OPERATIONAL REPORTS

Business Services

 

Staff training and development

Staff training and development

In 2010–11, the Office of the MARA’s staff training and development program focused on:

  • ensuring employees’ understanding of their responsibilities within the Australian Public Service framework
  • building the capacity of staff to carry out the functions of the Office of the MARA.

All new staff completed:

  • orientation training on the policies and procedures of the Office of the MARA and corporate responsibilities, including security, occupational health and safety, and harassment prevention
  • Australian Public Service code of conduct training
  • probity training.

Various staff also completed training to develop and enhance skills relevant to their particular functions within the Office of the MARA. This included training on:

  • privacy and freedom of information
  • recruitment and selection
  • financial responsibilities and management
  • government procurement
  • leadership, management and supervision
  • business writing skills
  • lawful decision making
  • cultural diversity
  • client service skills
  • managing conflict
  • trust accounts and bankruptcy.

Staffing levels

As at 30 June 2011, in addition to the Office of the MARA’s 33 permanent staff positions, there were three temporary positions and two contractors. Table 11 shows the distribution of staff by gender within the Office of the MARA.

Table 11: Distribution of staff by gender, as at 30 June 2011

Section

Female

Male

Total staff

Registration and Client Services

6

5

11

Professional Standards and Integrity

9

2

11

Professional Development

4

1

5

Communications and Strategy

2

2

4

Business Services

2

1

3

Senior Executive Officers

1

1

2

Contractors

0

2

2

Total

24

14

38
 

Feedback about the Office of the MARA

Feedback about the Office of the MARA

The Office of the MARA’s website includes information on providing feedback about the Office’s services, including complaints, via the Department of Immigration and Citizenship’s Global Feedback Unit. All feedback is used to assist the Office of the MARA to identify areas for improvement in its services.

In 2010–11, the Office of the MARA received 14 complaints and inquiries via the Global Feedback Unit. These figures compare favourably to a total of 60 complaints and inquiries received in the previous program year. Of the complaints received in 2010–11:

  • one was about the timeframe for dealing with a registration application
  • one was about the timeframe for dealing with a complaint
  • one related to the policy on availability of resource materials required by agents
  • eight concerned the conduct of registered migration agents or inquiries as to how to lodge a complaint about an agent
  • three concerned unregistered agents and these were referred to the Department of Immigration and Citizenship.

The feedback provided via the Global Feedback Unit has been useful in identifying opportunities to improve consumer information about lodging complaints about migration agents.

During 2010–11, there were four Ombudsman complaints relating to the Office of the MARA. Three of these complaints have been finalised.

Probity and compliance

Probity and compliance

In July 2010, following his review of the Office of the MARA’s probity requirements, Sir Laurence Street AC recommended that an annual review of probity arrangements be conducted.

Consequently, in April 2011, DLA Piper was engaged to review the arrangements for maintaining probity and the risk mitigation strategies relating to conflicts of interest. The review found that the Office of the MARA takes its probity responsibilities seriously and that probity practices and procedures are well understood by employees. The review concluded that the Office of the MARA had met its probity requirements as set out in its risk mitigation strategies for 2010–11.

Purchasing

The Office of the MARA adopts the purchasing policies and principles outlined in the Commonwealth Procurement Guidelines and DIAC Chief Executive Instructions. These policies have been substantially complied with throughout the year.

Business model

In March 2011 the Office of the MARA engaged PricewaterhouseCoopers as a member of DIAC’s strategic business advice panel. The purpose of the consultancy was to conduct a strategic review of business operations and to provide high-level business advice to support decision making on critical projects and business initiatives. The output was a business modelling tool based on key indicators such as risk management and financial sustainability. This tool is currently being evaluated by the Office of the MARA.