8. The objective of the audit was to review selected Defence public works projects submitted in the three year period ending mid 2007 to assess whether they had been submitted in accordance with the Committee's prevailing requirements for notification and review prior to entering into financial commitments for public works. The audit also examined the procedures applied by Defence to refer public works projects to the Committee, and identified administrative practices that may improve adherence with relevant legislative and administrative referral requirements.
9. The scope of the audit did not include an examination of the extent to which the projects in the ANAO's sample have delivered in accordance with expectations. As noted in paragraph 2, the ANAO currently has a second audit underway that will assess the planning and delivery of a sample of capital works projects (including two Defence projects), the extent to which the selected projects have met expectations, and the extent to which relevant sponsoring agencies have complied with the requirements of the Act and approval procedures.
10. In order to assess Defence's adherence to the Committee's requirements, 13 projects were reviewed in detail during fieldwork, having regard to adherence to both the requirements of the Public Works Committee Act 1969 (the Act) and the Committee's Manual of Administrative Procedures (the Committee's Manual). The 13 projects selected represent 78 per cent of the total estimated cost of the 22 Defence projects referred to the Committee from mid 2004 to mid 2007. They are a cross section of projects, from the very large and complicated (for example, provision of facilities for the Single Living Environment and Accommodation Precinct (LEAP) Project), to the relatively straightforward (for example, the facilities upgrade to the Shoalwater Bay Training Area). The sample of projects include 10 that were financed through direct procurement, and three that are to be financed using Public Private Partnerships (PPPs).