A $163 million government scheme providing advice to businesses has come under fire from the Auditor-General in a damning report that found the Industry Department’s approach to awarding contracts “fell short of ethical requirements”., offers businesses practical advice and mentorship from experts on how to achieve their goals. It was reshaped in 2019, and the department asked five of the 10 providers to help with that redesign.
The audit report says the tender process didn’t comply with procurement rules, didn’t demonstrate value for money, and the way the department assessed the applicants against the criteria was neither open nor competitive. The tender was open from late September to late October 2019. Its closing date was extended three times in response to complaints to then-minister Karen Andrews about the process and some 200 requests for clarification.The audit also finds that since the contracts began, key reporting milestones have been consistently missed.
The department acknowledged it had fallen short and secretary David Fredericks said he was already moving to fix the problems.
katinacurtis The audit report highlights process irregularities not fraud.
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