Quality indicators
- Client satisfaction with the secure communications network and secure telecommunications infrastructure
- Availability to clients, and reliability, of communications through the secure network (including cable delivery)
- Client satisfaction with the level of physical security at overseas chanceries and residences, including responsiveness to unexpected events
Quantity indicators
- Number of posts and Commonwealth entities with access to the secure communications network and secure telecommunications infrastructure
- Number of clients serviced, types of services provided and volume of traffic handled
- Number of overseas missions for which security services are provided, including security review services
- Number of security clearances and reviews processed
Client satisfaction—secure communications network and telecommunications infrastructure
The SATIN system has delivered increased functionality and efficiency to all departmental staff including 89 overseas missions (85 DFAT posts plus four DIMIA/Austrade posts—Shanghai, Dubai, Mumbai and Auckland). Eighteen government agencies and ten ministerial/parliamentary offices have been connected to the SATIN High system for secure international communications.
The department sought client views and feedback on the SATIN system through a variety of mechanisms:
External feedback
- We held meetings with clients from other agencies. Client feedback on the level of service provided by the department remained positive.
- The department provides services to ministers' parliamentary and electorate offices through dedicated account representatives. Ministers and office staff expressed their appreciation for the department's responsiveness in dealing with problems and the development of innovative solutions to meet their specific needs.
Internal feedback
- The Information Technology Strategy Committee (ITSC), the Technical Advisors' Group (TAG) and the Consultative Committee on Information Management (CCIM) were effective mechanisms for monitoring internal feedback and confirmed a generally high level of satisfaction with the IT systems. Development of 'smart' solutions to facilitate more efficient work practices and improvements to the user-friendliness of the systems were a major priority of these committees.
- Regional management and head of mission meetings, post liaison visits, and divisional and post performance evaluation processes all provided opportunities for staff to provide additional feedback on IT systems.
- The Global Support Centre (GSC) Help Desk moved to a 24-hour operation to provide support to users in other time zones who now have access to the SATIN system. GSC delivers first-level telephone user support on issues related to the department's secure and non-secure information and communications systems. The GSC provided services to 9353 departmental and other Commonwealth agency clients in Australia and overseas and in ministers' parliamentary and electoral offices. The GSC received 76 402 enquiries, mostly relating to minor faults in hardware or software. Sixty six per cent of enquiries were resolved to the client's satisfaction without the need for escalation to higher level support teams. The balance of enquiries was referred to second or third-level support teams for resolution. The majority of problems reported to the GSC Help Desk were resolved within 48 hours.
Availability and reliability of communications
The department continued to look at ways of streamlining and improving efficiency in the provision of electronic communication services to its clients.
Our provision of upgraded secure mobile communications system (the 'FlyAway unit') ensured ministers and officials had access to secure communications to Canberra from remote or temporary office locations. We provided FlyAway units to staff in the Australian Representative Office in Baghdad, and the new post in Accra. Mobile communications systems accompanied the Prime Minister in two visits to Auckland, and Mr Vaile to the WTO Ministerial Conference in Cancún, Mexico. Another unit is permanently on standby for use by the department's rapid response team.
The department continued to assess new technologies, including open source operating systems and applications, improved secure voice systems and improved encryption key delivery and management. We continued to implement the SATIN Global Management System (SGMS)—a comprehensive IT network management system. The SGMS provides improved visibility and control of all elements of the department's IT network—covering router management, network discovery, application response times and servers. By improving our ability to examine and evaluate the department's IT infrastructure the SGMS will ensure that the system's business goals continue to be met.
We negotiated new contracts for the supply of international satellite telecommunications services during 2004. The new services—with implementation starting in July 2004—will enable the department to expand significantly its bandwidth capacity (necessary for the successful operation of the SATIN system at posts) at only a small additional cost.
Client satisfaction—security of overseas missions
Many of our overseas missions operated in challenging circumstances in 2003–04, including the threats of civil disturbance or terrorist attack. We conducted an external review by a management consultant which found that posts believed the department was responsive and efficient in responding to security incidents and managing requests for security equipment or other security measures. We provided advice to posts—often at short notice—on evolving security situations, special security assessments and inspection advisory visits. We kept partner agencies informed of key developing security situations and our management of them. Agencies expressed support for the measures in place and the approach taken. One agency in particular was very appreciative of the ongoing support we provide in responding to their ad hoc requests and in meeting extremely tight deadlines.
We continued to emphasise the critical importance of security awareness for the people who visit and work at our missions overseas. We introduced personal security awareness seminars to our security training, which attracted widespread praise and support from participants.
Quantity information for output 1.2
| Indicators | 2003–04 | 2002–03 |
|---|---|---|
| Number of posts and Commonwealth entities with access to the secure communications network and secure telecommunications infrastructure | 117 | 108 |
| Number of clients1 | 117 (approx) | 113 (approx) |
| Types of services: | ||
| Cables analysed | 142 568 | 146 498 |
| Cable pages printed2 | 651 913 | 1 225 660 |
| Number of overseas missions for which security services are provided, including security review services3 | 88 | 88 |
| Number of security clearances and reviews processed | 622 | 776 |
1 This figure reflects the number of agencies and other external work units including seven ministerial and parliamentary offices which receive paper or electronic copies of cables.
2 The drop in printed pages reflects the department's policy of encouraging staff to read cables online rather than having them printed centrally. The demand for printed cables from other agencies also diminished as more joined the SATIN network and had access to cables electronically rather than in printed form.
3 This figure includes our overseas posts and other permanent overseas locations—see Appendix 13: Summary of the overseas network. It also includes an Australian Administrative Centre in Nauru set up to facilitate the processing of applications from asylum seekers.
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Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Annual Report 2003–2004
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