Agenda Item 2
Attachment C
OGP Interim Working Group – Meeting 6
28 March 2017
Commitment Implementation Progress Report – March 2017
Commitment / Portfolio / Delivery of milestonesProvide a brief over view of milestones that have been delivered or are currently being progressed. / Next steps
Provide a brief overview of the next milestones to be delivered. / Overall status
- Fully implemented
- On track
- Delayed or issues affecting delivery
- Risk of delivery failure
1.1 Improve whistle-blower protections in the tax and corporate sectors / Treasury /
- A parliamentary inquiry into whistleblower protections in the corporate, public and not-for-profit sectors was established in November 2016 (milestone 1).
- A consultation paper was released in December 2016. It covered both tax whistleblowing protections and options to strengthen and harmonise corporate whistleblower protections with those in the public sector. Consultation closed on 10 February 2017 (milestone 2).
- The parliamentary inquiry is holding public hearings. It is due to report by 30 June 2017.
- Treasury is considering the submissions to the public consultation to inform recommendations to Government on new tax whistleblowing protections and options to strengthen and harmonise corporate whistleblower protections with those in the public sector.
1.2 Beneficial ownership transparency / Treasury / A consultation paper was released in February seeking views on the details, scope and implementation of a beneficial ownership register for companies. The consultation paper also considered the use of nominee shareholdings to conceal beneficial ownership. Consultation closed on 13 March 2017 (milestone 1). / Treasury is considering the submissions to the public consultation to inform recommendations to Government on the details, scope and implementation of a beneficial ownership register for companies. / On track
1.3 Extractive industries transparency / Industry /
- Multi-Stakeholder Group (MSG) overseeing implementation was established on 23 November 2016.
- MSG is developing the detailed work plan that will underpin Australia’s EITI candidacy application.
1.4 Combating corporate crime / AGD / AML/CTF Act review (milestone 3)
- Phase 1 is progressing priority legislative and non-legislative reforms for completion in 2017.
- Public consultation via written submission on the content of the proposed legislative reforms concluded on 31 January 2017.
- A series of roundtable and industry specific meetings are now being held on the design of the reforms.
- Work is also well progressed on a cost-benefit analysis of models for ‘Tranche Two’ entities (lawyers, conveyancers, accountants, real estate agents, trust and company service providers and high-value dealers).
- The review will be consulting on a number of issues, including penalties for corporate fraud, prior to the release of an interim report.
- Consult publicly following discussions with business at Government Business Anti-Corruption Roundtable (the subject of commitment 4.2).
- Conclude roundtable and industry specific consultations.
- Priority legislative reforms introduced in second half of 2017.
- Publish cost-benefit analysis for Tranche Two entities by June 2017.
- An interim report will be prepared and released for public consultation, followed by a final report to Government in 2017.
2.1 Release high-value datasets and enable data-driven innovation / PM&C /
- Roundtable discussions with the research and private sector have been held.
- An online survey is available through The Source and regular blog posts are published to the data.gov.au website.
- The last Government Open Data Community Forum meeting was held on 22 March 2017.
- Government agencies continue to release non-sensitive data by default, including the release of Australian Business Register statistics and the 2016 - 17 Portfolio Additional Estimates Statements.
- DataStart teams presented at the private sector high-value roundtable.
- A roundtable with the non-profit sector will be held in April 2017.
- The High-Value Dataset Framework will be developed once the roundtable consultations are completed.
2.2 Build and maintain public trust to address concerns about data sharing and release / PM&C /
- PM&C has released a process for publishing sensitive unit record level public data as open data.
- PM&C is working with the OAIC to improve privacy protections within the APS.
- Australia is in the process of adopting the International Open Data Charter and is on track to meet this milestone.
- PM&C is developing a whole-of-government framework for building trust in the public data agenda. The framework will go beyond what is committed to in the National Action Plan and will be consulted on publicly.
2.3 Digitally transform the delivery of government services / DTA / The DTA publicly released an initial Digital Transformation Roadmap on 16 December 2016. It sets out the coordinated vision, major pieces of work and timelines for the government’s digital transformation agenda for the next 18 months. / Further milestones and sector roadmaps will be agreed after discussions with relevant agencies. / On track
The Digital Performance Dashboard has been developed by the DTA and is live. / The DTA is focused on engagement with government agencies at both state and federal levels to increase the number of dashboards published to drive transparency.
The DTA’s Digital Investment Management Office is undertaking a review all major ICT projects worth more than $10 million or those that have a major service delivery function. This will give government oversight of all major ICT projects, including the costs, progress, benefits, and potential risks. / The DTA will report on the outcomes of the review in mid-2017.
The DTA continues to work with agencies to implement its Digital Service Standard which sets out clear guidelines and world best practice for delivering a digital service. / The DTA will release a training program to assist agencies to implement the Standard.
3.1 Information management and access laws for the 21st century / AGD / AGD has consulted with 19 government stakeholders, including the OAIC, national institutions (AIATSIS, NAA, National Library and War Memorial) and APS agencies that are high recipients of FOI and Archives requests. As a result of this process, we have a better understanding of how current information frameworks affect government in practice. / AGD plans to commence consultation by the end of March 2016 with a broad range of nongovernment stakeholders to better understand how current information frameworks affect community sectors. These stakeholders will include those set out in the National Action Plan: non-government organisations (including Australian Open Government Partnership Network, Accountability Round Table and Australian Privacy Foundation), peak bodies (including Law Council of Australia, Australian Press Council, Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance), archivists, academics and researchers, journalists and state/territory information commissioners.
AGD also intends to consult with APS records management/ICT areas, the Australian Intelligence Community, law enforcement agencies and oversight and review bodies (IGIS, AAT, Courts).
After considering stakeholder insights and identifying key themes, AGD will develop, in consultation with stakeholders, a range of options for reform to information access laws, policies and practices, including consideration of oversight mechanisms (milestone 2). / Delayed – initial investment in implementation of a usercentred design approach (adapted from the DTA’s agile design methodology) has focused on ensuring effective consultation processes. This is enabling the project team to achieve significantly better outcomes than anticipated from consultation, although in a longer timeframe than the initial project milestones. Overall timeframes remain achievable.
3.2 Understand the use of freedom of information / NSW IPC / OAIC / In January 2017, Information Commissioners and Ombudsmen established a working group to develop metrics on information access rights, aligned with the Open Government Index. / Information Commissioners and Ombudsmen will meet on 30-31 March 2017 and consider the proposed metrics.
Once agreed, Information Commissioners and Ombudsmen will consult in April 2017 with the NAP Secretariat to confirm the arrangements for publishing the proposed metrics. (Milestone 1)
The agreed suite of metrics will be piloted with 2015/16 data between April and June 2017 (Milestone 2). / On track
3.3 Improve the discoverability and accessibility of government data and information / PM&C, Finance, Archives, Environment / 1: Research and Discovery
- This is ongoing. Workshops held in July 2016 and December 2016
- Feedback influenced #2
- Released 3 March 2017
- Collecting Feedback online
- Not yet commenced
- Some concepts released 3 March 2017
- Further workshops with data users to be held in April/May 2017
- Design Walkthroughs to be held along with sessions for #1
- Continuous deployment of Alpha
- Not yet commenced
- Further development of concepts
- Initial target use cases: Data Requests
GrantConnect went live in February 2017 with Phase 1 functionality (including the central discovery and notification of Commonwealth grant opportunities, and access to grant Guidelines). / For GrantConnect, Finance will continue to provide training and implementation planning to on-board entities in the coming months. / On track
Finance committed to launching a pilot of a digital corporate and administrative reporting platform by late 2017. The pilot tool development has commenced in line with this timeframe. / For digital corporate and administrative reporting, Finance will continue to liaise with relevant stakeholders. Further development work will continue to improve the functionality and data available in the pilot system. / On track
Environment has released the Australia State of the Environment (SoE) 2016report on a new digital platform, SoE Digital.The website contains a number of charts powered by data hosted on data.gov.au ( / On track
4.1 Confidence in the electoral system and political parties / Finance / The Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters has tabled two interim reports:
- Interim Report on the authorisation of voter communication (tabled 9 December 2016)
- Second interim report on the inquiry into the conduct of the 2016 federal election: Foreign Donations.
The Government has also established the Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority – the interim executive agency begins work on 3 April 2017, then as a statutory authority from 1 July 2017.
- Core functions will be to audit and report on parliamentarians’ work expenses. This new authority will provide clear and consistent guidance to parliamentarians and will monitor and administer claims for travel expenses and allowances.
The Government has also accepted all 36 recommendations of the Independent Review of Parliamentarians expenses co-chaired by John Conde and David Tune, and is working on implementation of those recommendations. / The Government is considering its response to both interim reports. / On track
4.2 National Integrity Framework / AGD /
- AGD is continuing consultations with affected agencies to develop a Government response to the Committee’s report (milestone 1).
- The first Government Business Anti-Corruption Roundtable will be held on 31 March 2017 (milestone 2). The Minister for Justice will host the Roundtable.
- Respond to recommendations for reform from Roundtable (milestone 3).
- Review jurisdiction/capabilities of ACLEI and FACC as part of Australia’s second OGP National Action Plan, commencing early 2018 (milestone 4).
4.3 Open contracting / Finance / Finance is currently completing a review of the Australian Government’s compliance with the Open Contracting Data Standard. The review is underway, with estimated completion in line with the timeframes detailed in the National Action Plan, in mid-2017. / Once received, Finance will release the report for public comment and work on potential recommendations/implementation items for consideration by Government. / On track
5.1 Delivery of Australia’s Open Government National Action Plan / PM&C / PM&C has drafted a paper on steps for establishing the multi-stakeholder forum. / IWG to discuss next steps for establishing the OGP multi-stakeholder forum. / Delayed – Propose delaying establishment of the forum until July 2017
5.2 Enhance public participation in government decision making / Industry / Commenced Milestone 1: Undertake and publicly release a stocktake of current approaches to public participation to determine best practice activities.
- Established project methodology and plan
- Commenced engagement with stakeholders and experts
- Commenced literature review of best practice and case studies
- Briefed finalists in the Business and Research Innovation Initiative
- Complete literature review
- Finalise initial stakeholder engagement
- Finalise communications plan
- Identify opportunities for co-design including potential for partnering or consulting
- Commence the process of recruitment of users for the ethnographic research
Other notable achievements
- Prime Ministers the Rt Hon Bill English and the Hon Malcolm Turnbull met on 17 February 2017 and agreed on to collaborate on public data initiatives to better align agendas, share lessons learnt on best practice and work together on data commitments as part of the Open Government Partnership.
- As outlined on page 63 of Australia’s Open Government National Action Plan, the Australian Government agreed to endorse the Joint Declaration on Open Government for the Implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which has been now been updated on the OGP website.
- On 18 February 2017, the Minister for Finance and the Government committed to increased transparency and accountability in executive remuneration for its government business enterprises (GBEs), by:
- Writing to all GBEs to remind them that in settling executive remuneration they must be conscious of community expectations in relation to remuneration practices;
- Asking allGBEs to provide greater transparency of their remuneration arrangements in future Annual Reports; and
- Asking all GBEs to make public all relevant information in relation to its executive remuneration arrangements for the 2015-16 reporting period.
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