Auditor-General blasts ‘unwilling to learn’ PS in scathing report

A lack of information and data-sharing in Queensland’s public service and between other bodies that would enable them to learn from the mistakes of others and prevent them from happening again has been exposed by the Auditor-General.

Queensland’s public service is “unwilling” to learn from mistakes and has to be “forced” into taking action to improve, according to the Auditor-General in his latest scathing spray.

The Queensland Audit Office, in a report released on Monday, tracked the government sector’s progress in implementing hundreds of safeguards and improvements recommended over the last five years.

Government entities, self-reporting progress, noted of 454 recommendations two-thirds had been fully implemented, 29 per cent had been “partially implemented”, and 3 per cent had not.

But Auditor-General Brendan Worrall, in a damning assessment of public-sector performance, said in his experience, public entities were “unwilling to learn” and sometimes lacked the systems or corporate knowledge to understand the mistakes of the past.

“There is also a lack of information and data-sharing within and between entities that would enable them to learn from the mistakes of others and prevent them from reoccurring,” he wrote.

Auditor-General Brendan Worrall. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Jono Searle

And departments had failed to put in place “relevant, measurable and achievable” performance measures.

Instead, targets and reporting practices focused “on outputs, rather than outcomes” that did not reflect effectiveness and ultimately failed to shed light on areas of under-performance.

“Real change requires the resolve and action of public-sector entities themselves through a culture of learning and self-improvement, rather than being forced into action by my public reporting,” Mr Worrall said.

In a glaring example of slow progress, the QAO noted it had recommended Queensland Health and Queensland Police put in place a governance safeguard to “effectively co-ordinate and provide accountability” for managing the state’s DNA lab in 2019.

But the safeguard was only “partially implemented”, with Mr Worrall warning this could lead to “uncertainty, conflicting priorities, and unnecessary work” in how forensic services are delivered.

The DNA lab is now the subject of a royal commission-style inquiry with Commissioner Walter Sofronoff KC due to hand down his findings in December.

Opposition integrity spokeswoman Fiona Simpson. Picture: David Clark

The report also found public agencies – at a state and local level – were putting a target on their backs for cyber attacks because they continued to use old IT systems, with weaknesses found each year.

And entities “fail to manage their contracts effectively”, leading to cost blowouts and delays on projects.

A government spokesman said Queenslanders “quite rightly expect their government to provide public services that are transparent and accountable”.

He said the government was “committed to strengthening Queensland’s integrity and oversight framework” through multiple Bills it had recently introduced.

The QAO sent the report, before publication, to the Premier, ministers and chief executives of the 56 audited entities.

Two responses were received, from the Directors-General of Education and Employment, Small Business and Training.

Opposition integrity spokeswoman Fiona Simpson queried why government ministers did not listen if the QAO had “sounded the alarm” on the DNA lab years ago.

“What is the human cost of the failure of multiple Palaszczuk ministers not being across one of the biggest governance failures of a generation occurring right under their noses,” she said.

Issues identified by the Auditor-General

Public entities “unwilling to learn” from mistakes of the past

Timely release of annual reports continues to be an issue

Public service relying on “legacy systems” no longer fir for purpose, resulting in duplication and making them “susceptible to cyber attacks”.

Contracts not managed effectively resulting in “delays, overspend, and in some instances, systems that are not fit for purpose”.

Loss of capacity of public service noted by Professor Peter Coaldrake attributable, in part, to government restructuring which is slow, complicated, and expensive.

Of 454 recommendations made in five years, 64 per cent fully implemented, 29 per cent “partially implemented”, 3 per cent not implemented and 4 per cent “no longer applicable”

A total of 56 entities audited, with 17 reporting all recommendations implemented.