For government, the need to develop sound, economically viable policies and programs is paramount. To do this, they must first define their role in engaging and supporting the Australian community, and how to best achieve the desired impact.

Likewise, non-government agencies and businesses that work with government to deliver services to the community need to determine how to best use their resources to achieve their stated goals.

At KPMG, our Policy Programs & Evaluation (PP&E) team works with government and non-government agencies to support them in achieving these outcomes.

Our dedicated PP&E group understands the unique needs of the public sector today. We have worked closely with all levels of government for many years, and our people have a deep understanding of the environment, culture, policies and machinery of government.

Through our extensive national and global networks, we also have access to resources to help government explore new, international perspectives.

Our sector focus includes:

• ageing
• healthcare
• disability services
• family, children and community services
• education and employment
• justice and security
• transport and infrastructure
• defence and national security
• central government.

We also have a national team with extensive experience working with Indigenous communities and organisations.

Public Sector Programs

We work with agencies around the structure and design of programs, considering the most appropriate operating model, risks, stakeholders, financial management and performance measurement and reporting.

Program reviews will often incorporate assessments of efficiency and effectiveness, alignment and strategy, as well as compliance and performance of programs. This can involve working with the government agency to review the program, or working with service providers to build capability and supporting them to achieve the desired outcomes.

Economic Planning and Infrastructure Policy

We provide Economic Advisory services to the private sector and government departments and agencies to assist in making complex business or policy decisions. We help with:

• assessment of the economic implications of a program or policy on a range of impacted stakeholders
• cost benefit analysis, quantifying the net economic benefit or cost of a new investment or policy change
• analysis of demand, supply, price, cost, regulations and the impact of changes to these factors on industry output. We can then assist business or government to develop appropriate strategies to achieve business or government objectives.
• provision of strategy, project development and evaluation services to planners and policy leaders in urban and regional planning, transport, resources and infrastructure sectors.
• forecasting trends in price, demand, supply and costs using sophisticated statistical techniques. We can also forecast the impact of a change in preferences to alternative products, and estimate willingness to pay for new goods and services.

Policy, Strategy, Governance and Structural Reform

We work with public sector clients to develop approaches to addressing strategy and policy challenges. We help develop overarching plans that provide a clear organisational direction, or assist with new policy proposals.

We develop or provide advice on the frameworks, processes and relationships within and across public sector bodies, which support improved management and performance.

We design and advise on public sector governance and institutional frameworks in order to improve the quality of, and support for, government decision-making – and ultimately service delivery.

Public Sector Assurance Services

We provide assurance, risk advisory and governance advisory services to predominantly federal public sector clients. We help with:

• Internal audit – reviewing government agency functions to assess compliance with government practice/rules or performance improvement of a business function.
• External (financial statement) audit.
• Compliance reviews – reviewing compliance policies, procedures and programs across financial, contractual and operational agreements, including performance frameworks.
• Program assurance – reviewing grant programs to assess agency compliance and performance with funding agreement/agreed approach.
• Quality assurance – reviewing and developing quality assurance frameworks.
• Risk management – reviewing risk tools and assessment frameworks for government functions, programs and projects and their risks, including those developed and deployed by agencies. 

Government Relations

Our government relations team provide a range of services directed towards assisting clients to engage with the government effectively to drive value for their business or operations. We have deep specialisation in indirect tax policy, both in Australia and the Asia-Pacific region.

We can help with:

• Policy and regulatory analysis, trend/insight analysis of the policy and political environment, risk-planning and scenario-planning.
• Development and implementation of government engagement strategies.
• Compilation of evidence-based support leveraging quantitative and qualitative research, data analysis, and economic modelling tools.
• International trade policy and market access analysis and strategy.
• Stakeholder mapping and engagement, particularly with key decision-makers in government, including Ministers, Ministerial Advisers and representatives from government departments.
• Preparation and presentation of government and parliamentary submissions and representations.
• Policy Impact Advice, a service offering that identifies government policy and legislation that directly impact the operations of clients and assesses their potential impact.