DFAT Annual Report 2006-2007 : 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 2006–07 and presented in Figure 4 on page 19:

the protection and advancement of Australia’s national interests through contributions to international security, national economic and trade performance and global cooperation
the provision to Australians of information about and 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

Photo - See caption below for description

Senior Executive of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (as at 30 June 2007). Front centre: Mr Michael L’Estrange AO, Secretary. From left: Deputy Secretaries Mr Doug Chester (sitting), Mr Peter Grey (standing), Mr David Ritchie AO (standing),
Mr David Spencer (standing), and Ms Gillian Bird (sitting).
Photo: Michael Jensen

Enlarge image ::

Photo gallery

The Secretary, Michael L’Estrange AO, 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 1. In Canberra, as at 30 June 2007, the department was made up of 13 divisions as well as the Executive, Planning and Evaluation Branch, the Protocol Branch, the Global Issues Branch, the Australian Passport Office, the Overseas Property Office, the Australian Safeguards and Non-Proliferation Office and the Economic Analytical Unit. The department also has a China Free Trade Agreement Task Force, Asia Trade Task Force and a Japan Task Force.

The department manages an overseas network of 89 embassies, high commissions, consulates-general and multilateral missions (for more information see Appendix 13: 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 passport services to the Australian community and liaison services to state and territory governments and Australian business. We also maintain a Passport Office in Newcastle and a Liaison Office on Thursday Island in the Torres Strait. Details of our offices in Australia are provided inside the back cover of this report.

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.

FIGURE 1. SENIOR EXECUTIVE STRUCTURE (AS AT 30 JUNE 2007)

FIGURE 2. location of staff

FIGURE 3. PORTFOLIO OUTCOMES STRUCTURE—FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE PORTFOLIO AS AT 30 JUNE 2007

FIGURE 4. OUTCOMES AND OUTPUTS FRAMEWORK 2006–07

Structure of the Foreign Affairs and Trade Portfolio

The foreign affairs and trade portfolio supports the Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Minister for Trade and the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Foreign Affairs in the conduct of Australia’s foreign and trade policy. Six agencies make up the portfolio:

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

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

TABLE 1. FINANCIAL AND STAFFING RESOURCES SUMMARY
	2005–06 Actual ($’000)	2006–07 Budget and Additional Estimates ($’000)	2006–07 Actual ($’000)
Administered items
Administered expenses	246 945	239 837	256 229
Departmental outputs
Revenue from government (appropriation)*	733 965	842 206	832 941
Revenue from other sources	98 244	92 564	105 897
Total price of departmental outputs	832 209	934 770	938 838
Total resourcing of outputs
Administered expenses and total price of departmental outputs	1 079 154	1 174 607	1 195 067
	2005–06 Actual	2006–07 Budget and Additional Estimates	2006–07 Actual
Average staffing level (number)**	3 231	3 370	3 371

* In 2006–07 the department received additional budget funding for a number of initiatives including:

budget sustainability to enable the continuation of foreign and trade policy and consular priorities
continued funding of the smartraveller public information campaign
strengthening consular and overseas crisis response capabilities
establishing an Australian diplomatic presence in Kabul
improving Australian intelligence connectivity
improving nuclear and radiological security
strengthening regional counter-terrorism capacity
enhancing the security of the Australian passport
Lebanon evacuation, recovery and reconstruction.

** Includes overseas locally engaged staff.

TABLE 2. PRICE OF DEPARTMENTAL OUTPUTS BY OUTCOME
	Description	2005–06 Actual ($’000)	2006–07 Actual ($’000)
Outcome 1	Australia’s national interests protected and advanced through contributions to international security, national economic and trade performance and global cooperation	573 671	649 978
Outcome 2	Australians informed about and provided access to consular and passport services in Australia and overseas	156 702	177 833
Outcome 3	Public understanding in Australia and overseas of Australia’s foreign and trade policy and a positive image of Australia internationally	52 999	60 130
Outcome 4	Efficient management of the Commonwealth overseas owned estate	48 837	50 897
Total price of departmental outputs		832 209	938 838

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 2006–07 including any adjustments from Additional Estimates	216 117	1 000	22 720	0	239 837
Administered expenses by outcome	228 283	414	20 470	0	249 167
Foreign exchange (unrealised)	0	0	0	0	0
EFIC administration costs funded by revenue offset	2 312	0	0	0	2 312
Pension schemes	4 750	0	0	0	4 750
Total administered expenses as per the Financial Statements	235 345	414	20 470	0	256 229
Total departmental appropriation as per Portfolio Budget Statements 2006–07 including any adjustments from Additional Estimates	562 861	212 836	56 027	0	831 724
Revenues from government	595 803	177 833	59 305	0	832 941
Revenue from other sources	54 175	0	825	50 897	105 897
Total price of departmental outputs as per the Financial Statements	649 978	177 833	60 130	50 897	938 838

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