Figure 2.2 shows the principal elements of the Library’s corporate governance structure.

Figure 2.2: Corporate Governance Structure, 2012–13

Figure 2.2 shows the key elements of the Library’s corporate governance structure.

Council

The National Library Act provides that a council shall conduct the affairs of the Library. The Council has 12 members, including the Director General, one senator elected by the Senate and one member of the House of Representatives elected by the House.

At 30 June 2013, there were three vacancies on Council. Appendix A lists Council members and their attendance at Council meetings.

In 2012–13, in addition to general administrative, compliance and financial matters, Council considered a range of matters, including:

  • integration of the Library’s reading rooms
  • the Heritage Strategy and Conservation Management Plan
  • the Commonwealth Financial Accountability Review
  • the Overseas Collection Development Policy
  • Library activity during the Centenary of Canberra
  • the activities of the Library’s Foundation Board
  • the Audio Management and Delivery project
  • interlending and document delivery trends
  • relations with Asia (the Australian Government's Australia in the Asian Century White Paper)
  • strategic issues and challenges for Trove
  • budget trend analysis information
  • Council’s evaluation of its performance
  • new acquisitions
  • the Digital Library Infrastructure Replacement project
  • environmental management.

Council has two advisory committees: the Audit Committee and the Corporate Governance Committee.

Audit Committee

The role of the Audit Committee is to:

  1. support the Library and Council members in complying with their obligations under the CAC Act
  2. provide a forum for communication among Council members, senior managers and internal and external auditors
  3. ensure there is an appropriate ethical climate in the Library, and review policies relating to internal controls and risk management.

The Audit Committee comprises a minimum of three non-executive Council members. Council may appoint external members to the Audit Committee. The Council Chair and Director General also attend meetings. Details of Audit Committee members and meeting attendance can be found at Appendix A.

In 2012–13, the Audit Committee considered a range of matters, including:

  • financial statements for 2011–12
  • Library trust-account disbursements
  • internal assessment of the Audit Committee’s performance
  • review of the Audit Committee’s Role and Charter
  • the internal audit schedule
  • the Australian National Audit Office’s 2012–13 financial statement audit strategy
  • the compliance report (CAC Act)
  • the Strategic Internal Audit Plan, 2013–2014 to 2015–2016
  • the Internal Audit Plan 2013–14
  • internal audits of:
    • Trove post-implementation
    • the rights management system
    • contract management
    • Sales and Promotion, and the Bookshop’s annual stocktake
  • Australian National Audit Office reports and recommendations
  • discussion papers on the Commonwealth Financial Accountability Review
  • health check of the Digital Library Infrastructure Replacement project
  • reports on legal services, compliance, fraud and ethics, risk management and business continuity, insurance, whistleblower complaints, contract management and training, probity and contract thresholds.

Corporate Governance Committee

The role of the Corporate Governance Committee is to:

  1. evaluate Council’s effectiveness in its corporate governance role
  2. evaluate the Director General’s performance and remuneration
  3. oversee the development of a list of prospective members for appointment to Council, subject to consideration and approval by the Minister.

The Corporate Governance Committee comprises three non-executive Council members (the Chair, the Deputy Chair and the Chair of the Audit Committee) and has the authority to co-opt other non-executive Council members.

Appendix A lists the Corporate Governance Committee members. In February 2013, the Corporate Governance Committee met to consider the results of the 2012 Council Self-evaluation Survey and, in June 2013, it met to discuss the Director General’s performance.

Corporate Management Group

The Corporate Management Group (CMG), consisting of the Director General and the six Senior Executive Service (SES) staff, provides strategic and operational leadership for the Library. In particular, it monitors the achievement of objectives and strategies, oversees budget matters, develops policy, coordinates activities across the organisation and oversees a range of operational issues. CMG meets weekly.

A number of cross-organisational committees advise CMG in areas such as workforce planning, asset management, building works, emergency planning, collection development and management, events and education, exhibitions, and publications.

Corporate Planning Framework

The Balanced Scorecard continues to be the Library’s principal planning support system, facilitating the integration of strategic, operational and budget planning. Since its introduction in 2000–01, the Balanced Scorecard has proved to be a successful performance management tool accepted by staff and other stakeholders. All scorecard achievements, initiatives and targets are reviewed regularly as part of strategic management planning and monitoring processes.

Risk Management Framework

The Library’s Risk Management Framework continues to provide effective tools for identifying, evaluating and responding to risks that may affect the collection, core business functions and resources, staff and visitors and/or strategic decision making.

The Library’s Risk Management Register, which is subject to annual review, is central to this framework. The register lists risks to the Library, as well as risk-reduction strategies. These strategies are managed through established procedures and plans such as the Collection Disaster Plan, the IT Disaster Recovery Plan, the Business Contingency Plan for Critical Building Systems, and the Business Continuity Plan.

Risk management within the Library is overseen by the Library’s Emergency Planning Committee, which is chaired by the Assistant Director General, Corporate Services, and includes SES staff representing all business areas. The committee provides a clear control structure to identify, monitor, respond to and mitigate risks that may affect the Library.