Slide 2 Learning from experience? Getting governments to listen
to what evaluations are telling them 23 October 2012 Brian Gleeson,
Coordinator General for Remote Indigenous Services Better
Indigenous policies: the role of evaluation Productivity Commission
Roundtable Old Parliament House, Canberra Slide 3 This is a strong
document, it is our word. But now we think that no-one in the
Education Department has read our reports because now you are
paying people to come and ask us what we want again. Every year you
ask us and every year we tell you but you dont listen to what we
say. Some community members say that you will keep asking until we
tell you that we want to be Balanda, then youll stop asking. We are
not Balanda, our skin will always be black. Submission to Collins
Review of Indigenous education in the NT, 1999 Some things never
change or do they? Slide 4 The road is long, with many a winding
turn Precursors that influenced current Indigenous reform agenda
including the development of the National Partnership Agreement on
Remote Service Delivery: 2002-2006 COAG trials 2002 Overcoming
Indigenous Disadvantage Report commissioned to help measure the
impact of changes to policy settings and service delivery 2003-2005
Communities in Crisis policy 2004 COAG agreement to new National
Framework Principles for Government Service Delivery to Indigenous
Australians 2004-now Shared Responsibility Agreements 2004-now
Indigenous Coordination Centres 2006 COAG commits to long-term
generational commitment to overcome Indigenous disadvantage 2008
Cape York Welfare Reform Trials 2008 COAG announces the Closing the
Gap targets, the National Indigenous Reform Agreement and the
National Partnership Agreement on Remote Service Delivery Slide 5
that leads us to who knows where, who knows when By and large they
all emphasised the importance of: Relationships build effective,
respectful relationships with communities and organisations and
within governments Shared understandings across and within
governments and with communities includes focus on long term and
sustainable benefits, overarching plans with KPIs, coordination
(whether central or localised) Enabling environment including
flexibility to reflect and respond to local priorities and
subsidiarity Capacity building of staff, communities and
organisations and local leadership Understanding and learning from
experience sharing best practice, ongoing formative evaluation,
better alignment between qualitative and quantitative evidence base
Slide 6 but Im strong, strong enough to carry it Some of the key
elements that havent happen but should have if wed listened
properly: strengths based approach rather than singular focus on
deficits; a whole of GOVERNMENTS approach at all levels; building
the capacity of staff on the ground; flexible funding based on
needs/outcomes rather than programs; better coordination of
programs capable of delivering multiple policy objectives (eg
infrastructure); delegation of decision making closer to the
ground; incorporation of KPIs that inform implementation planning
not just plans which are too often one off; understanding cultural
maps to ensure right decision makers are at the community
governance table; learning from experience formative evaluation
opportunities have been missed. Slide 7 while we're on the way to
there - why not share? How to better learn from experience: ensure
summative evaluations are early enough so that they can influence
the next iteration of the policy and program frameworks; embed
formative evaluations so that they can be responsive to the lessons
being learnt which would then prove to officers that it is
worthwhile to change the way they work in response to
circumstances; provide meaningful feedback on evaluation findings
to Indigenous communities and other stakeholders; where appropriate
respond directly and quickly to findings that suggest structural
change to policy and/or institutional arrangements is needed; embed
evaluation findings in policy frameworks and budget decision
making; equip officers with the capability to implement the policy
framework (including an enabling environment). Slide 8 well get
there Wadeye is an example of governments listening to lessons
learned investment in developing legitimate local governance and so
right decision makers at the table patient work in developing
capacity of leaders and local organisations leading to positive
change including: sustainable employment enterprise development
harnessing youth leadership in AFL program An aside the recent
review of Overcoming Indigenous Disadvantage report has some very
useful recommendations (greater focus on strengths, evidence based
case studies, place based/tailored information, linkages between
indicators, improved engagement with communities and policy makers)
Slide 9 Its a long, long road, from which there is no return
www.cgris.gov.au