Our Quarterly Issue 12
Welcome from Antony Catt
Welcome to the first edition of 2023. I hope you had a restful break and are refreshed for the start of the year. I am Antony Catt, the acting Assistant Secretary of the Fraud Prevention and Anti-Corruption branch. I will be in this role until approximately mid-year, when Luci Atkinson will return.
I’m excited to be taking a leading role with the Centre over the coming months and I look forward to meeting many of you soon. The work of the Centre is made possible through effective collaboration with our valued stakeholders.
The Centre had a huge year in 2022. We ran various events and workshops, released multiple publications and offered tailored 1-on-1 support to Australian Government entities. You can learn more about the Centre’s achievements over the last 6 months in our Quarterly Review document available by contacting us.
Keep an eye out, as we will be releasing more toolkits and guidance material to help your entity fight fraud in 2023. Key projects include:
- designing the Fraud Resilient Policies and Programs Toolkit
- developing the Fraud Resilient Procurement Toolkit
- launching a new Community of Practice for officials conducting controls assurance activities
- reviewing and updating the Commonwealth Fraud Control Framework 2017
- developing the Fraud and Corruption Landscape Report 2022–23
- creating a panel of experts who specialise in fraud data analytics
- hosting 4 Counter Fraud Practitioner Training courses
- co-authoring a new whole-of-government publication: Guide to Countering the Insider Threat
- developing the Controlling Fraud Risk: Leading Practice Guide
Fraud Awareness Week Reflections
During International Fraud Awareness Week (13-19 November 2022) we ran capability building webinars to help Australian Government entities strengthen their counter-fraud knowledge and expertise.
Australian Public Service Anti-Corruption Conference November 2022
APSACC - Australia’s leading public sector anti-corruption conference was held mid-November and was attended by more than 500 delegates from a wide range of government entities. Officials spoke about the latest trends, research and practices in preventing, exposing and responding to corrupt conduct and corruption risks in the public sector.
Piloting our Counter Fraud Practitioner Training Program
On 25 October 2022, 15 participants commenced the Counter Fraud Practitioner Training Program Pilot. This pilot covered a range of topics for a comprehensive counter-fraud approach. Learn more about the program, how our participants found it and our plans for 2023!
Updates to the Fraud Rule
The Centre is undergoing a review of section 10 of the Public Governance, Performance Accountability Rule 2014 (the Fraud Rule). Consultation on potential changes will commence soon.
New Resources
Commonwealth Risk Management Policy
The Department of Finance has released a new policy which sets out the principles and mandatory requirements for managing risk in undertaking the activities of government. The policy will help to improve decision making in order to maximise opportunities and better manage uncertainty.
Australian Government Investigations Standard (AGIS) 2022
The Australian Government Investigations Standard (AGIS) is the foundational standard for framing accountability and security for entities conducting investigations relating to the government programs and legislation they administer.
AGIS 2022 was developed for Australian Government entities to ensure quality investigative practices and outcomes.
Commonwealth Integrity Maturity Framework
The Australian Commission for Law Enforcement Integrity’s (ACLEI) new Commonwealth Integrity Maturity Framework tool is for public sector entities to assess, and plan to upscale their integrity systems in preparation for the commencement of the National Anti-Corruption Commission and other APS reforms across the Commonwealth. The framework includes a ‘Fraud and Corruption maturity indicator’, which was created by the CFPC with assistance from ACLEI.
Vulnerabilities Brief 2021-22
This brief provides an overview of the corruption vulnerabilities identified between July 2021 and June 2022 from finalised investigations under the Law Enforcement Integrity Commissioner Act 2006 and related prosecutions.
New Guide: Fraud in Foreign Aid Programs 2021-22
The members of the International Public Sector Fraud Forum (Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States) have come together to look at the problem of fraud in foreign aid programs. They have shared their findings and insights in this new guide. This guide is for decision makers delivering international aid and counter fraud experts working with them to prevent and detect fraud. It sets out recommendations for strategic considerations and operational steps for governments, multilateral organisations (including the United Nations and World Health Organisation), non-government organisations and local actors to take to minimise fraud risk in aid through prevention and detection in international aid programs.