Departmental audit committees and governance: Making management and accountability the priority from the top down

One of the key policies arising from the Federal Accountability Act 2006 was the requirement for deputy heads to establish “department and agency audit committees.” These committees comprise retired public servants, academics and leaders from the private sector. This policy requires deputy heads to take advice from “outside” advisers for the management of their departments or agencies. This is unprecedented. The author examines the reform antecedents of this policy, key implementation considerations, and what this is likely to mean for management in the federal public service.