While the targets set in 2008 were ambitious, and the task immense, the failure to meet the majority of targets implies the need for a reassessment of the underlying principles and structures of the Closing the Gap strategy. The Centre for Independent Studies welcomes the opportunity to make a submission addressing the 2018 Public Discussion Paper. In accordance with recent CIS research findings, this submission focuses on the role of evaluation in ensuring Indigenous programs and services achieve their desired outcomes, and emphasises the importance of implementing a range of economic development targets.
Recommendations:
- Commit to developing evaluation strategies in all Indigenous programs relevant to Closing the Gap targets.
- Review the design of targets and consider implementing hard objectives to ensure that agencies and program providers can strategically plan for incremental gains.
- Consider a target to increase Indigenous self-employment/business ownership.
- Consider implementing a target focussing on home ownership.
- Encourage the growth of Indigenous cultural businesses as part of business ownership/self-employment targets.
- Affirm the intellectual property rights of Indigenous Australians.