APPENDIX 1: A5 Management Discussion and Analysis

General overview

Objectives

The Department of Education and Training (the Department) works in partnership with the community to provide sustainable, high quality school education and training services to meet the needs of the people of Canberra.

Departmental services include the provision of public school education; registration of non-government schools; registration for home education; planning and coordination of vocational education and training; and provision of preschool and early intervention education programs.

Through these services the Department aims to improve learning and employment outcomes for all students and trainees.

Risk management

The development of the Department's annual Strategic Risk Management and Audit Plan identified risks that could impact on departmental operations and objectives. New national education initiatives have escalated the priority of some risks, while other medium to long-term risks continue to require ongoing monitoring and attention by the Department's executive and senior management.

Key risks include:

• The ongoing attraction and retention of staff due to the high age profile of the Department. Risk mitigation strategies, such as active engagement with the whole of government Attraction and Retention project and participation in the National Partnership on Improving Teacher Quality, are in place.
• The Department's significant capital works program, including the construction of new or ongoing works in Gungahlin, Tuggeranong, Harrison and the Building the Education Revolution project. The demands of the program highlight the importance of effective project management for the Schools Capital Works Branch, to ensure that projects are implemented in an effective and timely manner.
• Delivery of education reforms under the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) agreements in a timely, effective and transparent manner. The Department has identified strategies to mitigate the risks particular to each COAG reform.
• The financial pressure on departmental operations as a result of the increased numbers and complexity of students with a disability. The Department's new strategic plan on disability education in ACT public schools will consider issues of financial and operational sustainability.

Accounting issues

There has been no significant change in the accounting standards applicable to the Department's 2009-10 financial statements.

Departmental financial performance

Overall, the Department managed its activities within the appropriation in 2009-10. The Department faced cost pressures associated with students with a disability and increased enrolment in 2010. The Department managed the cost pressures internally and by accessing additional funds through Treasurer's Advance.

Table A5.1 provides the financial information based on audited financial statements for 2008-09 and 2009-10.

Table A5.1: Net cost of services

Source: Department of Education and Training Financial Statements

Net cost of services for the Department in 2009-10 has increased by $3.0 million or 0.6 percent from the Budget primarily due to increased enrolment and complexity associated with students with a disability and a two percent increase in general school enrolment in 2010. This has been offset by lower depreciation and the timing of payments associated with vocational education and training grants and purchased services.

In comparison to 2008-09, net cost of services increased by $22.2 million or 4.5 percent mainly due to additional funding provided for budget initiatives, increased depreciation associated with higher levels of capital works activities and issues identified above.

Operating deficit

The 2009-10 operating deficit of $40.1 million, was $4.2 million or 9 percent better than the 2009-10 Budget, and $9.4 million or 19 percent lower than 2008-09 operating deficit level.

Figure A5.1: Operating deficit

Source: Department of Education and Training Financial Statements

The decrease in operating deficit over the budget primarily related to lower than anticipated depreciation and the timing of expenditure associated with Commonwealth funded vocational education and training grants and purchased services.

The reduction in operating deficit from the same period last year was mainly due to one- off increased expenses associated with the change in accounting estimates for employee liabilities in 2008-09 offset by increased depreciation costs.

Revenue

In 2009-10 revenue totalled $508.7 million. There has been an increase in the revenue over the budget by $6.2 million or 1.2 percent. This is $29.5 million or 6 percent higher than the corresponding period last year. The Department receives 93 percent of funding through Government Payments for Outputs (GPO) as illustrated in the graph in Figure A5.2.

Figure A5.2: Revenue, 2009-10

Source: Department of Education and Training Financial Statements.

Higher than anticipated revenue of $6.2 million over the budget primarily related to increased funding for students with a disability, enrolments and superannuation.

The increase from 2008-09 primarily related to additional funding provided for budget initiatives, wages and salary increases and increased Commonwealth funding.

Expenses

Expenditure totalled $548.9 million in 2009-10. This represents an increase of $2.0 million or 0.3 percent from the budget and an increase of $20.1 million or 4 percent from 2008-09. Figure A5.3 indicates that 68 percent of total expenses are attributed to employee related expenses including superannuation.

Figure A5.3: Expenses, 2009-10

Source: Department of Education and Training Financial Statements.

Higher than anticipated expenditure of $2.0 million from the budget primarily related to increased costs associated with students with a disability, superannuation and increased student enrolments, partly offset by lower than anticipated grants associated with vocational education and training.

The increased costs from 2008-09 were primarily due to additional costs associated with budget initiatives, wages and salaries, Commonwealth grants, higher levels of depreciation and costs associated with students with a disability and increased school enrolments. This was partly offset by one-off increased expenses associated with the change in accounting estimates for employee liabilities in 2008-09.

Table A5.2: Line item explanation of significant variances from budget - departmental operating statement

Source: Department of Education and Training Financial Statements

Notes:

1. Increase primarily relates to additional funding for students with a disability, increased enrolments and superannuation.
2. Reduction mainly relates to lower than anticipated revenue from Active Leisure Centre offset by Commonwealth Own Purpose Payments (COPE).
3. Lower than anticipated interest primarily relates to schools accounts due to reduced weighted average interest rates.
4. Increase mainly relates to schools revenue.
5. Increase primarily relates to costs associated with student with a disability and enrolment.
6. Increase reflects employee profile.
7. Decrease primarily relates to lower than anticipated expenditure for vocational education and training, in particular, Productivity Places Program.
8. Reduction mainly in schools expenses.
9. Lower than anticipated expenditure is primarily due to deferral of capital works activities.

Total assets

The Department held 97.2 percent of its assets in property, plant and equipment, and 2.8 percent related to cash and cash equivalents, receivables and other current assets.

Figure A5.4: Total assets

Source: Department of Education and Training Financial Statements

Assets totalled $1,659.9 million at the end of 30 June 2010. This was $6.2 million lower than the budget primarily due to the deferral of capital works activities to 2010-11, partly offset by increased cash associated with Commonwealth specific projects.

Total assets increased by $167.2 million compared to the previous year primarily due to increased capital works activities, of which $86.5 million relates to the ‘Building the Education Revolution Program', and an increase in plant and equipment partially offset by depreciation.

Total liabilities

Figure A5.5 indicates that the majority of the Department's liabilities relate to employee benefits (84.9%) and payables (11%).

Figure A5.5: Total liabilities

Source: Department of Education and Training Financial Statements

The Department's liabilities, for the year ended 30 June 2010, of $110.9 million were $17.0 million higher than the 2009-10 budget of $93.9 million. This was largely due to the flow on impact from the 2008-09 change in accounting estimates for employee liabilities and higher than anticipated payables associated with capital works.

Total liabilities increased by $9.3 million from 2008-09 primarily relating to increased employee provisions offset by payables and finance leases.

Table A5.3: Line explanation of significant variances from the amended budget - departmental balance sheet

Source: Department of Education and Training Financial Statements

Notes:

1. Increase primarily relates to specific Commonwealth grants for expenditure in 2010-11.
2. Higher level of receivables mainly relates to a Goods and Services tax refund from the Australian Taxation Office.
3. Decrease in property, plant and equipment primarily relates to activities in works in progress and deferral of capital projects to 2010-11.
4. Increase in capital works in progress primarily relates to the timing of completion of the ‘Building the Education Revolution Program' and the revised cashflows for Gungahlin College.
5. Higher level primarily relates to accruals for capital works activities.
6. Increase in employee provisions primarily reflects the change in accounting methodology used to estimate employee liabilities. The 2008-09 flow on impact was not reflected in the original budget.

Territorial revenue

Total income received includes Revenue for Expenses on Behalf of the Territory, primarily for the provision of grants to non-government schools, and fees from training and regulatory services.

In 2009-10, Territorial revenue totalled $225.7 million, a decrease of $5.8 million or 3 percent from the 2009-10 budget. The lower than anticipated revenue primarily related to Commonwealth Grants for non-government schools.

In comparison to 2008-09, total revenue reduced by $94.5 million or 30 percent mainly due to receipt of Commonwealth Grants by the Department of Treasury from 1 January 2009 offset by increased recurrent funding for non-government schools.

Territorial expenditure

Territorial expenditure other than transfers of fees to the Territorial Banking Account comprises grant payments to non- government schools ($225.0m), the junior bursary scheme ($0.3m) and block release grants ($0.1m).

The decrease from the budget primarily related to lower than anticipated Commonwealth grants for non-government schools.

Increased grants expenditure of $53.5 million or 31 percent over the previous year is due to increased Commonwealth grants for non-government schools associated with the Building the Education Revolution Program.

For more information contact:
Director
Finance and Corporate Support
Telephone: (02) 6205 9108

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