2.7 Direct procurement is the most common method of developing and delivering on Defence capital works projects. Defence has an online (intranet) manual (the Infrastructure Management System) which provides information for Defence staff working on direct procurement projects.
2.8 The Infrastructure Management System provides a wide range of information for project officers. Specific information on the Committee requirements is provided, including a link to the Committee homepage, for access to the Committee's Manual and the Act. There is good supporting information for project officers on the steps required to prepare a project to the point where the Parliamentary expediency motion is passed.
2.9 However, the system does not include advice on when to report back to the Committee after the expediency motion should this be required, either because there are recommendations in the Committee report on the project that need to be addressed, or because the project's design, scope or cost change. In addition, parts of the Infrastructure Management System have not been updated to reflect the current estimated cost level at which projects are required to be referred to the Committee.21
2.10 The Infrastructure Management System currently contains a list of tasks to be undertaken within Defence up to the Parliamentary expediency motion. A checklist of all tasks and timeframes for the Committee process, both before and after the expediency motion, would be useful to ensure all tasks are completed and signed off by the appropriate people. The checklist could either be printed and completed, or used as an updateable online file. In either case, the checklist could be stored on the Defence Document and Record Management System (DRMS) for future reference22. Defence advised the ANAO that it is currently progressing a review of the department's processes regarding referral of projects to the Committee.
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21 Currently, the threshold estimated cost above which works are required to be referred to the Committee is $15 million. Some parts of the Infrastructure Management System still refer to the previous threshold of $6 million.
22 Finance advised the ANAO that it would be happy to provide any support Defence may want in developing these supporting processes.