Purchasing

NBA adheres to the Commonwealth Procurement Rules and Best Practice Guidance when undertaking procurements. The guidelines are applied to the NBA’s activities through chief executive and management instructions and key business processes.

The NBA has developed business processes to ensure that the knowledge and best practices developed within the agency for our key purchasing activities are captured and made available to new staff and that relevant procedures and processes are documented and followed.

Over recent years several internal audit programmes have tested these processes to ensure that they meet government policy and better practice. The audit findings have been consistently favourable in relation to complying with mandatory processes, but have also recommended opportunities to improve processes; these have been implemented.

The key business processes are constantly reviewed and refined as part of the NBA’s own requirement for continual improvement in the management of its core business functions.

Exempt contracts

The General Manager did not issue any exemptions from the required publication of any contract or standing offer in the purchasing and disposal gazette.

Competitive tendering and contracting

There were no contracts of $100,000 or more (inclusive of GST) let in 2013–14 that did not provide for the Auditor-General’s access to the contractor’s premises.

Consultants

The selection and engagement of consultants was treated in the same way as the procurement of other property and services and was conducted in accordance with the Financial Management and Accountability Act 1997, Commonwealth Procurement Rules and internal policies and procedures. During 2013–14, 20 new consultancy contracts were entered into involving total actual expenditure of $587,535 (GST inclusive). In addition, ten ongoing consultancy contracts were active during the 2013-14 year, involving actual expenditure of $1,689,499 (GST inclusive). Total expenditure on consultancies in 2013–14 was $2,277,034 (GST inclusive).

Annual reports contain information about actual expenditure on contracts for consultancies. Information on the value of contracts and consultancies is available on the AusTender website, www.tenders.gov.au . No contracts were entered into that were exempt from reporting on the AusTender website.

Table 4.5 shows total expenditure on all consultancy services from 2009–10 to 2013–14, covering both new contracts let in the applicable year and ongoing contracts let in previous years.

TABLE 4.5 Expenditure on consultancy services, 2009–10 to 2013–14