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The Honourable Donna Faragher MLC, Parliamentary Secretary to the Premier; Minister for State Development; Science kicked off the celebrations for the Institute of Public Administration Australia WA (IPAA WA) 30th Annual W.S. Lonnie Awards for excellence and accountability in annual reporting, at the Hyatt Regency Perth on Friday 27th March 2015.

The Awards attracted CEOs, Directors General and Commissioners from across State government agencies and statutory bodies, all hoping to take out the prestigious W.S. Lonnie Memorial Trophy – awarded to the best annual report for the year.

The primary vehicle for accountability in the Public Sector has been and always will be the way agencies report their performance. The W.S. Lonnie Awards recognise the importance of Annual Reports being accountable and transparent in a succinct and independent way. All State agencies are eligible and are automatically considered as part of the judging process.

This year, the Institute is proud to announce that 2015 marks the 30th Anniversary of this long-standing and prestigious event. These awards below are judged in 2014 and presented in 2015. View past winners here.

The WS Lonnie Memorial Trophy

Awarded to the best annual report for the year.

WINNER: WorkCover WA

Judges Comments: The overall quality of WorkCover WA’s annual report earned it the W.S. Lonnie Memorial Trophy this year. WorkCover’s report excelled across the board, including in a number of areas which are not used as criteria for the Gold, Silver and Bronze awards but which add to the effectiveness of good reporting and benefit the reader of the report. The judges commended the tight messaging, including the impressive section ‘The Year in Review’. The excellent layout, graphics and images supported a highly engaging and informative report.

Margaret McAleer Special Commendation

The award is presented at the discretion of the panel for an outstanding report that, in some respect, establishes a benchmark to which others should aspire.

WINNER: Office of the Auditor General

The Allan Skinner Trophy

Awarded to the best annual report in the General Government Sector.

Judges Comments: The Office of the Auditor General demonstrated excellence all round in its annual report. But its outstanding feature was the effective integration of content with formal elements to produce a report that was highly informative and very readable.

WINNER: Office of the Auditor General

The Margaret Nadebaum Trophy

Awarded to the best annual report in the Government Enterprise Sector.

WINNER: Fremantle Port Authority

Judges Comments: Fremantle Port Authority has shown that as a Government Trading Enterprise it not only takes seriously the public reporting requirements upon it, but also wishes to tell its story clearly and informatively. The Authority has set an excellent standard for this special award.

Category 1 – Agencies with < 100 FTEs

Gold: Economic Regulation Authority

Judges Comments: The Economic Regulation Authority continued to meet high standards with its Annual Report. The overview was concise and effective, the format was excellent and there was good use of links and icons. The judges were particularly impressed by the report’s discussion of the Authority’s community support activities and the effective use of case studies.

Silver: Small Business Development Corporation

Bronze: The State Heritage Office

Bronze: Western Australian Electoral Commission

Category 2 – Agencies with 101 – 1,000 FTEs

Gold: Office of the Auditor General

Judges Comments: The Office of the Auditor General continued to demonstrate that it was not only a category leader but also a best practice example for all annual reports across the government sector. Effective communication was the keynote of its latest annual report. Good layout supported the excellent use of colour and charts to convey information. The ‘Our Year at a Glance’ section was particularly effective. Formal elements such as internal and external links were exemplary. Content was well managed, featuring a summary of strategic progress and a discussion of KPIs that are worthy of emulation.

Silver: WorkCover WA

Bronze: Department of Water

Category 3 – Agencies with > 1,000 FTEs

Gold: Main Roads WA

Judges Comments: Main Roads continued to feature innovative presentation in its latest annual report. The highlights section was excellent and the discussion of what was not achieved, in addition to what was achieved, was refreshing and informative. Formal elements such as use of colour, charts and diagrams were very good. The judges were also pleased to see the inclusion of a good section on complaints handling.

Silver: Department of Fire and Emergency Services

Bronze: Department of Finance

Category 4 – Government Trading Enterprises

Gold: Fremantle Port Authority

Judges Comments: Fremantle Port Authority was an excellent example of an agency that looks and learns in striving to improve the quality of its annual report. It demonstrated an assimilation of best practice from previous winners to produce a report that featured concise and good use of imagery, effective use of charts and diagrams, and excellent layout and design. The judges considered the executive summary to be very effective. Good coverage was given to complaints handling, including an informative analysis of the nature of complaints.

Silver: Water Corporation

Bronze: Western Australian Treasury Corporation

There are seven additional Specialist Awards for 2015 that are presented on the day.

Office of the  Auditor General Award for Transparency and Accountability

WINNER:  WorkCover WA

Judges Comments: WorkCover’s annual report presented an interesting and engaging format that conveyed an excellent sense of the agency’s workings. The judges were impressed by the inclusion of a useful scorecard table assessing extent of delivery against strategic initiatives. The discussion of KPIs was comprehensive and the sections on complaints handling and risk assessment were excellent.

Joint Award led by the Department of Commerce for Occupational Safety, Health and Injury Management

WINNER:  Disability Services Commission

Judges Comments: The Disability Services Commission reporting displays commendable work in its approach to safety, health and injury management within its workplaces. The agency’s reporting conveyed a laudable level of information that went well beyond the minimum reporting requirements and was well-presented and easy to interpret.

Special Commendation: Metropolitan Cemeteries Board, Main Roads WA and the Water Corporation

State Records Commission Award for Excellence in Compliance Reporting

WINNER:  Department of Fisheries

Judges Comments: The Department’s annual report statement describes an outstanding program to improve information management across the organisation.  Following the upgrade of its Electronic Document and Records Management System, classification, disposal and workflow tools were made available within the system to streamline the management of information. The annual report shows, via a statistical overview, that the quantity of electronic information entered into the system is steadily increasing.

The judging panel was particularly impressed by the Department’s work to review and improve information management in its regional locations. Audits, reviews and training in changed procedures and practices were delivered to 13 regional offices. Additional induction and reference material is also available online to assist these offices.

Ombudsman Western Australia Award for Complaints Handling

WINNER: Fremantle Port Authority

Judges Comments: The Fremantle Port Authority’s section on complaints handling was extensive and informative. It would serve as an excellent model for many agencies that continue to struggle with this requirement in their annual reports.

CPA Australia Award for Performance Reporting

WINNER: WorkCover WA

Judges Comments: An exceptionally well structured report, including very helpful cross referencing throughout. Comprehensively explained performance indicators and analysis. The Performance Management Framework clearly and comprehensively linked government goals to strategic goals and service delivery activities.

A very high standard report, very readable, providing clarity to external stakeholders. It was an enjoyable user experience to read this report.

Public Sector Commission Award for Good Governance

WINNER:  Economic Regulation Authority

Judges Comments: The report demonstrated excellence in reporting of governance processes and activities, particularly in relation to their work to develop a capable and engaged workforce. The report provided clear overviews of management and operational structures, relationship to Government, and their activities to communicate with stakeholders and manage risks.

Special Commendation: Department of Treasury and theWestern Australian Treasury Corporation

Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia Award for Chief Financial Officer of 2013

FINALISTS
  • Damon DeNooyer – Insurance Commission of Western Australia
  • Graeme Doyle – Department of Transport
  • John Hull – WorkCover WA
  • Lee Watson – GESB
  • Sandy Kerr – Department of Training and Workforce Development

WINNER: Graeme Doyle – Department of Transport

Judges Comments:  Graeme’s skills were strong and consistent across all judging criteria. He demonstrated significant experience in all areas. His achievements particularly in the risk space were specific and measurable. Graeme Doyle was instrumental in implementation of a new budget management system and a new financial management system and process.

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