|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Operating Result The result for departmental outputs was a net operating deficit of $44 941. This result represents a gross operating surplus of $24 811 offset by the transfer of expenditure of $69 752 on administered assets. The budgeted deficit for the year was $1 851 000, representing the transfer of estimated expenditure on administered assets from departmental expenses to administered expenses. The variation between the operating result and the Budget was due primarily to a lower level of expenditure on capital works than was estimated. The Office's 2003-04 audited financial statements are provided later in this report. The Office received an unqualified audit report for 2003-04.
Report against the 2003-04 Portfolio Budget Statements The Office received total appropriations of $10.284 million in the 2003-04 Budget, for departmental outputs ($8.007 million), administered expenses ($1.469 million) and capital works activities ($0.808 million). The Office also received $0.753 million in revised estimates funding to meet the additional costs associated with the special honours list to mark the bravery and outstanding achievements of Australians and others arising from the Bali tragedy ($0.218 million); to provide for an enhanced policy and operational environment in support of the Governor-General ($0.313 million); to implement the Government's Budget Estimate and Framework Review changes ($0.029 million); and to provide for the increased cost of the Office's Comcover premium ($0.193 million). In addition, the Office estimated that it would collect other departmental revenues of $0.046 million. The total resourcing for Outcome 1, including departmental expense appropriations, revenue from other sources and administered expense appropriations, is set out in Table 1. The variations between the Budget appropriations and the operating results for the year are explained on the following page.
|
|
Budget Variations Actual departmental expenses for the outcome were $8.875 million, $69 000 higher than the amount budgeted, as a result of higher than estimated value of assets sold. Actual administered expenses varied from the Budget appropriation by $42 000 as a result of slightly higher than estimated expenditure on medal purchases, due to the issuing of a greater number of medals than expected, and a slightly lower charge for depreciation due to the lower transfer of completed building works from departmental expenses.
Capital Budget The Office received an equity injection of $808 000 in the 2003-04 Budget, of which $716 000 was allocated for capital works associated with the official properties and $92 000 was for previous year's expenses. The Office spent $249 964 on building works projects in 2003-04. The balance of the equity injection has been retained in departmental cash reserves for future capital works projects, in keeping with the accounting arrangement agreed to by the Department of Finance and Administration. Expenditure on capital works is capitalised in accordance with accounting standards.
Significant Changes in 2004–05 The Office has been provided with $253 000 in additional departmental ongoing appropriation to allow for the upgrading and maintenance of the Office's technology infrastructure. This will assist the Honours and Awards System to meet the significant increase in the number of nominations being received. The Office will be contributing up to $600 000 in capital expenditure for this project from its cash reserves. Additional departmental appropriation has also been received to provide for an enhanced policy and operational environment in support of the Governor-General ($277 000) and to implement the Government's Budget Estimate and Framework Review changes ($9000). Additional funding of $193 000 has again been provided to help offset the cost of the Office's Comcover premium. These measures, taken as a whole, have provided necessary additional funding to support improvements in the Office's operating environment both in direct support of the Governor-General and his programme of events and activities and in dealing with the increased workloads being experienced by the Honours Secretariat.
Output 1.1
Resources applied to this Output are directed to
The following tables summarise the performance indicators for Output 1.1 identified in the 2003-04 Portfolio Budget Statements, and compare the budget identified in those statements to the output's actual cost during the year.
Report on Performance in 2003-04 Official activities and correspondence For the first six weeks of 2003-04, until 11 August 2003, the Office supported His Excellency The Honourable Sir Guy Green AC KBE CVO, Governor of Tasmania, in his role as Administrator of the Commonwealth of Australia until the swearing in of His Excellency Major General Michael Jeffery AC CVO MC (Retd) as Australia's twenty-fourth Governor-General. The Office worked with Major General Jeffery, both before and after his swearing in, to establish his programme of activities and to assist with the transition to his new role. The household also worked with Their Excellencies to ensure that their needs were properly met as they took up residence at Government House in Canberra. The year under review has been very busy for the staff of the Office in supporting the active programme of Their Excellencies in all elements of their role - constitutional, ceremonial and community. The highlights and statistical detail of this activity are addressed in the 'Key Results' section below. The Office received positive feedback from Sir Guy Green during his six-month term as Administrator. Major General Jeffery and Mrs Jeffery have provided positive feedback directly to staff and also at quarterly performance meetings with the Office's management committee. Positive feedback has also been received from guests at official functions, members of the public, and representatives of governments, government bodies and community organisations coordinating or supporting official events. Property management To maintain the integrity and standard of the official residences, the Official Establishments Trust is consulted on all major maintenance, refurbishment and landscaping issues. Heritage architects are engaged as required to draw up plans, assist with tender processes and oversee any capital works projects to completion. Before major maintenance, refurbishment or landscaping works are undertaken at Government House, the National Capital Authority is consulted. In 2003-04 the Office was represented at four Official Establishments Trust meetings held to consider aspects of the official properties' development and maintenance. The official residences and properties were maintained to a high standard and in accordance with the requirements of all stakeholders. This involved ongoing consultation with the relevant approving agencies and bodies. The Official Establishments Trust was satisfied with the outcomes of the activities undertaken at the properties.
Key Results Official activities overview The official activities supported by Output 1.1 include functions - such as lunches, dinners and receptions - hosted by the Governor-General at Government House or Admiralty House. During 2003-04, in addition to those official activities, 251 events were attended by the Governor-General or the Administrator, following either official invitations or visits initiated by Government House.
Ceremonies, Functions and Receptions During the reporting period the Governor-General hosted a wide range of functions, including ceremonies for the presentation of credentials by foreign diplomats and ceremonies to present awards conferred within the Australian honours system.The credential ceremonies are usually held in groups of three or four towards the end of each month. In 2003-04 credential ceremonies were held over eight days and involved the presentation of 25 credentials by foreign diplomats taking up representational positions in Australia. The ceremonies are generally followed by a lunch held in honour of the newly accredited diplomats, to which key business and community representatives of the countries concerned are invited. Seven investiture ceremonies were held during the year, with morning and afternoon sessions held in September 2003 and April 2004. These were conducted for general investitures involving the presentation of 169 awards to people for outstanding achievement and significant contributions to the community. The awards included the Order of Australia, and decorations for bravery and involvement in military action in both operational and peacetime activities. In addition to the general investiture programme, the Governor-General held a special investiture ceremony in December 2003 to acknowledge the sacrifice and contribution made by those who assisted in the aftermath of the Bali tragedy; 57 meritorious awards were presented, including Defence conspicuous service awards and public service medals. Two private investiture ceremonies were held at other times. Included in the official activities figures were the following major receptions hosted by the Governor-General:
A number of formal dinners and lunches were also held during the year for visiting heads of state:
The Governor-General and Mrs Jeffery also received the following visiting heads of state:
On 21 November 2003 Their Excellencies hosted a private lunch for HRH Prince Harry of Wales at Government House, Canberra. From 23 to 30 October 2003, HRH The Princess Royal stayed at Admiralty House during her visit to Sydney to represent HRH The Duke of Edinburgh at the Commonwealth Study Conference, of which he is Founder and President. Due to the continuing impact of security arrangements, the number of open days held was restricted, and this mainly impacted on the Australiana Fund, which has traditionally conducted an open house and garden event each year as its major community fundraising effort. One open day was held at Government House in support of The Smith Family. The Canberra Symphony Orchestra again held a prom concert and the Girl Guides held a fete in the grounds. The Australiana Fund continued to conduct regular garden tours during the warmer months. Over 11 000 people attended these events, which raised over $46 000 for the organisations involved. School visits continued, with 4810 students and teachers from over 80 schools visiting Government House for tours of the House and grounds. The quality of information presented to visiting school groups was improved to help increase their awareness of the role of the Governor-General, and both the Governor-General and Mrs Jeffery met with these school groups as their programme allowed. Other activities In accordance with normal practice the Governor-General undertook a number of formal State Visits during his first year in office. State Visits were undertaken to New South Wales, South Australia, Western Australia, Northern Territory and Tasmania. The State Visits included a call on the respective Governor (or Administrator in the case of the Northern Territory), and Premier. Meetings were also held with the Leader of the Opposition, the Chief Justice, other parliamentary officials, and representatives of the churches and the armed forces. State receptions were held with each visit. Their Excellencies visited regional centres, including: Armidale (New South Wales) to tour the Armidale University Campus and a farming property; Renmark (South Australia) to tour Banrock Station wine and wetland area, and a rural biodiversity project; Kingston (Tasmania) to officially open the Antarctic Division headquarters building; and Launceston (Tasmania) to tour the University of Tasmania School of Aquaculture at Newnham. While in Western Australia, Their Excellencies officially opened the Campus West building at the Joondalup campus of Edith Cowan University. In the Northern Territory the Governor-General undertook a tour of the Northern Command facility. From 29 February to 11 March 2004 the Governor-General and Mrs Jeffery travelled to the United Kingdom and Singapore. While in Britain, Their Excellencies made a courtesy call on Her Majesty The Queen. During this visit the Governor-General invested Miss Nancy Wake as a Companion in the General Division of the Order of Australia for her work with the Resistance during World War II, and attended a ceremony at the Australian War Memorial in Hyde Park where he laid a wreath. He also held discussions with a number of organisations with interests in Australia. While in Singapore as the guest of the President of the Republic of Singapore, the Governor-General called on the President, Mr S R Nathan, and had meetings with the Prime Minister, Mr Gok Chok Tong, the Deputy Prime Minister, Dr Tony Tan, and Senior Minister, Mr Lee Kuan Yew. The Governor-General laid a wreath at the Kranji War Memorial and visited the Changi Chapel. From 5 May to 17 May 2004 the Governor-General and Mrs Jeffery visited Denmark and Germany. In Copenhagen, Their Excellencies hosted a dinner for the Danish Royal Family in honour of the then Miss Mary Donaldson and HRH Crown Prince Frederick of Denmark. The Governor-General and Mrs Jeffery were also distinguished guests at the couple's royal wedding as representatives of the people of Australia. In Berlin, the Governor-General called on President Johannes Rau and opened Australian Wine Week 2004. While in Munich the Governor-General called on Dr Günther Beckstein, Deputy Minister-President of Land Bavaria and State Minister of the Interior, visited the Eurocopter Centre, and participated in trade promotion activities. On 11 June 2004 the Governor-General attended the state funeral of the former President of the United States, Ronald Reagan, in Washington DC. The Governor-General also met with participants in the American Australian Leadership Dialogue Forum 04. Correspondence In 2003-04 some 9325 items of correspondence were received and actioned This is a 59 per cent increase in the level of correspondence dealt with, compared with the level in 2002-03. A significantly increased proportion of correspondence was received by email. Also handled during the period were 4342 requests for messages of congratulation from Her Majesty The Queen for Australians celebrating their one-hundredth or subsequent birthdays or for couples celebrating sixtieth, sixty-fifth or seventieth wedding anniversaries - a 4.9 per cent reduction from the number sent out last financial year. The Governor-General sent out 8293 congratulatory messages during the year to Australians celebrating such anniversaries, as well as to couples celebrating their fiftieth wedding anniversaries -a 4.3 per cent increase on the number of messages sent last year. The website for the Governor-General, www.gg.gov.au, continued to provide a valuable resource for members of the public seeking to learn about the extent and nature of the role of the Governor-General or to obtain copies of speeches or information about his activities. The website is being used increasingly by the Office to disseminate information in support of the Governor-General's activities in a timely and cost-effective manner. In 2003-04 the Office included a new page on the website to provide pictorial, audio and video coverage of a range of activities in which the Governor-General and Mrs Jeffery were involved. This new page provides an increased opportunity to view the important aspects - constitutional, ceremonial and community - of the role of the Governor-General to facilitate better understanding of that role. Property management The official residences are heritage-listed properties and significant national assets belonging to all Australians. Strategic planning initiatives During the course of the reporting period the Office commissioned heritage building and landscape architects to assist with the development of property master plans for both Government House and Admiralty House. In addition to a strategic property plan for each of the official residences, an overarching property master plan for the Office will be developed which will bring together, for the first time, a strategic overview of building management and maintenance, asset life cycles, and grounds management and maintenance requirements. By the end of the reporting period considerable progress had been made in developing the plans for Government House and Admiralty House. It is expected that the property master plan will be completed by the end of the calendar year. It will provide the framework for the management of the two official residences over the next ten years. The Office commissioned Allom Lovell and Associates to update the 1990 Government House Conservation Analysis and Management Plan, and Tanner and Associates to update the 1987 Admiralty House Conservation Plan. The 1990 Government House Landscape Conservation Strategy and Management Plan is being updated by John Easthope and Associates and the 1977 Admiralty House Grounds Report is being updated by Taylor Brammer and Associates. The updating of these plans is an integral part of the master planning process. On 1 January 2004 amendments to the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Act 1999 and the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Regulations 2000 came into effect. The revised legislation requires all agencies that administer Commonwealth properties to prepare a heritage strategy and a management plan for those properties. The work commissioned on the updating of the conservation management plans and the master plan should satisfy these legislative requirements. The Office will prepare the required documentation for consideration by the Minister for the Environment and Heritage by the end of 2004. Government House Work continued on high-priority projects that were identified in earlier planning processes and have again been highlighted as priority projects in the drafting stages of the current master planning process. The focus of attention during 2003-04 was on finalising the functional brief for the construction of a new building to house the Australian Honours Secretariat. The Secretariat is currently accommodated in a mix of a former 1970s residential building, a former butler's residence dating from 1926 and another residence that dates from 1944. All buildings have been converted for office use, with resultant inefficiencies and occupational health and safety concerns. With the high demand on the Secretariat to manage its increasing workloads and better address health and safety issues, the Office has set the construction of a new building as its highest capital works priority. This has the strong support of the Official Establishments Trust. Other priority building works in Canberra relate to the refurbishment and extension of both the Government House and Caretaker's cottages. These cottages date from 1926 and are no longer fully suitable for their purpose. The Office has worked with the Official Establishments Trust to finalise the functional brief for the upgrading of these residences and, by the end of the reporting period, full documentation had been completed for the Caretaker's cottage. Subject to final priorities established through the master planning process and funds availability, it is planned that work will commence on these buildings during 2004-05. A number of minor works projects were undertaken during the year to: improve the heating system at the State Entrance to address operational shortfalls and overcome safety and security issues; remove an unused underground fuel storage tank for environmental protection purposes; remove undergrowth and unsafe trees along the western boundary of the property; install a new generator at the front gate to provide power in emergency situations; upgrade the key system to improve the security of buildings; and upgrade fire service systems. The Office worked within the restrictions imposed by the National Capital Authority for the abstraction of water from Lake Burley Griffin for the watering of the gardens and lawns at Government House. Some 95 per cent of the managed landscape at Government House is serviced by drawing water from the lake - the Office will be working to increase this coverage. The watering of the gardens and lawns is closely managed, with watering efficiency achieved through a computerised sprinkler control system. The Office will continue to look for other ways to improve water usage efficiency in the management of its landscaped areas. The heritage gardens and trees and the main representational landscape - covering the main drive, vista lawn and immediate surrounds of the House - are being given priority for watering. The landscape conservation plan currently being developed will include management plans to deal with ongoing drought conditions expected in Canberra. Admiralty House At Admiralty House, work was commissioned on the upgrading of the service yard through the improvement of stormwater and sewerage systems and the replacement of a wide area of broken and damaged concrete. This work was completed in July 2004. Work was also undertaken to recommission a 124 000-litre underground water storage tank dating from the 1850s that had not been used for some time. The water collected in this tank from the roof of the House will be used to irrigate the gardens and lawns at a time when water restrictions are a feature of the Sydney environment. In compliance with the water restrictions introduced by the Sydney Water Authority, the Office reduced its water consumption, and this has had a noticeable impact on the condition of the lawns and some garden areas. A number of minor works projects were undertaken during the year, including the refurbishment of all garden beds that were overgrown, the removal of a number of unsafe trees, and the upgrading of the swimming pool fence to meet local government safety standards. Security The Office is continuing to work closely with the Protective Security Coordination Centre and the Australian Federal Police Protective Service to best manage the physical security environments at both Government House and Admiralty House. Regular meetings are held with these organisations to identify issues and to receive advice on the security environment. Works of art and other items The Australiana Fund and the National Gallery of Australia provide furniture and art works for the residences and are consulted on interior furnishing and art matters. The Department of Parliamentary Services has also provided some works of art for display at Admiralty House in Sydney. During the year the National Gallery of Australia changed a number of works of art at Government House as part of an ongoing programme of displaying a variety of items of Australian art. A number of works were also changed at Admiralty House. The Office is grateful for the support of the National Gallery of Australia, the Australiana Fund and the Department of Parliamentary Services for the loan of paintings, sculptures, furniture and other items for public display at Government House and Admiralty House. There were 357 paintings, pieces of furniture and art objects, with a combined value of over $11.919 million, on loan to the Office as at 30 June 2004.
|
|
Output 1.2 Resources applied to this output are directed to:
The following tables summarise the performance indicators for Output 1.2 identified in the 2003-04 Portfolio Budget Statements, and compare the budget identified in those statements to the output's actual cost during the year. 
Report on performance in 2003-04 The Australian Honours Secretariat was established as part of the Governor-General's Office in 1975 following the introduction of a distinctly Australian system of honours and awards. The Secretariat is responsible for administering, on behalf of the Governor-General as Chancellor of the Order of Australia, Australia's extensive national honours system, including all civilian honours and awards for meritorious action by members of the Australian Defence Force both in peacetime and war-like operations. During the year it was decided that greater efficiencies would be possible if all other Defence awards for service and campaign operations were processed directly by the Department of Defence for approval by the Governor-General. The foremost award within the honours system is the Order of Australia. It is the principal means by which members of the community are nationally recognised for outstanding achievements and meritorious contributions benefiting fellow citizens. Support for this award constitutes the largest component of the Secretariat's workload and receives a proportional resource allocation. A major part of the Secretariat's role involves providing quality research and support to the Council for the Order of Australia in its assessment of the relative value of award nominees' community contributions. The Secretariat also supports the work of the Australian Bravery Decorations Council and is responsible for ensuring that all other awards - including decorations for gallantry, meritorious service, conspicuous service, distinguished service, skill-at- arms, exceptional service in Antarctica and long service - are processed for approval in accordance with gazetted regulations. Appendix A lists the membership of the advisory committees for the Council for the Order of Australia and the Australian Bravery Decorations Council. The Office liaises closely with the Awards and National Symbols Branch of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet and contributes to Australian Government promotional campaigns to increase general awareness of the Australian honours system within the community. The functional relationships between the main components of the Australian Honours and Awards System are set out in Appendix B. Further information on the criteria and nomination processes for specific awards may be found on the website maintained by the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet at www.itsanhonour.gov.au or on the Office's website at www.gg.gov.au. The work of the two honours advisory councils involves close liaison between the Australian Honours Secretariat and the respective chairmen and members of the Council for the Order of Australia and the Australian Bravery Decorations Council. Mechanisms are in place to monitor feedback to ensure the Secretariat's timeliness and flexibility in meeting changing priorities to provide high-level support to the two councils. Feedback on the quality and level of the Secretariat's performance is obtained in a variety of formats. The work involves much face-to-face contact, and an important element of performance assessment is interpersonal advice conveyed at feedback sessions during meetings held by each council, normally twice a year. Other mechanisms include feedback received through liaison at regular, specified times, including during the dissemination of research material and through telephone contact and written correspondence with members of each of the councils. Evaluation of the Office's performance in 2003-04 reflected very high levels of satisfaction with the quality and level of support provided by the Secretariat. Council members stated that they were extremely pleased with the quantity and quality of work administered by the Secretariat, indicating that high-level performance outputs continue to be achieved by the Secretariat, with comprehensive qualitative research being provided as a basis for sound decision making on award recommendations. Feedback also indicated a high degree of satisfaction with the overall level of service provided and the attention to detail exhibited by staff.
Key results Awards and honours overview In 2003-04 the Secretariat had another extremely busy year. Highlights included continuing increases in general nominations; special awards made in recognition of the brave and humanitarian actions of citizens in the immediate aftermath and in the weeks that followed the Bali bombings in October 2002; and acknowledgement of service in the Middle East by members of the Australian Defence Force who took part in Operation Falconer. The number of general nominations continues to increase, following the pattern of recent years. In 2003-04 the Secretariat submitted 2851 nominations to meetings of the Council for the Order of Australia and the Australian Bravery Decorations Council. This represents a 19.5 per cent increase in comparison to nominations considered by the councils in the previous financial year. Tables showing the numbers of nominations considered and awards conferred for both the Order of Australia and Australian bravery decorations in 2003-04, and the total number of nominations and awards since 1975, are in Appendices C and D. Associated with an increase in nominations was consideration of submissions for recognition of those who came to the aid of the victims and families of those affected by the tragic events in Bali. As part of a whole-of-government response to the tragedy, a special Bali Honours list acknowledging outstanding action in most distressing and grave circumstances by 199 community members was announced in October 2003. This was followed in December by dedicated and moving investiture ceremonies conducted around Australia at Government Houses in the respective States and Territories. In Canberra, the Governor-General presented two awards of the Cross of Valour for brave action in Bali, being only the fourth and fifth times that this award - the highest national honour that can be bestowed upon Australian citizens, second only to the Victoria Cross - had been made in the 29 years since the establishment of the Australian honours system. Other major award announcements included an honours list released in November 2003 recognising Defence units and personnel for their outstanding contributions in Iraq in support of Operation Falconer. The range of awards made covered gallant, distinguished, meritorious and outstanding service by those involved in all aspects of the operation, from direct combat roles through to operational support. Significantly, this honours list saw the Unit Citation for Gallantry awarded to the First Special Air Service Squadron - the first award of its kind since its establishment in the Australian honours system in 1991. In 2003-04 the number of recommendations approved for meritorious occupation-based service awards and for long and diligent service was 30 per cent higher than in the previous year. This may be accounted for by the general trend towards increased nominations by all sectors of the community and an expansion in the number of organisations whose members are now eligible to access the National Medal after 15 years or more diligent service in occupations involving elements of personal risk in order to protect the community. Fewer Defence service and campaign awards were processed than forecast, due to new administrative arrangements that occurred during the year between this Office and the Department of Defence, which are discussed in more detail under 'System, productivity improvements and office accommodation'. Details of annual and total award approvals for Defence, meritorious and long service awards are in Appendix E. In ensuring comprehensive recognition of Australians working in difficult and dangerous international environments, during the year the Governor-General approved six new declarations and determinations to existing awards for recognition of overseas service by both civilians and Defence Force members in prescribed areas of the Middle East, Bougainville and Solomon Islands. In administering the increases in nomination numbers, the Secretariat supported two additional meetings of the Australian Bravery Decorations Council, bringing to six the number of major meetings convened in support of honours councils in the financial year. The Secretariat also continued updating and producing various informative publications and documents associated with the honours system. Acquisition of medals and other investiture items The number of awards and insignia procured during the financial year - in the vicinity of 21 500 individual items - approximately met predicted usage levels. The medal stocks procured included additional stock to meet ongoing medal requirements for awards recommended and to meet increases in demand for insignia due to the higher number of awards expected. The cost of procuring these items slightly exceeded budgetary forecasts and a small overspend of $9481 occurred, which was offset by a lower than budgeted administered depreciation expense. Measurable increases in nominations during the year indicate that the trend in recent years for a growing number of nominations to be received and awards to be recommended will continue. While overall programme expenditure has increased to meet costs associated with the ongoing demand on the honours system, the Secretariat seeks out more competitive markets in quoting and tendering processes and negotiates with existing suppliers to maintain current pricing levels. System and productivity improvements As a result of sustained increases in nominations and output requirements for awards over the previous four years, the Secretariat received additional ongoing budget funding in 2003-04 for staffing and medal costs. One-off funding was also received for the special Bali awards list. The rate of nominations for recognition of service by community members continues to grow, with a further 12 per cent increase in nominations in 2003-04 compared to the previous year. At the same time, there was a 30 per cent increase in meritorious and long service award approvals. The Office will continue to monitor these workload trends, as continued increases of this magnitude cannot be met from current resources. In addition to new funding to support increases in output, the Secretariat has implemented a number of cost savings to assist in administering changing workload requirements. Process reforms include greater use of information technology in the processing of nominations and the electronic distribution of honours lists to the media. Integration of manual recording systems and a stand-alone registry system has been a priority during the year. The construction of a new building to provide appropriate office accommodation for staff of the Secretariat has been given high priority in the Office's capital works programme. It is expected that work will commence in 2005. Alternative temporary accommodation has been planned in order to ensure as little disruption as possible to the work of the Secretariat. In the 2004-05 Budget, the Office received additional ongoing funding of $253 000 to invest in the upgrade of technology to support the work of the Secretariat. Additionally, the Office will contribute up to $600 000 from its cash reserves for new computer software. The Secretariat has commenced actively evaluating new software and hardware developments in scanning and related equipment. Enhancement of technology used to present papers to honours advisory councils and efficiencies in reducing the reliance on paper-based distribution continue to be explored. |
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
|
