Reporting on Performance: internal and external reporting methods W orkshop 1

1. Reporting on Performance: internal and external reporting methods Workshop 1 Chair: Robyn McClelland, Clerk-Assistant (Table), House of Representatives Co-Presenter: Anne Sargent, Assistant Chamber Officer, Legislative Assembly, Victoria Rapporteur: Helen Minnican, Committee Manager, Legislative Assembly, New South Wales ANZACATT Seminar Tuesday, 24 January 2006

2. Outline of Workshop • Overview and discussion of background paper no. 1 • Criteria for internal and external performance reporting • Overview and discussion of background paper no. 2 • Issues • Challenges and future developments

3. Background paper no. 1 – overview and discussion • Underpinning the ANZACATT list server questions is an implicit best practice model: explicit formal measurable standards and measures of performance and success are identified and reported on; they enable the Parliament/ Government to know if the parliamentary secretariat is achieving what the Parliament/ Government wants the secretariat to achieve; internal and external frameworks are aligned; organisational and individual performance reporting frameworks are aligned • Any initial comments or questions on the paper?

4. ANZACATT Seminar Tuesday, 24 January 2006 Background paper no. 1 – overview and discussion • Consistencies in external reporting • Annual reporting on forward targets • Legislative and policy requirements • Alignment with Executive government. • Various approaches to internal reporting and differing methodologies • Against annual business planning targets Reporting on Performance: internal and external reporting method

5. Criteria for internal versus external performance reporting • External indicators focus on accountability for resources invested • Internal indicators support decision making; address strategies for achieving and improving performance: e.g., sustaining/ ensuring adequacy of: resources, frameworks, systems, processes

6. ANZACATT Seminar Tuesday, 24 January 2006 Background paper no. 1 – overview and discussion • Scope for reassessment and further refinement e.g., current experiences • Making performance links: between external and internal performance reporting frameworks, and between individual performance and organisational outcomes Reporting on Performance: internal and external reporting method

7. Background paper no. 2 – overview and discussion • An attempt has been made to identify key parliamentary secretariat performance measures • Any initial comments or questions on the paper? • What are some issues?

8. Issue 1 • Obtaining a strategic perspective: do performance measures capture what is most important in parliamentary administration? • Effectively functioning legislature • Quality procedural advice/ committee reports • Quality of relationships/ trust between members and staff • Extent to which the parliamentary administration is primary source of advice

9. Issue 2 • Performance reporting where judgments are involved – what measures in background paper no. 2 involve matters of judgment?

10. ANZACATT Seminar Tuesday, 24 January 2006 Issue 3 • Statistics on the business of the institution versus performance of the parliamentary secretariat - should our performance reporting include such information? Reporting on Performance: internal and external reporting method

11. ANZACATT Seminar Tuesday, 24 January 2006 Issue 4 • Obtaining feedback from Members - examples of methods that have worked - tempering measures of client satisfaction Reporting on Performance: internal and external reporting method

12. ANZACATT Seminar Tuesday, 24 January 2006 Issue 5 • Interacting with the Executive – independence in framing a “parliamentary specific” performance reporting model – is this an issue for jurisdictions? Reporting on Performance: internal and external reporting method

13. Issue 6 – Implications for performance • Strategies of targeting the indicator rather than doing the job properly • Quality assurance where there may be an incentive for staff to manipulate performance information • Setting stretching – rather than achievable targets

14. Issue 7 – credibility of system • Encouraging staff to take performance reporting seriously • Linking individual and organisational performance – are there issues here? • KPIs in certified agreements – ie, making salary increases dependent on achievement of results

15. ANZACATT Seminar Tuesday, 24 January 2006 Issue 8 • Maintaining/analysing trend information Do indicators enable overall value for money and value for the community to be assessed? Reporting on Performance: internal and external reporting method

16. Challenges Maintaining public sector standards of accountability and good governance Maintaining an outcomes focus Performance reporting as part of an integrated approach to corporate and strategic planning in the parliamentary context How to meet them? Identify key elements of “parliamentary specific” reporting frameworks (see background paper no. 2) Review current performance reporting frameworks against key elements Scope for agreed minimum standards or essential reporting criteria Reporting on Performance: internal and external reporting method Challenges and future developments ANZACATT Seminar Tuesday, 24 January 2006