Performance measures and service level standards

IPEA’s performance measures and planned performance results, and their disclosure, are critical mechanisms for IPEA to show its effectiveness and operational transparency. IPEA includes its planned performance measures in its corporate plan and Portfolio Budget Statements, providing accountability to the Australian Government and public.

IPEA’s Overarching performance measure

Provision and delivery of independent advice, administration, reporting on, and assurance of, work resources for parliamentarians and travel resources of their staff.

Planned performance results

• 80% of performance measures achieved.

Advice

Provide accurate and timely advice to parliamentarians and their staff on travel resources.

Planned performance results

• 70% of client survey respondents satisfied with IPEA’s advice function. 
• 90% of advice provided is accurate and of high quality.
• IPEA achieves the service level standards for the provisions of travel advice. 

Service level standards

• All calls are acknowledged, with 90% of calls acknowledged within 1 day ^(a).
• All requests for advice are resolved, with 90% of requests for advice resolved within 2 days ^{(a) (b)}.

1. During hours: 9am to 5pm—Monday-Friday AEST/ADST (except for public holidays).
2. Except where IPEA is waiting on essential information from others, for example waiting for information from parliamentarians, their staff, travel providers or government stakeholders.

Education

Educate parliamentarians and their staff on travel resources.

Planned performance results

• 80% of participants satisfied with the education session they attended.
• Education sessions offered in all capital cities^(a)(b) and virtually twice each financial year.
• IPEA achieves the service level standards for the provision of education.

Service level standards

• 90% of education session requests are responded to within 7 working days of receipt of requests.
• 100% of new parliamentarians are offered an introductory session within 2 months of declaration of poll ^(c).

1. Dependent on room availability.
2. Participants may be offered a virtual session where registration numbers for a capital city are low.
3. Except where IPEA is waiting on essential contact information for new parliamentarians.

Claims administration

Administer accurately and in a timely manner the processing of parliamentarians and their staff claims for travel resources.

Planned performance results

• 70% of client survey respondents are satisfied with IPEA’s travel claim processing.
• IPEA achieves the service level standards for the provision of claims administration.

Service level standards

• Travel claims are assessed to verify 80% have been processed within an 7 working days and with a 90% degree of accuracy ^(a).
• Requests for additional travel claim information (e.g. where the claim is incomplete) are sent within an average of 4 working days of receiving the initial claim ^(b).
• 90% of Electorate Support Budgets (ESB) are disseminated by the third week of June. New parliamentarians commencing after 1 July receive their budget/s within 10 working days of official commencement ^(b).

1. Incorrect/incomplete claims are not included.
2. Except where IPEA is waiting on essential information from others, for example waiting for information from parliamentarians, their staff, travel providers or government stakeholders.

Reporting

Increase transparency through the compilation of reports on parliamentarians work and travel resources and the travel resources of their staff.

Planned performance results

• 95% of expenditure reports provided on a quarterly basis in accordance with the expenditure reports schedule ^(a)(b).
• 90% of ad hoc reports provided within 10 working days, or another timeframe as agreed ^(a)(b).
• 95% of expenditure reports’ associated data published on the IPEA website and data.gov.au in line with our publication schedule ^(c).

1. Dependent on ICT and data availability.
2. Does not include time waiting for 3rd party data.
3. IPEA website and data.gov.au website are available.

Assurance and audit

Conduct assurance activities on parliamentarians work resources and the travel resources of their staff.

Planned performance results

• 100% of parliamentarians’ offices are the subject of at least one assurance activity over the reporting period.
• 10 assurance reviews undertaken in the reporting period.
• 100% of work expense irregularities or anomalies are subject to further assurance activity.
• 100% of instances where IPEA identifies the possible misuse of parliamentary work resources, it acts in accordance with its Statutory Audit Function.
• 100% of instances where assurance activities have established misuse of expenses, recovery action is pursued.