Accountability framework: reporting cycle
The Reporting Cycle ensures that reporting accountabilities are carried out in a timely and coordinated manner that seeks to avoid inefficiency through duplication of effort, and promotes effectiveness by ensuring monitoring of past performance feeds into current operational and budget planning.
Good governance and management demand exemplary standards of accountability. Accountability entails not only the external reporting to the State and Federal Governments in satisfaction of the obligations pursuant to which the University has been established or receives funding, but also the internal monitoring of performance against operational plans and budget and compliance with University policy.
- Internal reporting to Council, Academic Board and Vice-Chancellor.
- External reporting to Commonwealth and State Governments:
- Annual Report and Financial Accounts
- Funding Agreements and Institution Assessment Framework
- Taking Stock - Mid-Year Review.
- Vice-Chancellor's Operational Performance Reviews.
- Report on Performance against Plan:
- University Plans
- Faculty and Administration Plans.
- Report on Performance against Budget.
- Report on Performance of University subsidiaries.
- Annual Performance Appraisal reviews.
- Monitoring of student selection processes.
The Reporting Cycle ensures that reporting accountabilities are carried out in a timely and coordinated manner that seeks to avoid inefficiency through duplication of effort, and promotes effectiveness by ensuring monitoring of past performance feeds into current operational and budget planning. The main external accountabilities for the University are the Annual Report, including the financial accounts, to be submitted to the State Government for tabling in the Victorian Parliament and the Educational Profile submission required by the Federal Government.
The main external accountabilities for the University are the Annual Report, including the financial accounts, to be submitted to the State Government for tabling in the Victorian Parliament and the annual Funding Agreement and Institution Assessment Framework documentation required by the Commonwealth Government.
The key activities of the reporting framework comprise:
- the annual Council Planning Conferencein February where Council members formally review a report on University performance against the previous year's Operational Plan and consider the implications of that performance for the current cycle of strategic and operational planning. Following Council consideration, the report on performance against plan is distributed widely within the University;
- the preparation of the Annual Report and its accompanying financial statements. These are submitted to Council for approval in March. In the case of the annual accounts, Finance Committee is responsible for recommending their adoption to Council and does so only after receiving the necessary certifications of compliance from senior University officers;
- the annual Operational Performance Review in which the Vice-Chancellor, assisted by senior University officers including Academic Board officers and deans, carry out an in-depth appraisal of the performance of Faculties and the University Administration. A core set of indicators of budget division performance, embracing research, teaching and learning, student profile and resource management, is used to supplement reports on performance against operational plans in the review of budget divisions, past performance and the identification of actions to be taken in the current planning round. Outcomes from the Operational Performance Review are used to inform the annual Planning and Budget Conference. They are also formally reported to the Academic Board and Council;
- negotiation with Department of Education, Science and Training (DEST) officers over the terms of the University's annual Funding Agreement. The Funding Agreement, subsequently approved by the Minister and tabled in the Commonwealth Parliament, determines the level of funding to be received for the University's Government-subsidised coursework programs and the conditions on which that funding is provided. Key elements of the University's reporting cycle, in particular the monitoring of the student profile, are undertaken at times that enable University officers to engage in the Funding Agreement negotiations in a manner that is as well informed as possible about current performance and future intentions;
- the preparation of the University's annual Institution Assessment Framework submission for DEST. The Institution Assessment Framework constitutes the Commonwealth Government's assessment of the University's performance in four key areas: organisational sustainability; achievements in higher education provision; quality of outcomes; and legislative and program compliance. The Framework reports on performance against the various student enrolment outcomes and program activities on which receipt of annual Commonwealth funding is dependent. The Framework submission is prepared in June and is informed by the reporting on performance that flows from the preparation of the Annual Report, the Council Conference and the Operational Performance Review and the planning undertaken at the annual Planning and Budget Conference. Under revised arrangements introduced in 2004 Commonwealth officers now meet with University representatives in September/ October every second year to review University performance against its Institution Assessment Framework;
- Taking Stock is a summary audit of the University's performance presented by the Vice-Chancellor to Council and members of the Committee of Convocation and Academic Board. Taking Stock includes a report of University and faculty performance against all major activities, an update on current initiatives and responses to the various surveys undertaken as part of the University's evaluation program. Taking Stock provides key internal constituents with a comprehensive synoptic report on which they may be able to monitor and assess overall University performance and its progress in meeting strategic goals;
- regular monitoring by Finance Committee of the financial performance of the University and its auxiliary operations and, through its Subsidiaries Committee (a Committee with authority to report directly to Council), the consideration of the annual plans and budgets of University subsidiary companies and the quarterly monitoring of their performance against plan and budget and periodic oversight of the adequacy of their governance practices. From 2005, Finance Committee will also receive annual reports on the performance of business ventures undertaken within the University's normal faculty/ departmental organisational framework;
- through its Selection Procedures Committee annual monitoring by the Academic Board of University performance in the selection of students into courses, including selection into special entry programs; and
- through a structured program of annual appraisals with its regular monitoring of performance against readily verifiable personal performance measures, Deans and other senior managers are held accountable for their contribution to the achievement of University strategies and targets.