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Departmental Overview
ISSN: 1441-2845
DOCITA 09/01
This work is copyright. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced by any process without prior written permission from the Commonwealth Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts. Requests and enquiries concerning reproduction and rights should be addressed to:
The Secretary
Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts
GPO Box 2154
Canberra ACT 2601
Australia
Telephone: 02 6271 1000
Facsimile: 02 6271 1800
Email: dcita.mail@dcita.gov.au
Website: www.dcita.gov.au/annualreport/
Produced by the Commonwealth Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts
Departmental Overview
VISION
The Department's vision is that Australia will continue to develop Australia's world-class communications, information technology and cultural sectors to build on underlying creativity and opportunities provided by new technologies to enrich the economic, social and cultural wellbeing of all Australians.
MISSION
To enhance the wellbeing of all Australians through the enrichment of our culture and the development of the communications and information technology sectors.
PRINCIPAL FUNCTIONS
To support its mission, the Department provides strategic advice and professional support to the Australian Government on a wide range of significant and rapidly changing policy areas including telecommunications; information technology; broadcasting; the arts and cultural development; intellectual property; Australia's heritage collections; and the Centenary of Federation. It also administers legislation, regulations, grants and incentives to industry and the wider community.
CORPORATE GOAL
The Department's corporate goal is to contribute to the development of communications, information technology and cultural sectors in Australia that:
- are vigorous and sustainable in a global environment;
- encourage innovation, creativity and excellence;
- allow Australians to participate effectively in the life of the community by facilitating access to communications services and diverse cultural experiences;
- respond to the needs and interests of consumers of communications and cultural services and products; and
- take full advantage of synergies between them.
In pursuing this corporate goal, the Department recognises that staff are a critical resource and:
- fosters a working environment that encourages and supports staff to reach their potential;
- actively practises the principles of equal employment opportunity and access and equity;
- adopts the highest standards of ethics, probity and accountability; and
- encourages initiative, innovation and creativity.
INTRODUCTION
The report of the Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts (DOCITA) for the 2000-2001 financial year has been prepared in accordance with the Requirements for Annual Reports approved by the Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit. It focuses on core information enabling Ministers, the Parliament and the public to make informed assessments of the Department's administration and performance.
More information about the Department's activities is available through other publications on the Department's website (www.dcita.gov.au) or by contacting the Department's Corporate Communications group-the contact officer is Jane Fleming, phone (02) 6271 1252.
Guidance on the information available from the Department is contained in Appendix 1 (Freedom of Information s.8 Statement).
STRUCTURE OF THE REPORT
This report is in six sections:
Section 1 contains the Departmental overview;
Section 2 contains a review by the Departmental Secretary;
Section 3 reports on Departmental performance;
Section 4 reports on management and accountability;
Section 5 contains the financial statements; and
Section 6 contains other mandatory reporting information as appendixes.
PORTFOLIO OVERVIEW
Role
The Portfolio has responsibility for advising on development of Government policies designed to encourage the development of communications, information technology and the arts in Australia, for implementing those policies, and for achieving outcomes that meet the Government's objectives for these sectors.
This role is performed by the Department and Portfolio Agencies and spans a range of activities, including:
providing policy advice;
implementing programs to intermediate operators and end users-including administering financial assistance programs;
developing and administering regulations;
providing infrastructure; and
providing services.
OUTCOMES AND OUTPUTS
The Department worked to achieve four outcomes in 2000-2001, through 10 outputs:
Outcome 1 - A rich and stimulating cultural environment.
Output 1.1 - Cultural support and awareness.
Output 1.2 - Increase awareness, knowledge and understanding of the Centenary of Federation and encourage participation in events celebrating the Centenary.
Output 1.3 - Understanding and knowledge of Australian history, culture and portraiture through access to Old Parliament House and the National Portrait Gallery.
Output 1.4 - New facilities for the National Museum of Australia and the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies.
Outcome 2 - A competitive and sustainable advantage in the global information economy.
Output 2.1 - Strategic advice, programs and policy to achieve competitive and diverse communications and information technology industries and services.
Output 2.2 - Strategic advice, programs and policy to put Government services online.
Output 2.3 - Strategic advice, programs and policy to advance Australia's participation in the global information economy.
Outcome 3 - Australians value science and technology's contribution to our cultural and economic prosperity.
Output 3.1 - Programs and exhibitions that engage people in science and technology.
Outcome 4 - Increased use, enjoyment and safety of Australia's audiovisual heritage.
Output 4.1 - A high quality, safe and accessible national audiovisual collection.
Output 4.2 - The national audiovisual collection is widely accessed by the public.
Changes to outcomes and outputs
| 1999-2000 | 2000-2001 |
| Outcome 1 | |
| Output 1.1 | Output 1.1 |
|
Output 1.2 |
Output 1.2 |
| Output 1.3 | Output 1.3 |
| Output 1.4 | Output 1.4 |
| Output 1.5 | Output 3.1 |
| Output 1.6 | Output 4.1 |
| Output 1.7 | Output 4.2 |
| Output 1.8 | The National Archives of Australia has recently been granted prescribed agency status and now reports separately from the Department-see the National Archives of Australia Annual Report. |
| Output 1.9 | The National Archives of Australia has recently been granted prescribed agency status and now reports separately from the Department-see the National Archives of Australia Annual Report. |
| Outcome 2 | |
|
Output 2.1 |
Output 2.1 |
| Output 2.2 | Output 2.1 |
| Output 2.3 | Output 2.1 |
| Output 2.4 | Output 2.1 |
| Outcome 3 | |
|
Output 3.1 |
Output 2.2 |
| Output 3.2 | Related to Y2K-completed. |
| Outcome 4 | |
| Output 4.1 | Output 2.3 |
There were no changes to the outcomes and outputs structure during 2000-2001.
SECRETARY'S REVIEW
Significant issues and developments and overview of Departmental performance
The Department's outputs in the year 2000-2001 continue to demonstrate high levels of performance when measured against the targets set in the Portfolio Budget Statements.
Strategic policy advice
The Department provided policy advice to Government to assist in developing a range of significant Government initiatives. They were:
-
the price controls review of Telstra, together with preparation of a new price control determination to implement the Government's decision to extend Telstra price controls for a further 12 months;
-
amendment of the Universal Service Obligation (USO) arrangements in the Telecommunications (Consumer Protection and Service Standards) Act 1999;
-
implementation of the social bonus program ($150 million) with Telstra to provide untimed local calls, untimed local Internet access and advanced telecommunication services to the extended zones of Australia;
-
secretariat support to the Telecommunications Service Inquiry;
-
a new Industry Development (ID) framework to apply to future Commonwealth Information Technology (IT) outsourcing tenders;
-
introduction of digital television services, including management of possible interference;
-
a review of audio and video streaming;
-
consideration of the Intellectual Property Competition Review under the Competition Principles Agreement;
-
transfer of funding responsibility for Opera Australia and six symphony orchestras to the Australia Council; and
-
enhancements to philanthropy provisions to encourage private sector support for cultural organisations.
Development of regulatory frameworks
The Department assisted the development of legislation and legislative amendments in relation to:
- Telecommunications Act 1997;
- Trade Practices Act 1974;
- Telecommunications (Consumer Protection and Service Standards) Act 1999;
- Interactive Gambling (Moratorium) Act 2000;
- Interactive Gambling Act 2001;
- Broadcasting Services Act 1992;
- Radiocommunications Act 1992;
- Copyright Amendment (Moral Rights) Act 2000;
- Copyright Amendment (Digital Agenda) Act 2000; and
- Copyright Amendment (Parallel Importation) Bill 2001.
Regulations, determinations and directions were issued by the Minister in relation to:
- extension of Telstra price controls;
- Internet services not to be regulated as broadcasting services;
- minimum audio standards for the transmission of standard definition television programs;
- cancellation of the datacasting auction;
- renewal of high-powered open narrowcasting licences;
- 'use it or lose it' condition on low-powered open narrowcasting licences; and
- implementation of the Regional Equalisation Plan to assist the digital transition for regional broadcasters.
Program administration
The Department has assisted the Government to meet its policy objectives through efficient program administration. Major programs administered by the Department include:
- Networking the Nation (including the General Fund, Internet Points of Presence; Remote and Isolated Islands program; Building Additional Rural Networks and extending mobile phone coverage);
- the Advanced Networks Program;
- the Building on IT Strengths (BITS) Incubator Program;
- the Intelligent Island program;
- the Regional Equalisation Plan;
- the Television Fund;
- the Educational Lending Right Scheme;
- the Public Lending Right Scheme;
- the Federation Cultural and Heritage Projects program;
- the Federation Fund Major Projects;
- the Federation Community Projects;
- the Cultural Development Program; and
- the Regional Volunteer Skills project.
National Museum of Australia
The Prime Minister opened the National Museum of Australia on 11 March 2001. The Department was a member of the Alliance team (along with the architects, builders, exhibition designers and Australian Capital Territory Government) which was responsible for constructing both the National Museum of Australia and Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies buildings on Acton Peninsula. The project was completed on time, on budget and to a high standard.
Portfolio involvement in the Olympic and Paralympic Games
The Department coordinated the portfolio's participation in the Sydney 2000 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Four portfolio agencies-Telstra, the Australian Broadcasting Authority (ABA), the Australian Communications Authority (ACA) and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC)-fulfilled formal Olympic responsibilities. The responsibilities included:
- Telstra was contracted by the Sydney Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (SOCOG) to provide 'a complete end-to-end network solution'-telecommunications infrastructure for fixed and mobile telephony, data broadcast and print media (including carriage of high definition television);
- the ABA and ACA were members of the Sydney Olympic Communications Coordination Authority, tasked with resolving issues relating to equipment standards, electromagnetic interference and radio frequency spectrum issues (including frequency allocations); and
- the ABC was the official television broadcaster for the Paralympics and public radio broadcaster for the Olympics.
Several other portfolio agencies were involved in promotional events during the Games. For example:
- the Australia Council launched Ausarts 2000, an Australian arts information and referral service;
- Australia Post printed stamps celebrating all Australian gold medallists within 24 hours of each medal presentation. The artwork was subsequently exhibited at the National Portrait Gallery;
- the Australian Film Commission coordinated a program of events profiling Australia's film and television industry; and
- the National Museum of Australia held a media call at the Sydney Media Centre, promoting the new museum and its opening exhibition Gold and Civilisation.
Pricing review
The Department, including ScreenSound Australia and Questacon, participated in a joint Department of Finance and Administration (DOFA)/DOCITA pricing review during 2000-2001. The aim of the review was to evaluate the price of the Department's outputs including consideration of quality, quantity and timeliness.
A steering committee, comprising both DOFA and DOCITA staff, was responsible for the conduct of the review using a jointly agreed approach and methodology. The National Office for the Information Economy (NOIE) was not included due to its recent restructure and establishment as an Executive Agency, and will be considered at a later date.
The review concluded the price of DOCITA's outputs was correct. The review supported the transfer of $500 000 per annum from DOCITA to Questacon to ensure the Government's objectives in promoting science among school children through Questacon are fully achieved.
Security
Following promulgation of the new Commonwealth Protective Security Manual, the Department initiated a Security Review aimed at ensuring effective arrangements were in place to safeguard the Department's information and assets and to provide assurance of the Department's compliance with any new security requirements. This will be completed in 2001-2002.
Knowledge and records management
The Department continues to improve its systems for accountability, particularly for electronic record-keeping, in response to the Government Online Strategy.
Progress with Online Strategy
The Department tendered for the development of its new website, awarding the contract to a consortium lead by Fujitsu Australia. Their bid, which involved partners Vignette and Microsoft, enables the Department to develop a website that moves the Internet into new areas for online interaction with consumers and government. The new website will also serve as a platform of additional services to be delivered by the Department in meeting its obligation to bring all appropriate services online by 2001.
Significant changes to major functions
Dr Ian Watt succeeded Mr Neville Stevens as Secretary of the Department in April 2001.
On 18 October 2000, NOIE was established as an Executive Agency under the Public Service Act 1999. Staff and functions, previously the responsibility of the Department, were transferred to NOIE. These functions included those of information technology industry policy, the Office for Government Online and the original NOIE. Mr John Rimmer was appointed Chief Executive Officer of NOIE and the new agency was relocated to separate offices.
DOCITA and NOIE continue to work closely together on issues of mutual interest and shared responsibility. The majority of corporate services are provided to NOIE by DOCITA on a cost recovery basis, with provision of those services being governed by a service level agreement. Likewise, the Communications Research Unit within DOCITA undertakes projects on NOIE's behalf. NOIE undertakes international policy development and representational functions on behalf of the Department.
Reporting in relation to NOIE outputs, including those administered by the Department until October 2001, are contained within the NOIE Annual Report.
The Department's Financial Statements for 2000-2001 are prepared on a consolidated basis and incorporate financial data relating to NOIE for the period. NOIE became a Prescribed Authority
effective 1 July 2001. Consequently, commencing 2001-2002 NOIE will prepare and publish its own agency Financial Statements.
The National Archives of Australia was established as an Executive Agency on 28 February 2001.