Confidentiality and disclosure of government contracts

Tabled Report 8: 2017–18

Tabled date

2018-02-20

Report year

2017-18

Whole of government

Entities audited

Not identified in the published HTML audit scope.

Recommendations

1. QAO's text Addressed to: improves guidance and training available to agencies on the use of confidentiality provisions and disclosure of contracts The enhancements

   improves guidance and training available to agencies on the use of confidentiality provisions and disclosure of contracts

   The enhancements should include guidance on:

   • the appropriate use and recording of confidentiality provisions (Chapter 2)
   • when partial or non-disclosure of reportable contracts is appropriate. (Chapter 3)

2. QAO's text Addressed to: determine the most appropriate place and process to disclose reportable contracts to achieve the desired outcome of providing a complete and accurate public record of awarded contracts The enhancements

   determine the most appropriate place and process to disclose reportable contracts to achieve the desired outcome of providing a complete and accurate public record of awarded contracts

   The enhancements should include:

   • reporting all Procurement Guidelines—Contract Disclosure minimum reporting requirements (Chapter 3)
   • the ability for agencies to record when and why they have used specific confidentiality provisions. (Chapter 3) 

3. QAO's text Addressed to: all public sector agencies

   meet all mandatory requirements set out in Procurement Guidelines—Contract Disclosure

   This includes ensuring that:

   • agency procurement policies and procedures include these requirements for contract disclosure (Chapter 3)
   • disclosure requirements are communicated to and enacted by officers undertaking procurement activities (Chapter 3)

4. QAO's text Addressed to: improve their contract registers or contract management systems to ensure a complete record of all awarded contracts The enhancements

   improve their contract registers or contract management systems to ensure a complete record of all awarded contracts

   The enhancements should include:

   • consolidating all contracts in one record, or where a decentralised model is elected, maintaining this information in a consistent format so that it can be consolidated (Chapter 3)
   • documenting whether a contract has specific confidentiality provisions and the reasons for their use (Chapter 2)
   • documenting reasons for non-disclosure of contracts. (Chapter 2)

Authoritative report — Queensland Audit Office

Report PDF on QAO