Australia Donor Profile

KEY QUESTIONS the big six

Who are the main actors in Australia’s development cooperation?

DFAT manages almost all of Australia’s overseas de- geographic branches make final recommendations on velopment programs funding for specific programs to the foreign affairs min- ister, who approves major initiatives or delegates her Australian Prime Minister leads overall funding power. Performance benchmarks are set and re- development policy decision-making. He has served as viewed through annual program performance reports. prime minister and leader of the conservative Liberal These are discussed each year with the partner country. Party since August 2018, following an internal leadership The 2018 OECD Peer Review found that Australia’s mul- shuffle which saw him replace . The ti-year investment plans increase the predictability of Liberal-National has been in government since development assistance, at least in the medium-term. 2013. The next federal election is due by end-May 2019. The minister for foreign affairs, currently , Parliament: Australia’s parliament is responsible for is responsible for directing Australia’s development pro- formally reviewing the final federal budget between May gram. She is traditionally a strong parliamentary sup- and June each year. The budget is passed into law before porter of human rights and action on HIV/AIDS. The as- the end of June, the end of the fiscal year. In practice, the sistant minister for international development and the budget, including the development budget component, is Pacific, Anne Ruston, works under Payne to strengthen usually passed without amendments by the government Australia’s relationships with the Pacific Islands. majority in the House of Representatives. In the Senate, Launched by then-Prime Minister Turnbull in 2015 as a the proposed ODA budget is reviewed by the Foreign Af- ministerial-level position, the position was downgraded fairs, Defense, and Trade Legislation Committee. This to assistant minister in August 2018. committee can seek information on the proposed devel- The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) opment program but has no power to amend the budget. manages development policy and the development budget and delivers almost all Australia’s overseas pro- Civil Society: The government channels bilateral ODA grams. DFAT managed 93% of Australia’s ODA in 2017. through civil society organizations (CSOs) under the um- The department cooperates with other government agen- brella of its ‘Global Programs’ budget component. In 2017, cies, including the Treasury and the Australian Federal CSOs were funded with US$238 million, or 10% of bilater- Police, which deliver the remaining development assis- al ODA, according to OECD data. In addition, Australian tance. CSOs mobilize public support and voluntary contribu- tions for development. More than 140 Australian Within DFAT, the deputy secretary for Global Coopera- non-government organizations (NGOs) operate under tion, Development, and Partnerships oversees four devel- the Australian Council for International Development’s opment divisions. These include the Multilateral Devel- (ACFID) self-regulatory and highly regarded Code of Con- opment and Finance Division, which manages duct, which defines standards of good development prac- contributions to multilateral organizations, and the Mul- tice for its members. As the primary entry point for col- tilateral Policy Division, which includes the Gender laboration and collective action by development NGOs in Equality Branch. DFAT’s innovation hub, known as ‘in- Australia, ACFID also supports policy engagement with novationXchange’, is hosted at DFAT and guided by a the Australian government. Over fifty Australian NGOs 14-member International Reference Group. have met comprehensive due-diligence requirements through accreditation under DFAT’s Australian NGO Co- Based on the government’s overall development policies, operation Program. Accredited Australian NGOs are DFAT sets the country program priorities. DFAT’s geo- partners who have demonstrated their community sup- graphic branches develop three-year ‘Aid Investment port and their organizational capacity to deliver results, Plans’ with major recipient countries, outlining Austral- which enables them to receive funding from the govern- ia’s priorities and expected results. Individual develop- ment. ment activities are implemented within the agreed in- vestment plan. DFAT executive staff responsible for

12 donortracker.org March 2019 An initiative by SEEK Development Australia Donor Profile

AUSTRALIA'S DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION SYSTEM

13 donortracker.org March 2019 An initiative by SEEK Development