DFAT Annual Report 2008-2009 : 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 2008–09 and presented in Figure 4:

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 for more information).

Photo - See caption below for description

Senior Executive of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (as at 30 June 2009).
L–R (seated): The Secretary, Mr Michael L’Estrange AO, Deputy Secretaries Ms Gillian Bird
and Mr Miles Kupa.
L–R (standing): Deputy Secretaries Mr Ric Wells, Mr Bruce Gosper and Mr David Ritchie AO.
Photo: Michael Jensen

Enlarge image ::

Photo gallery

Organisational structure

The Secretary 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 senior executive structure is outlined in Figure 2. In Canberra, as at 30 June 2009, the department was made up of 13 divisions, as well as three branches, the Australian Passport Office, the Overseas Property Office and the Australian Safeguards and Non-Proliferation Office.

The department manages an overseas network of 89 embassies, high commissions, consulates-general and multilateral missions (for more information see Appendix 14). 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 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 14).

FIGURE 1. location of staff

Structure of the foreign affairs and trade portfolio

The foreign affairs and trade portfolio supports the Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Minister for Trade, the Parliamentary Secretary for International Development Assistance, the Parliamentary Secretary for Pacific Island Affairs and the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Trade 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.

FIGURE 2. SENIOR EXECUTIVE STRUCTURE (AS AT 30 JUNE 2009)

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FIGURE 3. PORTFOLIO OUTCOMES STRUCTURE—FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE PORTFOLIO AS AT 30 JUNE 2009

FIGURE 4. OUTCOMES AND OUTPUTS FRAMEWORK 2008–09

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