Chapter Eleven: Administration and Management
The September 2002 Ministerial Statement Australian Aid: Investing in Growth, Stability and Prosperity laid the groundwork for more effective delivery of the aid program. Through a stronger policy framework and a strategic planning process, the program has focused more sharply on Australia’s immediate region and on governance, adopted a more robust whole‑of‑government approach, and enhanced its responsiveness to broader government priorities.
The program is now better placed to deliver practical, responsive, and effective assistance. Strategic partnerships between key Australian government agencies, and new methods of aid delivery, have enhanced the quality of hands-on engagement with partner country institutions. Technical assistance has been untied so that firms in partner countries can compete for business. Capacity in the field has been strengthened, as has research and analytical capacity in policy formulation and in program management.
The success of these reforms was evidenced by the 2004 OECD Development Assistance Committee review of Australia’s aid program, which commended Australia on its leadership in addressing key development challenges in the Asia–Pacific, acknowledged the high level of coherence between Australia’s aid and other policies such as trade, and recognised efforts to improve aid effectiveness.
As outlined in Chapter One, the March 2005 Ministerial Statement Australian Aid: An Integrated Approach builds on these reforms and outlines future directions for the aid program. These will be underpinned by ongoing efforts to strengthen administration of the program through an enhanced focus on aid effectiveness and quality, aid coordination, and integration with broader whole-of-government approaches. Capacity in the field will continue to be strengthened, and corporate resources and processes reoriented to enable more effective program delivery.