PURCHASING

The IGIS supports small business participation in the Commonwealth Government procurement market. Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) and Small Enterprise participation statistics are available on the Department of Finance’s website, www.finance.gov.au/procurement/statistics-on-commonwealth-purchasing-contracts/.

The office is committed to the continued development and support of Indigenous businesses, under the Commonwealth Indigenous Procurement Policy.

All procurement and purchasing activities conducted by the office were in accordance with the Commonwealth Procurement Rules.

CONSULTANTS

During 2018-19, twelve new consultancy contracts were entered into, involving total actual expenditure of $486,952.35 (GST inclusive). In addition, two ongoing consultancy contracts were active during the period, involving total actual expenditure of $9,526.00 (GST inclusive).

The office maintains internal policies and procedures which require selection and engagement of all consultants to be conducted in accordance with the Commonwealth Procurement Rules. The main purpose for which consultants were engaged in 2018-19 was to obtain specialist expertise not available within the office due to its small size.

Annual reports contain information about actual expenditure on contracts and consultancies. Information on the value of contracts and consultancies is available on the AusTender website, www.tenders.gov.au.

ANAO ACCESS CLAUSES

No contracts for greater than $100,000 were entered into during the reporting period that did not provide for the Auditor-General to have access to the contractor’s premises.

EXEMPT CONTRACTS

Eight contracts totalling $5,601,023.99 were entered into during the reporting period that have been exempt from publishing on AusTender.

DISABILITY REPORTING MECHANISM

Since 1994, Commonwealth departments and agencies have reported on their performance as a policy adviser, purchaser, employer, regulator and provider under the Commonwealth Disability Strategy. In 2007–08, reporting on the employer role was transferred to the Australian Public Service Commission’s State of the Service Report and the APS Statistical Bulletin. These reports are available at www.apsc.gov.au. From 2010-11, departments and agencies have no longer been required to report on these functions.

The Commonwealth Disability Strategy has been overtaken by the National Disability Strategy 2010-2020, which sets out a 10 year national policy framework to improve the lives of people with disability, promote participation and create a more inclusive society. A high level biennial report will track progress against each of the six outcome areas of the strategy and present a picture of how people with disability are faring. The first of these reports was published in 2015, and can be found at www.dss.gov.au.

INFORMATION PUBLICATION SCHEME

Entities subject to the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act) are required to publish information to the public as part of the Information Publication Scheme (IPS). This requirement is in Part II of the FOI Act and has replaced the former requirement to publish a section 8 statement in an annual report. Each agency must display on its website a plan showing what information it publishes in accordance with the IPS requirements.

This office is an exempt agency for the purposes of FOI Act and as such, the IPS does not apply to IGIS.

Indexed file lists were published on IGIS’s website in the reporting period in accordance with the Senate Continuing Order for Indexed File Lists (Harradine Order).