Australia has taken two giant leaps to establish stronger ties with the private sector in the delivery of foreign aid.
On Monday, a government inquiry into the role of the private sector in promoting economic growth and reducing poverty in the Indo-Pacific region marked its final public hearing. Beginning in February 2014, the inquiry has received submissions from 152 government agencies, businesses, nongovernmental organizations, education institutes and individuals. The committee will now retire to consider submissions and provide recommendations to the government.
On the same day, innovationXchange, a new unit within the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade was launched with the aim of developing innovative and more effective and efficient ways of delivering Australia’s foreign aid program.
About the author
Lisa Cornish@lisa_cornish
Lisa Cornish is a freelance data journalist based in Canberra, Australia. Lisa formerly worked with News Corp Australia as a data journalist for the national network and was published throughout Australia in major metropolitan and regional newspapers, including the Daily Telegraph in Melbourne, Herald Sun in Melbourne, Courier-Mail in Brisbane and online through news.com.au. Lisa has recently been awarded the 2014 Journalist of the Year by the New South Wales Institute of Surveyors.