1. Reporting against the National Indigenous Reform Agreement Kate Connors Senior Adviser Australasian Evaluation Society 2011 International Conference 31 August 2011

2. The COAG Reform Council Mr Paul McClintock AO Dr Geoff Gallop AC Mr Peter Corish AM Ms Patricia Faulkner AO Chairman Deputy Chairman Mr John Langoulant AO Dr Doug McTaggart Ms Mary Ann O’Loughlin Executive Councillor and Head of Secretariat

3. Intergovernmental Agreement on Federal Financial Relations ‘represents the most significant reform of Australia’s federal financial relations in decades’ –governs all policy and financial relations between the Commonwealth and the States.

4. National Agreements In specific areas of service delivery: –Healthcare, Disability Services, Education, Skills and Workforce Development, Affordable Housing, Indigenous Reform Define objectives, outcomes, performance indicators Clarify the roles and responsibilities of the Commonwealth and States Ongoing financial contributions from the Commonwealth –States have full budget flexibility to allocate funds as they see fit to achieve the agreed objectives for the sector. 4

5. COAG Reform Council –reports annually to COAG on a comparative analysis of governments’ performance under National Agreements and related National Partnerships –assesses States achievement of performance benchmarks under National Partnerships before the Commonwealth makes reward payments New accountability arrangements

6. Performance is improved through accountability arrangements that are: –preventive –remedial –educative Improving performance through accountability

7. National Agreements identify objectives, outcomes, performance indicators and targets Setting standards

8. Comparative analysis of governments’ performance –across jurisdictions –within a jurisdiction over time Encouraging responsibility for performance

9. National Indigenous Reform Agreement

10. Halve the gap in mortality rates for Indigenous children under five within a decade

11. Indigenous students at/above national minimum standard, Year 9 Reading: actual vs. trajectory

12. In Reading, there was some significant progress for Indigenous children in Year 3 and Year 7. In Writing, there was little significant change. In Numeracy, there was no significant improvement in any jurisdiction in any year. Significant improvement between 2008 and 2010

13. Closing the gap: Students achieving at/above national minimum standard 50 60 70 80 90 100 200820092010 Per cent Year 3 Indigenous Reading Indigenous Writing Indigenous Numeracy

14. Clearly defined roles and responsibilities Performance reporting framework Public accountability as an incentive for reform Challenges

15. To strengthen the accountability of governments to the community. Clearly defined roles and responsibilities

16. Data –timely –meaningful for purpose –comparable –robust for change over time Performance reporting framework

17. Will it help close the gap? Public accountability as an incentive for reform

18. Australian June 2011Sydney Morning Herald June 2011 Catalyst data __________________________________

19. www.coagreformcouncil.gov.au