A new clearinghouse website is now available to provide reliable evidence and information on best practice and success factors for overcoming Indigenous disadvantage.
The clearinghouse was established following agreement by the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) in April 2007 on the need for a national clearinghouse for reliable evidence and information on best practice and success factors for overcoming Indigenous disadvantage.
The clearinghouse is jointly funded by all Australian Governments and is delivered by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) in collaboration with the Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS).
The clearinghouse website provides access to a collection of quality information on what works to overcome Indigenous disadvantage. This will provide policy makers and program managers with an evidence base for addressing Indigenous disadvantage and related Indigenous reforms. Indigenous Australians will benefit through the delivery of policies and services that address Indigenous disadvantage more effectively.
The specific objectives of the clearinghouse are to:
- build an evidence base for what works to close the gap in Indigenous disadvantage
- improve access by policy makers, service providers, Indigenous communities, and the general public to evidence on best practice and success factors to close the gap in Indigenous disadvantage
- rigorously assess the quality of evidence for policies and activities aimed at closing the gap in Indigenous disadvantage
- contribute to better coordination of research and evaluation efforts across Australia
- identify the gaps in the available evidence on what works to close the gaps in Indigenous disadvantage.
Evidence collected by the clearinghouse will be able to inform policy processes and government activities related to COAG Indigenous reform targets. In its first year of operation it will address the following priority areas:
- school readiness, including the health and learning aspects of early childhood development
- early literacy and numeracy
- school attendance and retention
- participation in the labour force, particularly by urban/regional/remote
- community safety
- Indigenous mortality risk factors, particularly how policies and programs could address these in a culturally appropriate way.
The clearinghouse team and subject specialists will identify, collect and assess material according to these priorities.
What the clearinghouse provides
General collection
The general collection is a broad collection of material relating to the COAG building blocks and targets. It currently includes over 4,000 items, including research, evaluations and other reports.
The material in the general collection is catalogued, indexed and classified by subject, COAG building block, and type of publication, to enable effective searches to be done.
Quality assessed collection
A key feature of the clearinghouse is the quality assessed collection, which will hold research that has been assessed by experts. These assessments will enable users to understand the type and quality of research held by the clearinghouse.
The clearinghouse team has developed a formal quality assessment process and standards with guidance from a Scientific Reference Group and the Clearinghouse Board. Subject specialists will be asked to review identified research and evaluations to determine the quality of research. All items reviewed will have a quality assessment checklist which will give users information on the material they are accessing.
Online research and evaluation register
The clearinghouse website provides an online register of research and evaluations (both completed and currently underway) relevant to overcoming Indigenous disadvantage. This includes research directly relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, as well as studies with non-Indigenous Australians on topics relevant to Indigenous outcomes.
The register will allow government agencies and researchers to better coordinate their efforts by avoiding duplication and collaborating where possible. It will also allow governments and researchers to see where there is insufficient focus on particular topics.
Information about research and evaluations that are currently underway or have been completed in the last few years that are relevant to overcoming Indigenous disadvantage would be welcome. To contribute to the register, download and complete the proforma (28KB RTF) and email it to closingthegap@aihw.gov.au.
Papers and summary sheets
Results of the quality assessments of relevant research and evaluations will be used to develop resources for distribution through the clearinghouse website. These resources include two issues papers and eight resource sheets to be commissioned in 2009–10.
Resource sheets are concise summaries, of approximately 2,000 words each, of what works to address specific issues relevant to overcoming Indigenous disadvantage. The focus of resource sheets will correspond with the six priority areas for the first year of the clearinghouse.
Issues papers will provide in-depth reviews of what works and the overall quality and breadth of the evidence on a particular priority topic. The first two issues papers will be on improving:
- school attendance and retention
- school readiness, including the health and learning aspects of early child development.
Identifying gaps in the available evidence and priorities for future research
As part of the quality assessment process and preparation of issues papers and resource sheets, subject specialists will identify gaps in the available research and evaluation evidence. Based on this, an annual paper on gaps in the available research and evaluation evidence and identifying priorities for future research will be produced. The online register will also assist with identifying the gaps and topics which are under or overrepresented.
Other resources
The clearinghouse will also provide:
- four quarterly e-newsletters to provide updates about clearinghouse publications and additions to the online clearinghouse collection
- links from the clearinghouse website to other clearinghouses and resources on relevant Indigenous policy issues
- an event calendar on the website covering relevant events such as research, evaluation and policy conferences.
For more information about the clearinghouse, or help with accessing any of the above resources, contact the clearinghouse team at AIHW by tel 1800 035 938 or email closingthegap@aihw.gov.au.