Preface In addition to highlighting assurance activities The Annual Assurance Summary is produced every conducted across the sector, the 2016–17 Annual year by the Inspector-General for Emergency Assurance Summary reflects another year of progress Management (IGEM). It collates and provides a high- by the sector in implementing the reform agenda. This level summary of assurance activities conducted by includes the release of performance standards for different organisations and independent bodies across responder agencies across the spectrums of risk and Victoria’s emergency management sector (the sector). resilience, capability and response and relief and In 2016–17, assurance activities were conducted at all recovery. Legislative change to enable the introduction levels of the emergency management system – of the new emergency management planning organisational, system and independent as described – arrangements is well underway and reform of Victoria's the Monitoring and Assurance Framework for relief and recovery arrangements has also Emergency Management. This is a testament to the commenced. sector's commitment to learning and continuous Assurance and continuous improvement are improvement. intrinsically linked and neither is possible without At the system level, IGEM's reviews conducted as part collaboration. I would like to take this opportunity to of its Annual Forward Plan of Reviews are being thank our emergency management partners for their progressively released and their recommendations for support and acknowledge the sustained efforts improvement have been accepted by government. demonstrated by the sector, and all its staff and Consistent with IGEM's implementation monitoring volunteers, in working towards the vision of safer and role, IGEM will monitor these recommendations and more resilient communities. report on their implementation progress in future Tony Pearce iterations of the Annual Assurance Summary. Inspector-General for Emergency Management
Preface The Annual Assurance Summary is produced every year by the Inspector-General for Emergency Management (IGEM). It collates and provides a high- level summary of assurance activities conducted by different organisations and independent bodies across Victoria’s emergency management sector (the sector). In 2016–17, assurance activities were conducted at all levels of the emergency management system – organisational, system and independent – as described the Monitoring and Assurance Framework for Emergency Management. This is a testament to the sector's commitment to learning and continuous improvement. At the system level, IGEM's reviews conducted as part of its Annual Forward Plan of Reviews are being progressively released and their recommendations for improvement have been accepted by government. Consistent with IGEM's implementation monitoring role, IGEM will monitor these recommendations and report on their implementation progress in future iterations of the Annual Assurance Summary. In addition to highlighting assurance activities conducted across the sector, the 2016–17 Annual Assurance Summary reflects another year of progress by the sector in implementing the reform agenda. This includes the release of performance standards for responder agencies across the spectrums of risk and resilience, capability and response and relief and recovery. Legislative change to enable the introduction of the new emergency management planning arrangements is well underway and reform of Victoria's relief and recovery arrangements has also commenced. Assurance and continuous improvement are intrinsically linked and neither is possible without collaboration. I would like to take this opportunity to thank our emergency management partners for their support and acknowledge the sustained efforts demonstrated by the sector, and all its staff and volunteers, in working towards the vision of safer and more resilient communities. Tony Pearce Inspector-General for Emergency Management