As The Environment Environment

ANAO Report No.10 2014–15 Administration of the Biodiversity Fund Program 40 Performance measurement and reporting

2.17 The

Government’s Outcomes and Programs Framework, which was in place at the time of the establishment of the Biodiversity Fund program and during the audit fieldwork 45 , requires agencies to report on the extent to which the programs they administer contribute to established outcomes. A central feature of this approach is the development of clearly specified outcomes, program objectives, deliverables and appropriate key performance indicators KPIs. Performance monitoring

2.18 Performance

information relating to the Biodiversity Fund program was first included in Environment’s Portfolio Additional Estimates Statement 2011–12 under the department’s Outcome 1, and has been included in the subsequent Portfolio Budget Statements PBS. 46 Environment has reported against the Biodiversity Fund program KPIs in its annual reports from 2011–12 to 2013–14.

2.19 In

the 2012–13 PBS, Environment acknowledged that the KPIs measured business processes such as conducting funding rounds, and stated that ongoing outcome KPIs were being developed. 47 While deliverables and KPIs outlined in the PBS for the subsequent years continued to focus on implementation activities, indicators that would assist stakeholders to determine progress towards achievement of environmental outcomes were also included. For example, the following KPI was included in the 2013–14 PBS: Establishing, restoring andor protecting biodiverse carbon stores by:  supporting revegetation; 45 The Financial Management and Accountability Act 1997 and the Commonwealth Authorities and Companies Act 1997 were repealed on 30 June 2014 and replaced by the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013 PGPA Act from 1 July 2014. The PGPA Act includes a new whole-of-government Performance Framework which comes into effect on 1 July 2015. Performance reporting for the 2014–15 financial year is to follow the existing Outcomes and Programs Framework. Available from: http:www.finance.gov.aufinancial-frameworkfinancial-management- policy-guidanceperformance-information-and-indicators.html [accessed 24 November 2014]. 46 Outcome 1 has remained substantially the same over the following years to 2014–15. In 2011–12 Outcome 1 was ‘The conservation and protection of Australia’s terrestrial and marine biodiversity and ecosystems through supporting research, developing information, supporting natural resource management, and establishing and managing Commonwealth protected areas’. 47 Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities, Portfolio Budget Statements 2012–13, Program 1.3, Key Performance Indicators—Biodiversity Fund program, p. 45.  ANAO Report No.10 2014–15 Administration of the Biodiversity Fund Program 41  managing and protecting existing biodiverse carbon stores in high conservation value areas; and  supporting actions that prevent the spread of invasive species across connected landscapes. 48

2.20 The

department’s 2013–14 Annual Report subsequently reported against this KPI, stating that under the Biodiversity Fund program 22 major projects were supported to achieve these objectives. 49

2.21 The

most recent PBS 2014–15 also included an additional Biodiversity Fund program KPI: An increase in condition and extent of native vegetation in project areas, from baseline reported in July 2014 to July 2015. 50

2.22 In