Universities are accountable to the Commonwealth Government through the Institution Assessment Framework (IAF). The IAF, which replaced Educational Profiles in 2004, is founded on the responsibilities of the Commonwealth to ensure that the institutions it funds are sustainable and deliver the outputs for which they are funded, that their outcomes are of a high quality and that they comply with their legal obligations.
The IAF produces an across-the-board assessment of institutional achievements based on quantitative and qualitative data from universities and external sources. The Commonwealth assessment of an institution forms the basis of strategic bilateral discussions between government and an individual institution. As a consequence of machinery of government changes, from 2008 the Department of Employment, Education and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) will manage the process in partnership with the Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research (DIISR). DEEWR has administrative responsibility for the education aspects of the IAF , and DIISR has administrative responsibility for the research, research training and innovation aspects of the process.
The data for the assessment are in large part drawn from information that is publicly available, or already produced by universities, or already collected routinely from universities.
The Framework has four principle elements:
1. Organisational sustainability
- strategic focus
- risk management
- financial viability
2. Achievements in higher education provision
- teaching/learning
- research and research training
- equity and indigenous access
3. Quality outcomes
- systems and processes
- teaching/learning
- research
- AUQA audit
4. Compliance
- financial acquittal
- national governance protocols
- workplace reform
- programme guidelines and legislation
Detailed bilateral discussions between DEEWR and individual institutions occur biennially unless there is a specific need for additional meetings (for example, if concerns arise from the assessment). Discussions on Funding Agreements with each institution for the allocation of Commonwealth supported places are conducted in the first half of each year through a separate process.