction). This year, the main reason respondents nominated for being ‘very satisfied’ related to dealing with departmental staff.

The survey showed that ten per cent of respondents were overall ‘dissatisfied’ with the department, which is consistent with the 2019 results. Of those who provided feedback related to this response, the most common reason for dissatisfaction was due to delays in communicating. Most areas of dissatisfaction related to staff dropped in 2020, which is a good reflection on the department’s efforts to interact positively with stakeholders.

Measuring effectiveness

The survey included questions to measure our effectiveness in conducting the business of the department. In 2020, 717 respondents answered questions that contributed to our overall effectiveness ratings (excluding ‘don’t know’ and ‘not applicable’ responses). Of those respondents, 87.4 per cent were ‘satisfied’ or ‘very satisfied’ with the department’s overall effectiveness. Results for this year are consistent with 2018 and 2019, with improvements achieved against most statements.

The survey included specific questions to measure effectiveness in relevant strategic priority areas. Strategic Priority Workplaces is assessed through specific measures and is not reliant on the stakeholder survey.

Respondents could indicate their level of satisfaction from ‘very dissatisfied’ to ‘very satisfied’ with relevant aspects of our work. Each rating is determined by combining the results of related statements, excluding responses of ‘don’t know’ or ‘not applicable’.

We achieved particularly high levels of satisfaction among stakeholders who responded to the survey for Strategic Priority Legal. This measure encompasses work carried out across all groups in relation to a broad range of policy issues, legal advice to government and litigation in which the government has an interest.

Since the 2017 machinery‑of‑government changes, the department’s role in relation to security priorities across government has become more clearly defined. This means we can more effectively perform our functions in Strategic Priority Security and provide useful, timely and targeted advice to stakeholders. This is reflected in the large increase in satisfaction with our effectiveness in delivering legislation in this area among those who responded compared to the 2019 results (national security up 14 per cent, criminal justice up 17 per cent).

We exceeded our target in Strategic Priority Integrity. However, these respondents were six per cent less satisfied with our effectiveness compared to 2019.

Our ability to progress some projects and planned legislative reforms was impacted on by the need to support the government’s response to the 2019–20 summer bushfire emergency and to the COVID‑19 pandemic in the first half of 2020. Survey data suggests this contributed to respondents' lower satisfaction levels in some areas, particularly Strategic Priority Justice and Strategic Priority Rights compared to results in 2019.

Measuring efficiency

The Attorney-General’s Department primarily provides policy and legal advice to government. There are challenges to measuring efficiency – defined as the unit cost (such as in terms of dollars spent or human resources committed) of an output (for example, a service) generated by an activity¹ – of the provision of legal and policy advice. Challenges include:

• attributing the impact of policy outcomes in complex environments
• measuring potentially intangible outcomes (feelings of safety, trust or confidence)
• the non-linear nature of policy development.

In addition, sources of data to accurately measure the efficiency of policy and legal advice are scarce, especially over a financial year (the performance cycle timeframe). Accordingly, we use stakeholder satisfaction with the timeliness of our policy and legal advice and our responsiveness to resolving complex legal and policy issues as a proxy measure for efficiency.

Despite changes to the methodology this year and the resulting increase in stakeholders asked to participate in the survey, as the survey is conducted annually and the questions have remained largely the same, this provides trend information that allows us to assess our efficiency over time against consistent markers.

This year, 84.7 per cent of respondents were ‘satisfied’ or ‘very satisfied’ with the department’s overall efficiency in meeting its goals and supporting government, an improvement to results in 2018 and 2019.

Questions to measure efficiency in specific strategic priority areas related to the timeliness with which the department delivered its work. Respondents could indicate their level of satisfaction from ‘very dissatisfied’ to ‘very satisfied’ with relevant aspects of our work. Each rating is a combination of related statements, excluding responses of ‘don’t know’ or ‘not applicable’.

We achieved and exceeded our target of 80 per cent satisfaction for six out of 11 criteria. However, most satisfaction levels were lower than the 2019 results, except in Strategic Priority Security. As noted, our plans for certain projects and legislative reforms were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and the need to support the government’s emergency response in the first half of 2020. Survey data suggests that the delayed delivery of some items has influenced stakeholder satisfaction for this measure, particularly in the areas of Justice and Rights.

Survey results indicate that respondents are mostly ‘satisfied’ or ‘very satisfied’ with the timeliness of our legal and policy advice. This year, stakeholder satisfaction increased across all of our targets in the Strategic Security and we exceeded two out of three targets. We were slightly below our target for delivery of criminal justice legislation. However, satisfaction in this area was seven per cent higher than the 2019 results. This is likely due to greater clarity of our role in the whole‑of‑government approach to national security.

We exceeded our target in Strategic Priority Integrity, but respondents were overall less satisfied with our efficiency in this area compared to 2019. A key factor is likely to be the timing for establishing the Commonwealth Integrity Commission, which was delayed while the government managed the immediate priority of the COVID-19 pandemic response.

We did not meet our target in Strategic Priority Justice. Potential contributing factors include delays in the government’s response to the Australian Law Reform Commission Report and progress of the Native Title Legislation Amendment Bill, which did not proceed as planned due to COVID‑19 pandemic arrangements.

This year, respondents were seven per cent less satisfied with our efficiency in Strategic Priority Rights than they were in 2019. Although this overall result is slightly below our target, 83 per cent of respondents remained satisfied with the timeliness in our delivery of program work. The delay in introduction of the Religious Discrimination Bill, which would implement the government’s response to the Religious Freedom Review, is likely to reflect this rating. While the government held two consultation periods, further work on the bill has been delayed as a result of the focus on the COVID-19 pandemic response.

Australian Government Solicitor client survey 2020

AGS conducts a biennial client survey to assess client satisfaction with legal work provided. In the alternative years, AGS meets with clients for face‑to‑face conversations about its performance.

Who we survey

The AGS Client Satisfaction Survey is sent to heads of legal areas, instructing officers and client contacts.

How the survey was conducted

The AGS survey was last conducted in 2019. Due to the COVID‑19 pandemic, the ability to hold planned face-to-face meetings about client satisfaction at the relevant time in 2020 was curtailed. Thus, AGS conducted a client survey again in 2020.

The survey uses an electronic platform, Qualtrics. Respondents can choose to be anonymous or identified. The Qualtrics platform provides detailed data analysis in order to identify our strengths and opportunities for improvement.

The survey was conducted in June 2020 and 1,317 clients were invited to respond. Surveys were completed by 277 respondents, representing a 21 per cent response rate.

Measuring performance

AGS provides policy advice and legal services to government. Sources of data to accurately measure efficiency are limited. We use the client survey to measure overall satisfaction and satisfaction with a number of attributes relating to the timeliness of information and advice we provide, compliance with relevant guidelines, provision of services within budget and the effectiveness and quality of our policy advice and legal services.

Survey results and analysis

Results of the survey contribute to measuring the department’s performance in Strategic Priority Legal. AGS clients surveyed in 2020 expressed high levels of satisfaction.

AGS continues to exceed the targets of over 80 per cent for overall satisfaction, timeliness, our effectiveness in conducting our business and efficiency in meeting our goals. In 2020, AGS’s overall satisfaction rating was 84 per cent. These results were equal to the ratings for 2019.