Building capability through our people

"Fraudsters are a committed, capable and evolving adversary" - UK Public Sector Fraud Authority chief executive officer Mark Cheeseman.

To meet this challenge, Australian Government entities must continue to build and embed counter-fraud capability and expertise into its workforce.

This is why the Commonwealth Fraud Prevention Centre has created a Learning and Development Strategy 2022-2025.

This strategy recognises formal training is not enough for entities to provide the level of responsiveness and adaptation needed in an environment of constant change. It is important to have an approach that addresses various sources of learning. The strategy outlines current and future approaches to building capability among Australian Government officials, including risk and policy practitioners, to detect, prevent and respond to fraud.

Strong domestic and international partnerships and networks are also key to strengthening counter-fraud capability. The strategy has been informed by the work of the APS Academy, the multi-agency Counter Fraud Reference Group, and the centre's international partners, in particular the UK Government's Public Sector Fraud Authority.

The strategy outlines how the centre will embed leading practices, tools and frameworks for preventing and dealing with fraud through a flexible and accessible range of offerings, including information sessions, practical workshops and coaching support for Australian Government officials.

The centre offers guidance for the following core and sub-disciplines, with workshops available in core disciplines only:

The core disciplines equip and empower officials with tools and knowledge to:

• understand and communicate the fraud problem
• carry out best practice approaches to fraud risk assessment
• control fraud risk
• use data more effectively to find and prevent fraud
• test the effectiveness of fraud controls.

In the future, sub-disciplines will deliver knowledge and skills in areas such as mitigating fraud in grants administration, and designing fraud-resilient policies and programs.

In time, the strategy will teach Senior Executive Service officers about fraud management decision-making and the role of leadership and culture in encouraging transparency, accountability and responsible reporting.

Public servants will recognise these key themes from our APS Values. As the integrity of the APS continues to be tested in coming years, entities must turn their minds to embedding these themes in the fabric of their culture.

Over the longer term, the centre aims to establish a pathway to a counter-fraud profession to recognise the specialist skillset required to counter fraud effectively, in consultation with our domestic and international partners.

Email info@counterfraud.gov.au to request a copy of the strategy.