Statement of Intent (SOI)

You can participate in setting an entity's medium-term direction through the entity's annual strategic planning process. In late September/early October each year, the Ministers of Finance and State Services will remind all responsible Ministers of the need to engage with their entities, and of any whole of government messages. Together with the monitoring department, you need to engage with an entity before it starts its annual review. The annual review can result in the SOI being re-confirmed as fit for purpose, amended or replaced.

You have the opportunity to review and provide comment on a draft SOI and, in the case of a newly-established entity, to direct that changes occur before it is finalised. The SOI for a Crown entity is prepared by the entity and signed off by the entity's board.³⁷ You can direct amendments to a final SOI, excluding the entity's explanation of how it intends to manage its organisational health and capability.

Your monitoring department should be engaging with the entity as it develops its strategic intentions, and advise you on whether an entity's draft SOI adequately covers matters such as:

• whether the entity has met the legislative requirements for the SOI?
• is the strategy sustainable?
• how well is the entity strategy articulated and is it responding to your priorities?
• do their business models make sense?
• an analysis of the relationships with stakeholders and how the entity will work with other agencies
• review of financial risks to the Crown
• the effectiveness of the strategic review process, and
• which areas the monitor intends to focus on in the coming year.

37: In certain limited circumstances such as establishment or disestablishment of an entity you may grant an extension of time or waive the requirement for an SOI.