Defence

Coordination and Public Affairs

Be aware, not alarmed

By Harry Baxter

While long-time viewers of the comedy series "Yes, Minister" could be forgiven for thinking otherwise, responsiveness to Government is not an issue to be taken lightly.

The need for Defence to acknowledge and adapt to the style and preferences of individual Ministers is just one of the outworkings of our place in the Australian constitutional framework. It's a framework that emphasises ministerial responsibility for the activities of departments of state, and an ultimate civil control over military affairs.

While many in Defence - civilian and military - are rightly proud of their direct involvement in the core business of Defending Australia and its national interests, it is worth remembering that the Government of the day is the elected guardian, or caretaker, of that national interest.

The Chief of Staff Australian Defence Headquarters, Michael Pezzullo, explains it this way. Defence personnel, he says, must understand that their line of public accountability is, at all times, through the elected government and that they do not act in an 'independent' official or professional capacity.

"It would be a brave minister who chose to direct the finest details of a delicate submarine operation, a battalion strength assault upon a hill, a dangerous aerial strike mission on a terrorist camp, a complex signals intelligence operation or a complicated scientific experiment involving an advanced military system," Mr Pezzullo says.

"But mind you, there would be nothing in our legal or constitutional order that would preclude this!"

A Standing Order of the Senate, in force since 1999, has required that all Senior Executive Service (SES) officers in the Australian Public Service undertake mandatory training in their rights and accountabilities before the Federal Parliament. In Defence this requirement extends to military star-rank officers, and is reported in each year's Annual Report.

A range of initiatives are in place to extend this knowledge to Defence personnel beyond the Senior Leadership Group. These initiatives include:

CPA Manual

The intranet site for the Coordination & Public Affairs Division (also known as the CPA Manual) provides a range of information and tools to educate and assist Defence personnel working in policy, advising and other headquarters-related functions. A central component of the Manual is the ministerial guidance (discussed in more detail below). The Manual also includes guidance for officials representing Defence on inter-departmental committees, Defence and whole-of-Government publications and links to Public Affairs information including Ministerial press releases.

Parliamentary Handbook

Ministerial correspondence templates, related guidance and other supporting information are now available in online format only. This part of the Manual is a critical resource for Defence personnel involved with drafting correspondence for the Ministers and the Parliamentary Secretary. It also includes guidance on Question Time Briefs and other information requirements of the Ministers' Offices. Significantly, this range of processes are designed to protect the apolitical (that is, impartial and independent) nature of Defence advice to Government, as well as to enhance the efficiency and timeliness of information flows.

Writing Training

The Ministerial Writing course is designed to assist personnel to write effective and appropriate correspondence, proposals, briefs or other written documents for the Ministers or Parliamentary Secretary. The Defence Business Training Centre also offers a range of courses on writing skills.

In addition, more informal information sessions are periodically held for those who would like to know more about the Ministers' and Parliamentary Secretary's requirements for ministerial correspondence, dealing with Cabinet and the Federal Executive Committee and providing input to Defence statutory reports.

Government Awareness course

Developed by Corporate Governance and Renewal Branch in conjunction with La Trobe University, this new course complements skills-based training on ministerial writing. The aims of the new course, to be finalised by September 2005, are to enhance understanding of Defence in Government and to examine issues of responsiveness and the role of the Defence official.

The course is targeted at new Defence civilian personnel, or military personnel recently posted into a headquarters environment, and will target improvements in the level of awareness and understanding of the political and whole-of-Government context in which Defence operates.

For more information: http://intranet.defence.gov.au/cpa

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