ODE Evaluation of the SPC-Australia Partnership

ODE Evaluation of the SPC-Australia Partnership

In their joint management response, DFAT and SPC welcomed the positive assessment of the Partnership which has increased predictable, flexible funding for SPC and contributed to its monitoring and evaluation and program planning strategies. The evaluation demonstrated the existence of strong working relationships between the SPC and the Australian Government built on a history of technical collaboration and shared experience. The report affirmed that DFAT remains a major development partner for SPC, is a leader in implementing internationally recognised donor practices and is a champion for the organisation’s change agenda.

DFAT and SPC appreciate that they can improve the effectiveness of the Partnership. There is scope to raise awareness of the Partnership across DFAT and the Australian Government and to support stronger strategic policy collaboration on key issues. 

DFAT is committed to supporting the SPC reform and prioritisation agenda by providing tailored support on key issues, including financial management capability and gender equality. The Partnership can also benefit our relationships with other regional organisations and donors by encouraging all development players to work in an efficient, coordinated and consistent way. 

Australian assistance to the law and justice sectors in PNG, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu supports our shared interest in stability in those countries. In PNG, while law and justice programs are assessed as effective and efficient, overall progress has been rated as at risk because data from government agencies is not yet available to measure progress against many benchmarks. Australian assistance provided access to better standards of justice for more than one million PNG citizens by contributing to the training of more than 2,000 village court officials. Rollout of the Justice Information Management System in Solomon Islands continued and services across justice agencies were generally maintained. In Vanuatu, Australian support contributed to improved service delivery, including through an innovative new Rapid Charge System (RCS) for the police, which has reduced the time until charges are heard in court to 10 days (from 92 days in cases where RCS is not used); and improved processes for handling cases in the police Professional Standards Unit. 

Australia’s investments in education in the Pacific delivered some significant results in 2015-16, although not all targets were met. In PNG, while progress has been slower than expected, there have been measurable gains in a year when PNG’s education funding was severely restricted by its budget deficit. Incremental improvements were seen in net enrolment rates and the gender parity index in schools. While an additional 133,000 girls and boys enrolled in school, this outcome fell short against the target of 155,000. Nevertheless, the basic net enrolment rate increased from 84.2 per cent in 2014 to 88.4 per cent. Gender parity increased marginally to 0.89. Australia provided 150 classrooms, 55 teachers’ houses and 57 ablution blocks to help meet the demand for school resources, exceeding the benchmark of 30 buildings.

While skills development to support economic opportunities for Tongan workers was assessed as ‘on track’, an evaluation of the education sector program found that program objectives were too ambitious for the timeframes, program implementation had made poor overall progress and there were expenditure delays. Tonga has agreed for Australia to transition out of the basic education sector and focus on vocational education and training.

While costly to deliver, services to remote and dispersed areas in Solomon Islands achieved good results. In 2015, more girls than ever before (5,500) started Junior Secondary School, 80 per cent of teachers are now trained (up from 50 per cent when Australia began investment in the sector in 2012) and learning outcomes have improved. Similarly, in Kiribati, where Australia works to improve standards in basic education in terms of quality and access, significant results have been achieved. This includes the 2015 Pacific Island Literacy and Numeracy Assessment results, which indicate that 93 per cent of Year 4 students performed at or above expected literacy levels (66 per cent in 2012) and 73 per cent at or above expected numeracy levels (29 per cent in 2012). The primary school Net Enrolment Rate increased from 82 per cent in 2011 to 99 per cent in 2015.

Australian investments in health yielded a number of measurable gains but for four out of the eight Pacific bilateral programs the health-related objectives were only partially met. The health sector program in Fiji temporarily diverted staff and resources to assist the emergency response to Cyclone Winston, including the establishment of three temporary health facilities. Under the Healthy Child Initiative, Fiji reached immunisation rates of 90 per cent for pneumococcal and rotavirus vaccines. An early study found the vaccines were already preventing pneumonia, pneumococcal sepsis and meningitis, along with a reduction in diarrhoea admissions to hospitals. Good results were achieved around the establishment of a set of Safe Motherhood national standards, and the prevention and management of non-communicable diseases. 

An end of program evaluation into the six-year Fiji Health Sector Strengthening Program (FHSSP) concluded it effectively delivered its planned activities and its early and strategic approach to sustainability will ensure key activities will continue to be implemented beyond the program. However, in a valuable finding for the design of the new health program, the evaluation noted the FHSSP generally lacked adequate outcome and impact data on its interventions, making it difficult to assess program impact.

In PNG and Vanuatu, low levels of trained health workers impacted on the overall performance of the health sector. While Australian aid to PNG delivered newly qualified midwives, family planning and HIV testing for pregnant women, the national indicators for both worsened. Nearly 700 Papua New Guineans have graduated since 2013 with midwifery, nursing and community health work qualifications. In Vanuatu, the child mortality rate remained poor, although Australian support to strengthen routine immunisation for children has more than doubled the 33 per cent baseline target. Australian health support in Solomon Islands has helped reduce child mortality, the reduction in malaria remains on track and skilled birth attendant rates remained stable at 89 per cent.

Australia’s bilateral health investments were complemented by the Pacific regional health program which focussed on challenges that benefit from a regional approach. Australia helped strengthen regional health security and surveillance, provided core support to the College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences at the Fiji National University which produced 613 graduates in 2015, and through the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons provided 46 specialist clinical service visits to nine countries which resulted in over 6,000 consultations. Three regional health investments in specialised clinical services and health workforce development were evaluated in November 2015 and have informed the design of a new phase of investment. While providing valuable medical interventions, the programs face challenges from weak health systems and limited guidance from regional institutions; these issues are prioritised in the new design.

Australia continued to support disaster risk reduction and build the resilience of communities in the Pacific. Cyclone Winston in Fiji dominated humanitarian assistance in 2015-16. Cyclone Winston affected approximately 540,000 people with Australia’s immediate assistance reaching over 200,000 people. An After Action Review of the Australian Government response found the systems were timely, effective and efficient. Responding to the needs of women and children and people living with disability was a focus of Australia’s emergency response. For example, Australia provided emergency repairs to 43 damaged schools which meant that children were only absent from school for one week. Reproductive health kits were distributed to women and dignity kits were distributed to women and children. Details of Australia’s response to Cyclone Winston can be found in the Fiji APPR. During 2015-16, Australia also worked closely with the Government of Vanuatu to allocate 65 per cent of the $35 million long-term recovery funds in response to the impacts of Cyclone Pam.

Working with governments and communities across the Pacific to achieve gender equality and empower women and girls is a priority for the Australian Government. Pacific Women Shaping Pacific Development is achieving positive results at both the regional and bilateral levels. In 2015-16, 9,320 women and girls accessed crisis support services (including counselling, health and justice services); 1,224 women and girls accessed financial information and services (including financial literacy training); 4,669 women and girls were supported to take on leadership roles (including women participating in market decision-making structures); 2,056 women had formal opportunities to share their ideas and learn from each other; and 692 men were actively engaged in promoting gender equality. Despite these gains, significant challenges remain in achieving gender equality in Pacific Island countries.

Australia continues to help with disability-inclusive development across the Pacific. Through the provision of financial support and training to the Pacific Disability Forum, there is an increased capacity within national Disabled People’s Organisations to engage with and influence national governments and other groups. In Samoa, a mobility device service provided 600 devices to 352 clients, meeting the performance benchmark. In PNG, health and education infrastructure included ramps and other design features to enable access for adults and children living with disability. The PNG program also increased access to disability support services for people with disabilities living in rural and remote areas through the delivery of assistive devices to 8,750 people (39 per cent women).