Senate Education and Employment Legislation Committee, , 27:03 to 35:08
Inquiry into the department's reliance on Deloitte for core functions and the implementation of the strategic commissioning framework to bring work back in-house.
Topics: Procurement, Public service staffing
Speakers: Mr. Tony Cook, Senator Matt O'Sullivan, Mr. Marcus Markovic, Unknown Speaker, Mr. Craig Boyd
I want to ask about the service delivery pricing project. >> Uh for early education service delivery price project. Uh what's the total value of the department's contract with Deote?
Let's see whether anyone at the table has that. the US senator. >> We can't do it now. We'll be able to do this afternoon when early childhood's on unless Mr. Mitch has got it. >> So 6.6 6.7 million I've got here. Senator,
>> does that include any extensions or variations?
>> Uh I don't know whether I don't think there were any extensions to tweet not aware of it but um can't can't
absolutely say don't know
>> you can come back to us >> I think later on the detail.
>> Do you have the original contract dates and key milestones? Are there any delays
at all? So Senator contract dates the probably the milestones and the delays would be a question for our early childhood colleagues but the start ways start date was the 6th of June 2025.
>> Yeah.
>> And the end date the 28th of February 2027
>> and my understanding is the expectation is the report will be delivered by the end of the year. I don't have any um information that say that's been delayed
>> Okay. And uh have there been any requests or has there been any approvals for any changes to the contract scope, time frame or cost at all?
>> I'm not aware of any Senator, but Mr. Reid or Mrs. Crane can give more detail on early childhood, but I'm not aware of any changes to that contract. They can correct me.
>> So a question on uh Deoid's performance that would be for them as well. So the department hasn't withheld or adjusted any payment because of any delays, incomplete work.
>> Again, I don't believe so. But again, the contract managers in early child will be able to answer those questions in more detail.
>> Okay. uh the small provider relief payment. What's the purpose of the small provider
>> in relation to the same contract or is it CCTV trial or
>> small prov look I'm not that's why I'm asking what is it
>> we just got we we have a series of uh funds that we offer to small providers. >> Yeah. Um, one was to assist them if they were involved in the CCTV trial, for example. Okay. >> Another one was in relation to possibly the deote, but again,
I think it's separate. Um, let
>> early child
>> sounds like I got to deal with that later today anyway. So, I'll get some more info on that. the preschools uh reform agreement. >> How much funding does the New South Wales government receive under the under the agreement?
>> Sandra, I'm sorry. We're we're really going into early childhood outcome now rather than department corporate. >> I could do it, but I'll drag out my
early childhood folder. >> No, I'm happy to I'm happy to deal with yeah. All right. They're going to all go can I ask about just going back to Deote the just the department's relationship with Deoid uh in the time since the last election Deoid's been listed as the inclusion development fund manager for the department. uh the words managing ECE grants paid for uh grants for paid practicum and workforce development under GO762760 and 834 and Deote as we've discussed been selected to deliver the service delivery pricing project. >> Yeah. Um uh is there any risk or any concern in relation to having uh that so much of the core government work outsourced to deote >> Senator organization?
>> Yeah, thank you for the question. Um all our contracts in relation to these my understanding were open transparent um processes and so went to the market market was able to uh uh tender for these these particular projects that we're working on. Um there was expertise that we needed that was outside the department around this to support the department in the work that we did. Um in these particular instances deote was successful in relation to that. our normal assurance process would happen around the work that we're doing with contractors. So, um uh as far as I'm concerned, we've followed everything that we need to do in relation to the work that we need to do that we contract out. Um we're not we're not a big spender of consultancies and contractors generally. Um but there are particular things like the inclusion support program as you raised where we do have contractors assist us with some of the initial processing and then final decisions are made in the department in relation to those grants. So uh I don't have the concern. We obviously are very focused on contractors. We're very focused on ensuring that we're getting best value for money. We're very focused on making sure that our procurement process is uh uh very strict and very um uh lot of property around it and we'll
>> How how does that accord with the government's commitment to have less reliance on
>> strategic commission framework
>> on on contractors? >> Yeah. uh and for the uplift within the public service to be able to deliver these projects more.
>> Yeah. Yeah. No, no. Fair question, Senator. So, I think our contractor is our contractor numbers are about I think 3%. 3.7% of the total workforce. So, very very small. Um uh we in terms of our strategic commissioning framework, there are a number of core functions that we have uh ensured are kept within the department and Mr. Markovic can probably help me in more detail around that. In terms of things like contracts and consultancies, that is something that we are focusing on to reduce our reliance on those. Um, but Mr. Markovic just very quickly, I know you probably don't have much time, Senator, but very quickly go through some of those core things and what we're doing around particularly some of the issues around
>> So, Senator, certainly as the secretary's pointed out, the strate the focus of the strategic commissioning framework is to ensure that core activities are undertaken by public servants. uh we in our planning processes have identified nine critical areas that um we are keen to ensure are done by um public servants and then we have four additional areas that we're working on as a priority to bring back in house. Uh we provide transparency on our progress through both our annual report and corporate plans. Um but our focus has been on um areas that we've identified as that must be core. uh things like you know developing legislation providing services to parliamentarians national security matters uh in addition to those that are identified in the strategic commissioning framework. So that's been our focus and as the secretary's mentioned outside of that we will use contractors and consultants as appropriate to to supplement our