DFAT Annual Report 2005-2006 : Departmental Overview

Role and functions

The department is responsible for advancing the interests of Australia and Australians internationally. The department's staff in Canberra, in our state and territory offices and around the world work to achieve the department's four outcomes, outlined in our Portfolio Budget Statements 2005–06 and presented in Figure 4 on page 20:

Australia's national interests protected and advanced through contributions to international security, national economic and trade performance and global cooperation
Australians informed about and provided access to consular and passport services in Australia and overseas
public understanding in Australia and overseas of Australia's foreign and trade policy and a positive image of Australia internationally
efficient management of the Commonwealth overseas owned estate.

To support the achievement of these outcomes in a challenging international environment, the department deployed its staff and other resources in a targeted and flexible manner (see Section 3: Corporate management and accountability for more information).

Organisational structure

Senior Executive of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (as at 30 June 2006). Front centre: Mr Michael L’Estrange, Secretary. From left: Deputy Secretaries Dr Geoff Raby (sitting); Mr David J Ritchie AO (standing); Mr David Spencer (standing); Mr Doug Chester (standing) and Ms Gillian Bird (sitting). Photo: Michael Jensen

Enlarge image ::

Photo gallery

The Secretary, Mr Michael L'Estrange, and five deputy secretaries constitute the department's Senior Executive. Supported by the department's Senior Executive Service, they manage the department and provide leadership on foreign and trade policy, consular and corporate issues. The Senior Executive shapes the values and culture of the department, promotes the highest professional standards of service to the Government and to Australia, and provides a fair and professionally rewarding working environment for staff.

The department's organisational structure is outlined in Figure 2. In Canberra, as at 30 June 2006, the department was made up of eleven divisions, as well as the Executive, Planning and Evaluation Branch, the Protocol Branch, the Global Issues Branch, the Overseas Property Office, the Australian Safeguards and Non-Proliferation Office and the Economic Analytical Unit. The department also has an Iraq Task Force, China Free Trade Agreement Task Force and Asia Trade Task Force.

The department manages an overseas network of 87 embassies, high commissions, consulates-general and multilateral missions (for more information see Appendix 12: Summary of the overseas network). Each overseas post is attached to a parent division in Canberra. In addition to headquarters in Canberra, the department maintains offices in all Australian state and territory capital cities. These offices provide consular and passports services to the Australian community and liaison services to state and territory governments and Australian business. We also maintain a Passports Office in Newcastle and a Liaison Office on Thursday Island in the Torres Strait. Contact details of our offices in Australia are provided inside the back cover of this report.

FIGURE 1. LOCATION OF STAFF

The department also engages people overseas to act as honorary consuls. Honorary consuls provide consular assistance on behalf of the department to Australian travellers in locations where the Australian Government does not maintain other representation (see Appendix 12 for more information).

FIGURE 2. SENIOR EXECUTIVE STRUCTURE (AS AT 30 JUNE 2006)

Structure of the foreign affairs and trade portfolio

In 2005–06 the foreign affairs and trade portfolio supported the Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Parliamentary Secretary to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade in the conduct of Australia's foreign and trade policy. Seven agencies make up the portfolio:

Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Australian Trade Commission (Austrade)
Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID)
Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR)
Australian Secret Intelligence Service (ASIS)
Export Finance and Insurance Corporation (EFIC)
Australia–Japan Foundation (AJF).

Figure 3 outlines the portfolio structure and each agency's outcomes.

FIGURE 3. STRUCTURE OF PORTFOLIO OUTCOMES—FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE PORTFOLIO AS AT 30 JUNE 2006

FIGURE 4. OUTCOMES AND OUTPUTS FRAMEWORK 2005–06

Resources summary

TABLE 1. FINANCIAL AND STAFFING RESOURCES SUMMARY
	2004–05 Actual ($'000)	2005–06 Budget and Supplementary Additional Estimates ($'000)	2005–06 Actual ($'000)
Administered items
Administered expenses	266 136	258 756	246 945
Departmental outputs
Revenue from government (appropriation)*	703 624	734 901	733 965
Revenue from other sources**	118 506	89 705	98 244
Total price of departmental outputs	822 130	824 606	832 209
Total resourcing of outputs
Administered expenses and total price of departmental outputs	1 088 266	1 083 362	1 079 154
	2004–05 Actual	2005–06 Budget and Supplementary Additional Estimates	2005–06 Actual
Average staffing level (number)***	3 165	3 199	3 231

* In 2005–06 the department received additional budget funding for:

investing in Australia's security—biometrics for border control
maintenance and upgrade of the consulate-general in Nauru
maintenance of the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands
improved security for Australian overseas missions
hosting of APEC 2007
negotiation of an Australia–China Free Trade Agreement
Australia–Turkey bilateral relations and cooperation
improving international outreach for aviation security
October 2005 Bali bombing response
Avian influenza—maintaining Australian government services overseas.

** 2004–2005 actual figure includes gross revenue from sale of assets. 2005–06 figures include net gains from the sale of assets.

*** Includes overseas locally engaged staff.

TABLE 2. PRICE OF DEPARTMENTAL OUTPUTS BY OUTCOME
	Description	2004–05 Actual ($'000)	2005–06 Actual ($'000)
Outcome 1	Australia's national interests protected and advanced through contributions to international security, national economic and trade performance and global cooperation	552 201	573 671
Outcome 2	Australians informed about and provided access to consular and passport services in Australia and overseas	150 224	156 702
Outcome 3	Public understanding in Australia and overseas of Australia's foreign and trade policy and a positive image of Australia internationally	50 842	52 999
Outcome 4	Efficient management of the Commonwealth overseas owned estate	68 863	48 837
Total price of departmental outputs		822 130	832 209

TABLE 3. RECONCILIATION OF OUTCOMES AGAINST APPROPRIATION AND REVENUE ELEMENTS
	Outcome 1 ($'000)	Outcome 2 ($'000)	Outcome 3 ($'000)	Outcome 4 ($'000)	Total ($'000)
Total administered appropriations as per Portfolio Budget Statements 2005–06 including any adjustments from Supplementary Additional Estimates	215 601	2 324	40 831	0	258 756
Administered expenses by outcome	195 800	1 784	40 489	0	238 073
Foreign exchange (unrealised)	0	0	0	0	0
EFIC administration costs funded by revenue offset	2 584	0	0	0	2 584
Pension schemes	6 288	0	0	0	6 288
Total administered expenses as per the Financial Statements	204 672	1 784	40 489	0	246 945
Total departmental appropriation as per Portfolio Budget Statements 2005–06 including any adjustments from Supplementary Additional Estimates	511 276	172 733	50 892	0	734 901
Revenues from government	525 005	156 702	52 258	0	733 965
Revenue from other sources	48 666	0	741	48 837	98 244
Total price of departmental outputs as per the Financial Statements	573 671	156 702	52 999	48 837	832 209

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