April 22, 2015

The impact on service quality, efficiency and sustainability of recent Commonwealth Indigenous Advancement Strategy tendering processes by the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet: IRU Submission

We appreciate the opportunity to submit to the Senate References Committee on Finance and Public Administration on the impact on service quality, efficiency and sustainability of recent Commonwealth Indigenous Advancement Strategy tendering processes by the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.

The IRU submission targets the impact of the inclusion of higher education Indigenous programmes in the IAS, with the Indigenous Tutorial Assistance Scheme (ITAS) subject to the tendering process. The Innovative Research Universities (IRU) is a network of six research intensive, progressive universities, established in the outer urban areas of Australia’s capitals and in major provincial cities to stimulate economic, social and personal advancement. Our locations bring universities, with comprehensive activities across teaching and research, to areas where higher education participation and attainment is low, and where the university’s research and creation of graduates can strengthen the social and economic prosperity of the region.

The members of the IRU have a long-standing commitment to becoming universities of choice for Indigenous students and staff. Read the submission in full below.