5 Statements of Intent of Departments
The final component of the Information Supporting the Estimates presents the Statements of Intent of the departments covered by each sector. These statements contain the information required by section 40 of the PFA. They focus on the medium term and generally cover:
- Nature and scope of the department's functions - A brief high-level description of the department's functions, addressing its role(s) and purpose and how it intends fulfilling them.
- Strategic direction - impacts and outcomes - A brief high-level overview of the department's strategic direction covering both the impacts and outcomes the department is seeking to achieve (or contribute to) and the strategic environment in which the department operates through, in particular, its responses to the government's priorities.
- Operating intentions - Information that describes how the department intends to achieve (or contribute to) those desired impacts and outcomes through its operations. This section should also include the main measures and standards the department will use to assess and demonstrate what it has achieved, including measures of outcome achievement, impact and cost effectiveness.
- Managing in a changeable operating environment - Information on the risks to achievement of the desired outcomes and priorities, and the department's mitigation strategies.
- Assessing organisational health and capability - The department's intentions for building and strengthening its internal capability, including its responses to the development goals for the State Services and its strategic approach to managing its asset base and forecast capital expenditure in the medium term. If capital expenditure is significant, it is in a separate section.
- Additionalinformationand statutory reporting requirements - As required either by the responsible Minister or Minister of Finance, or by specific legislation.
