Outcome 2- REPORT ON PERFORMANCE

Elections, ballots and referendums

Stakeholders/customers have access to and advice on impartial and independent electoral services and participate in electoral events

Outcome 2-Summary of resources

Table 9: Outcome 2-Elections, ballots and referendums

	Budget* 2000-2001 $'000	Actual expenses 2000-2001$'000	Budget** 2001-2002$'000
Price of departmental outputs Administered appropriations:
Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 - Election	0	224	39,924
Public Funding
Total administered expenses	0	224	39,924
Departmental appropriations Output Group 2.1 - Elections, ballots and referendums
Output 2.1.1 - Federal elections, referendums and by-elections	28,685	21,906	75,476
Output 2.1.2 - Party registrations	407	510	421
Output 2.1.3 - Funding and disclosure services	1,115	825	1,037
Output 2.1.4 - Public awareness campaigns, media releases	982	160	8,856
Output 2.1.5 - Information services	943	6,234	5,609
Output 2.1.6 - Industrial elections and ballots for organisations	5,556	7,416	5,403
Output 2.1.7 - ATSIC elections	-	272	-
Output 2.1.8 - State and local government elections	-	-	-
Output 2.1.9 - Advice and assistance in overseas elections	816	-	838
Total Output Group 2.1	38,504	37,323	97,640
Total revenue from Government (appropriation)contributing to price of departmental outputs	38,504	37,323	97,640
Revenue from other sources	2,492	7,719	2,801
Total price of departmental outputs (Total revenue from Government and from other sources)	40,996	45,042	100,441
Total estimated resourcing for Outcome 2 (Total price of outputs and administration expenses)	40,996	45,266	140,365
		2000-2001	2001-2002
Average staffing level (number)		352	474

In addition, the AEC employs casual staff to assist with the conduct of elections. Full-time equivalent number for 2000-2001 was 14 and 2001-2002 is 708.

The variations between the budget figures for 2000-2001 and 2001-2002 is due to the election scheduled at the end of 2001. Some activities were undertaken in 2000-2001 in preparation for the election. The increase in revenue from other sources is primarily due to the increase in overseas projects conducted with funding from AusAID.

* Full-year budget was reduced due to a change of accounting treatment for the recognition of appropriation revenue. The sum of $7.093 million has been deducted from budget figures, as that revenue was recognised in 1999-2000 actuals.

** Budget prior to additional estimates

OUTCOME 2

Elections, ballots and referendums

Stakeholders/customers have access to and advice on impartial and independent electoral services and participate in electoral events.

The AEC provides impartial and independent electoral services for parliamentary elections, non-parliamentary elections and ballots, including for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC) and industrial elections, services for registering political parties, and international advice and assistance in overseas elections.

What follows is a report of performance results for 2000-2001 for Outcome 2 in relation to its output group of elections, ballots and referendums, namely:

• federal elections, referendums and by-elections;
• party registrations;
• funding and disclosure services;
• public awareness campaigns, media releases;
• information services;
• industrial elections and ballots for organisations;
• ATSIC elections;
• State and local government elections; and
• advice and assistance in overseas elections.

Overall performance results

Table 10: Outcome 2-Elections, ballots and referendums

Output group	Performance indicator	Performance target	Performance results
Elections, ballots and referendums	Percentage of voter turnout at electoral events	96%	Turnout at Isaacs By-election was 82% and Ryan By-election was 89%. The percentage of voter turnout at by-elections is traditionally lower than the standard 96% for general elections 100% of legislative requirements were met
	Extent to which legislative requirements are met	100%	Customer Service
	Extent to which Customer Service Charter standards are met	100%	Charter standards were met at a very high level

Analysis: Elections, ballots and referendums

The achievement of Outcome 2 was measured in part by the success of the Isaacs and Ryan By-elections conducted in August 2000 and March 2001. In addition the first stages of the process for the Aston By-election commenced, with an issue of a writ on 1 June 2001. Successful ballots were also conducted for various industrial organisations and a number of local government elections in Victoria were run on a fee-for-service basis by the AEC. Significant assistance was provided to the Tasmanian Electoral Office in the conduct of local government and local council elections in Tasmania.

In addition, several key preparatory activities for the federal election expected by 12 January 2002 were also completed including the successful month-long 'trial election' involving AEC staff across Australia in a 'dress rehearsal' of most of the system based activities associated with a federal election. The AEC has already organised the production and delivery of cardboard polling equipment and ballot paper to be used at the next federal election. Preparations in other key activities to support the federal election such as the development of public awareness campaigns are also well advanced. Preparations are also well advanced to conduct the next ATSIC election.

Party registration activities are covered in more detail in Output 2.1.2 (see page 44). Amendments to the political party registration provisions of the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 have had a major impact on the AEC's processing of new applications.

A number of AEC staff were involved in providing advice and support for overseas electoral activity, particularly in Papua New Guinea, East Timor, Solomon Islands and Fiji. These activities are covered in more detail in Output 2.1.9 (see page 60).

Variations to performance targets

There have been no changes in performance targets for Outcome 2 and its supporting outputs from those contained in the 2000-2001 Portfolio Budget Statements.

Purchaser/provider arrangements

The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission Act 1989tasks the AEC with the conduct of elections for ATSIC. In recognition of that requirement, Output 2.1.7 was identified as one of the AEC's outputs. The purchaser provider relationship between ATSIC and the AEC works well and performance achievements related to this arrangement are contained in the section of this report devoted to Output 2.1.7 starting on page 55.

External scrutiny of electoral matters

Parliamentary review

Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters (JSCEM)

Funding and Disclosure Inquiry:On 9 September 2000, the JSCEM commenced an inquiry into the Funding and Disclosure (FAD) provisions of the Act. The AEC filed submission No. 7 of 7 October 2000, which is published on the AEC website. However, soon after the receipt of submissions the JSCEM resolved to postpone the FAD inquiry.

Government response to JSCEM Report on the 1998 Federal Election:On 1 March 2001 the Government tabled in the Parliament its response to the 59 recommendations for administrative and legislative change in the June 2000 JSCEM Report on the 1998 Federal Election.

Other Federal Parliamentary committees

The AEC provided two written submissions to the Senate Finance and Public Administration Committee inquiry into Bills concerning Political Honesty and Accountability, and gave oral evidence at a public hearing. The committee has not yet tabled its report. Submission No. 14 of 23 February 2001 is published on the AEC website.

The AEC provided a written submission to the Joint Standing Committee on the National Capital and External Territories inquiry into Norfolk Island Electoral Matters. The committee has not yet tabled its report. Submission No. 3 of 2 March 2001 is published on the AEC website.

Administrative review

Administrative Appeals Tribunal

Certain administrative decisions made by the AEC are subject to review under the following legislation: Administrative Appeals Tribunal Act 1975 (AAT Act), Ombudsman Act 1976, Administrative Decisions (Judicial Review) Act 1977, Freedom of Information Act 1982 and Privacy Act 1988.

During 2000-2001, the AEC dealt with the following matters:

• a Federal Court matter, on appeal from the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT), relating to a decision to reject a claim for electoral enrolment;
• an appeal to the Full Court of the Federal Court relating to a decision by the Federal Court to dismiss an application, on appeal from the AAT, relating to a decision to reject a claim for electoral enrolment; and
• 'liberals for forests' appealed the decision of the AEC to reject its application for registration as a political party. The AAT set aside the decision of the AEC on 6 March 2001. On 1 May 2001 'liberals for forests' was added to the register of political parties.

Judicial review

Federal by-elections

There were no petitions to the Court of Disputed Returns or prosecutions for major electoral offences arising from the by-elections in the Divisions of Isaacs and Ryan during 2000-2001.

Industrial elections and ballots for organisations

There were three election inquiries during the year. The Federal Court dismissed one application for inquiry. In the second, the Court overturned a decision that a candidate was ineligible, and a new ballot was ordered. The candidate who sought the inquiry did not nominate. A third resulted from the returning officer postponing the commencement of the election. The postponement was necessary until a previous Court decision, concerning membership eligibility, was determined. The Federal Court found that the returning officer's action did not constitute an irregularity.

ATSIC elections

There were no election petitions for ATSIC during the year.

Output 2.1.1 - Federal elections, referendums and by-elections

Output 2.1.1 covers issues related to the planning, management, evaluation and reporting of the conduct of federal elections, referendums and by-elections. During 2000-2001, two by-elections were conducted, another by-election was announced (with polling day to be held in the following financial year), and planning was finalised for the next federal election. In particular, a national trial election was successfully conducted during May and June 2001.

The performance indicators and performance targets forecast in the 2000-2001 Portfolio Budget Statements and the performance results achieved are set out in Table 11.

Table 11: Output 2.1.1

Output group	Performance indicator	Performance target	Performance results
Output 2.1.1 Federal elections, referendums and by-elections	Operational systems, equipment and procedures are in place and on time for the electoral event	In accordance with timetables, 100%	Systems, equipment and procedures have been finalised in readiness for the next federal election; trial election was successfully conducted
	Extent to which legislative requirements are met by the AEC	100%	All legislative requirements at these by-elections were met and there were no challenges during the year
	Logistical capacity to conduct by-elections	100% of by-elections	Systems, equipment and procedures were in place to successfully conduct the Isaacs, Ryan and Aston by-elections
	Maintain a level of preparedness, which will enable the conduct of one federal election (if called) and any associated by-elections	One federal election and associated by-elections	Systems, equipment and procedures were in place for all federal electoral events. Timetables were met

Analysis: Federal elections, referendums and by-elections

The AEC is required to conduct parliamentary elections in accordance with the requirements of the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918.

Preparations for the conduct of the next federal election have been finalised.

The major preparatory activity undertaken in this year was a trial election held in May and June. During this period, parliamentary elections staff across Australia followed a program, which required them to undertake most of the computer-based activities involved in conducting a federal election. These activities included using most of the 12 applications, which comprise the AEC's computerised Election Management System (ELMS). Related activities included providing electronic data to interested media organisations so that they could test their systems for use on Election Night at the National Tally Room and running a 'fail-over test' in which the main computer was disabled so that back-up facilities could be tested.

The Automated Postal Voting System (APVIS), which was trialled at the 1999 Referendum, was reviewed and improved for the forthcoming federal election. The main enhancements were to the format and production of the postal vote certificate envelope and other printed materials to obtain greater efficiencies. These enhancements were used successfully at the by-elections.

The AEC's computerised Election Management System (ELMS) is subject to continual review and improvement. During the year, the Polling Place Materials (PPMs) sub-system, which is a national inventory system, was successfully tested. In addition, enhancements were programmed to the declaration vote scrutiny application in the Roll Management System (RMANS). This application is used to check the enrolment entitlements of electors casting declaration votes and will save duplication and manual work in the post-election period. Training and testing is scheduled for July and August 2001. These enhancements will be used at the next federal election.

Various enhancements to the automated Senate scrutiny system were programmed during the year and will be tested early in the 2001-2002 financial year for use at the next federal election.

Major purchases of ballot paper stock and cardboard polling equipment have been undertaken and the materials delivered to AEC stores. Training materials for polling officials have been reviewed, edited and printed.

Most forms for use at the next election have been finalised and placed on the AEC's Intranet to coordinate version control, save costs and make them more accessible to AEC offices in remote areas. A conference of AEC materials planning officers met in late June 2001 to coordinate the production and distribution of election materials for the next federal election. This meeting will be followed in July 2001 by a national operations conference to finalise arrangements.

The Divisional Offices Procedures Manual (DOPE) has been successfully placed on the AEC's Intranet in a development environment as part of a technical test. Once this test is finalised, it is expected that the manual will be available to all AEC staff on the Intranet. It will be amended prior to the federal election to take into account legislative and procedural change and will be retitled the Election Procedures Manual (EPM). Publishing the manual electronically will ensure accuracy, enable instant updates and assist in version control.

Significant efforts were made during the year to raise awareness of staff about the status of election preparations and the implications of changes to major systems such as ELMS. Various internal publications were distributed to keep staff abreast of developments, to promote a better understanding of ELMS, and to generate interest among staff.

Trends

There were three by-elections, which occurred in full or in part during this period. The AEC has conducted electoral events over the past five years, as follows:

• Federal Election - March 1996;
• Constitutional Convention Election - November 1997;
• Federal Election - October 1998;
• ATSIC elections - October 1999;
• Referendum - November 1999.

In addition, the following by-elections have been held or announced in the period 2000-2001:

• Isaacs By-election - 12 August 2000;
• Ryan By-election - 17 March 2001;
• Aston By-election (writ issued 1 June 2001, polling day 14 July 2001).

Significant changes in the nature of functions/services

There were no significant changes in the nature of functions or services relating to federal elections, referendums and by-elections during the reporting period.

Factors, events or trends influencing performance

During the period, AEC resources were involved in the conduct of three by-elections, and ongoing assistance with overseas electoral events, in particular Papua New Guinea and East Timor. These activities were successful and the AEC was able to meet these demands without compromising performance or delivery standards.

Performance against Customer Service Charter standards

During the year there were no significant performance issues that relate to the Customer Service Charter standards for Output 2.1.1.

Developments since end of financial year that have affected or may significantly affect the AEC's operations or financial results in future

Since the end of the financial year, there have been no significant developments impacting on operations or financial results for the future of Output 2.1.1.

Output 2.1.2 - Party registrations

A Register of Political Parties is maintained by the AEC for the following purposes:

• facilitation of nominations, verification of endorsement and printing of ballot papers;
• identification of parties eligible to receive public funding and which may be eligible to receive electoral roll products; and
• identification of parties required to submit annual returns of income, expenditure and debts.

The performance indicators and performance targets forecast in the 2000-2001 Portfolio Budget Statements and the performance results achieved are set out in Table 12.

Table 12: Output 2.1.2

Output group	Performance indicator	Performance target	Performance results
Output 2.1.2 Party registrations	Capable of processing all applications and changes to the Register of Political Parties during the year	12 applications and 24 changes will be processed	6 applications were processed comprising 4 which were approved, 1 which was rejected and 1 which was withdrawn 8 parties were deregistered (3 voluntarily) 25 changes were processed, comprising 13 changes to registered officer details, 10 appointments of deputy registered officers, and 2 party name/abbreviation changes
	Cost per application or change to the Register	Less than $11,300	Average cost per application was $7,500. The average cost to process a change to the register was $130
	Extent to which legislative requirements are met	100%	All applications for the registration of a political party or for changes to existing registered details were processed in accordance with the provisions of the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918

Analysis: Party registrations

The number of applications received is dependent on factors outside the control of the AEC. One of the major factors affecting the number of applications the AEC receives is the likelihood of an election in the reporting period.

As a result of changes to party registration provisions of the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918, which were proclaimed on 26 October 2000 but were effective from 3 October 2000, a review of the continuing eligibility of all currently registered political parties was undertaken. A number of parties or branches of parties were deregistered as a result of this review, however, as a result of legal challenge to the AEC's power to conduct such a review, the review was not finalised. It is expected that further legislative amendments awaiting proclamation will clarify this aspect of the AEC's powers and allow the review to be finalised.

One of the changes to the party registration provisions resulting from the amendments in October 2000 is that parties cannot rely on the same member or members for the purposes of registration. This does not affect people's ability to be members of more than one party but simply means that the member or members sponsoring the registration of a party must be unique to that party. This change and the above mentioned legal challenge to the AEC's power to review the continuing eligibility of parties to be registered, have had a major impact on the AEC's ability to process new applications for registration. Now, before an application can be accepted, the AEC must be satisfied that the member or members sponsoring the application are unique to that party. This means that the AEC must know who the member or members are sponsoring the continued registration of currently registered parties. As this information was not previously required, the AEC had to obtain this information as part of its review of all currently registered political parties. Not all parties provided this information and the legal challenge that resulted from the AEC's attempt to deregister parties which had not provided the information, indicated a gap in the legislative powers provided to the AEC by the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918. As indicated above, it is expected that further amendments currently awaiting proclamation will resolve this matter.

As a result, there were a number of applications for registration, which were either on hand at the time of or received after the changes to the legislation in October 2000 still pending finalisation.

Trends

There are no significant trends to report for Output 2.1.2.

Significant changes in the nature of functions/services

Changes to the party registration provisions of the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 have had a significant impact on the way in which the AEC must process applications for registration of political parties because of the requirement for members sponsoring the registration to be unique to a party. These changes have also raised some questions in relation to the AEC's legislative power to review currently registered parties. It is hoped that these questions will be resolved by the amendments to the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 currently awaiting proclamation.

Factors, events or trends influencing performance

The costs per application or change to the Register were lower than anticipated as a result of the AEC being able to utilise discounts offered for advertising.

There were no other significant changes in factors, events or trends influencing performance relating to party registration services during the reporting period.

Performance against Customer Service Charter standards

During the year there were no significant performance issues that relate to the Customer Service Charter standards for Output 2.1.2.

Developments since end of financial year that have affected or may significantly affect the AEC's operations or financial results in future

Since the end of the financial year, there have been no significant developments impacting on operations or financial results for the future for Output 2.1.2.

Output 2.1.3 - Funding and disclosure services

The purpose of the funding and disclosure provisions of the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 is to enhance the integrity of the electoral process by allowing the electorate to be well informed concerning the major donors to political parties, groups and candidates and the major expenditures of those involved in the electoral process.

The performance indicators and performance targets forecast in the 2000-2001 Portfolio Budget Statements and the performance results achieved are set out in Table 13.

Table 13: Output 2.1.3

Output group	Performance indicator	Performance target	Performance results
Output 2.1.3 Funding and disclosure services	Level of compliance with legislative requirements by the AEC	100%	The AEC's program of compliance audits seeks to assess the extent of compliance by political parties and associated entities with their disclosure responsibilities. During the year these audits did not uncover any instances of proven offences against the disclosure provisions of the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918
	% of payments are correct and within timeframes	100%	Payments were made in respect of the Isaacs and Ryan By-elections correctly and on time
	% of annual returns available for public inspection on the first working day in February	100%	All annual returns received by the AEC by the relevant cut off dates were available for public inspection on schedule. In addition, a number of returns provided after the cut off dates were available
	Number of donor returns processed	120	174 annual returns were processed, comprising 99 political party returns (of which 24 were from party branches) and 75 associated entity returns. Two amendments have been lodged to associated entity returns and 31 amendments to political party returns
	Number of annual returns processed	350	705 donor returns were processed. 20 amendments have been lodged
	Being capable of conducting compliance investigations in accordance with requirements	60	85 compliance investigations were carried out

Analysis: Funding and disclosure services

The AEC continued to undertake a program of compliance investigations of political parties and associated entities based on risk assessments. This was done in order to more efficiently utilise its limited resources yet still ensure public confidence that the disclosure provisions of the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 are being met.

As previously reported a number of recommendations aimed at improving the effectiveness of party registration, the funding and disclosure legislation and the administration of those schemes were made in the Funding and Disclosure Report on the 1998 Federal Election. This report was tabled in Parliament in June 2000 and can be accessed on the AEC's website.

The Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters invited submissions to an 'Inquiry into Electoral Funding and Disclosure' by advertising in all major national newspapers on 9 September 2000. The closing date for submissions was 13 October 2000. The AEC made a submission to this inquiry which can be accessed on the AEC's website. The inquiry was deferred by the Committee, and the AEC is looking forward to recommencement of the inquiry in order to discuss with the Committee the recommendations contained in the above mentioned report and issues that have since arisen.

The availability of disclosure returns lodged by registered political parties, associated entities and donors to political parties on the AEC's website has continued to be popular, with many members of the public and the media accessing this information. In the reporting period the total number of page views was approximately 128,214 (271,501 hits). The website was further enhanced during the reporting period to provide more advanced flexibility in searching power for users. The AEC will continue to review the functionality of the website to ensure that information is readily accessible and easy to understand.

The popularity of the website has meant that the public, and the media in particular, are able to more readily and closely examine and analyse the disclosure returns and this has impacted directly on the work of the AEC. The number of inquiries in relation to these returns has increased in complexity and detail, and the AEC has had to review its ability to and the manner in which it responds.

Trends

There are no significant trends to report for Output 2.1.3.

Significant changes in the nature of functions/services

There were no significant changes in the nature of functions or services relating to funding and disclosure services during the reporting period.

Factors, events or trends influencing performance

There were no significant changes in factors, events or trends influencing the performance relating to funding and disclosure services during the reporting period.

Performance against Customer Service Charter standards

During the year there were no significant performance issues that relate to the Customer Service Charter standards for Output 2.1.3.

Developments since end of financial year that have affected or may significantly affect the AEC's operations or financial results in future

Since the end of the financial year, there have been no significant developments impacting on operations or financial results for the future for Output 2.1.3.

Output 2.1.4 - Public awareness campaigns, media releases

Public awareness campaigns include advertising, public relations and publications undertaken with the objective of increasing public knowledge of, and participation in the electoral process.

The performance indicators and performance targets forecast in the 2000-2001 Portfolio Budget Statements and the performance results achieved are set out in Table 14.

Table 14: Output 2.1.4

Output group	Performance indicator	Performance target	Performance results
Output 2.1.4 Public awareness campaigns, media releases	% voter turnout at electoral events	96%	An 82% voter turnout was recorded for the Isaacs By-election on 12 August 2000 and an 89% voter turnout was recorded for the Ryan By-election on 17 March 2001. The percentage of voter turnout for by-elections is traditionally lower than the standard 96% target for federal elections
	% of votes that are formal	96%	Some 92% of votes cast at the Isaacs By-election were formal and some 97% of votes cast at the Ryan By-election were formal
	Awareness and understanding by the public of AEC electoral campaigns	80%	It is estimated that at least 82% of electors were aware of, and some 92% understood, the AEC's electoral campaigns
	Information provided is accurate	100%	100% accuracy was achieved
	% of AEC stories that attract media coverage	75% of AEC stories attract media coverage	It is estimated that 100% coverage was achieved

Analysis: Public awareness campaigns, media releases

A new advertising campaign was developed for use at the forthcoming federal election. All new ideas were 'concept tested' in December 2000 and the advertisements, covering the enrolment, voting services and formality phases of the campaign, were developed on the basis of this research. The results were very positive showing that the campaign was emotive so that people felt they really wanted to participate in the election process. These early findings will be tested against industry benchmarks during the forthcoming election period.

There were six media releases issued for the Ryan By-election, four for the Isaacs By-election and three for the Aston By-election. These received good coverage in major metropolitan, local and community media. The public awareness campaigns relied on broad dissemination of information in the press together with the publication and distribution of a householder leaflet.

As a result of the heightened level of interest seen through press, radio and television it is estimated that 100 per cent of electors would have been reached.

It is believed that 100 per cent accuracy was achieved in the material published. This has been measured on the basis that there were no inaccuracies identified by clients.

Other public awareness campaigns also included the AEC's exhibition stand at the 2001 Sydney Royal Easter Show. The AEC exhibition provided visitors, estimated at over 1,000,000, with an opportunity to enrol or update their enrolment details for the forthcoming federal election. A link from the AEC's website to the show's website also enabled visitors to download an enrolment form or access information for the purpose of updating personal enrolment information. A photographic display of Centenary events of the first federal election was featured at the stand, which enabled electors to see various changes that have occurred in one hundred years of electoral administration in Australia.

The exhibition stand proved very successful and of the 4,412 enrolment forms collected during the two-week show period, 1,313 were from 17 and 18-year-olds enrolling for the first time. A further 703 enrolment forms have been returned through the mail of which 283 have been from young people. Some 450 hits were received to the AEC's website from the show link.

The AEC's stand won second prize for the best government stand. Judging was based on 80 per cent for design and effectiveness and 20 per cent for the professionalism of the staff.

Various other awareness strategies successfully targeted youth enrolment. These included enrolment drives and educational displays at university orientation days, which proved to be successful. For example, some 1,160 enrolment forms were collected from new students at these events in New South Wales. A further 1,221 enrolment forms were also collected from the Illawarra Credit Union Career Market, Inner Western Careers and Tertiary Market, Career search 2001 and the Career Expo in Wellington.

In an attempt to ensure maximum reach across a diverse range of clients, advertisements were also placed in the street newspaper The Drum Media and in the 3D World Magazine and AMIDA, a magazine for students from a non-English speaking background. AMIDA is distributed to all major universities and training centres across Australia and embassies in Canberra with readership levels estimated at over 500,000. Advertisements were also placed in the Silent Messenger, a magazine produced by the Deaf Community of New South Wales, which reaches an audience of 100 per cent of community members. AEC staff also attended Citizenship ceremonies around Australia to assist new citizens with enrolment inquiries.

Trends

Overall, there has been an increase in the number of people accessing the AEC's website particularly to view election results on the Virtual Tally Room.

Significant changes in the nature of functions/services

There were no significant changes in the nature of functions or services relating to public awareness campaigns or media releases during the reporting period.

Factors, events or trends influencing performance

There were no significant changes in factors, events or trends influencing the performance relating to public awareness campaigns or media releases.

Performance against Customer Service Charter standards

While there were numerous compliments received and no complaints of a significant nature, there were several complaints of a minor nature. Relevant officers followed up these complaints and appropriate procedural changes were implemented.

Developments since end of financial year that have affected or may significantly affect the AEC's operations or financial results in future

Since the end of the financial year, there have been no significant developments impacting on operations or financial results for the future for Output 2.1.4.

Output 2.1.5 - Information services

Information services, such as the AEC's national telephone enquiry service, telephone interpreting service and website are provided to ensure the public has ongoing access to accurate and timely information about the electoral process.

The performance indicators and performance targets forecast in the 2000-2001 Portfolio Budget Statements and the performance results achieved are set out in Table 15.

Table 15: Output 2.1.5

Output group	Performance indicator	Performance target	Performance results
Output 2.1.5 Information services	Accuracy of information provided	100% accuracy	100% accuracy was achieved
	% of calls to the AEC Call Centres that are answered	90%	95%-based on the call centre established for the Western Australian State election where the AEC was contracted to provide a call centre. Of the 61,484 calls received 58,558 were answered
	All information, including the website is up to date, user friendly and accessible	100%	All information was considered to be accurate. This has been measured on the basis that there were no significant inaccuracies identified by clients
	Capability to answer all calls to Call Centres in the election period	Greater than 500,000	This is a federal election specific indicator. The AEC remained capable to establish a call centre if a federal election had been held
	Level of access to the AEC website	900,000 page views/users/ downloads	This is a federal election specific indicator. However, it should be noted that there were in excess of 5,700,000 hits and over 2,155,000 page views recorded during the year
	Average cost per Call Centre call	Less than $2.40	No call centres were established. Call centres are only established for major federal electoral events. For the Isaacs, Ryan and Aston By-elections, calls were handled by the State Head Offices

Analysis: Information services

A public relations plan and package of media releases and background information for the forthcoming federal election has been developed. Strategies have been adopted to ensure electors with a print disability and those electors from non-English speaking backgrounds have access to information for the federal election in an appropriate format. Information will be made available through alternate formats including large print, Braille, audiocassettes, ASCII disc and language specific translations. The plan will be evaluated following the election. A range of promotional materials has also been developed to raise awareness of the election process and to maintain a consistent image across all public media for the forthcoming federal election.

Election specific publications, such as the Candidate's Handbook, Scrutineer's Handbook, Electoral Newsfiles and Electoral Backgrounders, have been reviewed to ensure that all information is relevant, accurate and reflective of current legislative provisions. In order to assess the degree of client satisfaction with both the Candidate's Handbook and Scrutineer's Handbook, a questionnaire will be incorporated into the handbooks seeking feedback, comments and suggestions on the format and content of these publications. The information received will be used to improve the usefulness of these publications for future events.

Dissemination of electoral information is provided in various formats and one medium, the AEC website, is becoming more dynamic. Since its adoption by the AEC some three years ago it is now a source of daily interaction between the AEC and many of its clients. As a result, the AEC initiated a review of its website to change the layout, colour scheme and navigation to increase accessibility and enhance aesthetics. These aspects were identified as requiring attention following a survey of site users. While over 95 per cent of survey respondents indicated that the site was very informative and useful, some improvements are required to ensure that it remains relevant and continues to meet the needs of clients.

To celebrate the Centenary of Federation the AEC embarked on a project which will include the compilation of election statistics since 1901 and a history of the electoral law in place at each election. The data will be presented in an historical election statistics CD-ROM for easy access and storage. The CD-ROM will be made available by June 2002 following the inclusion of official results from the forthcoming federal election. This will ensure that historic election results are preserved in an up-to-date medium for future generations.

Trends

As was evidenced for Output 2.1.4, there has been an increase in the number of people accessing the AEC's website to view a range of AEC materials such as publications, historical results and general information.

Significant changes in the nature of functions/services

There were no significant changes in the nature of functions or services relating to information services during the reporting period.

Factors, events or trends influencing performance

During the recent Western Australian State Election in February 2001, the AEC established a call centre, on a fee-for-service basis, for the Western Australian Electoral Commission. There were 61,484 calls received with 58,558 calls being answered.

Performance against Customer Service Charter standards

During the year there were no significant performance issues that relate to the Customer Service Charter standards for Output 2.1.5.

Developments since end of financial year that have affected or may significantly affect the AEC's operations or financial results in future

Since the end of the financial year, there have been no significant developments impacting on operations or financial results for the future for Output 2.1.5.

Output 2.1.6 - Industrial elections and ballots for organisations

The AEC conducts industrial elections and ballots for registered organisations under the Workplace Relations Act 1996 (WR Act), as well as 'fee-for-service' elections and ballots, including certified agreement ballots, for government authorities and other organisations.

The performance indicators and performance targets forecast in the 2000-2001 Portfolio Budget Statements and the performance results achieved are set out in Table 16.

Table 16: Output 2.1.6

Output group	Performance indicator	Pereformance target	Performance results
Output 2.1.6 Industrial elections and ballots for organisations	Extent to which legislative and other requirements are met	100%	Target achieved. In the only election inquiry that concerned legislative requirements (section 215, WR Act), the Federal Court found that the action taken by the Returning Officer was consistent with the application of that section of the WR Act
	% of elections which are successfully challenged in court are the result of AEC procedural faults	Less than 1%	Target achieved. Of the 518 industrial elections there were only 3 election inquiries in 2000-2001
	Level of satisfaction by stakeholders	98%	On the basis that the AEC has received no formal or significant complaints and positive comment about the AEC has been received, it is considered that Customer Service Charter standards have been met
	Capability to conduct all elections and certified ballots	750 (estimated)	662 conducted, comprising 518 industrial elections, 117 certified agreement ballots and 27 other fee-for-service ballots
	Full cost recovery for commercial elections and ballots	Full cost recovery	Target achieved. All quotations for elections and ballots conducted were fully costed. All costs expended during the year were recovered

Analysis and trends: Industrial elections and ballots for organisations

The AEC conducted 518 elections and ballots for registered industrial organisations. This was considerably less than the previous year. In the 1998-1999 Annual Report, it was suggested that the figures might be part of a four-year election cycle. Based on the previous four-year cycle, it was expected that there would be a slight increase in the number of elections conducted in 1999-2000. It is not clear why the number has decreased. One possible reason is that the reduction in trade union membership numbers has led to simplified organisational structures, resulting in fewer elections. It is also feasible that there has been continued organisational restructures following the period of amalgamations in the mid-1990s and that this has led in turn to simplified organisational structures and fewer elections. In that regard, it is noted that the pattern of elections is reflective of the pattern, which occurred, in the early 1990s. It follows then that as both 1993-1994 and 1997-1998 represented the four-year low in the cycle, the number of elections and ballots should decrease further in 2001-2002.

The proportion of ballot papers returned was 31.00 per cent, which is slightly lower than the average over the past 10 years and represents a 1.05 per cent decrease over the previous year. The figure resulted in a decrease of the ten-year average from 32.04 per cent to 31.90 per cent.

For certified agreement ballots, 60,722 ballot papers were issued and 44,389 (73.10 per cent) returned. This is an increase of 2.74 per cent on the previous year.

For other commercial ballots, 55,097 ballot papers were issued and 19,090 (34.64 per cent) returned. Although this represents a significant decrease in the number of ballot papers issued compared to 1999-2000, it should be noted that the bulk of ballot papers issued in that year were for the NRMA elections, which was the second biggest postal ballot in Australian history. Of the percentage of returned votes, 34.64 per cent represented an increase of 8.35 per cent.

Overall, 144 certified agreement and fee-for-service ballots were conducted.

Significant changes in the nature of functions/services

A computer based voting system, E-vote, was used for the first time to conduct certified agreement ballots. E-vote was originally developed by the Department of Defence for use in the conduct of their certified agreement ballot. That ballot was conducted by the AEC. As part of the agreement for conducting the ballot, the AEC was given ownership of the system. The system has since been enhanced and was used for the conduct of the CSIRO's certified agreement ballot in June 2000.

The E-vote system allows one or more members of an electorate to vote using a web browser in their secure Intranet environment. The electoral roll from the client is incorporated into the system with members of the electorate voting using a web browser over an encrypted system. The system marks the roll and stores the vote in a server database. The system enables the returning officer to monitor the progress of the election using a secured web page. At the end of the election, the data is exported to a Microsoft Access database, from which the returning officer obtains the result.

Factors, events or trends influencing performance

The AEC reviewed the policy and procedures manual for industrial elections and ballots and planned for major elections to ensure national consistency in the application of rules.

A draft version of a voting systems booklet was developed. As its title suggests, the booklet provides guidelines on different types of voting systems and the processes to be followed for conducting ballots using those systems.

The AEC provided input into proposed legislative change, arising from the Registered Organisations Bill 2000 and the Workplace Relations (Registered Organisations) Bill 2001.

Work continued on the development of a nationally integrated events management system for non-parliamentary elections. Benefits of the proposed system will include:

• ability to better meet current and anticipated legislative requirements;
• enhanced budgetary control/event costing/resource utilisation;
• improved uniformity of procedural and policy implementation;
• improved record-keeping and reporting functions;
• improved information provision to AEC senior management; and
• improved productivity.

Information about the AEC's industrial election service was provided in the ACTU National Directory and the AEC's register of industrial elections legal decisions and advice was updated.

Performance against Customer Service Charter standards

The rules of industrial organisations and the provisions of the Workplace Relations Act 1996 were complied with. There were three election inquiries during the year. One application for inquiry was dismissed by the Federal Court. In the second, the Court overturned a decision that a candidate was ineligible, and a new ballot was ordered. The candidate who ordered the inquiry did not nominate. A third resulted from the returning officer postponing the commencement. The postponement was necessary until a previous Court decision, concerning membership eligibility, was determined. The Federal Court found that the returning officer's action did not constitute an irregularity.

Of votes cast, 97.93 per cent were admitted to scrutiny. That is, only 2.07 per cent of returned votes were informal. Given that industrial elections voting systems are often complicated and are less familiar to voters than the federal election ballot this suggests that ballot paper instructions and advice on election procedures was clear and accurate.

Developments since end of financial year that have affected or may significantly affect the AEC's operations or financial results in future

There were no developments introduced that significantly affected the AEC's operations during the year.

However, the Workplace Relations (Registered Organisations) Bill 2001 contains provisions that, if passed, will have both short-term and long-term impact on the AEC's operations, including the development of model electoral rules, the conduct of elections for non-office positions, mandatory declaration voting (a proposal sought by the AEC) and the provision of detailed post-election reports to organisations.

Output 2.1.7 - ATSIC elections

The AEC is responsible for the conduct of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC) Regional Council and Torres Strait Regional Authority (TSRA) elections. These elections are conducted every three years in accordance with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission Act 1989 (the ATSIC Act), the Regional Council Election Rules and TSRA Election Rules. The AEC also conducts elections for zone representatives and regional council officeholders. The last round of Regional Council elections were conducted in October 1999, and the elections for the two Torres Strait Regional Authority positions were conducted in April 2000.

The performance indicators and performance targets forecast in the 2000-2001 Portfolio Budget Statements and the performance results achieved are set out in able 17

Table 17: Output 2.1.7

Output group	Performance indicator	Performance target	Performance results
Output 2.1.7 ATSIC elections	Extent to which legislative requirements are met	100%	All legislative requirements were fully met
	% of electors which are successfully challenged in court that are the result of AEC procedural faults	Less than 1%	No challenges were made to AEC's conduct of elections
	Level of stakeholder satisfaction	98%	Only positive comments have been received from stakeholders. On this basis the AEC considers that its targets under the Customer Service Charter have been achieved
	Capability to conduct all ATSIC elections	2 (estimated)	No elections were conducted in this period
	Estimated number of casual ATSIC vacancies that will require processing by the AEC	20 casual vacancies	There were 19 casual vacancies

Analysis: ATSIC elections

In addition to conducting elections the AEC also conducts recounts when casual vacancies occur on regional councils. A casual vacancy occurs when a regional councillor passes away, retires or is otherwise removed from the regional council. Previously unsuccessful candidates from that ward are advised of the vacancy and are invited to declare to have their names included in the recount of the previous councillor's ballot papers to determine the successful candidate for the position. It should be noted that where no declarations have been received by the close of nominations a councillor is selected by conducting a by-election.

Of the 19 casual vacancies the AEC conducted 18 casual vacancy recounts. For the other vacancy at Jayida Buru in Derby Western Australia no nominations were received, and therefore advice of a by-election has been forwarded to the Minister. Details of casual vacancies are in Appendix I.

Trends

Information gathered from the last three ATSIC Regional Council elections has provided various trend indicators. One example has been the indication that the higher the population of younger people in a State/Territory, the higher the voter turnout is likely to be. It has also shown that the higher the population of older people (45-64 years of age) the lower the percentage of voter turnout.

Information also indicates that the geographic location of a region has an impact on voter numbers in that non-metropolitan areas record a larger percentage of votes received than metropolitan regions. A range of reasons has been suggested for these trends, providing the AEC with valuable information on which to base targeted public awareness campaigns.

Significant changes in the nature of functions/services

Following the 1999 round of elections and as a result of Y2K compliance testing it was determined that the existing ATSIC election database could not be guaranteed to be Y2K compliant, and an undertaking was made by Non-Parliamentary Elections section of the AEC to decommission this system in December 1999.

Following a series of application development meetings it was concluded that the most cost-effective solution was to utilise the current parliamentary election system and adapt it to meet the specific ATSIC requirements. The proposed adaptation would be to replicate the existing systems, adapt the shell and insert ATSIC information for testing.

Consultants (CSC) were used to replicate the system and initiate the coding of the modified system.

Factors, events or trends influencing performance

To ensure that the strong working relationship that has been developed between the AEC and ATSIC continues to meet the requirements and expectations of both parties, discussions have been initiated to formalise tasks and responsibilities. A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) has been drafted which will continue the strong cooperation that has developed between the AEC and ATSIC. It is expected to be signed early in 2001-2002.

Performance against Customer Service Charter standards

All casual vacancies were completed within time and in accordance with the legislation. The relationship between the AEC and ATSIC, outside of the legislated functions, has been informal. To ensure that all of the customer service standards continue to be met, discussions have been initiated to outline agreed tasks and responsibilities. A MOU has been drafted which will foster the strong cooperation that has developed between the AEC and ATSIC. The AEC considers that all of its obligations under the Customer Service Charter have been fulfilled.

Developments since end of financial year that have affected or may significantly affect the AEC's operations or financial results in future

Since the end of the financial year, there have been no significant developments impacting on operations or financial results for the future of Output 2.1.7.

Output 2.1.8 - State and local government elections

During the year, the AEC conducted local government elections in Tasmania and Victoria and was involved in the conduct of State government elections in Tasmania and Western Australia.

The performance indicators and performance targets forecast in the 2000-2001 Portfolio Budget Statements and the performance results achieved are set out in Table 18.

Table 18: Output 2.1.8

Output group	Performance indicator	Performance target	Performance results
Output 2.1.8 State and local government elections	Extent to which legislative and other requirements are met	100%	Target met. In Tasmania, assistance was provided for 27 of the 29 local government elections and the 3 Legislative Council elections held this year. All legislative and other requirements were met. In Western Australia, all legislative and other requirements for State government elections were met. Western Australia did not conduct local government elections. In Victoria, all legislative and other requirements were met
	Level of satisfaction by stakeholders	98%	In Tasmania, no formal complaints were received. The Tasmanian Electoral Office has expressed satisfaction with overall performance. In both Victoria and Western Australia, no formal complaints were received and local government clients were fully satisfied with the AEC's performance
	Maintain a state of readiness to conduct or assist in all elections where the requests are agreed by the AEC	Estimated number is 40	The AEC continues to maintain a state of readiness. The target has been exceeded with 49 elections being conducted or assistance provided. The extent to which the AEC conducts or assists in State and local government elections depends on a number of factors, including-but not limited to-achieving the AEC's legislative requirements, the extent to which State or local government legislation enables AEC involvement in State or local government elections, and the extent to which the AEC successfully tendered for local government elections conducted on a commercial basis. As indicated above, the workload is variable across States
	Extent to which AEC costs are recovered	Cost recovery	All costs were recovered

Analysis: State and local government elections

Tasmania

In Tasmania, the Tasmanian Electoral Office (TEO) has direct responsibilities for the conduct of State and local government elections. Since 1994, the AEC has entered into formal contractual arrangements with the TEO to provide assistance in the conduct of these elections. The AEC's involvement centres upon utilisation of the expertise and field resources of its returning officer network in dealing with either full postal or conventional elections.

State government

The AEC assisted in the conduct of three periodic legislative council elections in Tasmania during May 2001. All legislative and contractual requirements were met and a high level of customer service was achieved.

AEC staff were required to recruit and train polling staff and election casuals; accept and declare nominations; hire polling places; issue postal and pre-poll votes; arrange the supply and removal of polling place equipment; recheck counted votes; manage declaration vote scrutinies; undertake the scrutiny and distribution of preferences; and, declare the poll. Other administrative functions were also undertaken.

Local government

In October 2000, the AEC in Tasmania assisted in the conduct of local government elections for 27 of the 29 councils. These elections were conducted by post. All of the AEC's Divisional staff as well as staff from the industrial elections section were assigned specific elections to manage and conduct. The returning officers' initial functions involved the receipt and processing of candidate's nominations and candidate's statements. A rigorous checking process of the statements was undertaken in collaboration with the Tasmanian Electoral Office who then organised the printing and post-out of ballot material to eligible electors.

The AEC managed the collection and account of returned postal votes utilising a computerised markback system. At the prescribed time, returning officers conducted preliminary scrutinies followed immediately by preferential scrutinies for Mayor and Deputy Mayor positions as well as Hare-Clark scrutinies for councillors. These final processes for four to six councils per returning officer, at the one time, were conducted to a demanding timetable. Nevertheless all legislative and contractual obligations were met to a high level of client satisfaction.

Victoria

Local government

In Victoria, voting in local government elections is compulsory for residents and council elections are held on a three-year cycle, with three councils going to election in the first year, 21 in the second year and 54 in the third. The legislation allows each council, or the Australian Electoral Commission or the Victorian Electoral Commission, to conduct local government elections.

During the year 1 July 2000 to 30 June 2001, four by-elections were conducted for Buloke (Mount Jeffcott Ward), Northern Grampians (Grampians Ward), Southern Grampians and Yarriambiack (Beulah Ward). Of these four by-elections, two were uncontested: Buloke and Yarriambiack.

In May 2001, the AEC won the tender for the elections for the restructured Melbourne City Council to be held in July 2001. A Leadership Team comprising of Lord Mayor and Deputy Lord Mayor will be directly elected. In addition, there will be an election of seven councillors by proportional representation (using a system similar to the Senate). For the first time political parties will appear on the ballot papers.

Western Australia

Local government

Local Government Association (LGA) elections are held bi-annually in Western Australia and by-elections are held as vacancies occur. Voting is not compulsory. The AEC has traditionally conducted roll closures for the Western Australian Electoral Commission (WAEC). For by-elections, the AEC has a minimal involvement.

The AEC is involved in LGA roll closes for the full LGA elections and also for all LGA by-elections. The AEC takes no further part in LGA elections other than processing information received as a result of the election as it pertains to the Continuous Roll Update (CRU) process. The AEC met all expectations fully.

State government

For the first time, the AEC in Western Australia was contracted to conduct 14 of the 57 State Lower House elections. The elections were conducted by the Divisional Returning Officer whose Divisional office was located in the State district or, where this could not be accommodated, by a Divisional Returning Officer whose office was nearby the State district. Feedback by the WAEC indicated satisfaction with the arrangement.

Western Australian State elections are held every four years for each of the 57 Legislative Assembly seats and for the legislative council regions. Voting is compulsory. The AEC has traditionally conducted the roll close and has also provided pre-poll voting facilities due to the AEC's diversified office network.

The AEC also contracted with the WAEC to provide a call centre infrastructure for the period of the State election.

Trends

In Western Australia, the change in LGA elections to a mostly postal voting election as opposed to attendance ballots has seen a rise in the number of electors voting in LGA elections in Western Australia. This was not surprising. Similar results occurred in Victoria, in previous years, where local government elections switched from attendance to postal ballots.

Significant changes in the nature of functions/services

There were no significant changes in the nature of functions or services relating to State and local government election services during the reporting period.

Factors, events or trends influencing performance

There were no significant changes factors, events or trends influencing performance relating to State and local government election services during the reporting period.

Performance against Customer Service Charter standards

For Tasmania, both AEC and Tasmanian Electoral Office management were fully satisfied with the level of service provided.

For Western Australia, the performance was linked to the requirements and timetable of the Western Australia Electoral Office, but in all other respects was conducted to the same standard required for federal elections. All requirements of the Customer Service Charter were met.

For Victoria, all legislative and other requirements were met.

Developments since end of financial year that have affected or may significantly affect the AEC's operations or financial results in future

Since the end of the financial year, there have been no significant developments impacting on operations or financial results for the future for Output 2.1.8.

Output 2.1.9 - Advice and assistance in overseas elections

One of the AEC's functions under the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 is:

to provide, in cases approved by the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, assistance in matters relating to elections and referendums (including the secondment of personnel and the supply or loan of material) to authorities of foreign countries or to foreign organizations.

Output 2.1.9 was specifically developed to address this function and in 2000-2001 advice and assistance in overseas elections was pursued and provided through various means in a number of different locations.

The performance indicators and performance targets forecast in the 2000-2001 Portfolio Budget Statements and the performance results achieved are set out in Table 19.

Table 19: Output 2.1.9

Output group	Performance indicator	Performance target	Performance results
Output 2.1.9 Advice and assistance in overseas elections	Extent to which operational and other requirements are met	100%	All targets were met and activities were successfully undertaken
	Level of stakeholder satisfaction	98%	According to the information from various stakeholders and recipients of the AEC's advice and assistance, the level of satisfaction was 100%. This is assessed from the overwhelming number of positive comments that the AEC received. No negative comments have been received
	Maintain an ability to assist with requests for advice and assistance in overseas elections from clients in accordance with Australian foreign policy	Assistance will be provided to an estimated 4 countries	During 2000-2001 a total of 5 countries requested and received assistance from the AEC, including East Timor, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Fiji and the Federated States of Micronesia. In addition to these a joint conference was conducted by the Electoral Commission of Thailand and the AEC. A number of other regional electoral bodies were also present at this conference
	Capability of providing services and advice to clients	200 staff weeks per annum	The total number of staff weeks exceeded the performance indicator target. A total of 300 staff weeks per annum were required to provide services required. This increase was in response to long-term AEC involvement in countries such as Papua New Guinea

Analysis: Advice and assistance in overseas elections

East Timor

The AEC has undertaken a capacity building project with East Timor to ensure that sufficient skills and resources are available within the East Timor community to carry out the requirements for the planned Constituent Assembly election and to provide a skill and resource base for future elections to be conducted by the East Timorese. This project is anticipated to run until the end of 2001 and is funded by AusAID.

Currently there are two AEC officers in East Timor as part of the AEC electoral capacity building project supporting the August 30 Constituent Assembly election. Elements of this particular mission foreshadowed the provision of ad hoc assistance from other AEC officers. To date a further five officers have at various times travelled to East Timor to provide additional support. Part of this project has been the involvement of the AEC Electoral Administrators Course (EAC) Coordinator in providing workshops in English and Tetum based on the eight modules of the EAC. By June 2001, six of the modules were presented. This project is funded by AusAID.

Papua New Guinea

The AEC continues to support the activities of the Papua New Guinea Electoral Commission (PNGEC) through a technical assistance project funded by AusAID.

The long-term project, which commenced in April 2000, is a capacity building exercise, which seeks to impart skills and knowledge so the PNGEC will be better equipped to prepare for and conduct its electoral events. The major focus of the project during 2000-2001 was to assist the PNGEC to update its Common Roll. A quality electoral roll is fundamental to sound and transparent elections.

During 2000-2001, a total of 25 AEC officers travelled to PNG as part of the capacity building project. A significant number of these officers remained in PNG for periods of two to three months at a time. A number of these officers also travelled to PNG several times, in particular the project director and project coordinator. Currently the AEC has a team of four officers based in Port Moresby.

Team members worked closely with their counterparts to achieve the project goals and have established strong links with their PNGEC colleagues. Joint activities included: devising work plans, strategies and monitoring systems for the electoral roll update and election preparations; supporting information technology systems for recording and managing the roll; developing and revising enrolment procedures and manuals; training provincial enrolment staff; producing community awareness materials; and procuring equipment and materials for field work and data management purposes. The AEC also conducted an introductory Electoral Administrators' Training Course for PNGEC staff, which received excellent feedback from participants. These activities have been undertaken on schedule, within budget, and to the required performance standard.

Significant progress has been made on the update of the electoral roll and targets remain achievable.

Efforts to support PNGEC staff to further develop their skills and confidence have been particularly successful and the AEC plans to continue to emphasise this capacity building.

An Aide-Mémoire prepared in May 2001 on behalf of AusAID by an external consultant stated:

'The Project is a well-administered project. The AEC is complying with its obligations under the Record of Understanding (ROU) and completing the activities as planned. The AEC team has excellent rapport with the PNGEC and counterpart staff. The Design Team has no concerns about the quality of the AEC's technical, planning and capacity building advice. The AEC has been able to make available to the PNGEC an impressive range of advisers.'

The Design Team's 'very strong recommendation' is that AusAID continue to engage the AEC to work on the project until at least December 2002, adding: 'This is the PNGEC's strong request'.

This report, together with ongoing positive feedback from the PNGEC Executive and AusAID, indicates a high level of satisfaction with the AEC's performance.

In addition to the joint capacity building project two AEC officers travelled to PNG to assist the PNG's Central Funding Board of Management regarding political party registration processes and procedures. The project was funded by AusAID.

Solomon Islands

The Solomon Islands are scheduled to go to the polls by December 2001. In response to a submission from the Solomon Islands Government to the Australian Government, the AEC sent two officers in June (10-16) to conduct a scoping mission to ascertain the level of assistance required. It is anticipated that the AEC will be involved further in the Solomon Islands in the second half of 2001. This and subsequent missions will be funded by AusAID.

Fiji

Following the political unrest of May 2000 in which the democratically elected government was forced from office, the AEC, in response to a request from the Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Caretaker Government of the Republic of Fiji, through the Supervisor of Elections, agreed to provide technical assistance. Preparations began in May 2001 for the dispatch of AEC officers to assist in the conduct of a general election. In June 2001 (24-30), the AEC sent three officers to conduct various seminars for senior election officials as well as providing input into the procedures and forms utilised for the forthcoming election in August 2001. This is the first phase of a larger mission, which will be concluded in the second half of 2001. This mission has been funded entirely by AusAID.

Federated States of Micronesia

During March 5 to 26 a technical assistance mission consisting of two AEC officers was sent to the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) to implement a voter registration system for the Pohnpei State Electoral Commission (PSEC). Prior to this mission a scoping mission was conducted in early November 2000 to ascertain the level of assistance that the AEC may be able to provide to the PSEC. Both of these missions were funded by AusAID. The voter registration system was developed by these AEC officers in Canberra, prior to its installation in Pohnpei. Subsequent training of PSEC staff has facilitated a smooth transition in terms of operation and maintenance of the system. The AEC was also able to develop a website for the PSEC, and assist the PSEC to produce a registration procedures manual. The mission was highly successful in both the technical implementation of the database, as well as capacity building. The voter registration system was successfully implemented in the State of Pohnpei. If funding is available the AEC hopes to establish the system in the other three States of FSM. This voter registration program has the capability of being utilised elsewhere in small geographically disparate communities.

Thailand

In January 2001, the Chairman of the AEC and the Australian Electoral Officer for Queensland visited Thailand to observe the Thai general election. As a result of this visit, the AEC was subsequently invited to co-host the Electoral Officials International Conference, which was held in Bangkok in June 2001. Four Senior AEC officials attended, including the Chairman, Electoral Commissioner, Deputy Electoral Commissioner and the Australian Electoral Officer for Queensland. Attendance at this conference contributed to strengthening ties between electoral management bodies within the South Asia-Pacific region. Delegates came from India, Bangladesh, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and Australia, as well as one delegate from the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA). Observers from Sri Lanka and Brunei also attended.

United State of America

In November 2000, two officers from the AEC visited the USA to undertake a study on electronic voting and observe the USA presidential election held on November 7, 2000. A report on the visit can be viewed on the AEC's website at www.aec.gov.au.

International delegation briefings

A number of delegations visited the offices of the AEC to inquire about various aspects of electoral governance. These delegations came from countries, communities and organisations as diverse as the South African Independent Electoral Commission (July), Electoral Assistance Division of the United Nations (July and September), New Zealand (October), Peoples Republic of China (October), International (IDEA) (December), Papua New Guinea (February), Japan (February), Vietnam (February), Namibia (March), Samoa (May), East Timor (June), United States of America (June), Indonesia (June) and South Korea (June).

A number of these delegations were arranged under the auspices of the Australian Political Exchange Council.

Peacekeeping

Since 1994, the AEC has helped the Australian Defence Force to provide training to officers on electoral aspects of peacekeeping operations. This program continued during 2000-2001. Presentations were again given at the international peacekeeping seminar conducted by the Australian Defence Force Peacekeeping Centre, and at the Australian Army Command and Staff College, Queenscliff. Feedback indicated that the AEC's input made a positive contribution to the outcomes of the training programs.

Electoral Administrators Course

In December 1999, the AEC convened an Expert Advisory Group to advise on the development of curriculum for a short course targeted at electoral administrators from developing countries. Throughout 2000-2001 development on the actual curriculum continued with a total of three officers being assigned to this task. Introductory modules of the course have been presented in East Timor, Papua New Guinea and Fiji and have been very well received by the participants. In March the Expert Advisory Group met in Darwin to discuss development in the curriculum. Participants came from Fiji, Indonesia, United Nations and International IDEA.

Trends

During 2000-2001 there was an increased demand placed upon the AEC, in terms of its capacity to provide electoral assistance to foreign countries. The focus of this trend continues to be the South-East Asian and Pacific regions. There are now at least four AEC officers overseas (currently based in Papua New Guinea) at any given point in time. The reason for this trend, which is expected to continue in the foreseeable future, is from two sources: requests originating from countries themselves, and direct requests from the Minister for Foreign Affairs for the AEC to be involved in electoral assistance. In addition, the AEC receives requests for the supply of staff to take part in various electoral related missions for diverse international organisations, including the United Nations, International IDEA and the International Federation of Electoral Systems (IFES).

Significant changes in the nature of functions/services

During 2000-2001 there have been no significant changes in the functions for Output 2.1.9.

Factors, events or trends influencing performance

The only event/s that may influence the delivery of service as described earlier is when demand for overseas electoral assistance coincides with the conduct of a federal election or other significant operational requirements. This will impact on the capacity of the AEC to firstly, agree to provide assistance and secondly, the availability of suitable staff to undertake the overseas missions as required.

Performance against Customer Service Charter standards

Performance against the Customer Service Charter can be rated as excellent. This is evident through the day-to-day service that the AEC provided to overseas organisations where the AEC continued to respond promptly and appropriately for requests for information. The AEC acted with honesty and integrity when dealing with foreign counterparts, acted with care and diligence when sending officials overseas on assistance missions, and complied with all applicable Australian laws. The AEC has not received any complaints in regards to its provision of advice and assistance in overseas elections.

Developments since end of financial year that have affected or may significantly affect the AEC's operations or financial results in future

Since the end of the financial year, there have been no significant developments impacting on operations or financial results for the future of Output 2.1.9.

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