Section 3: Outcomes
General government sector (GGS) agencies are required to plan, budget and report under an outcomes structure. GGS agencies produce outputs (departmental items) and also administer items on behalf of the Government (administered items).
This section summarises how the resources identified in Section 2 will be used to contribute to the outcome for the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). Key performance measures and performance evaluation activities are specified for the outcome.
3.1 Summary of outcomes and contribution to outcomes
The relationship between activities of the ABS and its outcome is summarised in Figure 2.
Figure 2: Contributions to outcomes
The ABS has not made any changes to its outcomes or outputs since the Portfolio Budget Statements 2006-07.
3.2 Outcome resources and performance information
3.2.1 Outcome 1 resourcing
The following table shows how the 2007-08 Budget appropriations translate to total resourcing for the Outcome, including departmental appropriations and revenue from other sources.
Table 3.1: Total resources for Outcome 1
3.2.2 Measures affecting Outcome 1
The Budget measure for the ABS appears in Table 2.2. Detail of this measure is included in Budget Paper No. 2, Budget Measures 2007-08.
3.2.3 Contributions to achievement of Outcome 1
Administered activities
The ABS does not administer any activities on behalf of the Australian Government.
Departmental outputs
Official statistics are collected by Government to inform debate, decision-making and research both within Government and by the wider community. They provide an objective view of the changes taking place in national life and allow comparisons between periods of time and geographical areas.
Open access to official statistics provides the citizen with more than a picture of society. It offers a window on the work and performance of Government itself, showing the scale of Government activity in every area of public policy and allowing the impact of public policies and actions to be assessed.
The ABS achieves its outcome by the provision of two outputs:
- economic statistics; and
- population and social statistics.
The economic statistics output contains an extensive range of statistical outputs relating to the structure and performance of the Australian economy. It provides an objective source of information that is used by governments and the community to inform their decisions. For example, economic statistics are used to formulate government macroeconomic policies, to assist in allocating Australian Government funds to State governments, to formulate industry development policies, in financial and business planning and in wage determination.
The population and social statistics output contains statistical information relating to the Australian population, including census and demographic statistics, as well as information relating to the social and economic wellbeing of the population. It provides an objective source of information that is used by governments and the community to inform their decisions. For example, census data are used extensively to plan for communities; labour statistics are used in the formulation of macroeconomic policy and in developing government labour market policies and programmes; and social statistics are used to support policy development in areas such as health, social security, taxation, and community and family services.
Reliable social and economic statistics are fundamental to an open government and it is the responsibility of government to provide them and to maintain public confidence in them. The ABS performs this function as an independent statutory authority of the Australian Government.
3.2.4 Performance information for Outcome 1
Table 3.2 summarises the performance information for individual outputs and output groups relating to the ABS.
Table 3.2: Performance information for Outcome 1
Table 3.2: Performance information for Outcome 1 (continued)
Evaluations for Outcome 1
The output performance indicators as shown in Table 3.2 will be used to measure evaluation activity for this outcome. The results of the evaluation will be shown in the ABS Annual Report.