The Portfolio Committee undertook intensive engagements with the Departments and their Entities during the scrutiny of strategic plans, budget votes and annual reports. Unlike previous years, whereby departments did not integrate the budgets or performance of entities undertaking work on their behalf, the Portfolio Committee requested that the briefings as well as the reports foster an integrative approach in planning, monitoring of progress and reporting against such progress between the Department and their Entities, whilst giving full effect to the prescripts in terms of roles and responsibilities of the Accounting Officer (Director General of the Department) and the Accounting Authorities (Boards) of the Entities related to those of the Department and the mandate of the Portfolio Committee. The objectives of the exercise by the Portfolio Committee were also: