Program 2—Building and occupant services
Program 2 of the DPS Outcome and Programs Framework is the provision of an efficiently functioning, safe and secure environment for Senators, Members, other building occupants and visitors to Parliament House. Two subprograms—Security services and Facilities services—contribute to Program 2.
Security services—subprogram 2.1
DPS provides security, emergency and first aid services to occupants of, and visitors to, Parliament House. Table 3.1 shows the non-financial performance measures for security services.
Security services initiatives
Three factors drove an increase in internal guarding hours in 2011–12. These were the introduction of random explosive trace detection (ETD) screening at the public entrance to Parliament House, with an average of over 3,500 screenings conducted monthly; the provision of additional support for extended sitting hours in the House of Representatives; and a heavier official visit program, including visits by Her Majesty The Queen and the US President.
Table 3.1—Security services—subprogram 2.1—non-financial indicators
|
Quality indicator
|
Measure
|
Performance
|
| |
|
2009–10
|
2010–11
|
2011–12
|
|
Number of Security services
|
Number of hours of internal guarding (PSS)—Monthly average
|
21,636
|
21,917
|
23,732
|
| |
Number of hours of external guarding (AFP-UP)—Monthly average
|
10,459
|
10,567
|
10,533
|
| |
Number of scheduled emergency evacuation exercises completed
|
2
|
2
|
2
|
|
Security incidents
|
Number of reported security incidents
|
AFP-UP: 115
|
AFP-UP: 112
|
AFP-UP: 2251
|
| |
|
PSS: 109
|
PSS: 83
|
PSS: 120
|
|
Extent to which security procedures are followed
|
Percentage of reported security incidents dealt with in accordance with agreed procedures (target: 100%)
|
99%
|
97%
|
96%
|
|
Validation of security procedures
|
The extent to which each validation was successful (target: 100%)
|
100%
|
100%
|
100%
|
| |
Percentage of security validation program achieved (target: 100%)
|
100%
|
100%
|
100%
|
Security procedures
The PSS and AFP-UP respond to a range of incidents that affect, or have the potential to impact on, the safety and security of Senators, Members, other building occupants and visitors. Such incidents include unattended or suspicious items, suspicious activity, threatening phone calls, malicious mail items, protests and unauthorised building access.
Security validation program
Security validation exercises are conducted monthly by the PSS and AFP-UP. These exercises are intended to test how well security procedures work, and how security officers respond to those procedures, and to identify areas for improvement.
Examples of procedures tested in 2011–12 were those used to clear the public areas of the building at the end of each day, surveillance of persons acting suspiciously, explosive device response, casualty response and the screening of trolleys and prams.
Actions arising from the results of the validation exercises include: procedures updates; refinement of staff training programs; and advice provided to individual security officers to address job performance. The results of each exercise are reviewed by the Security Management Board (SMB).
Table 3.2 outlines the costs associated with providing security services.
Cost of security services
The overall costs for security services in 2011–12 increased due to: the increased official visit program; an increase in salaries, depreciation costs; security system changes; the introduction of ETD; and the increase in internal guarding hours.
Table 3.2—Security services—subprogram 2.1—financial indicators
|
Price indicator
|
Measure
|
Performance
|
|
|
|
2009–10
|
2010–11
|
2011–12
|
|
Security services
|
Staff costs for:
|
| |
a) internal guarding (PSS)
|
$11,660,700
|
$12,060,011
|
$13,232,140
|
| |
b) external guarding (AFP-UP)
|
$10,213,416
|
$10,302,533
|
$10,298,337
|
| |
c) additional PSS guarding for parliamentary functions
|
$10,035
|
$25,161
|
Figure now
included
in a) above
|
| |
d) additional PSS guarding for non-parliamentary functions
|
$407,539
|
$357,431
|
Figure now
included
in a) above
|
| |
e) additional PSS or AFP-UP guarding for official visits
|
$4,349
|
$0
|
Figure now
included in a)
and b) above
|
| |
Direct costs of Pass Office operations
|
$151,476
|
$149,330
|
$149,101
|
| |
Total cost of subprogram 2.1
|
$29.799m
|
$30.562m
|
$34.067m
|
Facilities services—subprogram 2.2
For the purposes of this report, DPS defines facilities services as:
- Parliament House services for Senators, Members and building occupants, including catering, gymnasium and recreational facilities, first aid and health support, physiotherapy and remedial massage, childcare, floristry, hairdressing, postal services, a general store, a travel agent and banking; and
- visitor and community engagement services for overseas visitors and members of the general public, including guided and self-guided building tours, catering services at the Queen’s Terrace Café, The Parliament Shop, coordination of support for functions, events and official visits in Parliament House and provision of facilities and support to the 23 media outlets in Parliament House.
Table 3.3 outlines performance measures for facilities services in 2011–12.
Table 3.3—Facilities services—subprogram 2.2—customers
|
Quality indicator
|
Measure
|
Performance
|
|
|
|
2009–10
|
2010–11
|
2011–12
|
|
Customer satisfaction
|
High level of building occupant and/or user satisfaction with facilities contracts for catering services
|
See footnote2
|
36%
|
| |
Number of complaints about for catering
|
58
|
34
|
48
|
|
Nurses Centre
|
Number of incidents, accidents and requests for first aid
|
735
|
768
|
783
|
| |
Number of vaccinations delivered under influenza vaccination program
|
617
|
712
|
673
|
|
Health and Recreation Centre
|
Number of members, by category:
|
| |
a) Senators and Members
|
55
|
64
|
78
|
| |
b) staff of Senators and Members
|
13
|
14
|
903
|
| |
c) others (building occupants)
|
489
|
523
|
4463
|
|
Health and Recreation Centre
|
Number of casual visits by category of user:
|
| |
a) Senators and Members
|
26
|
61
|
105
|
| |
b) staff of Senators and Members
|
1,188
|
1,558
|
2145
|
| |
c) others (building occupants)
|
929
|
464
|
506
|
| |
Total number of attendees at classes
|
2,904
|
3,511
|
3,948
|
Customer satisfaction
A DPS customer satisfaction survey was conducted in May–June 2012 and the results were received in August 2012. Customer satisfaction results for catering services at Parliament House were disappointing. 2011–12 was a period of transition in which retail services underwent contractual changes, a new ordering system was put in place, and the Staff Dining Room kitchen underwent refurbishment. Actions are under way to address the feedback received from customers.
Nurses Centre
The Nurses Centre provides first aid and health support services to Parliament House building occupants and visitors. Injuries requiring first aid ranged from minor injuries in the workplace to serious incidents needing urgent medical care.
In 2011–12, the Nurses Centre held lectures and free information seminars for building occupants on a range of health issues including mental health, kidney health and lung health in association with quit smoking initiatives. The Nurses Centre also contributes to an internal workplace health program called “Health on the Hill”.
Health and Recreation Centre
The Health and Recreation Centre (HRC) provides gymnasium and recreational facilities and fitness classes and assessments to eligible passholders. These facilities and services help to promote the importance of a work–life balance in Parliament House and provide an opportunity to non-Canberra-based users to maintain fitness regimes.
In 2011–12, DPS completed a program to upgrade all cardiovascular equipment, free weights and static exercise equipment, bringing the centre in line with modern gymnasium facilities.
Table 3.4 outlines visitor related performance measures.
Visitor satisfaction
DPS collects feedback through emails, letters and verbal comments to staff. The feedback is analysed for trends and used to adjust service delivery to better meet visitor expectations and improve satisfaction.
Catering feedback received through the above mechanisms in 2011–12 focussed on the clearing of tables, prices and food quality not meeting individual expectations in the Queen’s Terrace Café. In response to this visitor feedback, the catering contractor appointed a new chef to the Queen’s Terrace Café to oversee food quality, customer service and visitor satisfaction measures. The new chef was appointed in July 2012.
Visitor feedback also included comments about the frequency, timing and content of the public tours provided for visitors to Parliament House. A Parliament House visitor survey conducted in early 2012 suggested a variety of experiences and material that DPS could provide to better service our diverse visitor base. Notably, the survey results showed that around 90% of respondents indicated they were happy to discover things for themselves. The report also showed that most of the visitors who enjoyed this freedom also liked to have tour guides show them around (72% of respondents). This information will assist the department in developing more varied and tailored visitor services. An initial response to this feedback has been the development of a brochure to enable visitors to Parliament House to have a self-guided building experience.
Table 3.4—Facilities services—subprogram 2.2—visitors
|
Quantity indicator
|
Measure
|
Performance
|
|
|
|
2008–09
|
2009–10
|
2011–12
|
|
Visitor satisfaction
|
Number of complaints about Visitor services
|
17
|
6
|
15
|
| |
Number of complaints about The Parliament Shop
|
2
|
1
|
1
|
| |
Number of complaints about facilities contracts for catering
|
5
|
9
|
13
|
|
Events and Official Visits
|
Total number of functions and events held in Parliament House
|
| |
Official visits
|
16
|
10
|
37
|
| |
Parliamentary
|
209
|
248
|
290
|
| |
Non-Parliamentary
|
1,013
|
834
|
944
|
|
Community engagement with Parliament House
|
Total number of visitors
|
933,8784
|
820,783
|
851,203
|
| |
Total number of participants in general (public) tours
|
78,114
|
73,196
|
59,577
|
| |
Total number of participants in school tours
|
125,760
|
125,450
|
124,357
|
| |
Total number of participants in other tours
|
10,671
|
8,852
|
5,581
|
|
Parliament Shop customers
|
Total number of purchases from The Parliament Shop
|
64,079
|
61,040
|
60,405
|
Events and official visits
DPS provided event coordination, security and audio-visual services to an official visit program that comprised 25 Guest of Government delegations, 10 Guest of Parliament delegations and two other delegations. These official visits assist in promoting Australia’s diplomatic ties and raising the profile of the Parliament in Australia and around the world.
Community engagement with Parliament House
Visitor numbers to Parliament House are measured by the number of people entering the building through the public Forecourt entrance and include tourist visitors, school groups, business visitors and people attending functions and events at Parliament House.
A visitor survey conducted in the February–March 2012 period shows that 33% of visitors to Parliament House are from overseas and around 58% of visitors had been to Parliament House on at least one previous occasion.
Visitor numbers are influenced by various factors including overall tourism levels in the ACT and the occurrence of a federal election. The overall increase in visitor numbers for 2011–12 reflect this—up from the election year of 2010–11—and is commensurate with ACT Tourism figures, which show a comparable increase in both domestic and international visitors to the ACT. The number of business visitors significantly decreased.
The Parliament Shop
The total number of purchases from The Parliament Shop has slightly declined over the past two years although revenue increased by 9.3% compared to the previous financial year. A comprehensive review of The Parliament Shop is planned for 2012–13.
Table 3.5 outlines financial performance measures for facility services.
Table 3.5—Facilities services—subprogram 2.2—price indicator
|
Price indicator
|
Measure
|
Performance
|
|
|
|
2009–10
|
2010–11
|
2011–12
|
|
Facilities services
|
Waste management costs under contracts
|
$139,885
|
$142,614
|
$129,599
|
| |
Gross revenue from:
|
| |
a) Press Gallery licensees
|
$1,107,321
|
$1,194,107
|
$1,276,429
|
| |
b) catering contractors
|
$520,318
|
$451,245
|
$525,140
|
| |
c) non-catered functions5
|
$30,682
|
See footnote
|
See footnote
|
| |
d) other licensees
|
$195,095
|
$191,104
|
$192,305
|
| |
Management fee paid to catering contractor(s)
|
$350,000
|
$376,769
|
$516,797
|
| |
Nurses Centre: direct costs
|
$194,424
|
$173,222
|
$185,820
|
| |
Health and Recreation Centre: Revenue
|
N/A
|
$92,000
|
$100,903
|
| |
Health and Recreation Centre: net costs (direct costs less revenue)
|
$34,347
|
$105,305
|
$120,568
|
| |
Parliament House Guides services: net costs (direct costs less revenue received from paid tours)
|
$989,228
|
$1,162,212
|
$1,321,088
|
| |
The Parliament Shop: revenue (target: $1.3m)
|
$1,192,793
|
$1,086,895
|
$1,187,608
|
| |
The Parliament Shop: net profit (target: 10% of revenue)
|
$181,174
(15.2%)
|
$104,568
(9.6%)
|
$110,3686
(9.29%)
|
| |
Total cost of subprogram 2.2
|
$7.661m
|
$7.639m
|
$7.774m
|
Cost of facilities services
The overall cost of subprogram 2.2 for 2011–12 increased by $135,000.
Gross revenue from Press Gallery licensees is consistent with previous financial years, adjusted in accordance with CPI changes on 1 July each year. Revenue received from the retail spaces within Parliament House (other licensees) has been consistent with previous years. Valuations occurred in May for a new fee structure for retail licensees, which will be applied to all agreements when they reach the end of their initial term. This will occur to agreements reaching this milestone in the 2012–13 financial year.
Net costs in the Health and Recreation Centre (HRC) were slightly higher than the previous year due to the cost of covering staff absences with casual labour, providing extra classes (a need identified in a review of the HRC in 2011) and upgrading the HRC coordinator position.
The increased net costs for Guide services compared to previous years was due to the development of a marketing action plan and the self-guided brochure, and the decline in paid tours.
Financial performance of the Nurses Centre was consistent with the performance reported in previous financial years.
1. This increase is driven by a change in reporting standards by the AFP-UP rather than a higher rate of actual incidents.
2. DPS conducts a customer satisfaction survey once for each Parliament and, as such, figures for 2009–10 or 2010–11 were not reported.
3. Prior to 2011–12, Parliament House based staff of parliamentarians were counted as others (building occupants).
4. The 2009–10 figure of 933,878 included an estimated 67,000 passholders who were redirected through the Main Front public entrance whilst the staff basement entry was being refurbished. Estimated visitors for 2009–10 on a like-for-like basis was 866,000.
5. Changes to the management of non-catered functions were implemented in 2009–10 and this revenue is now included in the catering contractor revenue.
6. For 2011–12, the Parliament Shop net profit includes supplier expenses such as postage and banking fees.