AGY-6120 | Department of Administrative Services (1988-1990) / Commercial Services Group (1990-1995)

Full description

On 25 March 1988, the Department of Administrative Services was established with “the aim of improving efficiency, economy and effectiveness in the operation of common service agencies in the public sector". (1) The Department brought together “the following common service agencies previously with other Departments”: Computer Services Division; Data Entry Services Bureau; Government Advertising Agency; Government Information Service; Government Motor Services; Government Printing Office; Government Supply Office; Government Real Estate Branch; Motor Vehicle Policy Unit; Office Accommodation Bureau; Property Management Unit; Public Servant Housing Authority; and the Telecommunication Network. (2)

By mid-1989, the Department comprised the following branches:
• The Executive Support Unit – responsible for “overall project and policy co-ordination within the Department and for links between the business community, the Department and the Ministerial Office”. The Unit also maintained “dialogue with industry associations, and equivalent agencies in other States and the Commonwealth on issues affecting the portfolio”.
• The Government Communications Directorate – responsible for “the co-ordination of government information, advertising and corporate communications services, including publishing the Public Service Notices and management of the Local Co-ordinators State Administration Scheme”. The Directorate consisted of the Communications Branch, Government Advertising Agency and the Government Information Service.
• The Government Printing Office – offered services “for printing, paper converting and publishing, with particular emphasis on support to Parliament and NSW Government departments”.
• The Government Supply Office – comprised: the State Contracts Control Board; Contracts and Purchasing Division; Motor Vehicle Services; Stock Systems and Warehouse Branches; Government Cleaning Service; Government Clothing Factory; Information Systems Division; Administration Unit; and the Internal Audit Section. The Government Supply Office, and the Government Printing Office had both been abolished as separate administrative units on 19 April 1989, and incorporated into the Department.
• The Group Finance and Corporate Services Directorate – responsible for “the Department’s corporate services, including budgetary and financial matters, staff and personnel services, salaries, staff development, equal employment opportunity management, Ministerial correspondence, information services, evaluation and implementation of technology and freedom of information decisions”.
• The Policy, Planning and Review Directorate – responsible for providing “services to the Minister and other units of the portfolio in policy development (including motor vehicle policy), management consultancy, internal audit and Industrial engineering”. The Directorate also had responsibility “for managing the development and review of the Department’s corporate plan” and provided “advice and assistance in the commercialisation of the common activities within the portfolio, and the improvement of business operations”.
• The Property Services Directorate – responsible for the: Property Management Unit; Office Accommodation Bureau; and the Government Real Estate Branch. The Government Real Estate Branch administered the Public Servant Housing Authority and Teacher Housing Authority allocations and transfers. The property functions of the Directorate were subsequently transferred, in late 1989, to the newly established Property Services Group, a separate agency under the responsibility of the Minister for Administrative Services.
• The Technical Services Directorate – consisted of: Computer Services; Centralised Payroll and Data Entry Services Bureau. (3)

The Government Printing Office was subsequently closed by the Department on 25 July 1989, following a review by Australian Consulting Partners which revealed that the Office wasn’t commercially viable. Later in 1989, the Office was replaced with the smaller, and commercially competitive, Government Printing Service. (4)

On 15 August 1990, the name of the Department of Administrative Services was effectively changed to the Commercial Services Group, and any reference to the Department was to be construed as a reference to the Commercial Services Group. The Group remained the responsibility of the Minister for Administrative Services. (5)

By early 1991, the Commercial Service Group consisted of the Group Finance and Corporate Services Directorate and the following Commercial Service Business Units: Government Cleaning Service; Government Information and Advertising; Government Motor Services; Government Printing Service; State Mail Service; Technical Repair Services; Telecommunications Unit; First State Computing; NSW Supply. NSW Supply included: NSW Supply Service; StateFleet Services and Q Stores. By 1992, the organisational structure of the Group included a Strategic Policy Unit, and NSW Supply included Information Technology Services. (6)

In 1992-1994, the restructure of the Commercial Services Group included: the closure of Government Motor Services in May 1992; the sale of First State Computing on 31 July 1992; the Technical Repair Services and the Government Cleaning Service “ceased to operate as business units of the Group” in 1993-1994. (7)

On 6 April 1995, the Commercial Services Group was abolished, and its branches were transferred to the Department of Public Works and Services. (8)

Endnotes
1. NSW Government Gazette No.65, 25 March 1988, p.2041; Department of Administrative Services Annual Report 1988-1989, p.7.
2. Loc. cit.
3. Ibid., pp.9-36; NSW Government Directory 1989, Sixth edition, pp.39-49; NSW Government Directory 1989, Update Edition, p.35; NSW Government Directory 1990, Eighth edition, p.29; NSW Government Gazette No.48, 21 April 1989, p.2223.
4. Ibid., pp.9, 24, 31-32, 84-85; NSW Government Directory 1990, Eighth edition, pp.31-33.
5. Administrative Changes (Commercial Services Group) Order 1990 in NSW Government Gazette No.104, 17 August 1990, p.7518; Commercial Services Group Annual Report 1991-1992, pp.3, 8.
6. Ibid., pp.20-28; NSW Government Directory 1991, Tenth edition, pp.29-36; NSW Government Directory 1992, Twelfth edition, pp.31, 36.
7. Commercial Services Group Annual Report 1992-1993, pp.34-35; Commercial Services Group Annual Report 1993-1994, pp.13, 17.
8. NSW Government Gazette No.39, Special Supplement, 5 April 1995, p.1860.