Report to Government

Future structure and operation of the Board

6.4There will be less need for the full Board to meet in future; however, it is envisaged that smaller sub-groups and committees with particular functions may serve a useful purpose and will need to meet as often as circumstances require.

6.5Most of the Board’s working groups disbanded at the end of 2012, after performing a valuable role in providing expert advice in their fields of expertise. A number of significant proposals recommended by the Board have derived from the detailed work of the working groups. A few groups may be called upon for specific advice in the future, if required. The State, Territory and Local Government Group should remain in operation, given the ongoing importance and value of its work during the implementation phase.

7Conclusion: management of delivery

The aims of this chapter are to outline the Board’s views on:

• 
  the task of delivering the Anzac Centenary
  
• 
  responsibilities
  
• 
  criteria for success.
  

Task of delivering the Anzac Centenary

7.1There is only a relatively short time until the start of the Anzac Centenary in August 2014. There is much hard work to undertake between now and then, and throughout the Centenary period to 2018–19. The delivery task has already started with implementation under way on some of the Government’s initiatives that were announced in April 2012 and earlier.

7.2The months ahead will be critically important in ensuring that a successful Centenary program is delivered. There is a large range of projects to plan, coordinate, develop and deliver over an extended time frame, which will require timely decision making on approvals and funding, an integrated policy and planning framework, detailed implementation planning and a determined and focused delivery effort. This requires adequate resourcing and clear accountabilities. The Board considers that it would not be in the best interests of the Centenary program if there was insufficient resourcing of the functions of planning, coordinating, managing and delivering the proposals that the Government endorses.

7.3The detailed planning and delivery of the Anzac Centenary program constitutes a major national effort, and one that the Australian people will expect to be done to a standard of excellence. Resourcing and organisation should recognise this. There needs to be acceptance that not all of the skills for successful planning and delivery reside within government—most notably in areas such as cultural administration, marketing, sponsorship, merchandising and media communication. It will be important for government to draw upon expertise from specialists in the event industry. Clearly, as much resourcing as possible should go into the final product rather than management, logistics and administration, but inadequate resourcing for the latter will become one of the highest risks for the program when Australia moves from the strategic to the operational phase.

Responsibilities

7.4Given the range of tasks and time frames, it is essential that there are clear lines of responsibility for delivery of the Anzac Centenary program (including Century of Service). It is acknowledged that principal responsibility for implementation rests with the Minister Assisting the Prime Minister on the Centenary of Anzac and the Department of Veterans’ Affairs. However, other groups have crucial tasks to undertake, and their commitment to fulfilling them effectively is essential. Key organisations and sectors include:

• 
  other Australian Government departments, depending on the area of responsibility of the proposal. For example, responsibility for development of an educational scholarships and history grants program should rest with the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations
  
• 
  state and territory governments and their relevant agencies
  
• 
  local government and local communities
  
• 
  the Australian War Memorial
  
• 
  the National Archives of Australia, the National Gallery, the National Portrait Gallery, the Royal Australian Mint, the National Museum of Australia, the National Library and other national cultural institutions
  
• 
  the Australian Defence Force and the Department of Defence
  
• 
  ex-service organisations
  
• 
  media and programming organisations
  
• 
  business sector
  
• 
  the Anzac Centenary Advisory Board.
  

7.5There are consultative arrangements already in place with these groups and organisations. These arrangements will be vital over the coming months and years to ensure the Anzac Centenary program is planned and delivered effectively.

Criteria for success

7.6When Australians look back at the end of 2018 and reflect on what the Anzac Centenary has meant to them, how will they judge whether it has been a success? The Board considers the following to be important measures. The Centenary has:

• 
  been a powerful, engaging and challenging time, leaving a reinvigorated national awareness and increased knowledge of Australia’s military history and the service and sacrifice of earlier and current generations of Australian servicemen and servicewomen
  
• 
  developed a greater understanding of how our military history has shaped our national identity and defined our national character
  
• 
  delivered a multifaceted national program to a high professional standard, and also empowered communities to commemorate in ways of their own choosing
  
• 
  enhanced and refreshed the ‘Anzac landscape’ of commemorative, educational and interpretive elements
  
• 
  forged a personal connection with the lives and experiences of former and current servicemen and servicewomen, giving a sense of pride in their achievements
  
• 
  increased the understanding of all Australians about the costs and impacts of military engagement on our society
  
• 
  united Australians of all backgrounds and locations through celebration of the Anzac spirit and the values that have become synonymous with the Australian character
  
• 
  supported a far more constructive understanding and approach to the ongoing impacts of war on those who are involved.
  

7.7If the Anzac Centenary program leaves this legacy, it would have helped carry forward the Anzac spirit and values.