Corporate Plan 2022-23

Commissioner's foreword

The Australian Federal Police (AFP) is entrusted to safeguard Australians and Australia's interests from criminal and non-criminal threats. The 2022–23 Corporate Plan outlines the programs of work underway to ensure AFP meets this vision. Our priorities are informed by the Ministerial Directions under the Australian Federal Police Act 1979 (Cth) and the AFP Portfolio Budget Statement, and link to our 3 outcomes: National and International Policing; ACT Policing; and Specialist Protective Services and International Policing Missions. These outcomes clearly reflect the scope and complexity of the AFP's role.

As Australia's national policing agency we are committed to protecting lives, livelihoods and Australia's way of life. Globalisation and technological development mean that crime transcends borders. The AFP continues to focus on fighting crime at its source—before it reaches Australia. The AFP values, and will continue to work collaboratively with, our domestic and international
partners. We will continue to build public awareness and encourage community engagement to ensure we reflect the interests of the community we represent and serve.

In July 2022, the AFP became a portfolio agency of the Attorney-General's Department. The portfolio brings together Australian law enforcement policy and operations, criminal justice and integrity oversight. We look forward to continuing our work with new and existing partners, to protect the safety and sovereignty of Australians.

We remain committed to growing a high performing, innovative and future-focused policing agency that holds the confidence of our community, government and partners. With our people and our growing operational capabilities, we will continue to maximise our impact on the criminal environment by:

• improving the health and wellbeing of our people
• delivering a modern policing agency through continuous organisational reform
• improving productivity and operational effectiveness
• developing leaders to lead change and drive high performance
• improving diversity and inclusion to reflect our community.

We are guided by our 3 operating principles to support and enable our people to deliver on our purposes, goals and functions:

• Support the frontline by providing the frameworks, training and tools for frontline officers to do their jobs effectively
• Reduce red tape by reviewing potential barriers to efficient and effective decision-making
• Enhance partnerships by proactively engaging and working closely with our key partners both in Australia and internationally.

I am confident this plan demonstrates our organisation is well-positioned to meet the challenges of the future.

Statement of preparation

I, as the accountable authority for the Australian Federal Police, present the AFP Corporate Plan 2022–2023. This plan covers the 4-year period from 2022–2023 to 2025–2026 as required under section 35(1) (b) of the Public Governance Performance and Accountability Act 2013 (Cth). It outlines our environment, priorities, approach and the results we will deliver.

Reece P Kershaw APM
Commissioner
Australian Federal Police

Our purpose

As Australia's national policing agency, we protect Australians and Australia's interests.

Our role is to enforce Commonwealth and Australian Capital Territory criminal law and protect Commonwealth interests from criminal activity in Australia and overseas. We work closely with domestic and international partners to combat complex, transnational serious and organised crime affecting Australia's national security. Under the Australian Federal Police Act 1979 (Cth) the AFP investigates state offences with a federal aspect in partnership with domestic partners. The AFP uses its policing insights to engage effectively with the government and community to promote awareness and resilience.

Our core functions

• Provide POLICING SERVICES to the Australian Capital Territory, Jervis Bay and Australia's external territories
• Policing Commonwealth law, SAFEGUARDING Commonwealth interests and investigation of state offences that have a federal aspect
• Domestic engagement and COOPERATION to disrupt crime and keep Australians safe
• ASSIST international policing and non-government bodies to disrupt crime and support regional security, safety and stability
• PROTECTION of Commonwealth INFRASTRUCTURE, places and property
• PROTECTION of designated high office holders, dignitaries and witnesses
• OFFSHORE peace, stability and security operations, capacity building missions and capability development
• CONFISCATING property or wealth from criminals that has been illegally obtained
• Any other policing function essential to keeping Australians and Australian interests safe including protective and custodial services

Our strategic operating framework

• VISION
  • Policing for a safer Australia
• MISSION
  • As Australia's national policing agency, we protect Australians and Australia's interests
• GOAL
  • Maximum impact on the criminal environment
• OUTCOME 1: National and International Policing
  • Reduce criminal and national security threats to Australia's collective economic and societal interests through cooperative policing services.
• OUTCOME 2: ACT Policing
  • A safe and secure environment through policing activities on behalf of the Australian Capital Territory Government.
• OUTCOME 3: Specialist Protective Services and International Policing Missions
  • Safeguarding Australians and Australian interests through the delivery of policing services primarily focused on protective services, aviation policing and international missions.

Operating principles

Support the frontline

Ensuring staff have the right systems, tools, processes and support to enable them to operate effectively

Reduce red tape

Ensuring AFP governance and processes enable staff to make timely and risk informed decisions in support of their duties

Enhance partnerships

AFP operational effectiveness is enabled by mutually beneficial partnerships that recognises individual agencies' respective strengths, capabilities and demands

Our operating environment

The AFP's operating environment is changing at a rapid pace. Threats continue to emerge in response to global trade, climate change, geopolitical tensions, inequality and political instability. These threats create an environment that enables criminal activity in new and complex ways.

To meet the challenges of our operating environment, the AFP continues to develop and evolve as an innovative and future-focused policing agency. The AFP is committed to meeting the challenges of new technology-enabling crime, such as through the Joint Policing Cybercrime Coordination Centre (JPC3). Innovative responses to priority areas, such as cybercrime, allow the AFP to maximise damage on the criminal environment.

With such a complex operating environment, the AFP values our partner agencies and policing services to accelerate disruptions and operational outcomes. We continue to work with key partners in Australia and overseas, including state and territory police, Commonwealth agencies and the Australian intelligence community.

National and International Policing

Terrorism remains a threat to the safety and security of Australians and our way of life. The AFP is working closely with domestic and foreign law enforcement and intelligence partners to respond to these criminal threats, including undertaking joint operations and sharing of capabilities and intelligence. Protecting the Australian community from these threats, that are increasingly complex and diversified, is a high priority for the AFP. The main terrorism threat is religiously motivated violent extremism, however, ideologically motivated violent extremism is increasing.

Recently there is an increasing number of youth inspired by violent extremist ideologies. The threat is increased through the online environment and availability of terrorist propaganda. The AFP continues to explore opportunities with domestic and international, public and private partners, to strengthen our ability to respond to online threats.

The risk to our community posed by convicted terrorist offenders, and known entities within our community, is complex and continues to grow. The threat posed by foreign terrorist fighters who are offshore but may return to Australia, remains a priority for the AFP.

Espionage and foreign interference (EFI) is a threat to Australia's sovereignty, national security interests and the Australian community. The AFP continues to prioritise EFI investigations as part of the Counter Foreign Interference Taskforce. The AFP responds to hostile state actors seeking to access sensitive government information and target our democratic institutions, strategic sectors and assets. Hostile state actors engage in community interference in an attempt to control diaspora communities and influence the cohesion and wellbeing of our people. The AFP also provides investigative outcomes for other sensitive matters relating to secrecy, harming of Australians offshore and war crimes.

The frequency, complexity and evolving nature of cybercrime continues to have widespread impacts on the Australian community and our national interests. We face evolving and pervasive cybercrime threats that cause severe harm through financial loss, reputation damage and loss of confidence in the digital economy. The AFP is prioritising collaboration with law enforcement, community and industry partners to make Australia a costly and hostile environment for cybercrime. The AFP works with stakeholders to disrupt and prosecute cybercriminals in focus areas such as business email compromise, remote access trojans, and ransomware. We will also engage the community about steps they can take to protect themselves from harm.

Child exploitation and human exploitation are priority areas for the AFP and Australian Government. Technology enables the exploitation of children to occur remotely and across borders, making addressing this issue increasingly difficult. Technology and the reopening of national and international borders also enable, and amplify, human exploitation, including human trafficking, slavery and slavery-like practices. The AFP continues our commitment to combating violence against women and children, and child and human exploitation by working in partnership with a range of national and international stakeholders, as well as state and territory police, industry and non-government agencies. The AFP leads a collaborative national response to counter child exploitation through the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation (ACCCE), as well as implementing 14 measures under the National Strategy to Prevent and Respond to Child Sexual Abuse (2021–2030), and our responsibilities as detailed in the National Action Plan to Combat Modern Slavery (2021–2025).

AFP Operation Ironside demonstrated that the scale, complexity and impact of transnational serious and organised crime (TSOC) on Australia has been underestimated. Australia remains an attractive target for TSOC groups. Australia has one of the highest per capita users of illicit drugs in the world and has some of the highest prices for illicit drugs.

TSOC is well-established, financed and has integrated global networks. Some 70% of Australia's TSOC threats are based offshore or have strong offshore links, but the impacts of TSOC are felt locally. The AFP prevents and disrupts TSOC through their communications, operations and finances using a range of partnerships and leading capabilities, to go beyond traditional investigation techniques. Importantly, we use our international networks to disrupt TSOC threats before they reach Australia.

The Criminal Assets Confiscation Taskforce (CACT) targets the criminal business model and confiscates assets to undermine the profitability of criminal enterprises and prevent the reinvestment of criminal proceeds into further criminal activity. Like the wider AFP, the criminal environment and methodologies confronting the CACT are rapidly evolving, including with respect to the use of cryptocurrencies, and the CACT is continually enhancing its capabilities. Having restrained $592 million (gross) in criminal assets in the past 3 years, the CACT is on track to exceed its 5-year target to restrain $600 million (gross) in criminal assets by 30 June 2024.

The AFP uses a multi-agency approach to strengthen the Commonwealth's ability to address fraud and corruption. Foreign bribery is focused on criminal activity that causes harm to Australia's international reputation and economy. Australia is an attractive investment opportunity for corruption offences in the Asia–Pacific region. Key industry sectors are particularly vulnerable to foreign bribery offences. Fraud and anti-corruption includes organised crime groups engaged in fraud against the Commonwealth, particularly when utilising trusted insiders who divert government revenue from vital programs, utilise proceeds to fund other serious offending, target vulnerable Australians and leverage infiltration and/or manipulation of government systems to facilitate crime.

The AFP has primary law enforcement responsibility for investigating allegations of corrupt conduct by Commonwealth officials (except where the Australian Commission for Law Enforcement Integrity has jurisdiction) and the bribery of foreign public officials by Australian companies.

The AFP is working closely with domestic and foreign international law enforcement, security and intelligence partners to manage and proactively meet these challenges, including undertaking joint operations, capacity development and sharing of capabilities and intelligence.

ACT Policing

ACT Policing faces an operational landscape that is shaped by the growing ACT population, evolving land use development and a more complex criminal and social environment. In order to address this increased complexity and demand, and to further improve community safety, ACT Policing continues its transition to a new Police Services Model. This model includes strengthening both public and private partnerships to lead a multi-disciplinary response to criminal offending.

As part of efforts to prevent crime and victimisation, ACT Policing undertakes proactive strategies. Where possible, ACT Policing seeks to identify opportunities to proactively intervene and work with its partners to address the underlying social issues leading individuals to commit crime. This involves working with government to ensure responses to family and sexual violence remain victim-focused, and proactively develop early intervention strategies to break the cycle of family violence. ACT Policing also seeks to explore ways to improve its engagement with vulnerable people and groups. This includes working with the community to implement the recommendations provided by the ACT and Commonwealth Ombudsman in their report, ACT Policing's administrative framework for engagement with the ACT Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community.

Specialist Protective Services and International Policing Missions

The AFP continues to deliver policing services to protect and support Australia's interests domestically and internationally. Specialist Protective Services utilises a flexible and intelligence-driven approach to maintain the safety of individuals, infrastructure and interests deemed at risk by the Commonwealth. This is done through increased investment in people, integration of technology and effective coordination with our domestic and international partners.

The AFP promotes regional stability and continues to uplift the capacity of neighbouring countries through international police development missions. The AFP continues to provide community policing services to the communities of Jervis Bay, Norfolk Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands and Christmas Island.

Through the National Operations State Service Centre and the National Missing Persons Coordination Centre, the AFP continues to provide 24/7 critical connecting and coordinating services. This fusion of communications, intelligence, coordination and domestic and international engagement assists investigations and operations to keep Australians safe. These entities receive and transmit vital operational information to enable the AFP and its trusted partners to deliver effective policing outcomes throughout
Australia and the world.

Changes to existing protective and international services have strengthened the AFP's ability to protect Australia's domestic and international interests. The AFP continues to enhance the capacity and capability of Pacific police forces through bilateral police development missions and regional mechanisms. The AFP promotes regional stability and security by cooperating and fostering relationships alongside domestic and international counterparts as a partner of choice.

COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact on the AFP's operating environment and delivery of core services. We continue to investigate fraud arising from economic stimulus measures and exploitation of essential and scarce goods. The opening of borders and easing of quarantine restrictions presents new challenges and opportunities for our operating environment. We will continue to provide an agile and multifaceted response as the aftereffects of the pandemic emerge.

Our priorities

The AFP's priorities are informed by the Ministerial Directions made under the Australian Federal Police Act 1979 (Cth) and the AFP Portfolio Budget Statement. They reflect current and emerging threats in policing and the national security operating environment.

AFP manages these priorities with deliberate operational strategies and actions to:

• prevent harm to Australians and Australia's interests
• disrupt threats at the first available opportunity to minimise harm
• respond to threats in the most efficient and effective manner to minimise harm, enable recovery, promote community resilience and support the rule of law
• enforce criminal law and assist partners to enforce the criminal law.

AFP priorities fall under our 3 outcomes.

National and International Policing

To protect the lives, livelihoods and Australia's way of life, the AFP prioritises combating serious criminal threats that arise from:

• terrorism
• human exploitation
• cybercrime
• transnational serious organised crime
• espionage and foreign interference
• fraud and corruption.

The AFP's International Network continues to expand and unite its influence and reach. We use that influence to prevent and disrupt crime at its source, to prevent harm to Australians and Australia's interests, internationally and within our region. The AFP continues to work with partners to progress Australia's international policy goals regarding national security and crime.

The demands of national and international policing requires: specialist capabilities; a diverse approach to identifying, preventing and responding to criminal threats; strong partnerships with domestic and international law enforcement agencies; and the ability to quickly and flexibly deploy domestically and internationally. The AFP continues to leverage the influence of its international partnerships, which deliver critical operational outcomes as well as promoting and protecting Australia's national interests.

ACT Policing

In addition to contributing to the national and international, specialist protective and external territory policing priorities, ACT Policing works with the ACT Government, partner agencies and community to deliver professional, innovative and effective policing services for the ACT community. These services focus on the following priorities, as set out in the ACT Ministerial Direction:

• transition to a community-focused policing services model
• increase early intervention and diversion strategies to reduce recidivism
• contribute to Canberra as a leading city for restorative justice, improving responses to vulnerable people in the community
• strengthen and lead the ACT's response to family violence
• work proactively to reduce and prevent alcohol-fuelled violence
• improve road safety through combatting anti-social and dangerous behaviours
• disrupt serious and organised criminality
• minimise the harm associated with illicit drugs
• counter the threat of terrorism and violent extremism
• cultivate a diverse and inclusive workforce that is committed to the health and wellbeing of its appointees.

Specialist Protective Services and International Policing Missions

Specialist Protection Services and Operations

The AFP prioritises the protection of threats directed towards:

• Commonwealth protected persons
• Commonwealth assets and critical infrastructure
• designated Australian airports
• our people, capabilities and policing infrastructure.

International Police Assistance and External Territories

The AFP continues to promote regional stability and improve the policing capability of our region through:

• international police partnership and development missions
• bilateral training and other learning opportunities
• engagement with and contributions to regional mechanisms
• coordination of police assistance activities across and in partnership with our Pacific partners.

The AFP provides safety and security through providing community policing services to:

• Jervis Bay
• Norfolk Island
• Cocos (Keeling) Islands
• Christmas Island.

Our risk management and oversight

The AFP operates in a diverse and dynamic environment with layers of uncertainty that impact our operational planning and decision-making processes. Making sound decisions under conditions of uncertainty is a core professional and leadership skill that optimises the balance and interaction of different types of risks.

All appointees are responsible for managing risks and may have specific responsibilities to ensure the implementation of risk management processes in line with the AFP Risk Management Framework (the Framework). Each area within the AFP maintains a register of risks to ensure they effectively manage and mitigate risks that may affect the achievement of their objectives.

Risk – The effect of uncertainty on objectives. An effect is a deviation from the expected—positive and/or negative. Risk is often expressed in terms of a combination of the consequences of an event (including changes in circumstances or knowledge) and the associated likelihood of occurrence.

COMMONWEALTH RISK MANAGEMENT POLICY

The Framework provides a well-considered and structured basis for engaging and managing risk by focusing on control effectiveness. Quantifying control effectiveness allows for a defined understanding of the actual risk exposure contributing to good decisions, innovation, efficiency and safety in the achievement of objectives.

The AFP has developed a risk culture strategy to enhance understanding and normalisation of risk management practices. A positive risk culture enhances and strengthens risk identification, engagement and management, supports informed decision-making, business planning and performance.

Enterprise-level risks to AFP achievement of objectives

Effective risk management at the enterprise-level supports effective decision-making in uncertain situations and provides an improved ability to anticipate change, manage risk and disruption to AFP operations. The entity-level risk profile outlines the AFP's key enterprise-level risks, risk leads, key controls, treatments and their effectiveness.

There are 8 enterprise-level risks managed by the AFP:

Health, safety and wellbeing

Threat

• Risk of illness, injury or other health conditions which decrease the wellbeing and performance of the AFP workforce

Opportunity

• Investment in the health, safety and wellbeing of AFP appointees has many benefits. From an organisational performance perspective, it enables staff to work to their potential and achieve the AFP's objectives

Culture, standards and integrity

Threat

• Risk of systemic failures to comply with the AFP's standards, values, regulatory framework and statutory requirements

Opportunity

• A respectful values-driven culture supports effective leadership, learning and accountability. Workplace diversity fosters innovative solutions to complex problems, agility and adaptability, and enhances organisational capability

Operational outcomes

Threat

• Failure to achieve the AFP's identified operational outcomes, which impacts on the safety and security of Australians and Australia's interests

Opportunity

• Achievement of the AFP's operational outcomes has a preventative effect on criminal activity, enhances national security, and builds the trust of the Australian community, AFP partner agencies and Government

Partnerships and stakeholders

Threat

• Failure to develop and coordinate effective relationships with community, Government and partners

Opportunity

• Enhanced partnerships and stakeholder engagement increases the AFP's ability to innovate, access, build, and sustain capabilities required for success

Effectiveness of AFP capabilities

Threat

• The AFP's capabilities and infrastructure fail to adjust to a changing operating environment which impacts on the AFP's ability to generate future operational outcomes

Opportunity

• The AFP remains contemporary in combating new and complex types of crime. It can harness considerable operational objectives in an evolving crime threat environment

Workforce

Threat

• Failure to attract, retain and maintain a workforce with the right skills and capabilities

Opportunity

• Attracting people with the right skills, qualifications and characteristics, developing their skills and expertise, and placing them in the right roles, enables the AFP to achieve its strategic objectives

Resourcing

Threat

• Mismanagement or misuse of resources

Opportunity

• Effectively managing the AFP's finances enables the AFP to retain public confidence; recruit, retain, develop and equip personnel; develop effective capabilities and achieve AFP objectives within its operating budget

Information

Threat

• Risk of systemic failure to effectively access/collect, use, manage or protect information

Opportunity

• By optimising access to and utilisation of information holdings, the AFP can enhance its effectiveness and ability to achieve objectives. By protecting information from inappropriate disclosure or loss, the AFP is able to effectively operate, and retain the trust of AFP appointees, the community and its partners

Our capabilities and enablers

The AFP's capability and enabling functions support the delivery of our priorities and core business activities. We deliver corporate services and specialist support across our 3 outcomes. The AFP takes a cohesive and strategic approach that aligns operational needs with organisational solutions and opportunities.

This approach acknowledges that:

• collaborating and aligning operational, technical and support capabilities is needed to maximise operational effect
• developing operational capabilities requires a mix of people, process, tools and technological elements
• developing capabilities maximises efficiency and effectiveness through shared acquisition, sustainment and delivery approaches
• aligning capabilities to current and future operating environments is needed to address disruptive opportunities and challenges.

The AFP is currently implementing the findings from its 2020–21 Enabling Services Review to ensure our enabling functions can respond to the challenges arising from our operating environment. Improvements to the delivery of governance, structures, supporting systems, processes and information management services will enable a responsive, innovative approach to supporting the AFP's operations.

People and culture

Our people are critical to ensuring the AFP continuously maximises its impact on our operating environment. We are focussed on improving ways to attract, recruit and retain a talented workforce that is capable and reflective of the diverse communities we serve.

Changes in our operating environment, including some key shifts during the COVID-19 pandemic, create challenges for traditional recruitment and retention models and reinforce the benefits of a flexible and diverse workforce. We are strengthening and streamlining our talent pipelines and have developed a comprehensive Strategic Workforce Plan to manage these changes, promote the AFP as an employer of choice and implement strategic reforms. We also use new and innovative methods to target key workforce demographics and improve the recruitment process.

An inclusive workforce that embraces diversity is critical to the AFP's long-term organisational strategy. We are working closely with our partners to develop and embed diversity and inclusion initiatives.

Initiatives that deliver on our commitment to the health and wellbeing of our workforce are vital to building operational capacity and readiness. Through the SHIELD program, the AFP continues to invest in, and uplift, our preventative health, early intervention and clinical capabilities. This work continues to evolve and mature, allowing us to minimise harm, increase efficiencies, improve our appointees' experiences and sustain operational capacities.

Fostering AFP customs and traditions is central to revitalising and promoting our brand and values. We ensure that our people are recognised for their achievements, contributions to the Australian community, and unique skills and experiences. The AFP Reserve is one of the key means of engaging actively with former and retired appointees by recognising and leveraging their substantial skills and experiences.

Developing a concept for a national policing museum with our policing partners and stakeholders is a key priority in our efforts to promote policing culture and our connection and contribution to the community. The museum has the potential to highlight the important role played by Australian police at the local, national and international level.

Finance and infrastructure

The AFP's finance function continues to deliver red tape reductions, business improvements and process efficiencies alongside a focus on strong financial management and reporting processes. The AFP continues to develop, implement and rollout corporate systems to support the frontline.

Property is a critical enabler of the capabilities affecting where and how people work and contributes positively to the AFP's environment and culture. The AFP's Strategic Property Plan (SPP) provides the framework at an operational, tactical and strategic level for all property investments. The SPP ensures the AFP's property and infrastructure will meet current and future organisational capability requirements.

The AFP's Central Procurement Services (CPS) works with business areas and advises on compliance relating to proposed spending and maximising value against these activities. CPS actively works to reduce overheads associated with procurement while still maintaining the quality and integrity of procurements in support of operational outcomes.

Technology and forensics

The AFP continues to obtain, develop and implement new and emerging technologies to maintain a competitive advantage against criminal networks. These actions align with the AFP Technology Strategy 2025, which is a key document providing a high-level roadmap of the AFP's critical future technology needs.

Adaptation of recent technological and scientific advancements will see enhancements to our forensic capabilities. The development of novel digital tools, allows the AFP to optimise our operational impact. We continue to build and deploy common collaboration tools to enable efficiencies when working with our partners, as well as highly specific portable solutions for our own investigators.

The AFP continues to manage information as a secure, governed police asset. The implementation of a technology-enabled information chain and use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools to recognise and relate information, further enhances the value of our data holdings, to maximise the AFP's operational effect across all crime types.

Intelligence

Intelligence provides an overview of criminal threats and harms relevant to AFP activity. This capability delivers intelligence to improve strategic decision-making and operational outcomes, identify gaps in organisational knowledge and associations between criminal activities and targets.

We share information and intelligence on law enforcement and national security matters with key domestic and international law enforcement partners, where appropriate.

Legal services

Identifying and managing legal risk is critical for the AFP. The AFP provides independent legal advice and litigation services across our agency, including services to ensure the AFP meets its freedom of information and privacy obligations. Our specialist litigators undertake proceeds of crime litigation focussed on delivering maximum impact on crime by depriving persons of the proceeds, instruments and benefits derived from criminal conduct.

Professional standards

The AFP's integrity framework combines the timely resolution of complaints and a strong focus on prevention strategies. The AFP has implemented a rounded approach to promote and improve adherence to professional standards. This includes increased education and engagement of leaders and managers, and the workforce more broadly, to improve behaviours and deal with inappropriate behaviours early. The framework also addresses practice issues, which strengthen workplace processes and supports the workforce to address and implement recommendations from external audits and Ombudsman reviews. The AFP continues to work with its partner agencies, such as the Australian Commission for Law Enforcement Integrity, to achieve positive results.

Strategy and performance

The AFP uses strategy, policy and performance frameworks to manage and develop our agency to meet the demands of our operating environment. This includes proactive legislative reform, policy coordination and performance measurement to ensure our ability to respond to current and emerging criminal threats and evolving technology. The AFP continues to implement the recommendations of the Governance Instrument Framework Review to further meet our strategy and performance goals.

Learning and development

Learning and development assists the AFP to develop and maintain a skilled and capable workforce, drive innovation and take the lead on improvement activities. The AFP enables our appointees to gain knowledge, develop skills and create a culture of learning and continuous improvement that supports our appointees to deliver maximum impact to the criminal environment.

Security

The AFP drives and supports the protection of our appointees, information and assets by providing a protective security framework that ensures the secure delivery of AFP objectives. Our security function is critical to developing and maintaining a strong protective security culture across the AFP. We achieve this through the continuing assessment of current and emerging security risks, the delivery of contemporary advice and security awareness training and compliance activities, in accordance with the protective security requirements set by the Australian Government.

Media and communication

The AFP's media and communications teams provide the agency with a channel to engage with the media, key stakeholders and the public. The AFP relies on this channel to consistently promote and protect the agency in the media by highlighting operation successes and capability.

The AFP's sophisticated use of media allows it to deliver on communication strategies to build a bridge to the community and stay a step ahead of criminals who seek to harm Australians and Australia's interests. The agency's media and communications strategies deliver value to the AFP and the community by deterring crime and encouraging the public to report crime, building trust with the public to gain better operational intelligence, and explaining to the community how and why we use legislation.

Our performance framework

The AFP's performance framework provides the activities and performance measures that support the delivery, and measure the success, of our outcomes and programs. The AFP is committed to ongoing review of our activities and measures to ensure they meet our commitment to community, partners and parliament.

We report our existing activities and performance measures and, where necessary, report additional or amended activities and measures to remain current with our operating environment. Each activity and measure is supported by an explanatory description.

Our activities

The key activities that AFP will undertake for the reporting period 2022–23 to 2025–26 fall under our 3 outcomes, as set out in the 2022–23 Portfolio Budget Statement (PBS). These are National and International Policing (Outcome 1), ACT Policing (Outcome 2) and Special Protective Services and International Policing Mission (Outcome 3). Each activity enables the AFP to achieve our purpose.

In line with the Department of Finance's guidance, in 2022 AFP undertook a review of our activities. The AFP now presents 8 activities, reflecting distinct, significant and externally oriented bodies of work. This review occurred after the 2022–23 PBS was published. As such, the activities presented in this plan do not wholly reflect those within the PBS. The activities no longer presented in the 2022–23 AFP Corporate Plan continue as internal priorities for the AFP.

Outcome 1

Outcome 2

Outcome 3

Our performance measures

In 2022–23, the AFP's 3 outcomes state the key government and social goals the AFP is responsible for delivering.

Performance against these outcomes is assessed against 19 performance measures categorised as producing either operational outcomes or public value. These performance measures aim to demonstrate the effectiveness of the AFP's operational impact and value to the community from its activities.

Regular internal reporting provides performance measure results and analysis of trends to various Executive Boards and to the Audit and Risk Committee. The Audit and Risk Committee, in particular, provides advice on the performance framework and measures.

Specific details for each measure, including targets and rationale, are in the tables on pages 20–22. The AFP will publish results against each measure in the Annual Performance Statement in the 2022–23 Annual Report.

The operational definitions listed in the following tables are:

• prevention: any lawful action that limits or removes the cause of offending and/or victimisation
• disruption: any lawful action that interferes delays or complicates a criminal activity, resulting in the degradation of criminal enterprise, reducing criminal capability, influence, and capacity to create harm and victimisation
• response: any timely and lawful action taken to address an incident or matter, which requires immediate attention to either limit the harm from: a criminal act; an offence continuing; an unsafe situation and an emergency; or to support policing efforts to secure evidence or locate/detain an offender
• enforcement: using legislation and police powers to undertake police services, and provide police support services to domestic and foreign partners, to minimise harm, support prosecution of criminal acts, fulfil legislated duties, assist with intelligence exchange and support a good global order.

OUTCOME 1 | Reduced criminal and security threats to Australia's collective economic and societal interest through
co-operative policing services

PROGRAM 1.1 | Federal Policing – Investigations

This program aims to reduce criminal and security threats through promoting the safety and security of Australian communities and infrastructure; preventing, deterring, disrupting and investigating serious and organised crime and crimes of Commonwealth significance; and ensuring effective collaboration with international, Commonwealth, state and territory partners.

OUTCOME 2 | A safe and secure environment through policing activities on behalf of the Australian Capital Territory Government

PROGRAM 2.1 | ACT Community Policing

The AFP provides community policing services in the Australian Capital Territory, which deliver in partnership with government and community agencies support for: enforcement of the law, emergency management and community safety; efforts to counter victim-based crime and road trauma, building community resilience against crime and working with the community to prevent and disrupt crime.

OUTCOME 3 | Safeguarding Australians and Australian interests through the delivery of policing services primarily focused on protective services, aviation policing and international missions.

PROGRAM 3.1 | Specialist Police Services

This program provides police-based protective services to enhance: the rule of law, national stability, workings of key institutions; international relations, national security at designated airports, high profile residential and dignitary locations, specialised events, and protection for official persons.

PROGRAM 3.2 | International Police Assistance and External Territories

This program provides a range of policing and/or policing support services to deliver community policing for external Australian territories and build offshore police agencies' engagement and capabilities to combat transnational and local crime.