List of Recommendations

Recommendation 1

2.6

The Committee recommends that the Australian Government amend the Australian Education Act 2013, and the accompanying Regulation as required, to include a specific legislative requirement that the Department of Education and Training:

monitor compliance and provide assurance that Australian Government school funding is delivered in accordance with the Act

monitor the use of Australian Government school funding in achieving the objectives of the Act

Recommendation 2

2.11

The Committee recommends that the Department of Education and Training conduct a risk-based analysis and review of existing compliance and accountability arrangements of Australian Government school funding under the requirements of the Australian Education Act 2013. Education should report back to the Committee on the outcomes of its review, including:

findings related to the assessment of established monitoring mechanisms, reporting processes, and compliance and administration arrangements

a detailed implementation plan for improvements to compliance and administration arrangements, including key milestones and delivery timeframes

Recommendation 3

2.15

The Committee recommends that the Department of Education and Training implement improvements to its administrative arrangements for compliance certificates for Australian Government school funding and acquittal certificates under the Australian Education Act 2013. The department should report back to the Committee on the development and implementation of improvements to the administrative arrangements for compliance certificates and acquittal certificates, inclusive of timeframes.

Recommendation 4

2.18

The Committee recommends that the Department of Education and Training report back on how it has improved current monitoring arrangements of funding models for Australian Government school funding, to enhance and enforce the public and transparent reporting of funding models as required under the Australian Education Act 2013.

Recommendation 5

2.21

The Committee recommends that the Department of Education and Training improve its approach to measuring progress against the achievement of reform directions and objectives under the National Education Reform Agreement.

Recommendation 6

2.24

The Committee recommends that the Department of Education and Training continue to report back to the Committee on the progress and outcomes of the National School Resourcing Board review in six months. The Committee further recommend that Education report back to the Committee following the completion of the review.

Recommendation 7

2.27

The Committee recommends that the Auditor-General consider conducting a follow-up audit of the monitoring arrangements for Australian Government school funding by the Department of Education and Training. Such an audit might also focus on the implementation of recommendations made by the Committee in this report and Audit Report No. 18.

Recommendation 8

3.5

The Committee recommends that the Department of Health report back to the Committee in July 2019 with an update on the status of the implementation of the planned funding allocation model under the Indigenous Australians’ Health Program.

Recommendation 9

3.9

The Committee recommends that the Department of Health report back to the Committee on the development and implementation of measurable national Key Performance Indicators for the Indigenous Australians’ Health Program.

Recommendation 10

3.11

The Committee recommends that the Department of Health report back to the Committee with an update on the status of the implementation deliverables under the Indigenous Australians’ Health Program.

Recommendation 11

3.13

The Committee recommends that the Department of Health review its approach to using public reporting to monitor the achievement of program outcomes under the Indigenous Australians’ Health Program, and implement a targeted framework in its application of wider statistics to inform program evaluation mechanisms.

Recommendation 12

3.15

The Committee recommends that the Department of Health conduct an evaluation of the initiatives implemented to support the assessment and mitigation of risk of multiple software systems for the Indigenous Australians’ Health Program.

Recommendation 13

3.17

The Committee recommends that the Department of Health report back to the Committee with a detailed outline of the transition from the historical grants paradigm to that of the value-for-money considerations to be included within the proposed national funding model for the Indigenous Australians’ Health Program.

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