Improving impact and effectiveness
In 2005–06 AusAID will pursue a number of measures to increase the impact and effectiveness of Australia’s aid program. These will include:
- strengthening Australia’s intellectual leadership role on development issues in the Asia–Pacific, through enhancing analytical capacity in Canberra and in the field, and establishing research linkages with key institutions and organisations;
- refining regional and country strategies to strengthen the analysis and targeting of Australia’s aid;
- continuing efforts to harmonise aid delivery with other donors and partner governments;
- further strengthening the in-country management of the aid program;
- continued streamlining and improvement of contracting processes, and further implementation of the government’s new policy of untying aid; and
- continuing to improve aid quality, through implementing the recent findings from a fundamental review of aid quality systems. This will focus particularly on improving knowledge management, and integrating quality principles into program delivery, monitoring and review.
Strategic Partnership Agreements
To provide a framework for the whole-of-government approach, since May 2004 AusAID has signed a number of Strategic Partnership Agreements (SPAs) with the following Australian government agencies:
- Department of the Treasury, 14 May 2004;
- Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, 29 July 2004;
- Australian Federal Police, 29 September 2004;
- Department of Finance and Administration, 16 November 2004;
- Australian Public Service Commission, 19 November 2004; and
- Attorney–General’s Department, 6 December 2004.
The SPAs facilitate better cooperation between AusAID and other government agencies as they operate side by side in the region. The SPAs recognise shared strategic goals, acknowledge the strengths that each agency brings to programs conducted under the partnership, and establish partnership principles and cooperation arrangements that will govern future cooperation. The SPAs also provide a discipline for regular dialogue to review the strategic partnership and set priorities for cooperation and joint work.