The Finance Branch is responsible for all ACCC financial matters and asset management. Our Corporate Operations and Property Management teams maintain our offices and plan and coordinate moves and office fit-outs.

Asset management

The ACCC’s asset management framework incorporates asset policies and procedures that enable the efficient acquisition and effective management of assets.

Assets managed by the ACCC include:

• buildings, including fit-outs and leasehold improvements
• infrastructure, plant and equipment, including office equipment, furniture and fittings and computer equipment
• intangibles, including computer software.

In 2019–20 we undertook an independent fair value assessment of our buildings, infrastructure, plant and equipment to confirm the validity and value of our asset portfolio.

Purchasing

The ACCC uses Australian Government resources and spends public money in accordance with the requirements of the PGPA Act and the Commonwealth Procurement Rules.

Responsibility for procurement lies with the financial delegates in each business unit, who have support from a central procurement team. The team advises on risk management, probity, specification development and contract management. Low-risk procurements (valued at less than $80 000) are managed by business units. Procurements of $80 000 or more and whole-of-government and panel arrangements are managed by both the business unit and the central procurement team, ensuring that we comply with the Commonwealth Procurement Rules.

Information on all ACCC contracts awarded with a value of $10 000 (inclusive of GST) or more is available on the AusTender website.

The ACCC had no exempt contracts for the financial year.

There were no contracts of $100 000 or more (inclusive of GST) during 2019–20 that did not provide for the Auditor-General to have access to the contractor’s premises.

The ACCC supports small business participation in the Commonwealth Government procurement market through:

• the Small Business Engagement Principles (outlined in the government’s Industry Innovation and Competitiveness Agenda), such as communicating in clear, simple language and presenting information in an accessible format
• the use of the Commonwealth Contracting Suite for low-risk procurements valued under $200 000
• electronic systems or other processes used to facilitate on-time payment performance, including the use of payment cards.

Small and medium enterprise (SME) and small enterprise participation statistics are available on the Department of Finance website.

Information on procurements expected to be undertaken in the coming year is included in the ACCC’s annual procurement plan. This plan is updated as and when circumstances change.

Consultancy contracts

During 2019–20, 93 new consultancy contracts were entered into involving total actual expenditure of $8.5 million. In addition, 31 ongoing consultancy contracts were active during the period, involving total actual expenditure of $3.5 million.

The ACCC and AER engage consultants where we lack specialist expertise or when independent research, review or assessment is required. Consultants typically investigate or diagnose a defined issue or problem; carry out reviews or evaluations; or provide independent advice, information or creative solutions to assist ACCC or AER decision-making.

Before engaging consultants we take into account the skills and resources that are required for the task, the skills that are available internally and the cost-effectiveness of engaging external expertise.

The decision to engage a consultant is made in accordance with the PGPA Act and related regulations, including the Commonwealth Procurement Rules.

Annual reports contain information about actual expenditure on contracts for consultancies. Information on the value of contracts and consultancies is available on the AusTender website.