Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Budget Estimates 2013–14; 4 June 2013 Answers to questions on notice from Department of Veterans’ Affairs Question 1 Outcome All: Program All Topic: Staffing (Written Question on Notice) Senator EGGLESTON asked: 1. How many ongoing staff recruited this financial year to date? What classification are these staff? 2. How many non-ongoing positions exist or have been created this financial year to date? What classification are these staff? 3. This financial year to date, how many employees have been employed on contract and what is the average length of their employment period? Answer 1. Table 1.1 below has the number of ongoing staff recruited in the 2012-13 financial year to 31 May 2013 by classification. Table 1.1 Numbers of Ongoing recruitments by classification APS1 5 APS2 4 APS3 19 APS4 9 APS5 5 APS6 7 EL1 4 EL2 5 Grad 11 Legal 2 1 SPAO 1 SES B2 1 SES B3 1 Total 73 2. Table 1.2 below has the number of non-ongoing positions existing at 31 May 2013 and the number of non-ongoing staff hired in the year to date by classification. Table 1.2 Number of Non-Ongoing positions and hires at 31 May 2013 by classification. Non- Non-ongoing ongoing positions hires existing at 1/7/2012 to 31/5/2013 31/5/2013* APS2 12 15 APS3 82 120 APS4 20 14 APS5 14 10 APS6 8 4 EL1 4 3 EL2 2 1 SES 1 1 0 Total 143 167 *Hires 1/7/2012 – 31/5/2013 are included in the total at 31/5/2013. 3. 167 non-ongoing staff have been employed on contract for the 2012-13 financial year to 31 May 2013. The average length of employment is 24 weeks. Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Budget Estimates 2013–14; 4 June 2013 Answers to questions on notice from Department of Veterans’ Affairs Question 2 Outcome All: Program All Topic: Staffing (Written Question on Notice) Senator EGGLESTON asked: 1. How many ongoing staff left the department/agency this financial year to date? What classification were these staff? 2. How many non-ongoing staff left department/agency this financial year to date? What classification were these staff? 3. How many contract staff left department/agency in the year this financial year to date? What classification were these staff? Answer 1. Table 2.1 below has the number of ongoing staff who have ceased in the 2012-13 financial year to 31 May 2013 by classification. Table 2.1 Numbers of Ongoing cessations by classification Ongoing Cessations 1/7/2012 to 31/5/2013 APS1 1 APS2 7 APS3 21 APS4 16 APS5 40 APS6 42 Advocate 2 EL1 25 EL2 8 Legal 1 1 SES1 2 SES2 2 Total 167 2. Table 2.2 below has the number of non-ongoing staff who ceased in the 2012-13 financial year to 31 May 2013 by classification. Table 2.2 Numbers of Non-ongoing cessations by classification Non-ongoing Cessations 1/7/2012 to 31/5/2013 APS2 9 APS3 82 APS4 13 APS5 9 APS6 6 EL1 1 EL2 1 PAO1 1 Total 122 3. All contract staff at APS classifications are employed as non-ongoing employees. Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Budget Estimates 2013–14; 4 June 2013 Answers to questions on notice from Department of Veterans’ Affairs Question 3 Outcome All: Program All Topic: Staffing (Written Question on Notice) Senator EGGLESTON asked: 1. How many staff reductions/voluntary redundancies have occurred this financial year to date? What are the reasons for these reductions? 2. Were any of these reductions involuntary redundancies? If yes, provide details. 3. Are there any plans for further staff reductions/voluntary redundancies? If so, please advise details including if there is a reduction target, how this will be achieved, and if any service/programs will be cut. 4. If there are plans for staff reductions, please give the reason why these are happening. Are there any plans for involuntary redundancies? If yes, provide details. Answer 1. There have been 55 voluntary redundancies for the 2012-13 financial year to 31 May 2013. All except one of these occurred at the beginning of the year as part of a reduction target at that time. 2. There have been no involuntary redundancies. 3. There are no plans for further redundancies. 4. Not applicable. Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Budget Estimates 2013–14; 4 June 2013 Answers to questions on notice from Department of Veterans’ Affairs Question 4 Outcome All: Program All Topic: Public Service Efficiencies (Written Question on Notice) Senator Eggleston asked: 1. Please provide details of the amended operational efficiencies your agency will make as per 2013-14 Budget Measure ‘Public Service efficiencies’ (see 2013-14 Budget Paper No 2 p108). 2. In addition, please provide the following detail: a) Can you quantify the estimated savings for each year over the forward estimates for savings achieved by implementing more efficient management structures, through a reduction in expenditure on staff across the Executive Level (EL) 1 and 2, and Senior Executive Service (SES) levels? b) Can you quantify the estimated savings for each year over the forward estimates for savings achieved by revising down the occupational density target for all new leases, buildings and major fit-outs undertaken by agencies from 16 square metres per occupied workpoint down to 14 square metres? Answer 1. The Department of Veterans’ Affairs will be continuing with strategies for ongoing operational efficiencies which include managing travel, reducing consultancies, administrative efficiencies and streamlining procurement. 2. a) The Department of Veterans’ Affairs has not yet been advised of the Department’s allocation of required savings in relation to ‘Public Service Efficiencies’. Please refer to the answer provided to the Finance and Public Administration Legislation Committee, Question on Notice 10 from the Department of Finance and Deregulation, Budget Estimates 29 May 2013. 2. b) The Department of Veterans’ Affairs is awaiting the Department of Finance and Deregulation formal advice on how the savings from this initiative are to be calculated. However, if the same methodology is used which were previously applied in the 2010 saving measure (Occupational Density of 16 sqm per occupied workpoint using the 2009 Commonwealth Property Data Collection (PRODAC) returns), then the additional savings from the new initiative are estimated to be $331,206 in the 2016-17 financial year and $456,329 thereafter. This would bring the total savings from implementation of both the 14 sqm and the previous 16 sqm occupational density per occupied workpoint to: Financial Year 2014-15: $1,230,048 2015-16: $1,230,048 2016-17: $3,146,156 2017-18 and thereafter: $3,765,518 Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Budget Estimates 2013–14; 4 June 2013 Answers to questions on notice from Department of Veterans’ Affairs Question 5 Outcome All: Program All Topic: Public Service Efficiencies (Written Question on Notice) Senator EGGLESTON asked: 1. Has there been a reduction in business flights? What are the estimated savings for each year over the forward estimates? 2. Has there been a reduction in the use of external consultants and contractors? Has this impacted on the Department/agency, and how? What are the estimated savings for each year over the forward estimates? 3. Provide an update of moving recruitment advertising online. Is any recruitment still in printed materials, and if yes, why? What are the estimated savings for each year over the forward estimates? 4. Has the department/agency reduced its printing costs? If no, why not? Have printing costs increased, and if yes why and how much? Has the five per cent savings target been achieved – if yes, how, or if it will not, why not? What are the estimated savings for each year over the forward estimates? Answer 1, 2, 3 and 4. The Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) has implemented a range of savings strategies in relation to travel, external consultants and contractors, online advertising for recruitment and printing costs. Savings in air travel (including business class flights) has been achieved through changed booking arrangements for flights (eg reduced use of fully flexible fares), less usage of business class airfares for flights on the eastern seaboard and fewer trips being undertaken by DVA staff. The Department has moved to online recruitment advertising in line with the Government’s decision. Since 1 July 2012, only a limited number of printed material within regional papers has been used, which is in line with the print media policy. These relate to Veterans and Veterans Families Counselling Service to attract local candidates with a degree in psychology/social work. The use of external consultants and contractors is being closely monitored with the preference to utilise existing staff to perform the work. Where possible, the Department is also seeking to reduce the number of printed documents. Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Budget Estimates 2013–14; 4 June 2013 Answers to questions on notice from Department of Veterans’ Affairs Question 6 Outcome All: Program All Topic: Printing Costs (Written Question on Notice) Senator EGGLESTON asked: How many documents (include the amount of copies) have been printed this financial year to date? How many of these printed documents were also published online? Answer For the 2012-13 financial year to 31 May 2013, 23 documents were printed and 19 were published. Details are in the table below: Title Qty Published Online Yes/No Veterans’ Review Board Annual Report 2011-12 502 Yes DVA Annual Report 2011-12 692 Yes Timor Leste Family Study Summary Report 302 Yes Timor Leste Family Study Technical Report 102 Yes One Explanatory Memorandum and one Bill 290 Yes Men’s Health Peer Education (MHPE) Magazine 27,192* Yes (Vol 11.