Competitive Tendering, Consultants and Purchasing

Competitive Tendering
Consultancy Services
Purchasing
Advertising and Market Research

Competitive Tendering

Consistent with Government policy, the Department is exploring market testing and competitive tendering, and contracting where it can be shown to add value to overall performance and program delivery. At the commencement of the financial year, information technology service delivery was fully outsourced, and many other services are regularly acquired from the private sector.

Toward the end of the financial year, steps were taken to commence a review of the Departments corporate services. That work will continue in 20002001, the objectives being to identify the future corporate services needs of the Department and to implement best-practice performance improvement measures.

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Consultancy Services

The Department relies on its staff to perform its functions, but timely access to consultants is required where:

• specialist skills not available in the Department are required;
• they bring greater objectivity and independence to the task;
• rapid access to the latest technology and experience in its application is needed;
• appropriate in-house resources do not exist;
• the Department benefits from their broader experience and practices; and
• specialist skills can be transferred to departmental staff associated with the project.

The selection and engagement of consultants is based on obtaining competitive public or restricted offers through open and effective competition, observing accountability requirements and achieving value for money.

During 19992000, 175 consultants were engaged by the Department. Of those, 21 consultants received no payments and the contracts were carried over to 20002001. The total amount paid to consultants during the financial year was
$7 983 302.

Details of individual consultancies valued at $10 000 or more may be found on the Departments website at www.dotars.gov.au/department/annual_report/1999_2000/Consultancies.aspx or a printed copy may be requested from:

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Purchasing

The Departments purchasing practices and procedures are consistent with Commonwealth Procurement Guidelines, and pragmatic to help achieve program objectives effectively and efficiently.

General purchasing is fully devolved to Divisions, and acquisitions and expenditure are monitored at divisional level to ensure objectives are met. The participation of small to medium Australian and New Zealand enterprises in the Departments purchasing activities is encouraged.

An accredited purchasing unit within the Department monitored all procurement of $2000 or more during 19992000 to ensure that the principles of value for money, open and effective competition, and ethics and fair dealing are applied consistently and appropriately.

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Advertising and Market Research

In 19992000 the Department paid the amounts (of more than $1500) detailed below to advertising agencies, market research, polling, direct mail, and media advertising organisations.

Table 10 advertising and market research

1. = Airports Division
2. = Australian Transport Safety Bureau
3. = Aviation Division
4. = Cross-modal and Maritime Transport Division
5. = Land Transport Division
6. = Regional Services, Development and Local Government Division
7. = Territories and Regional Support Division

Download the Consultancies Tables [PDF: 107 KB] as Adobe Acrobat PDF file.

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