Remote employment programs: National Indigenous Australians Agency

Since 2015, the Community Development Program (CDP) has been the primary Australian Government remote employment program. Remote employment programs aim to assist people in thin labour markets to secure employment. As at June 2023, there were approximately 41,000 people participating in the CDP, of whom approximately 86 per cent identified as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander. Since 2017, successive Australian Governments have stated an intention to reform or replace the CDP due to negative impacts on participants and communities.

The audit was conducted to provide assurance that the National Indigenous Australians Agency (NIAA) has had effective processes to design and manage the transition to a new remote jobs program. To form a conclusion, the following high-level criteria were adopted: Did the NIAA effectively manage the transition period from the CDP to a new remote employment program? Did the NIAA effectively implement remote employment program trials to inform the new remote employment program? Were the NIAA's processes to design a new remote employment program fit for purpose?

The audit concluded that the NIAA's processes to design and transition to a new remote employment program, as at January 2024, were partly effective. As at January 2024, four trials were being delivered or planned to test new approaches to a remote employment program: the CDP Trial; Remote Engagement Program (REP) Trial; New Jobs Program Trial (NJPT); and Ngaanyatjarra Engagement and Employment (NEE) Trial. The NIAA's implementation of trials was partly effective. The NIAA's processes to design a new remote employment program were partly fit for purpose. There were eight recommendations in relation to parliamentary committee recommendations; approving grant agreement extensions; managing shared risk; performance reporting; evaluation of trials; ensuring policy advice is based on evidence; and developing an evaluation framework for the new remote jobs program. The NIAA agreed to all eight recommendations.

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