Annual report 2000-01: Output 3.1

Output 3.1 International policy	Performance indicators
Advice, briefing and support to the Prime Minister on international issues, including trade, economic, defence, aid policy, security and intelligence issues, including for presentation of the Government's decisions in these areas.	Quality: The degree of satisfaction of the Prime Minister, the Prime Minister's Office, Secretary and departmental Executive with the timeliness and quality of material for the Prime Minister's and other Ministers' consideration, including in developing and pursuing Australia's key foreign and trade policy interests.
Advice, briefing and support to the Prime Minister on domestic security issues, including security intelligence, law enforcement, counter-terrorism and natural disaster relief.	The degree of satisfaction of the Prime Minister, the Prime Minister's Office, Secretary and departmental Executive with the timeliness and quality of material for the Prime Minister's and other Ministers' consideration, including in relation to development and pursuit of key domestic security and natural disaster relief goals and improvement of domestic security arrangements.
Provision of secretariat services to the National Security Committee of Cabinet (NSC) and the Secretaries' Committee on National Security (SCNS).	The degree of satisfaction of the Prime Minister, other NSC Ministers, the Secretary to Cabinet and the departmental Secretaries associated with SCNS on the management processes required for the smooth operation of the NSC and SCNS. Cost of Outputs - $3.7m

Qualitative assessment

Methodology

Qualitative assessment of the International Division's work is carried out through formal and informal feedback from the Secretary of the department and relevant senior advisers in the Prime Minister's Office. Formal feedback sessions are held with the Secretary, and the division's performance and outcomes are judged against its annual work plan. The division uses this feedback for continuous improvement.

Feedback

The division received positive feedback from the Prime Minister, the Prime Minister's Office, the Secretary and the departmental Executive for its work on a range of critical international, defence, intelligence and security issues, including its work in support of the Prime Minister's overseas visits and various secretariat services.

Key results

Through advice provided to the Prime Minister, and support for whole-of-government and cross-portfolio endeavours, the International Division contributed to key government initiatives and achievements. Those key initiatives and achievements are listed below.

International issues

The International Division ensured coordination of Australian efforts for a smooth transition to independence and for long-term stability in independent East Timor.

The division supported the coordinated development of policy to support a mature, balanced and sustainable relationship with Indonesia, including by making a substantial contribution to preparations for an historic visit by President Wahid.

The division helped to coordinate Australian engagement with the new United States administration.

The division assisted the coordinated development of Australian trade policy, including efforts for the launch of a new World Trade Organisation round and approaches to bilateral free trade agreements.

The division played a major supporting role in whole-of-government management of Australia's successful negotiations of revised social security arrangements with New Zealand.

With developments in the Pacific an important foreign policy focus for the Government, the division contributed strongly to a review of Australia's South Pacific policies and to the development of more focused approaches to promoting democracy, economic development and stability in the region. It played a key role in developing and coordinating practical, whole-of-government Australian responses to assist Papua New Guinea government reform; to encourage restoration of democratic rule in Fiji; and to secure a return to peace in the Solomon Islands.

The division played a leading role in policy preparations for the Brisbane Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in October 2001. This included active support for the Prime Minister and the Secretary in developing a practical programme of structural and policy reforms through Australia's membership of the Commonwealth's High Level Review Group.

The division contributed strongly to the whole-of-government management of relations with United Nations treaty bodies and to development of the Government's initiative to strengthen the United Nations' ability to deal with human rights issues.

The International Division provided policy and organisational support for many significant events and meetings that advanced Australia's foreign, trade and economic interests. These included productive visits by the Prime Minister to the United Kingdom, India, New York (for the Millennium Summit and for the Commonwealth High Level Review Group leaders' meeting), Brunei (for the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation leaders' meeting) and Kiribati (for the Pacific Islands Forum).

The division played an important role in the successful visits to Australia of the President of the Federal Republic of Germany, the prime ministers of Papua New Guinea, New Zealand and Samoa, and the Commonwealth Secretary-General.

Defence and security issues

The division made a major contribution to the development of the Defence White Paper, the most comprehensive review of defence issues in over a decade. The division also contributed to the development of a defence policy with a closer linkage between strategic interests and acquired capabilities.

The division contributed to the development of policies concerning weapons of mass destruction, arms control and proliferation, in part in response to the greater international interest in missile defence issues.

The division is contributing to the development of a national strategy for ensuring a secure national information environment, including for electronic commerce and critical infrastructure.

The division managed a working group that coordinated consideration of recommendations, made by the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security, intended to improve security in the Australian intelligence community and wider government.

The division provided assistance to the Sydney 2000 Games Coordination Task Force, including support for the development of effective procedures and arrangements for security and dignitaries during the 2000 Games - 'the best games ever'.

Secretariat services

The International Division provided policy advice to the Prime Minister and the Secretary on management of defence, intelligence and security issues, including:

Meetings focusing on these areas, for which the division provided input and support, consisted of 10 meetings of the National Security Committee of Cabinet, 15 meetings of the Secretaries' Committee on National Security and six meetings of the Strategic Policy Coordination Group.

The division also contributed to effective Commonwealth-state consultation and coordination through the Standing Committee on Treaties, for which the division, as secretariat, supported and chaired officials' meetings in November 2000 and May 2001.

The division provided input and support to eight meetings of the International Economic Policy Group.

Administered items

Output 3.1 had no administered items on which to report in the 2000-01 financial year.

Department of the Prime Minister & Cabinet

Output 3.1 - International Policy

Contents

Performance indicators and results