This annual report of the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) complies with the requirements of the Commonwealth Authorities and Companies Act 1997 (CAC Act). The mission, strategic directions and values of the AIHW are detailed on the inside front cover. Then the report begins with a Highlights section, the AIHW Board Chair’s report, the AIHW Director’s report, and an In brief summary of the report’s contents. A short feature to celebrate the AIHW’s 25th year of operation follows the summary.
The first chapter, Our performance, summarises the year’s activities for 2011–12 against the AIHW’s strategic directions, including the 2011–12 Portfolio Budget Statements (PBS). It summarises financial performance.
Governance and the organisation describes the AIHW’s corporate governance arrangements, including accountabilities to the Minister for Health and the roles and responsibilities of the AIHW’s Board and Ethics Committee.
The achievement of specific planned outputs for 2011–12 is recorded in the third chapter, Our operating units. The chapter provides work group reports for each unit of the AIHW involved in statistical analysis and reporting. The reports contain detailed information on the units’ objectives, planned deliverables and other activities.
The AIHW’s staffing profile and information about how the AIHW supports its staff can be found in Our people.
The final chapter, Our communications, provides an overview of public affairs activities, including the presentation to policy makers and the public of messages arising from the AIHW’s data on health and welfare.
The Appendixes contain specific governance-related information: legislation, the AIHW Board’s Charter of Corporate Governance, membership details of the AIHW Board and the AIHW Ethics Committee, and a list of the AIHW’s Executive and unit heads. The appendixes also provide lists of the national information committees and universities with which the AIHW maintains strong working relationships. Details of some matters that the AIHW is required by law to report, and details of the AIHW’s publications are also provided in the appendixes. Lastly, the audited financial statements for the AIHW are provided in Appendix 9.
The Reader guides help you find specific information: abbreviations; a glossary; lists of tables, figures and ‘spotlights’ about specific activities; a compliance index of information required to be published in this annual report by law; and a general index.
Contact information is given on the inside back cover.