Indigenous Education Strategic Initiatives Programme (IESIP) Provider Administrative Guidelines 2001-2004 - Part Two

1.1 There are two broad categories of ABSTUDY away-from-base. The first is the provision of funding for travel and accommodation for ‘mixed-mode’ courses. This is a term used to describe courses delivered through a combination of distance education and face-to-face teaching for students who are based in their home communities and need regular on‑campus tuition to complement the distance education component of the course. It is this category of ABSTUDY away-from-base that has been transferred to the Indigenous Education Strategic Initiatives Programme (IESIP) and administered by the Department of Education, Science and Training (DEST).

1.2 To simplify procedures for both students and institutions the funding is paid direct to the institutions for students in ‘mixed-mode’ courses to attend face-to-face teaching and associated activities as part of the delivery of ‘mixed-mode’ courses. Students or institutions do not need to apply to Centrelink for away-from-base assistance payable under IESIP. Indigenous students approved for ABSTUDY assistance from Centrelink and enrolled in a ‘mixed-mode’ course will be eligible for assistance from the institution in which they are enrolled. The institution will then be responsible for paying the accommodation and travel providers. Students requiring other ABSTUDY assistance will need to apply to Centrelink in the usual way.

1.3 The second category of ABSTUDY away-from-base is for travel, accommodation and meals for special activities such as testing and assessment programmes, short courses, field trips, occasional residential schools or practical placements. The student may receive assistance to help meet fares or travel allowance, meals and accommodation costs. Travel may be paid either by reimbursement to the student or to the travel provider by Centrelink. This element of away-from-base remains unchanged. For these activities, students will need to apply to Centrelink in the usual way.

1.4 Students enrolled in ‘mixed-mode’ courses where the institution receives IESIP funding for away-from-base activities are not eligible for away-from-base assistance from Centrelink for these courses.

1.5 These students, however, may be eligible for other ABSTUDY entitlements from Centrelink, such as ABSTUDY assistance to attend a testing or assessment programme, a living allowance, rent assistance or incidentals allowance. Students will need to apply to Centrelink for these benefits in the usual way.

1.6 DEST will keep Centrelink informed of the institutions and courses that will receive IESIP funding for ‘mixed mode’ away-from-base activities.

1.7 Under the Indigenous Education (Targeted Assistance) Act 2000, approved education institutions that deliver accredited courses through ‘mixed-mode’ may be eligible for IESIP funding for the away-from-base components of these courses from 1 January 2001.

1.8 Educational institutions that access IESIP funding for ABSTUDY ‘mixed mode’ away‑from-base activities will need to enter into an Indigenous Education Agreement (IEA) with the Australian Government and will be asked to report against agreed targets and the retention and progression of students enrolled in the courses for which away-from-base funding is provided under IESIP. Enquiries about IEAs must be forwarded to the contact officer listed at Appendix F.

1.9 The transfer of the away-from-base element of ABSTUDY to IESIP is intended to allow institutions to use the funding in the most flexible and cost-effective way to achieve educational outcomes for Indigenous students participating in study through ‘mixed‑mode’. These Guidelines are not intended to be overly prescriptive. They are intended as a guide to assist institutions with the administration of IESIP funding.

1.10 The Indigenous Education (Supplementary Assistance) Amendment Act 1999 specified that each institution’s entitlement would be determined by a formula derived for that institution. This provided an Education Provider Unit Cost (EPUC) for the year 2000. If funding was provided in the 1998 funding year for away-from-base activities in respect of Indigenous students enrolled for that year in an approved course the following formula was applied.

1998 Funding x 1999 Indexation Factor x 2000 Indexation Factor
1998 Indigenous Students enrolled

1.11 The Indexation Factor is the Consumer Price Index (CPI) which is applied as of 1 January in each subsequent year.

1.12 Grants in 2000 were increased by a one-off supplementation of 4% from 1 July 2000, to take account of the Goods and Services Tax (GST). Where GST is payable, the Department will ‘gross up’ IESIP payments to include the GST component. This applies to all IESIP programme elements.

1.13 Institutions that did not deliver courses through ‘mixed-mode’ in 1998 were provided with an EPUC that was derived from the median unit costs for 1998. For 2000, the adjusted EPUC was $4,008 per student, per year of course. For 2001-2004, the median unit costs will be adjusted in accordance with the CPI.

1.14 The grant is paid in two instalments. The first payment is based on estimated student numbers and the second payment is increased or decreased, in accordance with a Statutory Declaration provided by the education institution. A Statutory Declaration to confirm enrolments for the funding year is due by 30 September in the funding year. A sample Statutory Declaration is at Appendix D. The grant may be subsequently adjusted depending on actual enrolments as determined by the National Council for Vocational Education and Research census data and/or the Higher Education Student Collection.

1.15 When completing the Statutory Declaration to confirm student enrolments for the second payment, institutions must not include non ‘mixed-mode’ students in their enrolment numbers for ‘mixed-mode’ away-from-base funding purposes.

1.16 The authority for ‘mixed mode’ away-from-base assistance under IESIP for 2001-2004 is the Indigenous Education (Targeted Assistance) Act 20001. Grants for 2001 will be determined on a baseline set by the grant for the 2000 funding year. This was based on an EPUC for each student in each course at each institution in 2000, and the median EPUC in 2000 for providers of new courses from 1999. Grants will be adjusted in accordance with the CPI on 1 January 2001.

1.17 Institutions that have not previously delivered courses through ‘mixed-mode’ but wish to do so in the future must have the course approved by Centrelink and then apply to the contact officer for away-from-base eligibility listed at Appendix F.

1.18 Should institutions seek to expend any of this funding for any purpose not explicit in these guidelines, they must contact DEST in writing at the address shown at Attachment F before incurring such expenditure. Institutions requesting approval for expenditure for a purpose that does not appear in the Guidelines must not use IESIP away-from-base funding for that purpose until they have received approval in writing from DEST.

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As defined in the Act, "Indigenous" means a member of the Indigenous race of Australia, and includes a descendant of the Indigenous inhabitants of the Torres Strait Islands. The word Indigenous is used throughout this document, where practicable, to refer to Aboriginal Australians or Torres Strait Islanders.

2.1 Funding for travel and accommodation is provided to enable distance education students (or in some instances a staff member) undertaking ‘mixed-mode’ courses to attend residential schools and other face-to-face activities associated with the delivery of the course of study in which they are enrolled. Funding for drivers or pilots of charter transport companies may also be payable (see 3.1.2).

2.2 Funding is provided for residential expenses to cover costs associated with accommodation and meals while a student (or a staff member) is away from their normal place of residence as part of their course of study. Funding is also provided to enable the student (or staff member) to travel to the away-from-base activity.

2.3 Within the quantum of funding available to each institution, away-from-base funding must only be used for other activities which directly contribute to the successful retention and completion of Indigenous students in a ‘mixed-mode’ course of study. For example, an institution may consider that the number of days on-campus could be reduced by enhancing information technology options available to Indigenous students undertaking ‘mixed‑mode’ courses. Should an institution wish to pursue this course of action, prior written approval must be sought from DEST. If approved, the IEA will be amended to reflect this.

2.4 Should approval be given under these Guidelines for expenditure of a capital nature in excess of $2000, the IEA would need to be amended to include the need for the approved capital items to be included on the institution’s Asset Register. Prior approval must be obtained and, where applicable, a new IEA be in place before any expenditure on capital items is incurred.

There are some categories of expenditure for which away-from-base funding must not be used, such as expenses a student may incur while undertaking a course of study. These expenses include:

• the payment of course fees;
• day-to-day living expenses;
• debt repayment;
• musical instruments, sewing machines and computers; and/or
• child care.

2.6 Fees associated with away-from-base activities, such as entry fees to a show or exhibition, conference registration fees and associated costs, are also not payable through IESIP away‑from-base funding. These are the responsibility of the student.

2.7 IESIP away-from-base funding cannot be used to fund overseas travel for any purpose.

2.8 Expenditure on travel and accommodation costs must be cost-effective. IESIP funding will be increased or decreased, depending on actual enrolments, but is otherwise fixed in accordance with the formula. Should actual costs of travel and accommodation be greater than the allocation for a particular institution, the balance of the cost is to be met by the education institution or by the students. The upper limits to be applied to travelling allowances, meals, residential charges and motor vehicle allowances are shown at Appendices A-C.

2.9 Agreements over $2 Million

2.9.1 Recipients who are not State Governments receiving more than $2,000,000 (two million dollars) are required to provide an audit certificate from an independent Registered Company Auditor. The certificate should confirm that funds have been expended for the purposes for which they were provided and also confirm that the funds were banked in a separate account, unless otherwise agreed by the Australian Government in writing. Recipients who are State Governments receiving more than or equal to $2,000,000 (two million dollars) the person conducting and certifying the audit must be the State Auditor-General.

3.1 Eligibility

3.1.1 To be eligible for this assistance, students will need to have applied to Centrelink and been approved for one or more of the ABSTUDY benefits payable by Centrelink, other than away-from-base assistance. Students, however, do not have to be eligible for the ABSTUDY living allowance to be eligible for away-from-base assistance. Institutions must ask students for evidence that they have been approved for an ABSTUDY benefit.

3.1.2 To maintain consistency with the Indigenous Education (Targeted Assistance) Act 2000, the broad definition of an Indigenous person is a member of the Aboriginal race of Australia or a descendant of the Indigenous inhabitants of the Torres Strait Islands. This does not change the definition for ABSTUDY purposes. Persons entitled to assistance for away-from-base activities entitlements are outlined below.

• An Indigenous student enrolled in an accredited course at an approved institution and who is eligible for ABSTUDY;
• Representatives of education institutions where travel to students' home community or communities can be demonstrated to be cost-effective; and
• Drivers or pilots of chartered transport companies where chartered travel is cost‑effective for the purposes of transporting students in the approved travel, eg coach hire for field trips.

3.1.3 IESIP funding for away-from-base must not used to cover the costs of persons other than those specified above, including shared accommodation. Where a flight has been chartered for a student or group of students (or staff) to travel to and/or from an away-from-base activity, funding must not be expended on any other persons to travel on that charter flight.

3.2 Entitlements

3.2.1 The entitlements that may be available for Indigenous students to participate in away‑from‑base activities are generally:

• fares; and/or
• residential costs for meals and accommodation, expenses, or travel allowance within the upper limits provided at Appendices A-C.

3.2.2 Students approved to participate in an away-from-base course activity may be eligible to receive the ABSTUDY living allowance if they lose their regular source of income as a result of attending the course activity, providing the regular income is derived from:

• a form of Australian Government assistance, eg a benefit under social security law; or employment that:
• is in an industry that is unrelated to the course of study, and
• has no study leave provisions, which the student may access.

3.2.3 For the duration of the away-from-base activity, the ABSTUDY living allowance will not be means-tested. This allowance is not payable under the IESIP away‑from-base funding. Students should apply to Centrelink to determine their eligibility for the living allowance for this period. Students will need to provide evidence from the institution that they attended and participated in this activity to be eligible for the living allowance. Students will also need to provide Centrelink with employer-written advice about the actual dates for which they are on leave-without-pay for the duration of the away-from-base activity.

3.2.4 The entitlements that would generally be available for education institution representatives approved to travel to communities to conduct residential schools are fares and/or residential expenses, that is meals and accommodation.

3.2.5 Drivers or pilots of chartered transport companies may have residential costs paid where these costs are not included in the costs of the charter.

3.2.6 The period of entitlement for away-from-base activities entitlements must be:

• the length of the approved away-from-base activity; and/or
• any period(s) of unavoidable overnight stopover(s) at an in-transit location or an away‑from-base location due to transport timetables.

3.2.7 Should students wish to extend their stay at a location beyond the conclusion of the away‑from-base activity, this must be at their own expense. Similarly, should a student wish to vary the destination of the return journey to a location that is not their home address IESIP funding cannot be used for this purpose.

3.2.8 Expenditure on other items or activities to achieve educational outcomes for Indigenous students enrolled in ‘mixed-mode’ courses must be transparent and available to DEST on request. Away-from-base funding must not be used to defray overheads such as staffing costs and consumables such as stationery which are normally incurred by institutions in the delivery of a course. Records must be retained and available on request until the 31 December of the tenth year following the last action on file.

3.2.9 IESIP funding cannot be expended on daily travel (with the exception of local students travelling for long periods or travel to off-campus locations), equipment that would be expected to be provided by the institution, such as musical instruments, sewing machines or computers, or income support for students. Students in receipt of the ABSTUDY living allowance who are experiencing severe financial hardship associated with education costs may be eligible for additional assistance under ABSTUDY and will need to apply to Centrelink to determine their eligibility for such assistance.

3.2.10 In respect of local students travelling for long periods, education institutions may wish to extend travel and residential provisions to cover this group, within budget constraints. Where it is more cost-effective, institutions may wish to hire a bus to transport a group of students.

3.2.11 Should institutions have any concerns about expenditure for any purpose not explicit in these Guidelines, they must contact DEST before incurring such expenditure. Institutions requesting approval for expenditure for a purpose that does not appear in the Guidelines must not use IESIP away-from-base funding for that purpose until they have received approval in writing from DEST.

4.1 Introduction

4.1.1 The education institution is responsible for arranging all residential expenses, travel allowances and fares from within their total allocation of IESIP away-from-base funding. This includes the payment for charter and other travel arrangements where the institution must pay for ‘no shows’.

4.1.2 The number of return trips and accommodated days or travel allowance that can be approved in a funding year for a student to participate in away-from-base activities are limited by the level of away-from-base funding to which the institution is entitled.

4.1.3 The limits apply to any combination of residential schools, field trips and/or placements during the funding year. Placements must be at the most cost-effective location. It is expected that placements would normally be obtained within the local community and would therefore not require IESIP away-from-base funding. IESIP away-from-base funding must only be used to assist students complete placements that are both an integral part of the completion of the course and cannot be obtained locally.

4.2 Residential Expenses and Travel Allowance

4.2.1 The purpose of residential expenses and travel allowance is to cover costs associated with accommodation and meals while the student or staff member is away from their normal place of residence for a short period.

4.2.2 While residential expenses and meal allowance are fundamentally for the same purpose, they are alternative benefits. Residential expenses are to meet the actual cost of meals and accommodation incurred. This is the preferred use of away-from-base payable under IESIP.

4.2.3 Travel allowance provides a set allowance to the student to cover the cost of accommodation and meals.

4.2.4 Travel allowance must only be paid where the institution is unable to arrange residential expenses, such as where a student (or staff member) may need meals or accommodation while in transit or where the accommodation provider provides dinner bed and breakfast but not lunch. Where there are special reasons, which make it impracticable or unreasonable for the education institution to arrange a residential programme, travel allowance may be approved to cover the actual costs of accommodation and an allowance for meals.

4.3 Fares Allowance

4.3.1 Fares allowance is to cover the actual costs of fares for students (or staff members) participating in away-from-base activities. Approved travellers are students, staff members and chartered transport drivers/pilots who are approved to provide transport for part or all of a journey.

4.3.2 Institutions must be aware that unless a course was granted an exemption for 1998 on the restrictions applying to interstate travel for tertiary students undertaking a certificate or enabling course, such restrictions must still be considered when applications are received from interstate students. This restriction would not apply where interstate travel is more cost-effective than intrastate.

4.3.3 As funding for fares has been derived from actual expenditure for 1998, the 1998 ABSTUDY rules for mode of travel must still be applied. That is, in circumstances where it is not practicable or reasonable for a student to travel by economy class rail or bus fare, entitlements must be pegged to:

• the cost of rail fare with a sleeping berth;
• the cost of economy air fare;
• the upper rate of Motor Vehicle Allowance where travel by private vehicle is necessary is at Appendix C; or
• the actual cost of the cheapest mode of transport for any part of the journey which:
• cannot be serviced by one of the forms of public transport indicated above; or
• is of reasonable cost in view of distance or terrain.

Note: This may include travel by chartered transport, such as taxi, hire car, bus, ferry, plane or helicopter.

4.3.4 Fares allowance entitlement must be assessed at the rate of economy air travel or rail fare with sleeping berth, whichever is most applicable and cost-effective, if:

• no rail or bus service exists for the journey; or
• the total travelling time by surface public transport from the permanent home to the approved education institution exceeds ten hours; or
• the student is unable to make a journey by economy class rail or bus due to illness or incapacity and this circumstance is supported by a medical certificate; or
• due to travel schedules an overnight journey by surface transport is unavoidable.

Note: A student is not entitled to fares allowance at the level covering economy air travel or rail fare with sleeping berth simply because s/he cannot secure a booking at the desired time.

4.3.5 To ensure that travel is cost-effective, the cheapest refundable fares must be booked. Students must not be advanced an allowance for fares. If students wish to arrange and pay for their own travel, the institution may reimburse the student on evidence of expenditure.

4.4 'No Show' Penalty

4.4.1 If the institution arranges travel or accommodation for a student and the student subsequently does not travel, the institution may apply the ABSTUDY 'no show' penalty. This means the student will not be entitled to have travel or accommodation re-booked or paid for in advance or on account by the institution but the institution could reimburse students where the travel or accommodation provider has not charged for the missed travel or accommodation and the travel ticket and receipt for accommodation are provided. If the institution incurs a penalty as the result of the student missing booked travel or accommodation, the institution must seek to recover these costs from the student.

4.4.2 The institution may choose to not apply a ‘no show’ penalty where the circumstances of the missed travel or accommodation were beyond the control of the student, subject to the student providing evidence to this effect.

4.4.3 Where students have received away-from-base assistance for travel and have not attended the residential, the institution must deny future travel and accommodation, except on reimbursement, as outlined in 4.4.1 above, if the student subsequently wished to fund their own travel or accommodation. This policy does not apply where the non-attendance was beyond the control of the student, subject to the student providing evidence to this effect.

4.5 Travel Provider

4.5.1 Institutions are not restricted to using the approved travel provider for Centrelink but may continue to do so if they choose.

4.6 Transport Terminal Transfers

4.6.1 Fares allowance for transport between an air, coach or train terminal and board or accommodation location, is to be assessed at the rate of:

• the fee levied for all students, or a reasonable fee if levied for ABSTUDY students only, where a boarding establishment or accommodation provider provides transport facilities; or
• taxi fare where:
  • public transport is not available;
  • it is unsafe to use public transport considering the time of day at which the travel occurs;
  • the student is travelling to the place of study for the first occasion and is unfamiliar with the public transport routes; or
• the fare levied for public transport by bus, rail or ferry.

4.7 Off-campus Residential School Travel

4.7.1 Where an education institution conducting a residential school arranges accommodation at an off-campus location, fares allowance may cover the cost of transport between the place of accommodation and the education institution provided that:

• there is no suitable and convenient form of public transport;
• the education institution arranges the transport; and
• the costs are reasonable.

4.8 Excess Baggage

4.8.1 Where the student has baggage in excess of that carried free of charge by whatever means of public transport is being used, the cost of excess baggage will be regarded as part of the student’s fares allowance for the journey up to the following limits:

• where the baggage allowance is given in linear measure, one additional piece of baggage within the linear limits; or
• where the allowance is based on weight, excess baggage up to 18 kilograms.

4.9 Overnight Accommodation

4.9.1 Costs associated with overnight accommodation may be met if the purpose of the approved travel requires an approved traveller to stay one night or longer:

• at an in-transit location, i.e. not the permanent home or the place of study, which is not the responsibility of the carrier; or
• at a location other than the normal place of residence.

4.9.2 Travellers eligible for assistance with expenses are entitled to:

• the reasonable cost of meals and accommodation for the stop over, if accommodation is arranged by the education institution or community; or
• accommodation allowance where accommodation is arranged by the student.

4.9.3 Where the accommodation provider provides reception services as part of an all-inclusive charge, this may also be met.

4.10 Residential Expenses

4.10.1 Institutions must ensure that residential expenses are cost-effective. Generally, the education institution must obtain three written quotes for residential expenses, which are more than $2000 for a single activity.

• for purchases less than $2000 at least one verbal quote must be obtained and noted;
• where the cost of goods and services is between $2000 and $30,000, a minimum of three written quotes must be obtained; or
• where purchases exceed $30,000, a formal tender process must be used.

4.10.2 An exception may be made to these arrangements if there is a justifiable basis to confine the purchase to one supplier. Where it is impractical or inexpedient to either obtain the required number of quotations or meet the formal tender process, the written approval by the Programme Manager, National Office, or his or her delegate must be obtained. (Refer Appendix F.) Grounds for exemption from the minimum standard of procurement may arise in one or more of the following situations:

• requirements are available on common use contract;
• only one supplier exists (care must be taken when determining the specifications so as not to unduly limit the field of potential suppliers/providers);
• it can be demonstrated that one proposed supplier is clearly superior to all others in expertise, capacity and value for money basis to satisfy departmental requirements; or
• the goods or services are required urgently and normal quotation or tendering processes are impractical.

4.10.3 The requirement for three quotes may be disregarded when:

• the total residential expenses are less than $2000; or
• it is not possible to obtain three quotes; and
• the institution knows the costs are reasonable.

4.10.4 Where it is not practicable for institutions to arrange bulk accommodation, residential expenses paid to students must not exceed the receipts provided by the student to the institution and the upper limits specified in Attachments A-C.

4.11 Purchasing Policy

4.11.1 Where an education institution has an official Purchasing Policy which varies from this procedure, the Purchasing Policy may be used with the written agreement of DEST.

4.11.2 Residential expenses will meet the reasonable cost of accommodation and meals necessarily incurred for the approved away-from-base entitlement period.

4.11.3 Funding for residential expenses is at the twin share rate. Unless the student is able to provide medical evidence to support the need for single accommodation, the institution must continue to adopt this principle.

4.11.4 Where it is not possible for suitable residential arrangements to include all or some meals, the ABSTUDY meal allowance may be provided for the meals not covered (see also upper limits at 4.12.1 re maximum rates).

4.11.5 Funding for accommodation is not intended to include payment to private board providers or students who choose to board privately. A student who chooses not to avail her/himself of the residential arrangements provided by the education institution (or an education institution representative who chooses not to avail her/himself of the residential arrangements provided at the community), will not be entitled to travel allowance for accommodation, unless it is not possible for commercial arrangements to be made. S/he will, however, be entitled to the ABSTUDY meal allowance for those meals not included in the residential arrangements within the constraints of 4.12.1 below.

4.12 Meal Allowance

4.12.1 The meal allowance is intended to cover the reasonable costs of meals not included in residential charges. The upper limits for ABSTUDY meal allowance for meals which are not included in residential charges, or where travel allowance is paid and the away‑from‑base activity is a placement, are listed at Appendix B. These are maximum amount payments but may be varied by institutions to meet budget constraints and local circumstances. It is not intended to cover other personal expenditure. The maximum rates must only be paid where absolutely necessary. The meal allowance is to be disbursed by the education institution. ABSTUDY meal allowance is not payable in conjunction with the accommodation component of travel allowance unless the away‑from-base activity is a placement.

4.13 Travel Allowance

4.13.1 Upper limits for travel allowance entitlement rates at away-from-base locations are shown at Appendix A. These rates must be paid up to a period of 21 days and thereafter 50% of this rate is payable.

4.13.2 Travel allowance rates are reviewed periodically. New rates will be issued to institutions, as they are set. Institutions must ensure that up‑to-date rates are used to calculate entitlements.

4.13.3 Students or staff members approved for an away-from-base travel allowance entitlement at a high-cost location not shown in Appendix A, may be approved for a higher rate of travel allowance where the standard travel allowance rate is acquitted and excess expenses are proven by receipts, provided that the institution is convinced that the expense is representative of reasonable costs for the location and can be met from within their total IESIP allocation for away-from-base.

4.13.4 Where travel is undertaken before enrolment, institutions must only make a pro rata payment of travel allowance until proof of enrolment has been demonstrated.

4.13.5 It is expected that students will acquit their travel allowance funding to the institution.

5.1 Introduction

5.1.1 Education providers will need to provide the Australian Government with information on the number of students who commenced the course (or module) in the funding year for which the funding is provided and the educational outcomes for these students.

5.1.2 Education providers will need to differentiate between students who are enrolled for a full funding year and consequently are eligible for a full year’s entitlement and those who are only enrolled for part of the funding year and are consequently only eligible for a pro rata amount of funding. There is no need to differentiate between full-time and part-time students that are enrolled for a full funding year.

5.2 Educational Accountability Requirements

5.2.1 In addition to the reporting of actual enrolments, education providers in receipt of away-from-base funding paid under IESIP, under the requirements of the IEA, must report on their outcomes to the Australian Government annually for each year of the quadrennium.

5.2.2 Funding recipients must agree with the Australian Government annual targets and performance indicators. This forms the basis of the Schedule A of the IEA.

5.2.3 Performance Reports are to be provided on or before 31 March, detailing the previous funding year’s outcomes for each of the performance indicators. The outcomes data must be accompanied by any qualitative information sufficient to explain the outcomes and the issues, internal or external, which impacted on their ability to achieve the targets.

5.2.4 Where an education provider wishes to change any of the performance indicators or targets in the Schedule A of the IEA, they must submit a variation request for the consideration of the Australian Government. The Australian Government is not obliged to accept any variation and may negotiate on requests for variation. Once a variation has been agreed, the IEA will be amended.

5.3 Vocational Education and Training Providers

5.3.1 Vocational education and training institutions are required to report annually on educational outcomes for all of the students enrolled in the course.

5.3.2 Education providers must provide information about educational outcomes achieved by students in away-from-base courses in terms of module/competency completion rates and the numbers of course completions, by level of course. Targets will be negotiated with education providers to improve these outcomes over the period 2001-2004.

5.4 Higher Education Providers

5.4.1 Higher education institutions are required to report annually on course completion rates in accordance with higher education reporting requirements, in terms of Student Progress Rates, Apparent Retention Rates, and the numbers of course completions by level of course.

5.5 Complete and Correct Performance Reports

5.5.1 Performance Reports must contain all the performance outcomes required for the funding year, as outlined in the applicable schedule, including non-Indigenous comparative data where applicable. All performance outcomes must be measured and/or collected using the Measurement Source defined in the applicable schedule and in accordance with any specifications described in the Measurement Source, such as sample sizes and survey periods.

5.5.2 Performance outcomes are calculated in the manner specified by the Australian Government or otherwise negotiated between the Australian Government and the education provider. Performance outcomes must be provided in the reporting format specified in the performance indicators as outlined in the applicable schedule. If the performance indicator asks for percentage and numbers, both of these are to be provided.

5.5.3 Performance outcomes which do not meet the agreed annual targets or are extraordinary compared with previous outcomes or performance improvement trends from previous years must be accompanied by an explanatory comment.

5.5.4 Information about ABSTUDY away-from-base higher education sector performance indicators is at Appendix E.

5.5.5 DEST will send each institution a form, or send an electronic version, on which the educational outcomes can be entered.

5.5.6 Enquiries about the reporting pro forma must be directed to the contact officer at Appendix F. Once the performance reports have been completed, they must be sent to the relevant contact officer as listed at Appendix F.

5.5.7 Future funding will be contingent on these reporting requirements being met.

5.6 Financial Accountability Requirements

5.6.1 Under the IEA, all IESIP recipients are required to provide DEST with financial acquittals of IESIP funds received and expended. Financial accountability requirements for these acquittals are outlined in IEAs. Acquittals must indicate the extent to which the IESIP funding allocations for that funding year have been expended and include an audited detailed statement as to whether the financial accounts are true and fair and include a statement of the balance of the recipient’s IESIP banking accounts. The audit statement must also make it clear that the funds were expended in accordance with the IEA. If the recipient is not a State Government, the acquittal must include a statement from the Recipient’s Chief Executive Officer certifying that all funding received was expended or committed for purposes consistent with the IEA. Acquittal forms will be provided for this purpose.

5.6.2 Recipients are also required to provide the Australian Government with a dollar breakdown on the extent to which the IESIP funding allocations for the funding year have been expended. Financial acquittals must cover three categories separately: travel, meals and accommodation and other. In the ‘other’ category, where funded is expended on items other than travel, meals and accommodation, education providers must explain in an attachment how the expenditure related to the delivery of ‘mixed-mode’ courses. The nature of the ‘other’ expenditure must also be explained in terms of capital and non-capital expenditure. If an acquittal identifies unspent IESIP funds remaining at the end of a funding year these shall be returned unless approval has been given to carry forward these funds. It can be anticipated that approval to carry forward funds from one funding year to the next will only be given in exceptional circumstances.

5.6.3 Recipients must identify and seek approval from DEST to carry forward any unspent funds from the funding year in which they were provided, by 31 March in the following funding year. If unspent funds are not approved by the Australian Government to carry forward, such unspent funds shall be repaid to the Australian Government.

5.6.4 Recipients can carry forward an amount of not greater than $100 from one funding year to the next for the purpose of keeping accounts open. Funds carried forward into the next funding year, which have not been detailed in writing by the provider and approved by the Australian Government as committed funds prior to 31 December of the funding year, will be withheld from the second payment in the following funding year.

5.6.5 Any unspent funds at the end of the funding year and/or quadrennium under this Agreement shall be repaid to the Australian Government. Money which is required to be repaid but which is not repaid shall remain a debt due to the Australian Government. Debts can be recovered from any payments due under the IEA or any other Australian Government funded programme.

5.6.6 For recipients receiving less than $2,000,000 (two million dollars) the annual financial acquittal (required under the IEA) must not be prepared or certified by an employee of the recipient. The person conducting and certifying the audit must be a registered company auditor, a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants or the National Institute of Accountants. For recipients who are State Governments receiving less than $2,000,000 (two million dollars) the person conducting and certifying the audit must be the Chief Internal Auditor of the Department responsible for education in that State/Territory.

5.6.7 For recipients receiving equal to or more than $2,000,000 (two million dollars) the annual financial acquittal (required under the IEA) must not be prepared or certified by an employee of the recipient. The person conducting and certifying the audit must be a registered company auditor or such like under a law in force in that State/Territory. For recipients who are State Governments receiving more than or equal to $2,000,000 (two million dollars) the person conducting and certifying the audit must be the State Auditor‑General.

5.6.8 Where a provider wishes to amend the Schedule(s) of the IEA, they must submit a variation request for the consideration of the Australian Government. If approved, the IEA will be amended.

5.7 Amending Agreements

5.7.1 If necessary, IESIP recipients can request changes to agreed performance indicators and/or targets in the course of the triennium. Any proposals to change the purpose for which funding was provided are known as “Amending Indigenous Education Agreement” requests.

UPPER LIMIT RATES OF TRAVELLING ALLOWANCE

Location	Accommodation Expenses $	Breakfast $	Lunch $	Dinner $
Adelaide	92.00	16.05	17.90	30.80
Brisbane	102.00	16.05	17.90	30.80
Canberra	82.00	16.05	17.90	30.80
Darwin	101.00	16.05	17.90	30.80
Hobart	74.00	16.05	17.90	30.80
Melbourne	130.00	16.05	17.90	30.80
Perth	98.00	16.05	17.90	30.80
Sydney	123.00	16.05	17.90	30.80
High cost country centres*	See note below	16.05	17.90	30.80
Tier 2 country centres**	69.00	14.30	16.40	28.25
Other country centres	59.00	14.30	16.40	28.25

* Note 1: High cost country centres accommodation expenses as listed below.

** Note 2: Tier 2 country centres as listed below.

Note 3: The Department of Employment, Workplace Relations and Small Business has granted permission for the Department of Education, Science and Training to use these rates under the conditions of their subscription agreement for the purpose of ABSTUDY. The rates are not to be used for any other purpose.

HIGH COST AND TIER 2 CENTRES

High Cost Country Centres

Location	$	Location	$	Location	$
Alice Springs (NT)	73.00	Halls Creek (WA)	86.00	Paraburdoo (WA)	81.50
Ballarat (Vic)	80.00	Horn Island	96.50	Pt Hedland (WA)	102.00
Broken Hill (NSW)	80.00	Jabiru (NT)	153.50	Roebourne (WA)	75.00
Broome (WA)	141.50	Kalgoorlie (WA)	81.50	Thursday Island	125.50
Burnie (Tas)	81.00	Karratha (WA)	125.00	Tom Price (WA)	81.50
Cairns (Qld)	87.50	Katherine (NT)	74.00	Wagga Wagga (NSW)	74.50
Dampier (WA)	75.00	Kununurra (WA)	100.00	Weipa (Qld)	86.00
Derby (WA)	84.00	Launceston (Tas)	86.00	Wilpena (SA)	86.00
Devonport (Tas)	79.50	Marla (SA)	74.00	Wollongong (NSW)	99.50
Exmouth (WA)	110.50	Newcastle (NSW)	80.00	Wyndham (WA)	99.50
Gold Coast (Qld)	101.50	Newman (WA)	104.00	Yulara (NT)	264.00
Geelong (Vic)	75.00	Nhulunbuy (NT)	111.50

Note 1: The Department of Employment, Workplace Relations and Small Business has granted permission for the Department of Education, Science and Training to use these rates under the conditions of their subscription agreement for the purpose of ABSTUDY. The rates are not to be used for any other purpose.

Tier 2 Country Centres

Upper Limit Rate $69.00

Albany (WA)	Geraldton (WA)
Bathurst (NSW)	Gosford (NSW)
Bendigo (Vic)	Griffith (NSW)
Bright (Vic)	Leeton (NSW)
Bunbury (WA)	Northam (WA)
Carnarvon (WA)	Orange (NSW)
Castlemaine (Vic)	Port Lincoln (SA)

Note 1: The Department of Employment, Workplace Relations and Small Business has granted permission for the Department of Education, Science and Training to use these rates under the conditions of their subscription agreement for the purpose of ABSTUDY. The rates are not to be used for any other purpose.

UPPER LIMIT AMOUNTS PAYABLE IN RESPECT OF MEALS WHICH ARE NOT INCLUDED IN RESIDENTIAL CHARGES OR WHERE TRAVEL ALLOWANCE IS PAID AND THE AWAY-FROM-BASE ACTIVITY IS A PLACEMENT

Meal	Amount for capital cities and high cost country centres * $	Amount for centres other than capital cities and high cost country centres ** $
Breakfast	16.05	14.30
Lunch	17.90	16.40
Dinner	30.80	28.25

Note 1: *High cost country centres as listed at Appendix A.

Note 2: **Includes all tier 2 country centres as listed at Appendix A and all other country centres.

Note 3: The meal allowance is to be disbursed by the education institution except where travel allowance is paid to a student attending a placement or an education institution representative approved to travel to communities to conduct assessment testing or a residential school.

Note 4: The Department of Employment, Workplace Relations and Small Business has granted permission for the Department of Education, Science and Training to use these rates under the conditions of their subscription agreement for the purpose of ABSTUDY. The rates are not to be used for any other purpose.

UPPER LIMITS FOR MOTOR VEHICLE ALLOWANCE

ITEM	ENGINE CAPACITY (non-rotary)	ENGINE CAPACITY (rotary engine)	NEW RATE per kilometre
1	Above 2600 cc	Above 1300 cc	55.8
2	1601 to 2600 cc	801 to 1300 cc	54.9
3	1600 cc and under	800 cc and under	45.9

Note 1: A comprehensive review of Motor Vehicle Allowance is conducted every three years. The rates are adjusted by the Private Motoring component of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) in the intervening years. The last review was conducted in 1996. A full rebase has therefore been conducted in 1999.

Note 2: The Department of Employment, Workplace Relations and Small Business has granted permission for the Department of Education, Science and Training to use these rates under the conditions of their subscription agreement for the purpose of ABSTUDY. The rates are not to be used for any other purpose.

STATUTORY DECLARATIONS ACT 1959

THE SCHEDULE

Section 8  COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA Statutory Declaration I, (1), do solemnly and sincerely declare (2) And I make this solemn declaration by virtue of the Statutory Declarations Act 1959 , and subject to the penalties provided by that Act for the making of false statements  in statutory declarations, conscientiously believing the statements  contained in this declaration to be true in every particular. (3) Declared at the day of 20

Before me,

(4)

(5)

(1) Here insert name, address and occupation of person making the declaration.

(2) Here insert matter declared to. Where the matter is long, add the words

"as follows: - " and then set the matter out in numbered paragraphs.

(3) Signature of person making the declaration.

(4) Signature of person before whom the declaration is made.

(5) Here insert title of person before whom the declaration is made.

---

ABSTUDY AWAY-FROM-BASE HIGHER EDUCATION SECTOR

PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

1. Within a university, the educational outcomes achieved by Indigenous students in ABSTUDY away-from-base courses compared to educational outcomes achieved by non-Indigenous students in other courses as measured by the:

1. Student Progress Rate; and/or
2. the 'Lin Martin' Success Indicator.

2. Within a university, the Apparent Retention Rate of Indigenous students in ABSTUDY away-from-base courses compared to the Apparent Retention Rate of students in other courses.

3. Numbers of course completions achieved by Indigenous students enrolled in ABSTUDY away-from-base courses, by level of course:

1. Associate Diploma, Diploma or Advanced Diploma
2. Bachelor
3. Graduate Certificate or Graduate Diploma

4. The course completion rate (showing numbers) achieved by Indigenous students enrolled in ABSTUDY away-from-base courses of one academic year or less duration:

1. non award (enabling and preparatory courses)
2. award courses.

OVERALL EDUCATIONAL OUTCOMES IN ABSTUDY AWAY-FROM-BASE COURSES

Performance Indicator: Within a university, the educational outcomes achieved by Indigenous students in ABSTUDY away-from-base courses compared to the educational outcomes achieved by students in other courses as measured by the:

1. Student Progress Rate; and/or
2. the 'Lin Martin' Success Indicator.

What the Indicator Tells Us: The Student Progress Rate (SPR) is a key performance indicator used in the higher education sector to measure the overall success of a group of students and is similar to an overall pass rate. The ‘Lin Martin’ Success Indicator compares the SPR of identified equity groups (in this case Indigenous students) against the SPR of all other students. Thus the SPR of Indigenous students in ABSTUDY away-from-base courses will be compared with the SPR of all other students in all other courses within a university.

Measurement Source: Data provided to the DEST Higher Education Division’s national collection by Australian universities.

Measurement Technique: The definitions of the rates are those used in the DEST Higher Education Division’s data collection and adopted in its reporting. In general terms the SPR for a group of students is calculated by dividing the Equivalent Full Time Student Units (EFTSU) units passed by the EFTSU units certified. The ‘Lin Martin’ Success Indicator is calculated by dividing the SPR for the given equity group by the SPR of all other students.

Student Progress Rate =

Units passed (EFTSU) Units certified (EFTSU)

Martin Success Indicator =

Student Progress Rate (Equity Group) Student Progress Rate (Others)

Reporting Requirements: It is important that all the relevant numbers are included when reporting the rates – i.e.. percentage, numerator and denominator.

Targets: The targets for this performance indicator must aim to increase the SPR of Indigenous students in ABSTUDY away-from-base courses to the level of non-Indigenous students, where there is currently a gap, or otherwise to increase these rates for Indigenous students.

 

APPARENT RETENTION OF ABSTUDY AWAY-FROM-BASE STUDENTS COMPARED TO RETENTION OF OTHER STUDENTS WITHIN A UNIVERSITY

Performance Indicator: Within a university, the Apparent Retention Rate of Indigenous students in ABSTUDY away-from-base courses compared to the Apparent Retention Rate of students in other courses.

What the Indicator Tells Us: Comparative information on the percentage of ABSTUDY away‑from-base students and other students who are apparently retained in a university course from the commencement of one funding year to the next. The Apparent Retention Rate (ARR) is a key performance indicator used in the higher education sector to measure retention or alternatively, the drop out rate of a group of students. Care must be taken in the interpretation of ARRs since a range of factors affecting the calculation are not taken into account, such as students who may transfer from one university to another, or from an away-from-base course to another course.

Measurement Source: Data provided to the DEST Higher Education Division’s national collection by Australian universities.

Measurement Technique: ARRs need to be calculated for both the equity group (ABSTUDY away-from-base students) and for all other students in the university. The ARR is calculated in the following way:

Number of continuing students (year n)
No. of students (year n-1) – No. of course completers (year n-1)

As an example, the 1999 national figures for Indigenous students show 4330 students having continued from 1998 (the numerator), divided by the number of students enrolled in 1998 (8031), less the number of students who completed a course in 1998 (907). This provides an ARR of 60.8% (4330/7124).

Reporting Requirements: Away-from-base and other students’ outcomes must be separately reported. It is important that all the relevant numbers are included – i.e. number of students enrolled in the previous year, number of students who completed a course in the previous year; and the number of students continuing from the previous year. The measure is reported by numbers, not full-time equivalents. This means that irrespective of whether a student is studying full-time or part‑time, they represent one enrolment.

Targets: The targets must aim for the apparent retention of Indigenous students to be at a level which is equivalent to that of non-Indigenous students. Targets are not required for non-Indigenous outcomes. These are reported for comparative purposes.

NUMBERS OF COURSE COMPLETIONS IN ABSTUDY AWAY-FROM-BASE COURSES, BY LEVEL OF COURSE

Performance Indicator: Numbers of course completions achieved by Indigenous students enrolled in ABSTUDY away-from-base courses, by level of course:

1. Associate Diploma, Diploma or Advanced Diploma
2. Bachelor
3. Graduate Certificate or Graduate Diploma

What the Indicator Tells Us: A course consists of a structured series of units of study that lead to a qualification or statement of attainment. This performance indicator shows the distribution of students (total=100%) who have met the requirements for completing a course in the previous year. It does not measure the number of students who graduate (a significant proportion of completing students choose not to go through the graduation process).

Measurement Source: Data provided to the DEST Higher Education Division’s national collection by universities.

Measurement Technique: The definitions of completions are those used in the DEST Higher Education Division’s data collection and adopted in its reporting. The combined percentages for the three categories of completions for Indigenous students will equal 100%.

Reporting Requirements: It is important that all the relevant numbers are included when reporting this information.

Targets: There are two broad aims. The first is to increase the number of Indigenous people, per se, who are completing courses and gaining qualifications. In each category therefore, we are looking at increasing numbers year by year.

Secondly, targets must aim to in the long term, to increase the number of Indigenous students achieving higher level qualifications, and especially at the Bachelors level, which are more likely to lead to better employment outcomes.

 

COURSE COMPLETION RATES IN ABSTUDY AWAY-FROM-BASE COURSES OF ONE ACADEMIC YEAR OR LESS DURATION

Performance Indicator: The course completion rate (showing numbers) achieved by Indigenous students enrolled in ABSTUDY away-from-base courses of one academic year or less duration:

1. non award (enabling and preparatory courses)
2. award courses

What the Indicator Tells Us: A course consists of a structured series of units that lead to a qualification or statement of attainment. This performance indicator measures the proportion of students who have met the requirements for completing a course in a given funding year where the course is of one academic year or less duration. It does not measure the number of students who graduate.

Measurement Source: Data provided to the DEST Higher Education Division’s national collection by universities. Completions of enabling and preparatory courses are not reported to DEST as part of the official collection, so universities will have to report this information direct to Indigenous Education Branch.

Measurement Technique: According to DEST Higher Education Division’s protocols. The course completion rate for courses of one academic year or less is essentially the number of students who satisfactorily completed the course within the given time, divided by the number of students who began the course.

Reporting Requirements: It is important that all the relevant numbers are included when reporting this information – i.e.. percentage, numerator and denominator. The completion rate for each of the ABSTUDY away-from-base courses conducted by the university must be shown, although targets will only be set on the combined, overall rate for the university.

Targets: The aim of this indicator is to increase the number of Indigenous people who are completing courses, gaining qualifications and moving on, in many cases, to further study. It is expected that the completion rate for these shorter courses will be higher than the rates for longer courses, that is courses of more than one academic year’s duration.

 

ABSTUDY AWAY-FROM-BASE VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING SECTOR PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

1. Educational outcomes achieved by Indigenous students in ABSTUDY away-from-base courses, as measured by the module/competency:

1. pass rate
2. fail rate
3. withdrawal rate
4. completion rate.

2. Numbers of course completions achieved by Indigenous students enrolled in ABSTUDY away-from-base courses, by level of course:

1. non award
2. non AQF certificate or award
3. AQF Certificates I and II
4. AQF Certificates III and IV
5. Diploma or Associate Diploma

3. The course completion rate (showing numbers) achieved by Indigenous students enrolled in ABSTUDY away-from-base courses of one academic year or less duration.

 

OVERALL MODULE/COMPETENCY OUTCOMES IN ABSTUDY AWAY-FROM-BASE COURSES (FOR VET INSTITUTIONS THAT CONDUCT ABSTUDY AWAY-FROM-BASE COURSES)

Performance Indicator: Educational outcomes achieved by Indigenous students in ABSTUDY away-from-base courses, as measured by the module/competency:

1. pass rate
2. fail rate
3. withdrawal rate
4. completion rate

What the Indicator Tells Us: In most cases, successful completion of a module (the pass rate) means that the student has been tested or assessed as competent against the industry standard for the module. The completion rate compares students who completed a module (regardless of whether or not they undertook the final assessment) with all students who commenced the unit and were no longer studying that unit. These statistics provide the overall outcomes for systems or institutions.

Measurement Source: Data provided to the NCVER/AVETMISS national collection by the institution/system.

Measurement Technique: The definitions of the various rates are those used in the NCVER/AVETMISS data collection and adopted by the Australian National Training Authority (ANTA) in its reporting.

Reporting Requirements: It is important that all the relevant numbers are included when reporting the rates – i.e.. percentage, numerator and denominator.

Targets: The targets for this performance indicator must aim to increase the overall module/competency completion rate of Indigenous students to the level of non-Indigenous students, where there is currently a gap, or otherwise to increase these rates for Indigenous students. In 1998, the national overall Indigenous completion rate was 66% compared to about 80% for non-Indigenous students.

 

OVERALL MODULE/COMPETENCY OUTCOMES IN ABSTUDY AWAY-FROM-BASE COURSES FOR VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING INSTITUTIONS

Performance Indicator: Numbers of course completions achieved by Indigenous students enrolled in ABSTUDY away-from-base courses, by level of course:

1. non award
2. non AQF Certificate or award
3. AQF Certificates I and II
4. AQF Certificates III and IV
5. Diploma or Advanced Diploma

What the Indicator Tells Us: A course consists of a structured series of modules/competencies that lead to a qualification or statement of attainment. This performance indicator shows the distribution of students (total=100%) who have met the requirements for completing a course in a given year. It does not measure the number of students who graduate (a significant proportion of completing students choose not to go through the graduation process).

Measurement Source: Data as provided to the NCVER national collection by the institution/system according to AVETMISS protocols. While currently collected by NCVER this information for all providers may not be available until 2001-2002 (ANTA - NCVER Qualifications Eligibility project).

Measurement Technique: According to NCVER/AVETMISS protocols. The combined percentages for the five categories of completions for Indigenous students will equal 100%.

Reporting Requirements: It is important that all the relevant numbers are included when reporting this information – i.e.. percentage, numerator and denominator.

Targets: There are two broad aims. The first is to increase the number of Indigenous people, per se, who are completing courses and gaining qualifications. In each category therefore, we are looking at increasing numbers year by year.

Secondly, targets must aim in the long term, to increase the number of Indigenous students achieving higher level qualifications.

 

COURSE COMPLETION RATES IN ABSTUDY AWAY-FROM-BASE COURSES OF ONE ACADEMIC YEAR OR LESS DURATION FOR VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING INSTITUTIONS

Performance Indicator: The course completion rate (showing numbers) achieved by Indigenous students enrolled in ABSTUDY away-from-base courses of one academic year or less duration.

What the Indicator Tells Us: A course consists of a structured series of modules/competencies that lead to a qualification or statement of attainment. This performance indicator measures the proportion of students who have met the requirements for completing a course in a given funding year where the course is of one academic year or less duration. It does not measure the number of students who graduate (a significant proportion of completing students choose not to go through the graduation process).

Measurement Source: Data as provided to the NCVER national collection by the institution/system according to AVETMISS protocols. While currently collected by NCVER this information for all providers may not be available until 2001-2002 (ANTA - NCVER Qualifications Eligibility project).

Measurement Technique: According to NCVER/AVETMISS protocols. The course completion rate for courses of one academic year or less (it will include numerous AQF Certificate I and II courses) is essentially the number of students who satisfactorily completed the course within the given time, divided by the number of students who began the course.

Reporting Requirements: It is important that all the relevant numbers are included when reporting this information – i.e.. percentage, numerator and denominator.

Targets: The aim of this indicator is to increase the number of Indigenous people who are completing courses and gaining qualifications. It is expected that the completion rate for these shorter courses will be higher than the rates for longer courses, that is courses of more than one academic year’s duration.

Enquiries about Indigenous Education Agreements, including payments, must be forwarded to:

Mr David Tyrrell
Acting Director, Indigenous Education Programme Management–Contracts Team
Indigenous Education Branch, Location 161
Department of Education, Science and Training
GPO Box 9880
CANBERRA ACT 2601

Telephone: (02) 6240 7638
Facsimile: (02) 6240 7667

Email david.tyrrell@dest.gov.au

The contact officer for ABSTUDY policy, including for institutions that have not previously delivered courses through ‘mixed-mode’ but wish to do so in the future, (after having the course approved by Centrelink) is:

Ms Julia Forrest
Director, Policy and Coordination Section
Indigenous Education Branch, Location 161
Department of Education, Science and Training
GPO Box 9880
CANBERRA ACT 2601

Telephone: (02) 6240 8881
Facsimile: (02) 6240 7667

Email julia.forrest@dest.gov.au

The contact officer for the reporting of educational outcomes is:

Dr Rosalie Grant
Director, Indigenous Education Programme Management–Performance Evaluation Team
Indigenous Education Branch, Location 161
Department of Education, Science and Training
GPO Box 9880
CANBERRA ACT 2601

Telephone: (02) 6240 8919
Facsimile: (02) 6240 7667

Email: rosalie.grant@dest.gov.au

The Programme Manager, National Office is:

Mr Peter Buckskin
Assistant Secretary, Indigenous Education Branch
Location 161
Department of Education, Science and Training
GPO Box 9880
CANBERRA ACT 2601

Facsimile: (02) 6240 5676