Planning and accountability

Sport Australia’s planning and accountability approach supports the organisation to effectively deliver upon outcomes and meet legislative responsibilities as set out in the PGPA Act and the ASC Act.

Sport Australia is currently implementing a revised practical, consistent and timely approach to strategic planning, as part of the broader strategic review which was undertaken in 2017–18. Key elements of the strategic planning framework include the development and implementation of a new organisational performance management framework and an enterprise wide approach to reporting.

The rolling four-year Corporate Plan sets the direction, strategies and specific targets for Sport Australia. The 2017–21 Corporate Plan provided for three key focus areas across high performance, participation and sport industry growth, which have shaped Sport Australia’s approach to achieving its outcomes under the 2017–18 Portfolio Budget Statements.

Looking ahead, Sport Australia has developed a 2018–22 Corporate Plan, which replaces the 2017–21 Corporate Plan, and is the culmination of a major review of its strategic direction undertaken in 2017. This review built on a number of reviews and consultation processes, including the AIS Future Directions process and the development of Sport 2030, and was supported by an enterprise wide project to refine Sport Australia’s performance measurement framework.

The 2018–22 Corporate Plan is designed to meet strategic planning requirements under the PGPA Act and the ASC Act.

Risk management

During 2017–18, Sport Australia maintained a risk maturity level of ‘Integrated’ in the Comcover benchmarking program.

Sport Australia’s risk management framework is aligned with the principles of the PGPA Act and the Commonwealth Risk Management policy. The framework assists Sport Australia to manage the risks involved in its activities to optimise opportunities and minimise adverse consequences. At the highest level, Sport Australia’s organisational risk register highlights the key strategic risks and controls, while the internal audit program, fraud control plan, business continuity, emergency management and compliance framework are important components of the risk management framework.

Key risk management activities undertaken during 2017–18 included:

• quarterly review and reporting against Sport Australia’s organisational risk register
• maintaining a risk maturity level of ‘Integrated’ through the Comcover risk management benchmarking survey
• monitoring and reporting the risks associated with the Sport Australia transition program.

Internal audit

Sport Australia’s internal audit program provides independent, management-orientated advice on Sport Australia’s operations and performance. The objective of internal audit is to:

> provide assurance to Sport Australia Executive and the Finance, Audit and Risk Committee that the key risks to achieving Sport Australia’s objectives are being appropriately mitigated

> assist management to continuously improve business performance.

During 2017–18, the focus of the internal audit program related to child safety practices at Sport Australia following the outcomes of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse (Royal Commission). Sport Australia engaged the Australian Childhood Foundation to undertake an internal audit review of child safety, specifically undertaking a gap analysis of Sport Australia’s policies, procedures and practices against:

> the 10 child safe standards outlined within the Royal Commission

> the Australian Human Rights Commission draft National Statement Principles for Child Safe Organisations.

Throughout the year the Finance, Audit and Risk Committee maintained oversight of the internal audit program and implementation of open internal audit recommendations.