3.13 In its report on the 2007-08 MPR, the JCPAA identified some shortcomings it considered were present in the financial information included in the MPR.57 To address the JCPAA's concerns, the DMO and the ANAO have worked together to redevelop a number of the PDSS's Section 2 financial performance tables. The PDSS financial performance tables are now starting to develop a more holistic view of the most significant project costs.
3.14 In the 2009-10 MPR, in Section 2 of the PDSS, the DMO has included contract prices and subsequent expenditure for the top five contractors for each project. In addition, the non-contract element of project budgets and expenditure has been separately disclosed in the line item 'Other', which includes items such as operating expenditure; contingencies; legal costs; purchases of minor equipment; consultancies, contractors and professional service providers; and other operating and capital expenditure not attributable to the top five contracts.
3.15 While these disclosures are valuable in increasing the transparency of project financial management, further development of the tables in Section 2 of the PDSS is still required to achieve the full level of visibility over Major Project expenditures that the JCPAA requested.58 Some examples of this increased level of clarity could include facilities, in-service support, maintenance and spare parts and other inputs to capability.
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57 Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit, Report 416, Review of the Major Projects Report 2007-2008, November 2009, p.9.
58 JCPAA, op cit.