Using AI for Reporting and Compliance in the Australian Public Service (2026)

Reporting and compliance are significant parts of the workload for many Australian public servants. Agencies must comply with a wide range of legislative and administrative requirements — financial reporting, performance reporting, audit requirements, privacy obligations, and more — and producing the documentation to demonstrate compliance is time-consuming.

AI tools can help reduce this burden by assisting with drafting, summarising, and organising compliance documentation. They cannot replace the judgement and expertise required to ensure that agencies are actually compliant — but they can make the documentation work faster and more consistent.

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Annual Reports and Performance Reporting

Commonwealth agencies are required to produce annual reports under the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013 (PGPA Act). These reports must cover financial performance, non-financial performance against the agency's corporate plan, and a range of mandatory disclosures.

AI tools can help with:

• Drafting narrative sections of the annual report based on data and information provided by staff
• Ensuring that mandatory disclosure requirements are addressed
• Producing plain-English summaries of performance data
• Checking that the report is consistent in style and tone

The data and the judgements about performance must come from staff. AI assists with the writing and structure.

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Corporate Plans and Portfolio Budget Statements

Agencies are required to produce corporate plans that set out their purposes, activities, and performance measures. Portfolio Budget Statements (PBS) set out the agency's budget and performance framework.

AI tools can help draft sections of these documents based on information provided by staff, ensure consistency across sections, and check that the documents address the requirements of the PGPA Act and Finance guidance.

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Audit Preparation

The Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) conducts financial and performance audits of Commonwealth agencies. Preparing for an audit involves gathering evidence, completing checklists, and documenting processes and controls.

AI tools can help by:

• Drafting audit preparation checklists based on the relevant audit criteria
• Summarising evidence gathered for audit purposes
• Helping staff understand the requirements of specific audit standards
• Producing structured responses to audit findings

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Privacy Compliance

Agencies must comply with the Privacy Act 1988 and the Australian Privacy Principles. This includes maintaining a privacy policy, conducting privacy impact assessments for new programs, and responding to privacy complaints.

AI tools can help with:

• Drafting privacy impact assessments based on information provided by staff
• Reviewing privacy policies for completeness and plain-English clarity
• Summarising privacy obligations relevant to a specific program or activity
• Drafting responses to privacy complaints

The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) publishes guidance on privacy compliance that can be used as a reference when using AI to draft privacy documents.

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Procurement and Contract Management

Commonwealth procurement is governed by the Commonwealth Procurement Rules. Agencies must document procurement decisions, manage contracts in accordance with the rules, and report on procurement activity.

AI tools can help with:

• Drafting procurement documentation — approach to market documents, evaluation reports, contract management plans
• Summarising contract terms and obligations
• Checking that procurement documentation addresses the requirements of the Commonwealth Procurement Rules
• Producing contract management checklists

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Ministerial and Parliamentary Compliance

Agencies must respond to parliamentary questions, Senate estimates questions on notice, and Freedom of Information requests. These processes involve significant documentation work.

AI tools can help with:

• Drafting responses to questions on notice based on information provided by staff
• Summarising documents identified in response to FOI requests
• Drafting FOI decision letters
• Preparing Senate estimates briefing materials

All responses to parliamentary questions and FOI requests must be reviewed by qualified staff before they are finalised. The accuracy and completeness of these responses is a legal and accountability requirement.

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Key Principles for AI-Assisted Compliance Work

Accuracy is Non-Negotiable

Compliance documentation must be accurate. AI tools can produce plausible-sounding but inaccurate content. Every piece of AI-generated compliance documentation must be reviewed by a staff member with knowledge of the subject matter and the relevant requirements.

Maintain an Audit Trail

For significant compliance documents, maintain a record of how AI was used in their preparation. This is important for accountability and for responding to audit queries.

Do Not Enter Sensitive Information

Compliance work often involves sensitive information — cabinet-in-confidence material, personal information, commercially sensitive information. This information must not be entered into AI tools that have not been approved for those purposes.

Stay Current with Requirements

Legislative and administrative requirements change. AI tools are trained on historical data and may not reflect the most current requirements. Always verify compliance requirements against current legislation and guidance.