This is the Secretary’s report to the Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Minister for Trade on the performance of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Volume 1) and AusAID (Volume 2) during the financial year 2006–07. The report is prepared in accordance with the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet’s Requirements for Annual Reports of 13 June 2007, as approved on behalf of the Parliament by the Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit. Information and statistics unless otherwise indicated cover the financial year 2006–07, or relate to the situation as at 30 June 2007. All dollars are Australian unless otherwise specified.

Guide to Volume 1

The report of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Volume 1) uses the same outcome—output structure as outlined in the Portfolio Budget Statements 2006–07.

We have included trade statistics covering services as well as goods. The latest goods and services trade statistics relate to calendar year 2006. They are not part of the department’s performance reporting but are included as background information for the benefit of readers.

Section 1 contains:

the Secretary’s review for 2006–07
key achievements
the departmental overview, including:

role and functions
organisational structure
senior executive structure
portfolio structure
outcomes and outputs framework
resources summary.

Section 2 contains the department’s outcome—output performance information reports. Performance is reported under the following headings:

effectiveness (including administered items)
quality and quantity measures for departmental outputs
quality and quantity measures for administered items.

To enhance the flow of performance information in Section 2:

effectiveness indicators are grouped at the beginning of reporting for each outcome
reporting on the quality and quantity indicators for each output appears at the end of reporting on effectiveness of outputs
indicators and reporting for administered items are set out at the end of reporting on quality and quantity for the relevant outcome
reporting covers all indicators. Headings and subheadings within the text generally conform to the order of indicators appearing at the beginning of performance reporting.

Section 3 reports on enabling services that do not appear under the outcome structure. It includes reporting on corporate governance, external scrutiny and management of human and financial resources.

Section 4 includes appendixes providing useful additional information and reports required under specific legislation.

Section 5 contains the audited financial statements for 2006–07. The section also contains the financial statements of the Australia–Japan Foundation for the period 1 July 2006 to 30 November 2006 during which the foundation was a separate statutory authority established in the portfolio under the Australia–Japan Foundation Act 1976. The foundation was re-established as a bilateral foundation within the department on 1 December 2006 and continues to publish its own annual reports.

Section 6 contains glossaries of terms, acronyms and abbreviations and indexes.

Further information

Publications

Portfolio Budget Statements 2006–07 and 2007–08
Portfolio Additional Estimates Statements 2006–07
Trade Statement 2007
Website www.dfat.gov.au

Return to top of page

Guide to the report

Guide to Volume 1

Further information

Publications