List of recommendations

Recommendation 1

3.75

The Committee strongly recommends that the Australian Government change the name of the ‘Aid’ program to ‘Development Partnerships’ (or a similar name such as ‘Development Co-operation’ or ‘Australian Partnerships’), which emphasises the mutual two-way benefits to Australia and recipient nations of our aid program (in terms of social development, trade, defence, security, strategic influence, health, biosecurity, and more), reflects a view of co-operation and partnership instead of a perceived or implied one-way ‘paternalism’ or ‘charity’, and would likely encourage greater public support for the program.

Recommendation 2

3.77

The Committee recommends that the Australian Government provide additional funding to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade for activities to raise awareness of the benefits of Australian Development Partnerships (aid), in particular via a national and ongoing advertising campaign on television, in newspapers/magazines, online and on social media that sets out:

the amount of funding for Development Partnerships in real terms and as a percentage of gross national income;

the reasons for and mutual benefits of undertaking Development Partnerships in terms of social development, trade, defence, security, strategic influence, health, biosecurity, and more, noting the change from the use of the word ‘aid’ to the new ‘development partnerships’ nomenclature; and

the benefits in increasing our support for Development Partnerships.

Recommendation 3

4.93

The Committee recommends that the Australian Government, within a year, commit to a set timeframe of no more than five years for increasing Australia’s funding for Development Partnerships (aid) to at least 0.5 per cent of gross national income, and to a second set timeframe of no more than 10 years for increasing Australia’s funding for Development Partnerships (aid) to at least 0.7 per cent of gross national income.

Recommendation 4

4.95

The Committee recommends that the Australian Parliament, within a year, introduce a legislated floor of 0.5 per cent of gross national income funding for Development Partnerships (aid), to come into effect immediately upon conclusion of the set timeframe of no more than five years, as recommended in Recommendation 3 when 0.5 per cent is reached. In addition, the Committee recommends that the Australian Parliament subsequently introduce a legislated floor of 0.7 per cent of gross national income at the time Development Partnerships (aid) funding reaches this target under the proposed second set timeframe of no more than 10 years. 0.7 per cent should then remain the legislated floor after this period of time.

Recommendation 5

4.97

The Committee recommends that the Australian Government, in working to reach 0.5 per cent, and then 0.7 per cent, of gross national income for Development Partnerships (aid), supplement the core Development Partnerships funding managed by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade portfolio with funding set aside from other portfolios such as Defence, Health, Education and Agriculture (for example, funding for conflict resolution and governance Development Partnerships programs under the Defence budget, which in turn may prevent future Defence expenditure). In doing so, consideration should be given to setting up Development Partnerships units within (or from) each contributing Department, which would then be managed under the core Development Partnerships structure headquartered under the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

Recommendation 6

4.99

The Committee recommends that the Australian Government implement further measures to improve geographic targeting of aid at the national and sub-national level of recipient countries.

Recommendation 7

5.116

The Committee recommends that the strategic target for aid for trade investments remain at its current level of 20 per cent of Australia’s aid budget for now, while the aid budget remains at current funding levels (so as not to take away from other non-aid for trade programs). However, the Committee recommends that with a timeframe set to increase Development Partnerships funding to 0.5 per cent of gross national income (as per Recommendation 3), the aid for trade program target should concurrently gradually increase to 25 per cent of the Development Partnerships budget (but such that non-aid for trade program funding is not impacted). Concurrently, aid for trade investments should be more explicitly linked to the objective of reducing poverty.

Recommendation 8

5.122

The Committee recommends that the Australian Government urgently implement the recommendations of Chapter 8 of the Committee’s Final Report for the Inquiry into Modern Slavery, issued December 2017, noting the potential for misuse of aid, Australian donations, and Australian volunteerism, plus the potential negative impact on the effectiveness of Australian’s aid program, if action is not taken to limit Australian donations and volunteerism to only legitimate orphanages and residential institutions for children.

Recommendation 9

5.123

The Committee recommends that the Australian Government should implement Recommendation 28 of the Committee’s Final Report for the Inquiry into Modern Slavery, issued December 2017, to fund through its Development Partnerships (aid) program further measures to better address the drivers of modern slavery.

Recommendation 10

5.127

The Committee recommends that the Australian Government enhance and develop clearer local procurement guidelines and reporting mechanisms—that prioritise purchase of goods and/or services within, in or within the region of, Development Partnerships (aid) recipient countries where possible—for use by entities including the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, other Departments working in the Development Partnerships space, recipients of Development Partnerships funding (including contractors), and businesses, contractors, or individuals employed or engaged by Development Partnerships recipients to assist them in the provision of goods and/or services.

Recommendation 11

5.128

The Committee recommends that the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade introduce to their procurement processes, tenders, and contracts, a requirement for recipients/contractors in receipt of Development Partnerships funding to first prioritise procuring locally in the recipient country, where possible (where the goods or services can be provided locally, can be provided at a sufficient quality standard locally, are not excessively more expensive than via procurement elsewhere and/or can be provided within the required project timeframes locally).

Recommendation 12

5.129

The Committee recommends that the Australian Government eliminate any remaining forms of tied aid, and informal aid tying, where there are conditions that some or all purchases are made from, or from entities from, the donor country (Australia). Goods or services supplied to and/or in recipient countries should only be supplied from Australia or non-regional entities where the goods or services cannot be provided locally, cannot be provided at a sufficient quality standard locally, are being offered at an excessive cost locally to what can be procured elsewhere and/or cannot be provided within the required project timeframes locally.

Recommendation 13

5.130

The Committee recommends that the Australian Government use recipient country procurement systems as the default option, where possible, and invest Development Partnerships funding to support recipient countries to improve their procurement systems and accountability safeguards.

Recommendation 14

5.132

The Committee recommends that the Australian Government introduce a Digital Economy Aid Investment Strategy, as recommended by Prospr and Save the Children (noting that local procurement should remain the first priority under this recommendation, as per Recommendations 10-12).

Recommendation 15

5.134

The Committee recommends that the Australian Government increase funding both in real terms and as a proportion of an increased Development Partnerships (aid) budget to agricultural, food, agribusiness and food security initiatives, including through the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), particularly targeted at better enabling private sector partnership opportunities through the Development Partnerships program. In doing so, the Australian Government should look to the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Model for private partnerships to assist in creating better and more private sector partnership opportunities, as well as other successful models internationally.

Recommendation 16

6.51

The Committee recommends that, within the aid for trade program (noting Recommendation 7) and other Development Partnerships (aid) investments, the Australian Government better prioritise seeking to improve market access for poor and marginalised groups in recipient countries, in particular women and girls, adults and children living with a disability, and disabled women and girls. As noted in Recommendation 7, aid for trade investments should be more explicitly linked to the objective of reducing poverty, in particular for women and girls, those living with a disability and/or other marginalised groups.

Recommendation 17

6.52

The Committee recommends that the Australian Government provide more funding for local-led water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) initiatives to communities most at need, particularly given the impact of a lack of safe drinking water, wash facilities, rest rooms, and sewerage disposal on the advancement and safety of women and girls in particular.

Recommendation 18

6.53

The Committee recommends that the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade work through the Development Partnerships (aid) program to further develop, prioritise and fund community-led localised initiatives proposed and developed by women and girls, women and girls with a disability, people with a disability, and other disadvantaged or marginalised groups within localised areas within each recipient country.

Recommendation 19

6.54

The Committee recommends that the Australian Government provide greater assistance and funding for holistic menstrual health programs, holistic breastfeeding programs, micro-nutrient investments, and nutrition initiatives before, during, and after pregnancy within an increased Development Partnerships (aid) budget, including through the provision of more funding for water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) initiatives to communities most at need (see Recommendation 17).

Recommendation 20

6.57

With respect to use of Development Partnerships (aid) to assist people living with a disability in recipient countries, in particular women and girls, the Committee recommends that the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade:

include data on disability-inclusion investment performance by investment priority area in future Performance of Australian Aid reports (as occurred in the 2014-15 and 2015-16 reports);

establish a new strategic target that an ambitious percentage of investments, regardless of their objectives, will effectively address disability inclusion in their implementation. This target should be determined according to the latest baseline data available, including the most recent Aid Quality Checks data;

integrate disability analysis, including disaggregated data, identification of barriers for women/people with disabilities, and strategies for inclusion and empowerment of women/people with disabilities in investments targeted towards women’s empowerment and aid for trade; and

in responding to the Office of Development Effectiveness’ report, Development for All: Evaluation of Progress Made in Strengthening Disability Inclusion in Australian Aid, implement the agreed recommendations as expediently as possible.

Recommendation 21

6.59

The Committee recommends that the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, in the context of increasing Development Partnerships funding (as per Recommendations 3-5):

build on its commitment to achieving gender equality globally by developing a stand-alone action plan for adolescent girls, similar to the US Government’s 2016 Global Strategy to Empower Adolescent Girls; and

set a target that at least 15 per cent of all investments under Development Partnerships with the principal or significant objective of advancing gender equality, identify adolescent girls as the primary beneficiaries by 2030.

Recommendation 22

6.60

The Committee recommends that this inquiry be continued in the next Parliament.

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