The Parliamentary Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit (JCPAA) might be turning its critical lens toward Commonwealth performance.

The JCPAA says it may conduct another inquiry of the framework under the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013 (PGPA Act).

The last JCPAA probe under PGPA rules formed the Public Management Reform Agenda (PMRA) as well as a single resource management framework for all 190 Commonwealth bodies.

It now appears that authorities want to build on this work.

The Finance Department is in the middle of public consultation with stakeholders on draft rules for Corporate Plans and Annual Performance Statements and related guidance. Reports on this work are expected by the end January 2015.

The chair of the JCPAA, MP Andrew Southcott, says that improving Commonwealth performance frameworks was a long-term focus of the Committee.

“Accordingly, the Committee will welcome receiving the final draft rules for Corporate Plans and Annual Performance Statements and the final draft guidance for these areas from the Department of Finance once it has concluded its consultation process early next year,” Dr Southcott said.

“Effective planning and performance reporting, and robust key performance indicators, enable the public, the Parliament and other stakeholders to assess whether resources are being used efficiently and programs and services are achieving their intended results.

“In a future inquiry, the Committee would therefore be interested in seeking stakeholder views on the final draft rules and guidance, and whether Agencies are ready to implement the changes.”