Appendix B: Governance
Accountable authority
Table 12: Details of accountable authority during current report period (2020-21)
Name | Position title/position held | Date of commencement | Date of cessation |
Mr Tom Rogers | Electoral Commissioner Australian Electoral Commission | 15/12/2014 | N/A |
Audit committee details
Table 13: Audit committee
Member Name | Qualifications, knowledge, skills or experience (include formal and informal as relevant) | Number of meetings attended / total number of meetings | Total annual remuneration (GST inc.) | Additional Information |
Jenny Morison | Jennifer Morison FCA, BEc (Sydney University) has 39 years of broad professional experience across commerce and government. She was a national board member of the Chartered Accountants of Australia and New Zealand for four years, chief financial officer of a public company, and held senior positions in major international accounting firms. She founded Morison Consulting in 1996, specialising in government financial reforms, governance and consulting. She was awarded a Centenary Medal in 2000 for services to women and accounting. Mrs Morison has been an independent member and chair of Commonwealth audit and risk committees, and financial statement sub-committees for large and small government entities for the past 18 years. | 5/5 | $30,800 | Independent member and Chair |
Jeff Pope | Jeff Pope is the Deputy Electoral Commissioner at the Australian Electoral Commission, a position he has held since December 2016. He has a Bachelor of Arts, a Bachelor of Laws and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. He has also completed a residential executive management course at Insead International Business School in Singapore. Mr Pope was previously an Assistant Commissioner with Victoria Police, where he was a member of a range of senior executive governance committees and project boards. He was awarded an Australian Police Medal in 2013 for his contribution to law enforcement for 23 years. | 5/5 | $0* | Deputy Chair |
Mark Ridley | Mark Ridley is a Fellow of the Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (FCA) and a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. He has bachelor’s degrees in commerce and accounting. He has served as an independent member and chair of audit and risk committees for several large and medium-sized Commonwealth agencies since 2011, and helps entities oversee ICT projects. Mr Ridley was formerly a senior partner of PwC Australia and has held leadership roles in risk advisory, internal audit and ICT project assurance. This includes for large companies in manufacturing and financial services, as well as state and federal governments. | 5/5 | $19,800 | Independent member |
Donna Moody | Donna Moody Bachelor of Business (Accountancy) is a recently retired senior Commonwealth public servant and was a CPA for more than 25 years. She has a background in finance, governance and change management. Ms Moody was Chief Financial Officer of the Australian Taxation Office and held program and grant management positions in the Department of Social Services (DSS) and the Department of Health. She was also the Chief Information Officer of DSS. She has been involved in, or responsible for, major organisational changes. | 4/5 | $19,800 | Independent member. Joined the committee in September 2020 |
*Not applicable as not separately remunerated as an audit committee member
Business planning documents
Table 14: Business planning documents
Document | Purpose | Reviewed |
---|---|---|
AEC Corporate Plan 2021-22 | The AEC’s central planning document. Sets the strategic direction for the next four years through the agency’s key activities. Includes analysis of our operating context (addressing environment, capabilities, risk oversight and management and cooperation) and planned performance of the agency. | Annually |
Assurance Plan | Outlines assurance framework and the operational application in the AEC context | Annually |
Business Continuity Plans | Improves resilience to enable continuation of identified time critical business processes during and following a significant disruption to business operations | Annually and as required |
Business Planning and Performance Reporting Framework | Supports staff to deliver outcomes in the AEC corporate plan, manage resources and finances and supports requirements of the PGPA Act. | Annually |
Business Plans (branch/state and territory) | Aligns branch and state and territory activities with business planning and reporting. | Annually |
Disability Inclusion Strategy | Identifies relevant target outcomes from the National Disability Strategy 2010-2020 | Annually |
Election Readiness Framework | Sets out and monitors the program of activity required to maintain election readiness | Every election cycle |
Fraud Control Plan | Prevents, detects and responds to fraud in accordance with Commonwealth law, fraud control policies and memorandums of understanding | Every two years (or if significant organisational change occurs) |
Information Technology Strategic Plan 2018–2022 | Sets the AEC’s desired information technology vision to 2022 and is supported by the IT Architecture Plan | Every four years |
Internal Audit Plan | Sets the internal audit program for the financial year | Annually |
Property Plan | Direction on long-term management of leased property | Annually |
Reconciliation Action Plan | Sets activities to recognise and respect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in internal and external arrangements and activities | Annually |
Security Plan | Strategies to protect staff, visitors, information, equipment and premises against harm, loss, interference and compromise | Twice a year |
Workforce Plans (division, branch/state and territory) | Details the continuous process of identifying and mitigating potential workforce risks and planning future workforce strategies | Twice a year |
AEC management committees
Table 15: AEC management committees
Committee | Function | Members* | Meeting frequency |
---|---|---|---|
Executive Leadership Team | Senior management team helping to deliver strategic leadership and operational management |
| Weekly |
Organisational Health, Performance and Risk Committee | Monitors performance, risk management, compliance and controls. Provides advice and recommendations to the Executive Leadership Team |
| Bimonthly |
Investment, Change and People Strategy Committee | To drive and govern the agency’s performance against the Corporate Plan 2020–21 key activity four, ‘Maintain a capable and agile organisation and continue to professionalise our workforce’. |
Observer
Adviser
| Every four weeks |
Audit Committee | Provides independent advice to the Electoral Commissioner on the appropriateness of the AEC’s financial reporting, performance reporting, risk oversight and management, and systems of internal control |
| Five times a year |
Electoral Integrity Committee | Responsible for AEC cyber, physical and personnel security, implementation and effectiveness. This committee also oversees fraud control and related risks, privacy, and maturing of our information and knowledge management. |
| Every second month, with more meetings as required (i.e. in run-up to and during an electoral event) |
National Operations and Readiness Committee (NOR) and National Election Delivery Committee (NEDC) | Supports the National Election Manager (NEM) to oversee and monitor preparations for—and successful conduct of—federal electoral events (including by-elections, plebiscites and referendums). NEM reports regularly on behalf of the NOR to the Executive Leadership Team and the Electoral Commissioner. The committee becomes the NEDC during an election event. |
| Monthly, weekly or daily as required (i.e. in run-up to and during an electoral event) |
Education and Engagement Committee | Provides oversight to ensure sustained improvement in voter awareness, education, engagement and experience. |
| Every six weeks |
Work health and safety committees | A consultative forum to address health and safety at a national and strategic level, with reference to the requirements of the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 and the Work Health and Safety Regulations 2011 |
| Quarterly and out-of-session as required |
*Key: Electoral Commissioner (EC); Deputy Electoral Commissioner (DEC); First Assistant Commissioner (FAC); Assistant Commissioner (AC); Chief Finance Officer (CFO)
Visit
https://www.transparency.gov.au/annual-reports/australian-electoral-commission/reporting-year/2020-21-17