Planning and reporting approach
The GRDC is a statutory corporation, operating as a research investment body on behalf of Australian grain growers and the Australian Government. As well as its responsibilities under the PIERD Act, the corporation has accountability and reporting obligations set out in the Commonwealth Authorities and Companies Act 1997 (CAC Act) and in the Commonwealth Authorities and Companies (Report of Operations) Orders 2008. The GRDC is a portfolio agency of the Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.
Table 2 shows the elements of the approach the GRDC adopts to meet its corporate planning and reporting obligations as a statutory corporation.
In line with the corporation’s enabling legislation, the GRDC Board communicates its strategic directions and performance objectives through a five-year strategic R&D plan that delivers:
- a statement of the GRDC’s objectives and priorities
- an outline of the GRDC’s strategies to achieve those objectives and priorities.
The GRDC’s Strategic R&D Plan 2007–12, Prosperity through Innovation, took effect from July 2007. The plan provides a framework for investment and delivery of outputs and outcomes that will address the Australian Government’s National Research Priorities and Rural R&D Priorities, as well as the priorities of Australian grain growers, over the 2007–12 period. These priorities, and the GRDC’s achievements in meeting them in 2010–11, are discussed in more detail in Part 2.
Each year’s planned activities are outlined in operational terms in an annual operational plan, and in terms of an outcome-based performance measurement framework in the portfolio budget statements. This annual report details the GRDC’s achievements against its planned outputs set out in the GRDC Annual Operational Plan 2010–11 and its planned outcome identified in the 2010–11 portfolio budget statements. The output groups used for reporting purposes correspond to the three lines of business and the communication and capacity-building programs that underpin the GRDC’s business strategy and operations.
The corporation uses the Australian National Audit Office Better Practice Guide: Public Sector Governance to assess its overall approach and ongoing development. The GRDC’s corporate governance in 2010–11 is discussed in detail in Part 3.
The GRDC’s drivers for action, corporate and output group objectives, strategies and future directions are summarised in Figure 9.
Element |
Purpose |
|---|---|
|
Strategic R&D plana |
Sets out the GRDC’s high-level goals, strategies and performance measures for a five-year period, developed in consultation with stakeholders and approved by the Minister. |
Annual operational plana |
Specifies the annual budget, resources and research priorities that give effect to the |
Annual reporta |
Provides information on R&D activities and their performance in relation to the goals set in the annual operational plan and portfolio budget statements for a given financial year. |
Stakeholder report |
Meets legislative requirements for reporting to the grains industry’s representative |
Growers’ reporta |
Provides performance information to growers on R&D activities for a given financial year. |
Annual procurement plan |
Makes procurement information publicly available through the Australian Government’s AusTender procurement management website. |
Investment plan |
Informs potential research partners about some of the GRDC’s new investment priorities for the next financial year and invites interested parties to submit research proposals. |
Portfolio budget statementsa |
As part of the Australian Government budget process, summarises the planned deliverables, outcomes, performance information and financial statements for a given financial year. |
a Available at www.grdc.com.au/director/about/corporategovernance.
Figure 9 Overview of the GRDC performance framework, 2010–11
