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Corporate Services:
Effective corporate support for delivery of all AMSA outputs

AMSA’s Corporate Services Division supports delivery of AMSA’s outputs by providing cost effective, efficient and timely corporate services:

• Financial management: financial budgeting and reporting, maintenance of financial systems, processing financial transactions, international travel, and management of AMSA revenue and investments.
• Human resources: human resource management, industrial relations, occupational health and safety, staff development, compensation and remuneration management.
• Business services: property management, provision of general business services, contract management and insurance and risk management.
• Corporate documentation: AMSA management system (quality and environmental management), business planning and reporting, budget and coordination/production of other AMSA corporate documents.
• Information services: information management and management of AMSA’s information technology infrastructure including systems development, maintenance, user support and IT equipment and stores.
• Public relations: community relations, incident management, publications, conference coordination, education campaigns, media liaison and media releases.
• Corporate strategy: strategic planning and reporting, international relations and government liaison.

Operating Environment 2003-2004

During 2003-2004, AMSA’s delivery of these corporate services was influenced by the following external factors:

• Changes in the financial reporting framework arising from the Department of Finance Budget Estimates and Finance Review requiring more frequent and earlier financial reporting and advanced deadline for end of year reporting.
• Enactment of the Environment and Heritage Legislation Amendment Act 2003 requiring AMSA to ensure management of its historic lighthouse sites meets the Act’s requirements.
• ANAO performance audits requiring coordination of AMSA input and response to recommendations of relevant ANAO reports.
• Commonwealth Protective Security Policy requiring AMSA to monitor compliance and respond to any security incidents involving AMSA property and staff.
• The Government’s Environment Management Systems (EMS) policy requiring all agencies to develop an EMS and ensure one major site is certified by December 2003 resulting in AMSA’s decision to upgrade its quality management system to meet ISO14001 certification standards.
• Government guidelines on workplace relations arrangements for Commonwealth authorities requiring AMSA to ensure that its agreement making complies with Government workplace relations policies.
• Stakeholder conferencing and promotional activities requiring delivery of conferencing organisation service for the National Shipping Industry Conference in February 2004, the National Marine Safety Committee annual conference in August 2003, the National Oil Spill Conference (Spillcon2004) in August 2004, and major boat and air shows.
• The Australian and New Zealand Safe Boating Education Group (ANZSBEG) work to promote boating safety resulting in AMSA providing the ANZSBEG secretariat and participating in its marine safety campaigns.
• The new IMO maritime security regime requiring coordination of AMSA’s role in the Australian Government’s implementation of the regime in cooperation with the Department of Transport and Regional Service and other agencies.
• Continuing international and domestic interest in enhancing protection of the environment and safer shipping requiring coordinated consultations with other government agencies, industry forums and bilateral discussions with other countries.
• Department of Transport and Regional Services’ need for maritime operational and technical advice requiring coordination of AMSA input to provide information and input on a range of maritime policy and regulatory matters.
• Government commitment to Great Barrier Reef and Torres Strait ship safety and environment protection measures resulting in AMSA providing the Great Barrier Reef and Torres Strait Shipping Management Group secretariat and coordinating AMSA’s response to related issues.
• Shipping issues requiring coordination of AMSA’s response to Government policy and administration measures in relation to the legislation administered by AMSA, occupational health and safety in the shipping industry, and ship safety aspects of the coasting trade.
• Parliamentary and other inquiries requiring coordination of AMSA’s involvement and response to outcomes.

AMSA’s Response to the Operating Environment

In response to these external factors in the operating environment, AMSA identified the following objectives and actions to focus its work during 2003-2004 on delivery of cost effective, efficient and timely corporate services.

Corporate Objective 1: Delivery of a comprehensive program of corporate services to facilitate the effective management of resources and the conduct of business relationships that are responsive to change.

Finance Services Response: Increase in cost effectiveness of AMSA services to internal stakeholders.

Priority Actions for 2003-2004

Implement conclusions from review of financial and human resource systems

During 2003-2004, AMSA has focused on the implementation by 1 July 2004 of an upgraded financial and human resources system to provide improved support for internal Divisions’ budget management requirements. Following a thorough investigation of available options during 2003, a contract was concluded in January 2004 for the upgraded financial system. This comprised a financial management and accounting package, a web-based on-line staff time recording system and workflow across all modules, and on-line reporting and enquiry functions. It also was decided to adopt a new human resources package and a business budgeting, forecasting and related reporting package that fully integrate with the new financial system.

The new human resources management and payroll system provides integrated human resource and payroll functions and streamlines processing functions. Features include self-service facilities for staff including on-line staff information access and electronic processing of certain human resource functions, such as leave taking, which reduce manual processing.

The implementation of the new system required substantial work on the realignment of financial and staff data, including the development of new charts of accounts, the review and testing of the functionality of the new system, in particular, substantial testing of financial and workflow transactions across all modules and internal integration within the system. Testing included parallel operation of the new payroll system with the existing system.

A needs analysis was undertaken to ensure that the functionality of the new systems aligned with Division requirements and a pilot system was used to allow Divisions to test relevant work scenarios. An extensive training program involving all staff was undertaken during May/June 2004 and after a limited period of parallel operation with the existing systems, the new systems successfully became operational on 1 July 2004 as planned.

The new financial and business systems also are addressing changes implemented in 2003-2004 in response to the Department of Finance’s Budget and Financial Reporting Review requiring more frequent and earlier financial reporting and advanced deadlines for end of year reporting. In December 2002, the Minister delegated a number of his powers under the Commonwealth Authorities and Companies Act 1997 to allow the Department of Transport and Regional Services to request financial estimates and monthly reports from small agencies within the portfolio like AMSA to fulfill the requirements of the new financial reporting framework. A memorandum of understanding was agreed during the year with the Department covering the exchange of information and protocols to be followed in relation to the Department’s provision of information to the Department of Finance.

Corporate Objective 2: Provide a working environment that fosters a high level of productivity through the involvement and fair and equitable treatment of staff.

Human Resources Response: Promote a closer alignment between AMSA’s corporate objectives and its employment policies.

Priority Actions for 2003-2004

Develop a comprehensive worforce plan to guide future human resource policies in recruitment, training, performance and succession planning

During 2003-2004, AMSA coordinated the development of a comprehensive workforce plan to support AMSA’s recruitment, career planning, training and development activities. The planning process has been along the lines of that recommended by the Australian National Audit Office better practice guide, Planning for the Workforce of the Future.

The initial stage in implementing the planning process was to define the characteristics of the AMSA workforce through the adoption of a standard range of employee capabilities covering the behaviours, attitudes, skills, knowledge, experience and tools (the BASKET criteria) to describe the requirements for each staff position. This required the review and reorientation of all position descriptions and performance agreements to reflect the corporate objective of a new, unified approach to recruitment, career planning, training and development.

This is the basis for the progressive implementation of the other interrelated elements of the workforce planning process including:

• Recruitment planning to develop strategies to assist in attracting new staff with the capability to contribute to achievement of corporate objectives;
• Development planning to structure training and development to improve the capability of existing staff to achieve corporate objectives;
• Performance planning so that each employee’s contribution to the workforce planning process is managed within the performance management framework; and
• Implementation planning to identify the roles and responsibilities of those involved in the implementation of the workforce plan.

Corporate Objective 3: Develop corporate policies and standards and information systems to enable the organisation to carry out its business using sound and cost effective management and control techniques.

Management Systems Response: Improved focus on environmental management and consolidation of quality management across AMSA.

Priority Actions for 2003-2004

Implement certified environmental system by end 2003

In November 2003, AMSA completed full implementation of quality management systems in all Divisions and achieved third party certification that these complied with AS/NZS ISO9001:2000 standards. AMSA also developed and implemented an environmental management system that received third party certification to AS/NZS ISO14001:1996 international standards. Existing business activities and processes will continue to be reviewed as part of the continuous improvement approach fostered by the AMSA quality management system.

AMSA’s adoption of an environmental management system meeting ISO14001:1996 standards also fulfilled the requirements of the Australian Government’s decision to encourage its agencies to implement an Environmental Management System (EMS) and have one site certified by end December 2003.

Business Services Response: Continuation of AMSA wide risk management program that identifies major risks and develops and implements appropriate minimisation strategies.

Priority Actions for 2003-2004

Strengthen the corporate level risk management process, business continuity planning, security, fraud, property and contract services

AMSA continued its corporate-level risk management program in 2003-2004 that conducts biannual reviews of AMSA’s risk profile and ensures measures are in place to respond to changes in that profile.

In August 2003, the Australian National Audit Office presented its report on its business support process audit of the management of risk and insurance by the Commonwealth public sector. This included a detailed audit of five government departments and agencies including AMSA, which was ranked among the top agencies under each performance criteria examined by the audit. While the report did not identify any major issues with AMSA’s administration of insurance and risk management, it raised a couple of observations that AMSA has addressed by strengthening certain aspects of its risk management processes.

In November 2003, Comcover announced that AMSA’s risk management program had won a high commendation award in Comcover’s inaugural Awards for Excellence in Risk Management. The Comcover awards were designed to recognise and reward excellence in risk management across all Australian Government agencies and were judged in four categories, including the Open Category, Small Agencies, Regional Activities and Innovative Initiatives.

AMSA received its award for its well-developed enterprise wide risk management framework and came second in the Open Category, against strong competition from a number of larger agencies. A plaque was presented to AMSA by the Special Minister of State, Senator Eric Abetz, at a presentation ceremony in Canberra. AMSA also gained a reduction in its 2004-2005 insurance premium in recognition of its high quality risk management work in gaining the award and AMSA’s measured improvement in risk management identified through an annual benchmarking survey.

Following a review in 2002-2003 of AMSA’s Business Continuity Planning, a simulated exercise to test the plan at the executive level was undertaken in October 2003. A further test involving selected Division critical functions was conducted in May 2004. The aim of Business Continuity Planning is to ensure the uninterrupted supply of key business resources and systems to support all of AMSA’s critical functions in the event of a disaster, with particular emphasis on search and rescue and shipping incident response operations.

AMSA continued to action common protective security policies, principles, standards and procedures recommended in the Commonwealth Protective Security Manual for the protection of government agencies’ staff, official information and resources.

While the Australian Government Fraud Control Guidelines do not apply to agencies, like AMSA, that are governed by the Commonwealth Authorities and Companies Act 1997 and are not 50 per cent funded from the Federal Budget, AMSA seeks to comply as far as is practicable with the Government’s policy on fraud control. Accordingly, AMSA issued a revised Fraud Control Plan in May 2004 based on a comprehensive Fraud Risk Assessment completed in February 2004, which indicated that all AMSA fraud risk is being adequately managed.

AMSA also prepared an investigation and prosecution manual to assist staff in delivery of their regulatory responsibilities and has established a pool of staff qualified to Certificate IV in Government (Fraud Control Investigation), a mandatory qualification for Government employees engaged in investigation of fraud.

In relation to property and contract activities, a number of major relocations were effectively managed for AMSA regional offices in Brisbane (September/December 2003), Sydney (December 2003), Melbourne and Newcastle (June 2004).

The leases for a number of light station properties, including Tacking Point, Fingal Head, Crowdy Head and Norah Head, were surrendered to the State of New South Wales as these properties were no longer required as part of the national aids to navigation network but will continue as part of the State network.

Support was provided to other Corporate sections and Divisions in development and placing of contracts for major projects, including those required for new aids to navigation projects for LADS Passage/Fairway Channel, the Great North East Channel and Prince of Wales Channel and in relation to the new Finance and Human Resources Systems.

Information Services response: Optimal balance between business requirements and information technology opportunities

Priority Actions for 2003-2004

Optimise use of information services

AMSA is undertaking a number of initiatives in Information Services to consolidate and improve its service delivery and support its business functions. An important component in achieving this objective is to continue to deliver an Information Services governance framework. The methodology provided through this framework promotes measurable, continuous improvement across key service and support offerings within Information Services.

During 2003-2004, major Information Services activities included development of the following projects:

• The AusSAR suite of systems to support with search and rescue operations;
• The Shipsys application to assist in ship inspection activities;
• The Electronic Document Management (EDM) system to meet Commonwealth obligations in the management of electronic business records;
• The continued improvement of the Disaster Recovery Plan (DRP) and facility at the Australian Federal Police Centre in Canberra. This initiative also included incorporating the DRP within the overall AMSA Business Continuity Plan;
• Development of the Australian Registry of Shipping (AROS) system;
• Improvement in the performance and cost of the telecommunications infrastructure supporting AMSA through an initiative to outsource these services;
• Continuous improvement in the Information Technology Security environment;
• Hardware and storage upgrades and consolidation within the server environments to improve performance and manageability; and
• Redevelopment of the Intranet environment to improve information available internally to AMSA staff.

Information Services future work program includes the following projects:

• Continued development of the AusSAR suite of systems to assist with search and rescue operations;
• Redevelopment and enhancement of the Pilotage Application System (PAS) to assist in monitoring of coastal pilotage activities;
• Enhanced development of the Oil Spill Response Atlas (OSRA) and its associated underlying Geographical Information System (GIS);
• Continued development and testing of disaster recovery capability for mission-critical systems and infrastructure;
• Implementation of improved Information Security controls;
• Redevelopment of the Internet environment to improve information availability externally to AMSA stakeholders and the general public; and
• Development and implementation of Web Architecture to provide a standard capability for AMSA to deliver system services via the Intranet and Internet.

Corporate Objective 4: Contribute to proper corporate governance processes, promote AMSA’s interests, protect AMSA’s reputation, and ensure a coordinated approach in corporate level external relations.

Corporate Strategy response: Maintain strong government and stakeholder relations and public reputation.

Priority Actions for 2003-2004

Provide secretariat and conferencing services to support Division objectives

AMSA continued to provide secretariat services to the Great Barrier Reef and Torres Strait Shipping Management Group (SMG) and the Australian and New Zealand Safe Boating Education Group (ANZSBEG) during 2003-2004.

The SMG is overseeing the implementation of the recommendations of the 2001 Review of Great Barrier Reef Ship Safety and Pollution Prevention Measures by its constituent agencies, the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, Maritime Safety Queensland, the Department of Transport and Regional Services, and AMSA. It reports progress annually to the relevant Ministers for each of these agencies at the anniversary of its establishment by the Minister for Transport and Regional Services in July 2002.

ANZSBEG comprises representatives of State and Northern Territory marine administrations, the Australian Yachting Federation, Australian Marine Industries Federation, Maritime Safety Authority of New Zealand and AMSA. It has an independent chairman, Mr John Bowdler, and held two meetings during the year to discuss progress in its workplan of sea safety projects.

In addition to the ANZSBEG secretariat role, AMSA takes an active role in promoting sea safety and protection of the marine environment. During 2003-2004, AMSA undertook major public awareness campaigns and activities, including:

• A campaign on the carriage and proper use of satellite distress beacons, in particular the need for users to change to 406MHz beacons when satellite monitoring of 121.5MHz beacons ceases in 2009. This included the continued development of the new Internet site (beacons.amsa.gov.au), a national mail out of an information brochure to 725,000 registered boat
  owners in Australian State and Territory jurisdictions and mail out of promotional key ring to 5,000 aircraft pilots, advertising in stakeholder magazines and promotion in the media, attendance at major boat and air shows, production of counter top displays for retailers of distress beacons, information brochures, and other promotional activities.
• Strategies to improve trip planning by the operators of fishing vessels and recreational boats, including production of trip planning brochures, fridge magnets with space for entry of trip details, and other promotional activities.
• Improved Internet site for ANZSBEG (www.safeboating.org.au), including comprehensive information on safe boating practices and safety equipment.
• Acquisition, in conjunction with New South Wales Waterways, Maritime Safety Queensland, Marine Safety Victoria and Transport South Australia, of a new 90 minute boating safety DVD, Safer Recreational Boating, covering all aspects of small vessel handling and safety. Copies of the DVD are being made available free of charge through the Safe boating Internet site.

AMSA’s Conference Coordination Service continued to work with AMSA Divisions to assist in the effective organisation of AMSA workshops and conferences to promote its safety and environment protection mandate. During 2003-2004, AMSA organised a maritime industry workshop in Fremantle, Western Australia, in August 2003 to discuss ship safety and operational issues relevant to Western Australian shipping interests. The fourth National Shipping Industry Conference (Natship2004) was organised by AMSA in association with the Australian Shipowners Association, Shipping Australia, and the Association of Australian Ports and Marine Authorities, in Melbourne, Victoria, in February 2004, bringing together international and national speakers on the latest ship safety and environment protection issues. AMSA also organised the tenth biennial International Oil Spill Conference, Spillcon2004, in conjunction with the Australian Institute of Petroleum in Brisbane in August 2004.

AMSA assisted with local community celebrations of the centenary of two lighthouses, Norah Head on the New South Wales coast in November 2003 and Cape Naturaliste on the Western Australian south west coast in April 2004. AMSA also assisted the National Marine Safety Committee in the organisation of its Marine Safety Conference in Sydney, New South Wales, in September 2003 and is assisting in the planning of its next conference to be held in April 2005 in Hobart, Tasmania.

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