This appeared late last week:
Govt grants, tech projects and consultants in ANAO’s sights
Joseph Brookes
Senior Reporter
The Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) this week released its work plan for 2022-23, listing dozens of potential projects for scrutiny over this financial year.
Funding under the $1.3 billion Modern Manufacturing Initiative (MMI) has been listed for a potential inquiry into whether the scheme was effective and complied with Commonwealth Grants Rules and Guidelines.
In Opposition, Labor had been critical of the timings and decision-making process of the MMI, which committed more than $1 billion to manufacturers. The party warned the programs structure – which allowed the industry minister to consult with other ministers on the recipients recommended by the Industry department before the Prime Minister made a final decision – was “baking in” rorts.
Most of the grants were committed in the two months leading up to the election, with announcements regularly made during the campaign with local Coalition members.
InnovationAus.com has confirmed recipients which were announced in the lead up to the election have not yet signed contracts for the grant money, and are potentially at risk of losing the money under the new government’s review of Coalition Industry grants.
The ANAO may now conduct its own review of how the funding was awarded after listing the scheme for a potential audit in the next 12 months. The audit office has also listed several large government technology projects for potential scrutiny.
The long running Digital Identity scheme, now funded with more than $600 million over six years has again been shortlisted again.
….. Lots omitted
The Australian Digital Health Agency’s delivery of a safe, secure, and reliable digital health system has also been listed. The agency has been allocated significant funding for various technology projects, including a further $301.8 million for the ongoing development of the MyHealth Record portal in the 2021-22 budget.
The ANAO conducted a performance record of MyHealth Record in 2019, making several recommendations to the agency after finding it had failed to appropriately managed shared cybersecurity risks of the controversial system and paid millions for privacy assessments that were not completed.
An ANAO audit of the digital health agency would likely include progress on the recommendations, which the Australian Digital Health Agency told Parliament last year were largely already delivered or on track.
More here:
https://www.innovationaus.com/govt-grants-tech-projects-and-consultants-in-anaos-sights/
Clearly Digital Health and the ADHA are being looked at and I have to say I have never seen clear answers to the questions asked that made any sense. The ADHA seemed to agree they could not fix some of the security issues so were ‘monitoring’ them!
The new planned audit – as well as the hoped for follow up from 2019 – is described here:
Delivery of a safe, secure and reliable digital health system
Potential audit: 2022-23
Portfolio : Health and Aged Care
Entity : Department of Health and Aged Care; Australian Digital Health Agency
Contact Please direct enquiries through our contact page.
Activity : Governance
This audit would assess the effectiveness of the Australian Digital Health Agency’s (ADHA’s) delivery of a safe, secure, and reliable digital health system.
The ADHA is responsible for delivering and enhancing Australia’s digital health capability. The National Digital Health Strategy identifies seven priorities, including ensuring Health Information can be exchanged securely, a commonly understood interoperable data standard is maintained, and support for the development of a thriving health app industry. The 2021–22 Budget included $32.3 million for interoperability within national digital health infrastructure, $87.5 million to improve system preparedness and responsiveness and $301.8 million for the ongoing development of the MyHealth Record portal.
The ANAO conducted a performance audit of the implementation of the MyHealth Record system in 2019 (Auditor-General Report No. 13 of 2019–20), which made five recommendations in relation to security, privacy and system assurance. The ADHA published an implementation plan outlining its approach to implementing these recommendations in February 2020. Following a Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit inquiry into the audit completed in December 2020, ADHA provided an update on its progress in implementing the audit recommendations to the Committee in June 2021. The ADHA noted that most of its key deliverables had been completed and monitoring and engagement was continuing.
Here is the link:
While I am not sure that the ADHA is actually responsible the “delivery of a safe, secure, and reliable digital health system.” It would be interesting to see what is said!
I hope this audit goes ahead.
Watch this space!
David.
2 comments:
By all accounts the ADHA is distracting itself saving the interior design industry. Makes you wonder if those in charge are serious about delivering a safe secure interoperable healthcare ecosystem or are looking to get a spot on the Block reality show.
re "The ANAO conducted a performance record of MyHealth Record in 2019"
No it didn't. The review was of the move to opt-out, not the performance of the MyHR itself - something that has never been conducted. Maybe someone has twigged at last that the ADHA is full of spin - the major claims being that uploading of data and opening a MyHR are signs of success.
AFAIK, there has never been any documented, verified use of MyHR for significant healthcare benefit. In 10 years and at a cost of getting on for $3billion.
Meanwhile the ADHA is busy designing better use of its office space.
Pathetic.
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