Introduction
As part of the 2014 performance framework for the Australian development program, Making Performance Count, the Government committed to publish an annual Performance of Australian Aid report. This is the sixth and final report under the 2014 framework and it summarises the performance of the Australian development program in 2018-19. A detailed description of the approach to assessing performance is provided in earlier reports. Statistical information on the development program, including expenditure, is available in Australia’s Official Development Assistance: Statistical Summary 2018-19.
The Government’s Partnerships for Recovery: Australia’s COVID-19 Development Response policy was published in May 2020. A new performance system accompanied the policy.
This report is divided into four chapters and two annexes.
Chapter 1 reports on the 10 strategic targets under Making Performance Count, which provide the basis for assessing the performance of the development program as a whole in 2018-19.
Chapter 2 presents performance data for four regional groups: Pacific; Southeast and East Asia; South and West Asia; and Africa, the Middle East and other regions.
Chapter 3 summarises performance of multilateral development organisations.
Chapter 4 summarises performance data for the six investment priority areas under the 2014 development policy as well as disability inclusion.
The performance information in past reports was subject to a process of quality assurance by the Office of Development Effectiveness, under the supervision of DFAT’s Independent Evaluation Committee. With the shift of ODE functions to the Office of the Chief Economist in 2020, a different quality assurance process has been followed for the Performance of Australian Aid 2018-19 report. The process remains risk based and included, but was not limited to:
• Independent validation of ratings in Final Aid Quality Check reports (48 Final Aid Quality Checks were submitted in 2018-19)
• Completion of independent evaluations of Australian development program investments (50 in 2019)
• Review of the draft report by DFAT’s Aid Governance Board.