How to get a better bang for the taxpayers' buck in all sectors, not only Indigenous programs

A report released today by the Centre for Independent Studies (CIS) has drawn attention to the lack of quality evaluations being conducted on Indigenous programs. The report identified 1082 Indigenous-specific programs delivered by government agencies, Indigenous organisations, not-for-profit NGOs and for-profit contractors. It found 92% have never been evaluated to see if they are achieving their objectives. While it oversteps in some regards, this report raises a very important point: we don't really know what works if we don't check. That's a lesson that applies to all areas of public policy spending, not just Indigenous affairs.