Australia Awards in South and West Asia
2015-2020
Investment Design Document
8 August 2014
Volume one – Investment Design Document
Australia Awards in South and West Asia 2015 – 2020
Vol 1. Investment Design Document
TABLE OF CONTENTS
A.
Executive Summary ............................................................................................................ iv
B.
Analysis and Strategic Context ........................................................................................... 1
1.
Development Context .................................................................................................... 1
2.
International Scholarships in the Region ..................................................................... 6
3.
Strategic Setting and Rationale ...................................................................................... 7
4.
Evidence and Lessons................................................................................................... 11
C.
Investment Description .................................................................................................... 16
5.
Program Logic and Expected Outcomes................................................................... 16
6.
Delivery Approach ........................................................................................................ 21
7.
Resources and Budget................................................................................................... 23
D.
Implementation Arrangements ........................................................................................ 25
8.
Management and Governance Arrangements........................................................... 25
9.
Implementation Toolbox ............................................................................................. 31
10.
Alumni Engagement ................................................................................................. 40
11.
Implementation at Country/Region Level............................................................ 44
12.
Annual Planning Process ......................................................................................... 44
13.
Procurement Arrangements .................................................................................... 50
14.
Monitoring and Evaluation ..................................................................................... 51
15.
Inclusiveness .............................................................................................................. 54
16.
Anti-Corruption ........................................................................................................ 57
17.
Risk Assessment and Management ........................................................................ 57
18.
Sustainability .............................................................................................................. 60
i
Australia Awards in South and West Asia 2015 – 2020
Vol 1. Investment Design Document
This Investment Design Document was prepared by a Design Team comprising: Team
Leader; M&E and South Asia Specialist; and the DFAT Activity Manager; supported by
the staff of DFAT around the region and in Scholarships and Alumni Branch. The
Design Team is grateful for the excellent assistance, advice and support it received from
Posts and programs throughout the design process.
ii
Australia Awards in South and West Asia 2015 – 2020
Vol 1. Investment Design Document
LIST OF ACRONYMS
ADIS
Alumni Development Impact Survey
AusAID
Australian Agency for International Development
BRAC
formerly the Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee
DAP
Desired Applicant Profile
DFAT
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
EEBM
Enhancing Education Budget Measure
ELT
English Language Training
FATA
Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Pakistan)
HOM
Head of Mission (Australia’s most senior diplomat at each Post)
HRD
Human Resource Development
ICDDR,B
International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh
IELTS
International English Language Testing System
ILO
Information Learning Opportunity
KP
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province (Pakistan)
LTA
Long Term Award
M&E
Monitoring and Evaluation
MEF
Monitoring and Evaluation Framework
NCP
New Colombo Plan
OASIS
Online Australia Scholarships Information System
ODA
Official Development Assistance
PCE
Pre-Course English
PDB
Pre-Departure Briefing
PhD
Doctor of Philosophy
SCA
Short Course Award
TOR
Terms of Reference
VET
Vocational Education and Training
iii
Australia Awards in South and West Asia 2015 – 2020
Vol 1. Investment Design Document
A. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Scholarships have been a feature of the Australian Government’s engagement in South
and West Asia since the start of the Colombo Plan in the 1950s, and they represent a key
pillar of the Australian aid program today1. At present Australia invests in two
complementary scholarship schemes: Australia Awards and the New Colombo Plan.
Australia Awards funded through the aid program are provided to build the skills and
knowledge of individuals so they can contribute to their country’s development, and to
support the ongoing development of links between Australia and the countries to which
it provides aid. They are an important part of the Australian Government’s focus on
public and economic diplomacy, and provide scholarships for long-term study in
Australia as well as Fellowships, short course awards, and supplementary programs.
Around 13 per cent of all Australia Awards Scholarships are awarded in South and West
Asia (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka2); globally
Australia Awards represent around six per cent of the aid budget. Across the South and
West Asia region, Australia Awards range from around seven per cent of the aid program
(in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka) to 50 per cent in Maldives. For Maldives and Bhutan,
Australia Awards is Australia’s single largest aid investment. In countries where Australia
does not have a diplomatic mission, Australia Awards are especially useful as an aid and
public diplomacy tool, as they can be administered effectively from a distance, providing
opportunities for engagement and the development of personal and government-togovernment links.
Program Goal and Outcomes
The goal of Australia Awards in South and West Asia is that country programs and the
regional program in South and West Asia are meeting their development, relationship
and public diplomacy objectives, in line with Australia’s national interest. This will apply
across the entirety of the aid program in the region, and more broadly to Australia’s
bilateral and regional relationships in South and West Asia.
The Program is described in a program logic that sets out three long-term outcomes,
which Program activities will be designed to achieve over the period of implementation:
1. Alumni from priority groups or organisations, and other Program participants,
are delivering positive forms of development contributions in priority sectors
and/or locations
2. Alumni have positive links with Australians and Australian organisations, with
other alumni, and with other global, regional and local networks
3. Australia is viewed as a valued international partner.
The program logic will guide the planning, management, monitoring and evaluation of
the Program. Each participating country program, and the regional program, will
customise these outcomes to focus on their priority areas in the aid program, and to align
with their broader aims and objectives.
The New Aid Paradigm, Foreign Minister’s address to the National Press Club 19 June 2014
http://foreignminister.gov.au/speeches/Pages/2014/jb_sp_140618.aspx
2 The program will also provide limited support to alumni in Afghanistan, noting that Australia Awards is
no longer delivered in Afghanistan.
1
iv
Australia Awards in South and West Asia 2015 – 2020
Vol 1. Investment Design Document
Delivery Approach and Program Resources
A Contractor will implement the Program, providing the management, operational and
administrative resources required across the participating countries, combining the
existing South Asia and Pakistan programs into an integrated multi-country Program.
The Contractor will support the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in its strategic
leadership role across the Program, and will be selected through an open international
tender process. The Contractor will: work with Australian academic institutions and
DFAT in the implementation of scholarships for long-term study; support Fellowships
and other globally managed activities; and sub-contract specialist providers to deliver
short courses and other short-term activities.
The Program has been designed for the five-year period of 2015 – 2020. The Program
will be able to scale up or down as required in response to budget and policy decisions.
There will be full flexibility for each country program and the regional program to adjust
the mix of awards and other activities so as to best meet program needs.
The Contractor will establish and maintain a Country Office in each participating country
except India, with a regional Hub co-located with the Country Office in Sri Lanka to
provide support across the Program. As a new participant in the regional arrangement,
the Pakistan program will draw on regional resources and a network of peers for the first
time. A Regional Manager will lead the Contractor team, supported by technical and
administrative staff and working closely with DFAT staff at Posts and the DFAT
Activity Manager in Canberra.
The design provides for a number of enhancements in Contractor inputs, to ensure
DFAT is well-supported in implementing Australia Awards, particularly in response to
changing roles, responsibilities, and resources in an integrated DFAT. These include:
upgraded Country Manager positions and additional operational and administration
support to strengthen the capacity of country offices; additional staff positions in larger
country offices to support the wider range of activities; an international specialist to
support increased use of short course awards and other short-term activities for those
Posts who request it; a dedicated alumni position in the regional Hub; and an enhanced
role for the Canberra-based DFAT Activity Manager in support of Posts.
Implementation
The Program provides country and regional programs in South and West Asia access to,
and support for, a range of options to provide long- and short-term education, training,
informal learning and professional development activities. Options offered in this
Implementation Toolbox range from the more formal but less flexible (such as
scholarships for long-term study) to less formal but highly flexible and responsive (such
as ad-hoc seminars). It also provides support for programs to utilise global programs
such as Australia Awards Fellowships and supplementary programs such as the
Leadership Program. Country and regional programs will draw from the range of options
in the toolbox in response to identified needs and opportunities across the aid program.
Increased support for alumni engagement is also a feature of this design, reflecting the
requirements of the Australia Awards Alumni Network Strategy and the Australian
Government’s commitment to strengthening the public diplomacy outcomes of the aid
program.
Monitoring and Evaluation
Program monitoring and evaluation will draw on well-established approaches, proven in
South Asia and elsewhere, that enable monitoring and evaluation to meet its three-fold
v
Australia Awards in South and West Asia 2015 – 2020
Vol 1. Investment Design Document
purposes: to enable accountability, to inform program management, and to support
learning and program improvement. The M&E system will build on existing practices
and systems in South Asia and Pakistan, integrating and refining them to meet the needs
of this design, and the new aid program context in an integrated DFAT. The system will
include the continuation of the current trial of simplified data collection and analysis,
including the key outcome-focused elements of Alumni Development Impact Surveys
and a revised case study methodology.
Security, Risk and Risk Management
The risks facing Australia Awards implementation in South and West Asia include those
common across the program globally as well as those specific to the region. The
fundamental risk is that the men and women supported by the program will not have the
opportunities and incentives to use their new skills, knowledge and networks to
contribute to development in their home country. To address this risk, the design
provides for a number of responses to support the selection of the most appropriate
awardees to complete the most relevant study or training, and their return home to
situations that enable them to contribute. The Program also takes a zero tolerance
approach to fraud, continuing existing effective strategies to minimise the risk of fraud or
corruption.
Risks specific to the region include those associated with ongoing or worsening political
stability or security situations creating challenging operational environments as well as
security and safety concerns for staff and participants. The Program will increase its
investment in security and risk assessments and will prepare enhanced Security and Do
No Harm Strategies, including a ‘no names, no faces’ policy for public communications
in certain countries (determined by enhanced security assessments). The risk of awardees
seeking to remain in Australia beyond the term of their award will be managed through
careful selection and targeting as well as increased support and engagement with
awardees while they are in Australia.
vi
Australia Awards in South and West Asia 2015 – 2020
Vol 1. Investment Design Document
B. ANALYSIS AND STRATEGIC CONTEXT
1. Development Context
South and West Asia3 is the most populous and most densely populated geographical
region in the world. The region has the largest number of people living below the
poverty line, with 5074 million people living on less than US$1.25 per day.5 The region
will experience a demographic dividend in coming years, with a huge youth population
reaching working age. It is the least integrated region in the world in terms of trade and
economic connectivity, with the second highest intra-regional trade costs. The region’s
ability to industrialise and to maximise the potential of the large labour pool is further
constrained by its vulnerability to climate change and natural disasters. It also faces longterm water, food and energy security challenges. Many countries in South and West Asia
have also had recent and prolonged experience of social and political upheaval, including
violent conflict, which has constrained social and economic development.
The higher education sector in South and West Asia is characterised by a growing unmet
demand and generally poor quality, including a lack of qualified teachers and poor
regulation of private providers. There is a disconnect between the demands of the labour
market and the courses offered by higher education institutions, and there is a resulting
high unemployment rate amongst some groups of graduates. Access to higher education,
and particularly to the higher quality institutions, is also inequitable within countries6.
The region contains no universities in the top 100 Times Higher Education rankings, and
just three in the top 100 Asian Universities7.
Table 1: Enrolment and Literacy Rates 20118
Country
Gross Enrolment Ratio
(Tertiary) %
Gross Enrolment Ratio
(Secondary) %
Literacy Rate
(15-24 y.o.) %
Bangladesh
13 (M:16 F:11)
51 (M:47 F:54)
79 (M:77 F:80)
Bhutan
9 (M:10 F:7)
70 (M:68 F:71)
74 (M:80 F:68)
India
23 (M:26 F:20)
69 (M:71 F:66)
81 (M:88 F:74)
Nepal
14 (M:18 F:11)
63 (M:63 F:63)
82 (M:89 F:77)
Maldives
N/A
65 (M:60 F:69) - 2002
99 (M:99 F:99)
Pakistan
8 (M:9 F:8)
35 (M: 40 F:30)
71 (M:79 F:61)
Sri Lanka
14 (M:10 F:19)
99 (M:98 F:101)
98 (M:97 F:99)
Bangladesh Context
Bangladesh has achieved impressive development gains over recent decades, and has
performed well against its MDGs. It now has among the lowest infant mortality rates in
South Asia and girls are just as likely to be enrolled in primary school as boys. However,
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka
2010 figure from PovcalNet, the online tool for poverty measurement developed by the Development
Research Group of the World Bank.
5 World Development Indicators 2013 (provisional for 2010).
6 The Economist Intelligence Unit “Higher Education in South Asia: Trends in Afghanistan, Bangladesh,
India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka”, June 2013
7 Three Indian Institutes of Technology are ranked in the top 100 Asian Universities, (Times Higher
Education World University Rankings 2012/13)
8 UNESCO Institute for Statistics, “UIS Statistics in Brief – Education “all levels” profile”, 2013
3
4
1
Australia Awards in South and West Asia 2015 – 2020
Vol 1. Investment Design Document
with 67 million people still living in extreme poverty9 and a ranking of 146 on the UNDP
Human Development Indicator scale, it continues to face considerable development
challenges. Marginalised groups, including women, often struggle to access basic services
and employment opportunities and only three per cent of the population reach postsecondary education10. While average annual GDP growth of five per cent over the past
decade is helping Bangladesh become more prosperous, these and other challenges,
including constraints to inter-regional trade and inadequate energy supply, are holding
the country back from stronger and more inclusive growth.
There are 95 universities in Bangladesh, with more than half of these being private. The
higher education sector is poorly resourced, with institutions lacking modern teaching
aids, library facilities, poor availability of books and journals, laboratory facilities,
research facilities, a lack of qualified teachers and poor quality course curricula11. Access
is affected by the limited places in public institutions and the high tuition fees charged by
private institutions. Public universities have poor links into industry and there is a high
unemployment rate amongst graduates. Private universities tend to focus on a few fields
of study that have high labour market demand12.
Australia’s aid investments ($87.3 million in 2013-14) are designed to support expanded
and more inclusive economic growth in Bangladesh and are focused on improving
education outcomes and increasing economic opportunities for the poor, particularly
women and marginalised groups. Australia will develop an Aid Investment Plan by mid2015 to replace the existing country strategy.
Bhutan Context
The Royal Government of Bhutan is driving efforts to reduce poverty and has
established its own philosophy of ‘gross national happiness’ to measure development
progress, which has been supported by sustained economic growth. Bhutan is the only
country in South Asia on track to achieve its targets under the Millennium Development
Goals. However about two-third of Bhutan’s 745,000 people live in rural areas, many
without access to basic services because of mountainous terrain and poor road
networks. A lack of skilled labour restricts private sector growth and youth
unemployment is rising, particularly in urban areas.
The availability of higher education in Bhutan is very limited. There are very few
Masters-level courses available in Bhutan in a small number of fields of study. In 2012,
the Royal Institute of Management began offering Masters programs with the University
of Canberra and currently offers three. The Royal University of Bhutan also offers a
small number of Masters programs, in the fields of business, educational leadership and
management and cultural studies. Two colleges will begin offering Masters programs
from 2015, in the fields of English, social research and development practice.
Australia’s aid program ($12.2 million in 2013-14) is focused on improving the capacity
of individuals and organisations in government, private sector and civil society to
participate in the country’s development. Australia Awards is the single largest
Based on 2010-13 World Bank Poverty headcount Ratio at $1.25 a day (PPP) (% of population),
http://databank.worldbank.org/data/views/reports/tableview.aspx
10 World Bank Education Sector Report
11 Shakhawat Hossain Sarkar et al (2013) “Challenges of Quality Higher Education in Bangladesh: A Study
on Public Universities”, Journal of Education and Practice, vol.4, no.8
12 Muhammad Masum, “Higher Education in Bangladesh: Problems and Policies”, Journal of the World
Universities Forum, Vol 1, Issue 5
9
2
Australia Awards in South and West Asia 2015 – 2020
Vol 1. Investment Design Document
investment in the bilateral aid program, but Australia also supports some capacity
building of the Royal Institute of Management and provides volunteers through
Australian Volunteers in Development (AVID).
India Context
With an ethnically and religiously diverse population of 1.2 billion people, India is the
world’s second most populous nation. The Indian economy has become one of the
world’s best performers, with average annual gross domestic product growth of more
than eight per cent over the past 10 years. In 2011, India became the third-largest
economy in the world. However, around 33 per cent of India’s population live on less
than $1.25 per day and forecast slower economic growth from 2013 may hamper poverty
reduction efforts. This may be exacerbated by increasing climate variability, which is
predicted to increase the frequency and intensity of natural disasters, decrease water
availability in many areas, reduce agricultural productivity and potentially increase
malnutrition and poverty.
The Indian higher education system is one of the largest in the world, and India is the
only country in South and West Asia with universities in the top 100 Asian Universities13,
producing graduates who are internationally sought after. However, the rapid expansion
of the availability of higher education over the past decade has not been accompanied by
an equal increase in quality. Many teachers are not qualified, and are poorly paid14, and
one study found only 20 per cent of engineering graduates are qualified to work as
engineers15. Many courses (outside of the few top universities) are focussed on theory,
with little opportunity for practical application and developing creative thinking and
problem solving skills. While the middle class has grown and with it the ability to pay for
a higher education, the Indian higher education system is not able to meet the demand
for availability or quality. As a result there is also a huge number of privately funded
students from India studying in Australia, with Indians taking up 12 per cent of all
student visas to Australia (30,000) in 2011-1216.
Australia has phased out bilateral aid to India, however India is still able to benefit from
global and multilateral programs, and through activities implemented under the South
Asia Regional program, provided that they have a regional benefit. There are many more
Australia Awards Endeavour Scholarships and Fellowships awarded in India than
development-focussed Australia Awards Scholarships17.
Maldives Context
The Republic of Maldives, a chain of ecologically fragile coral atolls in the Indian Ocean,
has a population of around 340,000. Tourism, Maldives' largest economic activity,
accounts for nearly 30 per cent of GDP and more than 60 per cent of foreign exchange
receipts. Fishing is the second leading sector, but the fish catch has dropped sharply in
recent years. Agriculture and manufacturing play a lesser role in the economy,
Three IITs are ranked in the top 100 Asian Universities, (Times Higher Education World University
Rankings 2012/13), with the top, IIT Kharagpur, ranked 30th.
14 http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Indian-higher-education-40-of-college-teachers-temporaryquality-of-learning-badly-hit/articleshow/25520250.cms
15 http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-09-18/quality-concerns-over-indias-booming-higher-educationsector/4964738
16 The number of Indians studying abroad increased 256% from 2000 to 2009
(http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/education/news/Higher-educationbeckons/articleshow/30928052.cms?)
17 An average of 40 offered annually 2009-2013 (Department of Education)
13
3
Australia Awards in South and West Asia 2015 – 2020
Vol 1. Investment Design Document
constrained by the limited availability of cultivable land and the shortage of domestic
labour. Relative to other South Asian nations, the Maldives has a relatively high and
rapidly growing per capita GDP of US$9,100 in 2013, with growth rate of 3.5 per cent
(2013). The Maldives graduated to middle-income country status in 2011 and has
achieved five of the eight MDGs.
Diversifying the economy beyond tourism and fishing, reforming public finance and
increasing employment opportunities remain major economic challenges for the
Maldives Government. Environmental vulnerability is also an issue, including
susceptibility to the effects of global warming.
Human resource development is essential to ensure continued progress toward social
and economic development. Although Maldives has a high adult literacy rate of
98.4 per cent, there is a shortage of skilled resident nationals in some key sectors.
Compounding this, there is only one university and a small number of private colleges
offering undergraduate degrees and in a limited number of fields, so development
therefore relies heavily on overseas tertiary training. The private sector is not welldeveloped, and the overall skills capacity is relatively low.
The Maldives country program ($7.5 million in 2013-14) is substantially focused on the
Australia Awards, providing scholarships in designated priority sectors to candidates
from the public and private sectors. The program is well received by Government of
Maldives.
Nepal Context
Nepal is a fragile, post-conflict country struggling to achieve political stability. A least
developed country, it is among the poorest in the world and also falls into the lowest
category of human development, ranked 157 in the 2013 UN Human Development
Index. More than half of its 27 million population struggles to survive on less than
US$2 a day. Widespread, entrenched inequality exists in access to basic services for
traditionally marginalised groups including women, members of ethnic minorities, and
those with disabilities. Political dysfunction and unresolved tensions that previously led
to conflict are yet to be addressed. Nepal’s ability to cope with political instability is
further inhibited by weak governance systems and widespread inefficiencies in public
service delivery. However, strong voter turnout (75 per cent), and a clear rejection of the
Maoists at the November 2013 Constituent Assembly elections, indicates the population
are politically engaged and willing to vote against ethnic and caste lines.
Despite these challenges, Nepal is on track to achieve most of its MDG targets. The
targets for poverty reduction, maternal mortality, and boys’ and girls’ enrolment in
primary education are either achieved or likely to be achieved18.
Nepal has significant weaknesses in the education system. A combination of complex
caste, geographic, monarchical rule and paternalistic relationships has seen the majority
of the adult population denied access to quality education at all levels.
Australian aid investments (totalling $30.1 million in 2013-14) focus on the portfolio’s
two pillars: expand economic opportunities for the poor in Nepal by promoting
enterprise and job creation; and invest in Nepal’s human development to expand
participation and productivity of the poor and cross-cutting objective. The cross-cutting
objective of the program is to strengthen Government public financial management and
governance capabilities.
18
UNDP Progress Report 2013
4
Australia Awards in South and West Asia 2015 – 2020
Vol 1. Investment Design Document
Pakistan Context
Pakistan is the sixth most populous country in the world with an estimated population of
179 million in 2012. Almost two-thirds of the population live on less than $2 per day,
and it is a lower-middle income fragile state. Economic decline due to rising debt, low
tax revenues, falling foreign investment and vulnerability to external shocks has led to
low levels of government spending on basic services. The economy is further hampered
by violence resulting from ethnic and political tensions, corrupted law and order systems
and the threat of terrorism, which constrain investment and development programs of
both government and donors alike.
Pakistan’s education indicators are amongst the worst in South Asia. Nearly half of the
adult population is illiterate, including two out of every three women. Around 7 million
primary school-aged children have never attended school. Of those that have, almost a
third will drop out before reaching secondary school. Pakistan is on track to meet just
one of the MDGs, that addressing environmental sustainability19.
Access and quality are the most significant challenges in the higher education sector in
Pakistan. Despite a massive increase in funding through the Higher Education
Commission 2002-08, participation rates remain lower than in other South and West
Asian countries, and quality remains poor. Access to higher education is more limited
outside of the highly urbanised areas, particularly in Balochistan and Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa (KP).
Australia’s bilateral development program with Pakistan ($64.1 million in 2013-14)
focuses on: health, education, economic growth through rural productivity, strengthening
democratic governance and humanitarian assistance. Geographically, aid is mainly
targeted at the border provinces of KP and Balochistan where Pakistan’s development
indicators are worst.
Sri Lanka Context
Sri Lanka has emerged as a lower middle-income country following the end of its civil
conflict in 2009. While significant gains have been made since then, the country faces
complex challenges. These include stimulating economic growth to reach its goal of
doubling per capita gross domestic product (GDP) to US$4600 by 2016 (from the 2011
level) and reforming its economy to ensure growth benefits the entire population. Sri
Lanka is on track to meet most Millennium Development Goals (except nutrition),
although pockets of extreme poverty persist and 23.9 per cent of the population live on
less than US$2 a day20.
Sri Lanka continues to make impressive progress on a range of national economic and
social indicators. Due to an emphasis on the military and other security measures,
spending on health and education has declined to levels well below other middle income
countries. National unemployment figures are low, around four per cent, although this
masks stark regional and gender disparities. Social indicators at the national level
continue to improve. Sri Lanka is in the high human development category in the 2012
Human Development Index—a first for any South Asian nation.
Although there are 15 universities and 20 colleges of higher education in Sri Lanka,
demand for places is far greater than supply, with six out of seven applicants missing out
on a place.
19
20
Pakistan’s Millennium Development Goals Report 2013
World Bank data, 2010
5
Australia Awards in South and West Asia 2015 – 2020
Vol 1. Investment Design Document
Australia’s aid to Sri Lanka ($39.7million in 2013-14) targets infrastructure, improving
access to quality education services and strengthening local governance. The country
program has two pillars: supporting the drivers of broad-based economic growth by
investing in infrastructure, skills and job creation, and investing in human resources to
build a healthier and more productive workforce. The cross-cutting objective of the
program is to support peace and stability, and strengthen local governance capabilities.
Afghanistan Context
Afghanistan faces immense development challenges. The country’s human, physical and
institutional infrastructure, long underdeveloped, has been crippled by more than three
decades of war. Despite significant improvements in the past decade, low capacity and
ongoing conflict continue to undermine Afghan government institutions and their ability
to deliver basic services, justice and security.
Afghanistan remains one of the worst countries in the world in which to be born. It has
amongst the lowest life expectancies (49 years for men and women) and highest underfive mortality rates (149–199/1000) of all countries. It also has one of the world’s lowest
literacy rates, with estimates ranging between 25 and 35 per cent, far lower for women.
Access to basic services is severely limited, particularly in rural areas, where 20 per cent
of households are food insecure. Despite improvements since 2001, the majority of
Afghans still live without electricity or sustainable access to clean water and sanitation.
Australian aid investments (totalling $152.8 million in 2013-14) focus on building the
capacity of the Afghan Government to deliver basic services and provide its people with
opportunities to earn a livelihood. Australia Awards were offered in Afghanistan from
2009 to 2012, to help the Government of Afghanistan build the domestic capacity and
leadership skills needed to contribute to development in Afghanistan. Australia has
awarded 111 Australia Awards Scholarships over this period, with the last remaining 16
awardees due to complete their awards by 2015.
As part of its realignment of development support to Afghanistan, the Australian
government is not offering any new Australia Awards to Afghanistan, but will continue
supporting the network of Australia Awards alumni and all Afghan awardees currently
studying in Australia as part of its broader policy of increased engagement with alumni,
and in particular Australia Awards alumni. A local organisation is being contracted for
the remainder of 2014 to deliver alumni professional development workshops, provide
secretariat support to the alumni association and manage an alumni survey. The
efficiency and effectiveness of this arrangement will be assessed at the end of the year
and inform the approach to supporting alumni in Afghanistan through this Program.
South Asia Regional Program Context
The South Asia Regional Development Program ($22.4 million in 2013-14) aims to
reduce poverty and promote sustainable and inclusive growth by improving regional
cooperation and connectivity by focusing on two of the region’s most important longterm, trans-boundary development issues:

sustainable development (water, food and energy security)

regional connectivity (trade facilitation and infrastructure connectivity).
2. International Scholarships in the Region
Several other development partners, including the United States of America (Fulbright),
the United Kingdom (Chevening), Asian Development Bank, World Bank, Japan,
Germany, the Netherlands, India and China, offer scholarships across South and West
6
Australia Awards in South and West Asia 2015 – 2020
Vol 1. Investment Design Document
Asia. There are also many university and foundation-funded scholarships for overseas
study. India is a major scholarship provider in the region, offering scholarships at
undergraduate, postgraduate and postdoctoral levels, often in technical fields. Most other
scholarships do not have development objectives and are offered solely on the basis of
merit.
In Nepal, European and US donors also consider social inclusion and development
needs, and Fulbright in Pakistan are targeted towards development priorities. In Nepal,
Fulbright is the most comparable prestigious scholarship in terms of quality of education,
entitlements and support—however there are only around five offered each year,
compared to 35 Australia Awards.
The main scholarship providers in Bhutan are the Government of India (with
approximately 100 fully funded scholarships offered each year, 5-20 under the NehruWangchuck Scholarships) and Thailand (with 20 fully funded scholarships offered
annually and 55 on a cost-sharing basis). Other scholarships, such as Japanese Monbusho,
Fulbright, and Humphrey offer only one or two scholarships annually.
South and West Asia relies heavily on overseas tertiary training. However, scholarships
for overseas study cannot, and are not intended to, address the broader issues in the
higher education sector, and neither are they a broad-based workforce training program.
An overseas scholarship is costly, and the value lies not only in the provision of a quality
degree, but in the overseas experience, exposure to new ways of thinking and
international experience. For this reason, Australia Awards are tailored to specific niche
areas and groups reflecting the country context. This includes those which will have the
greatest flow-on effect: specific sectors, fields and levels of study and target groups
where they can provide the most benefit, and in line with agreed development priorities
and Australia’s national interest. In short, they are intended as an education, training and
professional capacity development program that directly results in development
outcomes, or linkages with, Australia. They also provide an important means to raise
Australia’s visibility as a donor and deepen engagement and networks within existing
program sectors.
3. Strategic Setting and Rationale
Scholarships have been a feature of the Australian Government’s engagement in South
and West Asia since the start of the Colombo Plan in the 1950s, and they are a key pillar
in the Australian aid program today21. The Government invests in two complementary
scholarship schemes: the Australia Awards22 and the New Colombo Plan23. Australia
Awards funded through the aid program are offered to build capacity of individuals to
contribute to development, and build links.24 The government is also prioritising alumni
engagement and maintaining and strengthening ties with both Australia Awards alumni
and more broadly with alumni whose study in Australia was either privately or homegovernment funded.
The New Aid Paradigm, Foreign Minister’s address to the National Press Club 19 June 2014
http://foreignminister.gov.au/speeches/Pages/2014/jb_sp_140618.aspx
22 comprising Australia Awards delivered as part of the aid program, and the Australia Awards Endeavour
Scholarships and Fellowships, which are funded from Australia’s education budget
23 The New Colombo Plan aims to increase the number of Australian students studying and engaging in
the Asia-Pacific region and will offer scholarships and mobility grants for young Australians to study in the
region.
24 Foreign Minister’s speech to the CEOs of ACFID on 30 October 2013
21
7
Australia Awards in South and West Asia 2015 – 2020
Vol 1. Investment Design Document
The Australian Government’s priorities for the aid program are to “alleviate poverty and
improve economic outcomes and build stability and prosperity, particularly in our region
the Indian Ocean, the Asia Pacific”25. At a global level, Australia Awards are also an
important tool in supporting the Government’s focus on public and economic diplomacy,
through contributions to building the critical institutions and policies they need to
facilitate trade and promote functioning economies. The two principal strategic goals for
the aid program – human development and private sector development – provide an
important focus for Australia Awards. With the vast majority of Australia Awards being
offered for postgraduate study, they also align well to the government’s intention to
move the aid program away from direct service delivery to supporting the development
of enabling policies.
Approximately 13 per cent of all Australia Awards Scholarships are offered in South and
West Asia. Expenditure on Australia Awards represents six per cent of the ODA budget
globally26 and across South and West Asia it ranges from approximately seven per cent
(Bangladesh and Sri Lanka) to 50 per cent (Maldives) of total ODA. In Bhutan and
Maldives, Australia Awards is the single largest program. In these countries, where there
is no Australian mission, the Australia Awards are particularly useful as an aid and public
diplomacy tool that can be administered effectively from a distance, providing
opportunities for engagement, the development of people-to-people and government-togovernment links.
A small number of Australia Awards have been offered in India for many years as part of
the regional allocation; one of a number of programs that aim to develop the people-topeople links between India and Australia. Alone, they have a limited role in increasing the
engagement with India, as they form part of the aid program and have a clear
development objective, dwarfed as they are by the massive private market for Australian
higher education in India as well as the extensive economic and political links between
the two countries. The New Colombo Plan will provide a further avenue for developing
stronger links with India.
Very few other donors provide development-focussed scholarships, with most aiming to
attract only the ‘best and brightest’. These scholars may study and work in fields that
provide personal opportunity but may provide little or no benefit to the country’s
sustainable development. The benefits often accrue to the individual, who may not
return to their country. In contrast, the development focus of this Program’s Awards
brings great national interest benefits and support for public diplomacy efforts, with
Australia seen as a good international partner.27 There is a large pool of quality candidates
without the means to fund an Australian education, but who make significant
development contributions when provided the opportunity through an Australia Award.
This includes women, people with disability and those from traditionally
underrepresented groups. Around 80 per cent of awardees from South Asia would not
have been able to undertake study in Australia without a scholarship28, but have high
success rates29 and are making real and sustained contributions to development at the
Speech by Minister for Foreign Affairs, Hon Julie Bishop MP, as the opening address for the 2014
Australasian Aid and International Development Policy Workshop, 14/2/2014
26 Scholarships and Alumni Branch data
27 Noted by Sri Lankan counterparts during discussions on Australia Awards, Sri Lanka
28 Australia Awards Annual Surveys, results across 2009-2013
29 97% of awardees globally complete successfully and return home
25
8
Australia Awards in South and West Asia 2015 – 2020
Vol 1. Investment Design Document
local and national levels30. Australia’s higher education institutions offer a quality,
relevant, internationally recognised education that is in high demand from South Asians 31.
Changes in Aid Management
In late 2013 the Australian Government abolished the Australian Agency for
International Development (AusAID), integrating all aid management staff and functions
into the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT). This significant
organisational and operational change process is ongoing at the time of writing, and the
precise scale and mix of staff resources, roles and responsibilities is still being determined,
especially at Posts. It is clear that there will a changed set of aid management
responsibilities at most or all South and West Asia Posts with some aid positions
becoming ‘mixed duties’ aid and foreign/trade policy roles. This is likely to mean a
corresponding increase in reliance on the Contractor engaged to support the Program.
This design responds to this changing aid management context by providing a flexible
mix of Contractor resources and enhanced planning and implementation arrangements
that will be tailored to meet the specific requirements of each individual Post and
program.
Current Program
A managing contractor has implemented Australia Awards in South Asia 2009 by
providing management and implementation services for up to 224 Australia Awards
Scholarships annually across five bilateral programs (Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives,
Nepal and Sri Lanka) and the regional program (which includes India)32. A managing
contractor has also implemented approximately 58 Australia Awards Scholarships and 25
Australia Awards Short Courses annually in Pakistan since 2009. Approximately 111
Australia Awards Scholarships were offered in Afghanistan between 2009-2012.
Implementation through a managing contractor has enabled South Asia to increase the
number of awards offered in each intake to 224 in 2014 and free up Program Managers
to focus on more strategic work, and also to introduce improvements to the program as
outlined above. Removing the administrative burden from O-based staff has enabled
them to manage the program during a period of significant changes in scholarships
policy and context.
The current implementation model for South Asia is a multi-country approach. This
means that it provides a single contractor across South Asia as well as support from
DFAT headquarters, but is implemented primarily on a country-by-country basis. While
there are a small number of regional activities, it is not a genuinely regional program in
that it focuses mainly on meeting country-specific needs rather than any regional issues
or shared development priorities. The model consists of a country office in each country
(except India), with a regional Hub in Dhaka providing oversight and support services to
each office.
An overseas-based (O-based) Program Manager at each Post manages the country
program, and the DFAT Activity Manager in Canberra has overall responsibility for
managing the contract and providing support and guidance to the Program Managers.
This enables each country program to implement Australia Awards to meet its specific
South Asia Tracer Study 2012; Bhutan Case Study 2013
In 2013 over 17,000 South Asians privately funded their studies in Australian universities (Department
of Education/Australian Education International - international student data)
32 Annex 8 provides details of current awards in each individual country program and the regional program.
30
31
9
Australia Awards in South and West Asia 2015 – 2020
Vol 1. Investment Design Document
intended outcomes, while creating efficiencies across the country programs, some of
which would be too small on their own to provide value for money in outsourcing. It
extends additional support to Post staff through their peer network and from the
Activity Manager. Where processes and templates can be streamlined for efficiency, they
are (such as TORs for independent consultants for selection panels; templates for
promotional activities and information sessions). The model also avoids duplication in
areas such as monitoring and evaluation and communications, which are centralised in
the Hub. The management cost per scholarship under this model has been substantially
lower than for many other country programs: approximately one third the cost of other
programs operating in complex security and political environments and slightly lower
than programs across East Asia.
By contrast, Australia Awards in Pakistan and Afghanistan have operated as singlecountry programs with substantially higher unit costs, duplication of systems, and
without the opportunities for cooperation and collaboration that have characterised the
South Asia program. In South Asia, personnel across the country offices and DFAT
Posts have developed good networks that enable sharing of experiences, lesson learning,
and innovation.
Both the South Asia and the Pakistan Australia Awards programs have evolved since
being designed under an approach of continuous improvement. There have been a
number of changes within the programs since 2009:

In 2009, Nepal was only eligible for the globally-competitive Australian
Leadership Awards Scholarships. A bilateral allocation was re-introduced in the
2011 intake and there are now 35 awards offered.

The introduction of the Enhancing Education Budget Measure (EEBM) in 2011,
managed by the Scholarships and Alumni Branch, provided an additional stream
of funding for country programs to increase the number of scholarships and
short course awards available each year. Country programs now use a mix of
country program funding and the budget measure funding for Australia Awards.
The proportion of awards funded by the budget measure ranges from 27 per cent
(Pakistan) to 100 per cent (Nepal; regional allocation including India).33

India was eligible for the Australian Leadership Awards Scholarships, a global
program that ceased in 2013. The opening of a regional allocation in South Asia
in the 2014 intake to address regional cross-boundary priorities enabled India to
continue to be eligible for a similar number of scholarships.

Short course awards were introduced in the Pakistan program under the
Australia-Pakistan Agricultural Scholarships program in 2009.
In addition, a number of innovations were introduced to the South Asia program in the
past two years to deepen development outcomes and people-to-people links:

A regional allocation of 12 awards for study in water resource management – a
priority under the South Asia Regional Program – targeted at addressing crossborder issues. The regional allocation also enables the program to offer awards in
India, in the absence of a bilateral aid program.
Proportion of awards funded by budget measure (2015 intake): Bangladesh - 50%; Bhutan - 45%;
Maldives – 70%; Nepal – 100%; Pakistan – 27% (Scholarships) and 100% (Short Course Awards); Sri
Lanka – 67%; Regional (including India) – 100%
33
10
Australia Awards in South and West Asia 2015 – 2020
Vol 1. Investment Design Document

A new methodology for collecting short- and long-term outcome-level data on
the development contributions made by alumni through Alumni Development
Impact Surveys and Case Studies. This is yielding valuable information and
building for the first time an evidence base of the specific contributions alumni
are making to development.

Activities to elevate the prestige of the Australia Awards and build the
foundations for meaningful and sustained alumni engagement. Country-level
alumni networks have been established in all countries in line with the Australia
Awards Alumni Network Strategy (Nepal was previously the only country that
had one). As a result, the program has been able to increase the number of
alumni with whom the Australian Government engages, enabling a tracer study
to be undertaken to capture evidence of development contributions and ongoing
links with Australia. Posts have hosted events to celebrate the achievements of
Australia Awards alumni and farewell the departing cohort, all of which have
deepened people-to-people links and bilateral relations.
Across all country programs in the region, awards have been offered predominantly in
the public sector, with limited targeting outside of government. Bangladesh and Pakistan
have the most targeted programs. Bangladesh allocates a number of awards for partner
organisations (ICDDR,B and BRAC) and target groups (ethnic minorities). Pakistan has
sectoral (public/private/civil society), geographic, gender and disability targets. In
Bangladesh, Bhutan, Pakistan and Sri Lanka long-term study is only available at Masters
level. Maldives and Nepal offer awards for study at PhD level, and only Maldives offers
awards at undergraduate level. Currently no country offers awards at the vocational
education and training (VET) level, and only Pakistan offers Short Course Awards34.
4. Evidence and Lessons
Scholarships are one of the few aid modalities that have experienced continuous, littlechanged implementation, thus generating a rich basis for learning. The design team
reviewed the evidence from a number of relevant initiatives (both Australia Awards and
other scholarships programs), as well as recent experience with Australia Awards in
South Asia and Pakistan, in order to develop this Program design. This review
highlighted a number of important lessons, which are reflected in the design, and
summarised below.
Outsourcing administration and coordination enables DFAT staff to focus on strategic
management and leadership
In South Asia and Pakistan, as in most other country programs, the rationale for
outsourcing Australia Awards was to free up DFAT staff at Post to undertake more
strategic work, including monitoring and evaluation (which was almost non-existent at
the time), and alumni engagement (which was absent except in Nepal). The heavy
administrative workload required to manage the 136 awards offered in 2009 meant that
o-based program managers had no time to consider strategic use of the awards,
enhancement to improve their effectiveness, or to undertake monitoring and evaluation
and alumni engagement. The outsourced management arrangements has enabled these
Country Programs to offer more awards35, which would not have been possible with
Bangladesh participated in the global Short Course Awards pilot in 2011 but SCAs are not a formal,
ongoing part of the current program.
35 Since 2009 the number of Australia Awards being offered has grown commensurate with the increase in
the overall aid program, from 136 awards in 2009 to 224 in the 2014 intake.
34
11
Australia Awards in South and West Asia 2015 – 2020
Vol 1. Investment Design Document
staffing resources at Posts. There is now a functioning monitoring and evaluation system
and established alumni networks in every country, as well as regular events for alumni.
The Program will continue to rely on outsourced administration and coordination
support from a Contractor.
Clarity of intent at the country program (or regional program) level is important
Efforts over recent years in Australia Awards around the world have brought the
program much more closely aligned with the broader aims of the aid program, delivering
increased benefit through complementarity. It is therefore essential that there is clarity
about the intent of each country program, so Australia Awards can be effectively aligned
and targeted. Not all countries in the Program have current Aid Investment Plans (the
standard mechanism for articulating aid program intent) or pre-existing, formal
equivalents. However, other existing aid programming in a country should be regarded as
an ‘implicit’ statement of current intent, which Australia Awards are able to support.
While it is correct to recognise some uncertainty, especially at a time of considerable flux
in the aid program, including the integration of AusAID into DFAT and the re-shaping
of aid policy and priorities, cues must still be taken from other aid programming, so that
Australia Awards planning is never considered in isolation. Even when Australia Awards
form the only Australian aid programming within a country, there are usually regional
strategies with which to align, as well as prevailing policy priorities for the aid program
globally.
There has not always been clarity regarding the long-term outcomes for the program
itself, further leaving scope for confusion in both planning and monitoring and
evaluation36. The design responds by providing a simple program logic with clear longterm outcomes, and an improved and resourced annual planning process so the
Contractor can support DFAT Posts and headquarters to explicitly confirm or adjust
priorities each year. This will include support to reflect implicit strategies, where an
explicit strategy does not exist37.
Sound leadership, good relationships, and clarity of roles and responsibilities are essential
Since its initial outsourcing in 2009, the South Asia program has made some significant
adjustments to address initial problems with lack of coordination by DFAT, duplication
of effort, confusion about responsibilities, and a lack of senior oversight by DFAT. This
included more effective leadership in the Contractor, supporting its country office staff,
working with DFAT to develop a ‘one team’ approach. Clearly defined roles and
responsibilities, and explicit communication protocols underpin this approach. Each Post
and country office now work effectively together, with separate but complementary roles
set out in the Regional Operations Manual. The Activity Manager role was upgraded as
part of the reforms and moved back to Canberra, to allow for greater engagement and
oversight by the DFAT executive. Within DFAT, Program Managers have formed a
valuable peer network, sharing ideas, experiences, and tasking together as a group. The
Activity Manager role has been valuable in building the capacity of program managers at
Post to undertake more strategic work and support them.
For example, there is no current Aid Investment Plan for Pakistan. That has allowed the program to take
a more ‘free hand’ approach in negotiating priority sectors and other foci for Australia Awards. The
program also focused M&E efforts on individual experiences rather than the more substantial
development and linkages outcomes.
37 The Pakistan program concluded that the portfolio of other aid activities (sector-based programming)
constituted an ‘implicit strategy’ that should guide the use of Australia Awards)
36
12
Australia Awards in South and West Asia 2015 – 2020
Vol 1. Investment Design Document
These refinements to arrangements have made the multi-country approach to Australia
Awards in South Asia an effective and efficient model. This design will build on this, and
extend the benefits of the peer network and Activity Manager support to the Pakistan
program by incorporating it into this design.
The role of the Activity Manager will be even more important in this design than
previously, as the staffing profiles at some Posts change under an integrated DFAT. The
Activity Manager role goes well beyond a contract management role to a leadership and
mentoring role, working with the Contractor’s Regional Manager in providing strategic
advice and support to Posts in decision-making around new approaches to Australia
Awards as well as an enhanced annual planning process and use of a wider range of
implementation options. The Activity Manager also plays a key coordination and support
role on Australia Awards for the Division in Canberra. The added benefit of locating this
position in Canberra is the ability for the Activity Manager to have a close relationship
with Scholarships and Alumni Branch to share lessons learned, develop policy and be
able to be able to train Post and Contractor staff in new policy and practice.
Offering a range of education and training options enables programs to respond effectively
to specific needs and opportunities
The South Asia program to date has delivered a fairly standard scholarships program;
long-term awards predominantly at master are level, largely targeted to the public sector.
In contrast, the Pakistan program has introduced a number of innovative and flexible
activities, including Foundation Awards and Short Course Awards. Australia Awards
programs elsewhere in the world have similarly offered a much wider range of activities
to complement long-term scholarships, including English language training, academic
preparation and other kinds of pre-departure training
Posts across South and West Asia are keen to make use of the varying approaches trialled
elsewhere, but to date have lacked the guidance and resourcing to do so. This design
draws on the experience of many country programs across the world in developing a
‘toolbox’ of options, supported by expanded Contractor resources in South Asia country
offices, to assist Posts in making decisions about the mix of awards that are appropriate
for their objectives. Particular lessons have been identified regarding short course awards
and work placements:
Short Course Awards: Experience on the Pakistan program, as well as a 2010-11 pilot
by Scholarships and Alumni Branch, have demonstrated the value of short course awards.
They can enable participation by senior or critical staff who cannot be absent for long
periods; can be tailored to meet specific needs; and can be delivered in a shorter
timeframe than long-term awards. However they also create substantial workloads, both
technical and administrative, to effectively meet requirements. The design therefore
provides for additional technical and administration support from the Contractor to
support Posts to include short course awards if appropriate, with courses to be delivered
by subcontractors. The Scholarships and Alumni Branch is exploring the possibility of
establishing a global contracting mechanism for short courses, and the Program will
utilise that mechanism if and when it is operational.
Work Placements: A number of programs have offered work placements as part of
Australia Awards Scholarships: the Leadership Program, the Prime Minister’s PacificAustralia Program and an in-house pilot to engage with the private sector in 2013. There
are important lessons from each of these models: identifying and specifying each work
placement requires considerable time and effort, best provided by a Contractor; the
Contractor must have relevant expertise and networks to ensure placements are effective
13
Australia Awards in South and West Asia 2015 – 2020
Vol 1. Investment Design Document
and provide value for money; placements must take place at a suitable time for both
awardees and the employer (peak holiday times are not appropriate); and there must be a
balance between the duration of the placement and the cost of extending an awardee’s
time away from home. The Scholarships and Alumni Branch is developing a new
approach to the Leadership Program and work placements. The Program will work with
all relevant global programs (e.g. the redesigned Leadership Program) or mechanisms
(work placements contractor) that are developed by SCB. It will also explore
opportunities with existing partners in specific sectors (such as water resource
management).
Genuine and productive alumni engagement requires ongoing investment
The 2013 Australia Awards Alumni Network Strategy provides the framework for alumni
engagement under this design, and it reflects the lessons learned from alumni
engagement around the world. It is becoming more evident that, with very few
exceptions, local alumni networks are unlikely to ever become self-sustaining, and it is
unrealistic to expect them to do so. Australian universities and other scholarship
providers such as Fulbright and Chevening have no expectation that their alumni
networks will become self-sustaining and these institutions and governments invest
heavily in resourcing local networks, allocating staff, and providing funding for events
and activities. For example, in Pakistan, Fulbright is developing and financing a dedicated
alumni resource centre and have several staff working full time on alumni engagement.
It is clear that any benefits for alumni and for the Australian government will only accrue
from alumni engagement when there is adequate and ongoing staff time and funding.
This design therefore provides for additional resources in the Contractor to support
DFAT in its alumni engagement, and funding for a number of alumni activities to ensure
that the objectives of the Alumni Strategy can be met.
Inclusiveness targets require careful consideration to ensure they are feasible, and do not
inadvertently cause harm
The recent Independent Progress Review (IPR) of Australia Awards in Pakistan
observed the complex matrix of multiple targets of scholarships, balancing gender,
disability, sectors, provinces and organisation targets. These issues are not limited to
Pakistan; other Australia Awards programs such as that in Indonesia manage similarly
complicated targeting approaches. While these can create challenges, more substantial
difficulties arise with the targets (e.g. 50 per cent awards to women) when there is not a
sufficient pool of applicants that also meet other priorities (such as sector, geographic
and organisation priorities). This can risk stripping a large proportion of individuals from
a small pool (such as the small number of women with tertiary qualifications in target
sectors in target provinces of Pakistan). The design team also notes the findings of the
Pakistan IPR regarding the risks of some inclusiveness targets: targets must only be
applied to the extent that they do not generate increased risks for staff or participants.
For both these reasons, the design provides guidance for Posts to take a more nuanced
approach to targeting, with increased support to do so, so targets are practically
achievable and do not generate significantly increased security or personal safety risks for
staff or participants.
14
Australia Awards in South and West Asia 2015 – 2020
Vol 1. Investment Design Document
Security concerns and political unrest can affect ‘Do No Harm’ requirements for participants
and staff, as well as Program implementation, requiring ongoing monitoring and
management
A number of countries participating in the Program have experienced, or continue to
experience, security concerns and political unrest. These can affect the Program, its staff
and participants, in multiple ways. In Pakistan, security concerns significantly increase
operating costs, prevent staff from visiting priority geographic areas and generate a
potential risk of targeting of participants either by extremist or criminal elements. In
Bangladesh, political unrest constrained daily operations for the Program over the course
of 2013. Sri Lanka and Nepal have also had extended periods of internal conflict. At least
some of these (and other) issues are likely to continue or reoccur during the period of
this design. The design therefore requires DFAT and the Contractor to pay increased
attention to security and ‘Do No Harm’ assessment, planning and policies. This includes
enhanced management arrangements (such as the establishment of a Critical Incidents
Group and Critical Incidents Register), external security assessments and more formal
Security Plans and policies regarding the release of personal information (e.g. a ‘No
Names, No Faces’ policy in publications, where required)
Monitoring and Evaluation works best when it is clear and simple, and designed to meet
management and reporting needs
While an M&E framework existed relatively early in the South Asia program, it was not
successfully operationalised until the last two years of implementation. The process of
operationalising the framework included significant simplification, based on the principle
of collecting only the most useful data and actively avoiding collection of information
that was not routinely put to productive use. In 2012, the program was also used as the
first instance of application of a standardised Tracer Study methodology for Australia
Awards. This process again revealed many opportunities for increased efficiencies and
effectiveness in regard to this aspect of M&E of Australia Awards programs.
The South Asia program and Scholarships and Alumni Branch of DFAT therefore
combined forces to trial a system of revisions of the format and application of standard
scholarships M&E tools. This trial is ongoing, but has met with significant success to
date, especially in relation to the difficult issue of measuring and reporting on outcomes
of awards. This design reflects the lessons from these experiences and builds directly on
the existing systems.
15
Australia Awards in South and West Asia 2015 – 2020
Vol 1. Investment Design Document
C. INVESTMENT DESCRIPTION
Australia Awards for South and West Asia38 will operate in seven countries in the region:
Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. It will support
bilateral activities in all countries except India, which will only participate in relevant
regional aspects of the Program within the framework of the South Asia Regional
Development Strategy. The Program will also provide limited support to all remaining
current awardees of the Afghanistan Australia Awards program39 and to alumni in
Afghanistan.
5. Program Logic and Expected Outcomes
Australia Awards offers a range of long- and short-term training and study opportunities
that can contribute to the achievement of a range of objectives across the Australian aid
program in the participating countries, and the region.
The goal of Australia Awards in South and West Asia is that the country programs are
achieving their objectives in terms of development, development of links, public
diplomacy and the bilateral relationship, in line with promoting Australia’s national
interest. Country programs will be achieving these objectives partly as a result of there
being an expanded pool of professionals with international qualifications and
professional experiences and networks, in government, in civil society, and in the private
sector.
The program logic shown at Figure 1 sets out the three intended long-term outcomes for
the program, and shows the links between those outcomes, the program goal, and the
major outputs of Australia Awards. Long-term outcomes for Australia Awards are
analogous to ‘end-of-program’ outcomes in other investment designs, and are intended
to provide a framework that can be adapted by participating country programs. Each
program in South and West Asia, as well as the South Asia Regional program will
customise the outcomes to focus on their priority areas of focus and align with the aims
and objectives of the broader aid program.
Australia Awards Scholarships, Fellowships and Short Courses managed by DFAT. This does not
include the Australia Awards Endeavour Scholarships and Fellowships managed by the Department of
Education.
39 Up to four awardees will still be on-award in 2015.
38
16
Australia Awards in South and West Asia 2015 – 2020
Vol 1. Investment Design Document
Figure 1: Program Logic
GOAL
LONG TERM
OUTCOMES
INTERMEDIATE
OUTCOMES
Country programs in South and West Asia are meeting their development, relationship and public diplomacy objectives
in line with Australia’s national interest
Alumni have positive links with
Australians and Australian organisations,
with other alumni, and with other
global, regional and local networks
Alumni from priority groups or
organisations, and other Program
participants, are delivering positive
forms of development contributions in
priority sectors and/or locations
Australia is viewed as
a valued international
partner
Awardees return home and remain there after completion
Awardees have positive experiences in Australia & create
networks & links
OUTPUTS
Awardees complete Australian qualifications, training, or
fellowships
Men and women complete good quality,
relevant, Informal Learning Opportunities
(ILOs)
Awardees choose relevant courses, training or fellowships
Selection Panels select appropriate awardees including
women, people with disability, & those from
disadvantaged/targeted groups & locations
Country programs prioritise Australia Awards activities to support their objectives
17
Australia Awards in South and West Asia 2015-2020
Investment Design Document
Outcome 1: Alumni from priority groups or organisations, and other Program
participants, are delivering positive forms of development contributions in
priority sectors and/or locations
Australia Awards provide participants with high-quality, internationally recognised
qualifications, training and other professional development opportunities through
scholarships, short course awards, Fellowships and other training and informal learning
opportunities. The skills and knowledge these opportunities provide are the centrepiece
of the program for alumni (those completing formal Australia Awards) and for other
Program participants (those completing informal learning opportunities). But the
experience of living and studying in a new environment offers more than just the
development of technical skills or academic knowledge; it also enables participants to
broaden their life experience, to see new solutions to challenges or problems, and to
experience a wider range of cultures, behaviours and ways of life. All this can lead
participants to be more open-minded and accepting of differences while also equipping
them to engage more effectively on an international basis.
The contributions that Australia Awards alumni make to their organisations, sectors and
communities are one of the main reasons the program is so highly valued – a position
that was repeatedly reinforced throughout the design consultations. Government
employers in the region particularly demonstrate the value they place on the program,
with most continuing to pay the salaries of staff who participate on scholarships or other
awards. The program also recognises that the development contributions alumni make,
using the skills, knowledge and networks they develop in Australia, are not limited to
their formal work in government, in the private sector and in civil society. Beyond the
workplace, alumni draw on their experiences in their homes, communities and
professional groups, and the program values all these contributions as important to
development.
The Australian Government has worked hard over recent years to increase the alignment
between Australia Awards and the rest of the aid program in countries in South and
West Asia, so as to maximise the complementary contributions the program can make to
the broader aid relationship. This includes the various approaches to prioritisation and
alignment that have already been developed, and which are refined in this design. The
enhanced annual planning process and the development of Country and Region Plans
for Australia Awards implementation will be supported by enhanced resources in the
Contractor and the increased involvement of strategic leaders in the Australian
Government. This planning process will strengthen the prioritisation of sectors, fields of
study and the mix of Australia Awards activities so as to best achieve tangible, continuing
and valued contributions to development from alumni of the program40.
A focus on achieving development outcomes through Australia Awards will also
underpin the achievement of the other two long-term outcomes, as indicated in the
program logic, as described below.
Outcome 2: Alumni have positive links with Australians and Australian
organisations, with other alumni, and with other global, regional and local
networks
Australia provides scholarships and other awards through Australia Awards as a core
component of its commitment to relationships with the countries of South and West
The Australian Government also offers long-term scholarship awards outside the parameters of the aid
program – the Endeavour Scholarships offer complementary scholarship opportunities.
40
18
Australia Awards in South and West Asia 2015-2020
Investment Design Document
Asia. It explicitly aims to support the development and maintenance of deep and genuine
links between Australia and these countries at all levels: between people; between
organisations; and between governments. The results of these links can take many forms:
alumni can develop networks and relationships that support them in personal and
professional ways; alumni can develop an understanding of Australia and its culture, and
they can be exposed to the issues of concern to Australia and Australians. Links can
enable individuals and organisations to work together to achieve mutually beneficial
outcomes across any number of areas of endeavour.
The program in South and West Asia will direct increased attention to supporting
program participants to develop the links that this outcome addresses. It will do this
throughout the activity cycle, from pre-departure activities in an awardee’s home country
(such as through the involvement of Australian volunteers or New Colombo Plan
participants in pre-departure briefings); through increased opportunities to interact with
Australians and Australian organisations while in Australia; and on to expanded postaward activities with alumni and their organisations.
It will also be important for participants to develop relationships with other participants
from their home country, and from other countries in South and West Asia, and
worldwide. The networks and links that can grow out of these relationships can also be
valuable to support alumni in their post-award contributions to development, including
through the possibility of strengthening regional links.
The host institutions and organisations that support awardees while they are in Australia
on scholarship, training or fellowship already provide initiatives to support the
development of linkages. The program will work with the Scholarships and Alumni
Branch to support and enhance these initiatives where possible, and to complement
them where necessary. This will include the provision of state-based meetings and
workshops to bring together current awardees from across the region while they are in
Australia; pre-return workshops; and ongoing alumni events and opportunities postaward. The Scholarships and Alumni Branch is also developing an on-award engagement
strategy which, when finalised, will guide the final selection of activities in this regard.
Outcome 3: Australia is viewed as a valued international partner
Beyond the direct links between people, organisations and governments that will grow
from Australia Awards activities, the program also seeks to support a broader positive
outcome for Australia’s relationships with the countries of South and West Asia. This
outcome reflects the fact that, even if there are no direct links between alumni and
Australia, there should still be a positive view of Australia amongst alumni and their
organisations and communities as a result of their participation in Australia Awards.
Recent research emphasises the value of effective aid (i.e. aid that achieves positive
development outcomes) in contributing to broader political relationships, and particularly
the degree to which the population of the partner country views the donor country
positively41.
While this is a less tangible outcome, it is an important one for the relationship Australia
has with the region. It relies on participants having an overall positive experience while
they are in Australia, so they return home with a positive view and pass this positivity on
to others. As outlined in Outcomes 1 and 2, the program will support an enhanced
Goldsmith, B. E., Horiuchi, Y., & Wood, T. (2014). “Doing Well by Doing Good: The Impact of
Foreign Aid on Foreign Public Opinion”. Quarterly Journal of Political Science, 9(1), 87‐ 114. doi:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1561/100.00013036
41
19
Australia Awards in South and West Asia 2015-2020
Investment Design Document
approach to supporting the experience of awardees throughout the program cycle,
starting from a sound selection process with positive motivations, through their
preparation and experience in Australia, and on to their post-award experience as an
alumnus. Refocused and strategic involvement of the Department of Foreign Affairs and
Trade, both in country and in Australia, will also contribute to a positive experience that
can translate into a positive view of Australia on return.
Tailoring Outcomes for Individual Programs
Within the framework of this design, each country program (and the regional program)
will articulate its own set of outcomes, and will determine the priorities, mix of awards,
and targets that will meet its program aims. The format for country program outcomes
provided by this document is designed to give complete flexibility. This flexibility allows
country programs to focus on any aspect of development or linkage contributions, and
does not constrain program scope. The flexibility also allows country programs to review
the foci of their outcomes annually without formally amending their statement of
outcomes.
Note that two outcomes are stated quite broadly:

Alumni have positive links with Australians and Australian organisations, with
other alumni, and with other global, regional and local networks

Australia is viewed as a valued international partner
This allows any examples of positive links or Australia Awards assistance being valued to be
collected as evidence of success against these outcomes. It is normally good practice to
be highly specific in setting objectives. The justification for leaving these two outcomes
reasonably general is that the types of positive links that may be established or ways that
the assistance may be valued are highly unpredictable. It is also the case that any form of
positive link or valuing is an acceptable program outcome. Hence, these outcomes need
to be stated broadly enough to ensure all such evidence of achievement can be
encompassed. The only aspect of these outcomes that programs may wish to specify is
what constitutes a positive link. This is likely most easily achieved by stating the
counterfactual -that is, what would constitute a negative link.42
The third outcome lends itself to much greater specificity:

Alumni from priority organisations or groups are delivering positive forms of
development contributions in priority sectors and/or locations
By defining priority organisations or groups, the desired forms of development
contributions, sectors and/or locations a program can very clearly state their intent in
relation to this objective. Programs explicitly set these program parameters in a Current
Priority Table (CPT) that attaches to (and summarises) their Country Plan (see section
10). The CPT is defined separately to the objectives and may be reviewed and updated
during annual planning exercises without the need to constantly amend objectives:
42
E.g. A link that could have effects contrary to the Australian national interest.
20
Australia Awards in South and West Asia 2015-2020
Investment Design Document
Table 2: Current Priority Table Format
Factor
Current Priorities
Performance Targets
A. Organisation/s
B. Group/s (Profile/s)
C. Form/s of Development
Contribution*
D. Focus Sector/s
E. Focus Location/s
* Nominally includes Policy Development, Direct Practice and/or Knowledge Transfer, and any level or type of
these may be specified.
It is important to note that not all fields need to be completed by all programs. For
example, a program may not wish to prioritise any particular form of development
contribution, and by leaving this section of the table blank are by default stating that they
are equally satisfied with policy development, direct practice or knowledge transfer
contribution examples. However, programs should use the CPT to ensure they have
fully considered all relevant options in addressing development-related objectives and
have assigned a viable combination of Performance Targets (see Section 10).
Program Principles
The implementation of the Program will be founded on three important principles:

Do No Harm: achieving outcomes and delivering outputs by assessing relevant
risks and avoiding harm to beneficiaries and participants, to Program staff, and to
Australia’s national interest;

Access and Inclusiveness: maintaining a commitment to supporting access to
the Program for women, people with a disability, and other marginalised or
disadvantaged groups, provided these means are reasonable and do not increase
the risk of harm to these individuals or groups;

Commitment to Development Outcomes: the Program is designed to support
the achievement of sustainable development outcomes as an important
investment by the Australian aid program; and

Fairness and Transparency: implementing selection processes that are fair and
transparent, while maintaining the right to positively discriminate in favour of
applicants who best meet Program aims, including the provision of assistance to
target groups and organisations so as to increase their ability to provide eligible
applicants.
6. Delivery Approach
The design team considered several program management options for Australia Awards
in South and West Asia. The recommended option is an enhanced multi-country model
that combines the existing South Asia and Pakistan programs into an integrated program
supported by a single Contractor; while building on current arrangements with further
innovations so as to extend the impact of the Australia Awards and providing limited
support to the discontinued Afghanistan Australia Awards program.
Australia Awards management has been successfully outsourced around the world for
many years. It is a proven approach for effective delivery of Australia Awards. The
21
Australia Awards in South and West Asia 2015-2020
Investment Design Document
current management arrangement in South Asia, where a central Contractor implements
the program for a range of countries, works well and is a model that ensures crossfertilisation of ideas, experience and knowledge, as well as delivering efficiencies in
management and a consistency that befits a global modality43. This model is well suited to
incorporating additional countries, so the inclusion of Pakistan will not pose any
difficulties.
The Contractor will provide the strategic, operational and administrative resources
required to support the implementation of the Program, complementing the internal
resources of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and the resources of the
Australian tertiary education institutions, Fellowship partner organisations and
subcontracted training providers. This will enable DFAT staff in the region to remain
focused on the strategic direction of Australia Awards within each country program, with
support from the Contractor in this work, while the implementation workload remains
the responsibility of the Contractor.
Other delivery options that were considered, but which were assessed as not appropriate
or feasible, are outlined below.
Implementation of the Australia Awards program by DFAT rather than a
Contractor
As noted in Section 4, the contractor model has enabled South Asia to increase the
number of awards offered in each intake and free up O-based resources for more
strategic work. It has also facilitated the introduction of improvements to the Program.
Removing the administrative burden from O-based staff has enabled them to manage the
program during a period of significant changes in scholarships policy and context; reimposing that burden would undermine the gains made.
Existing approach: the South Asia and Pakistan programs remain separate, with
separate contracting and management arrangements
Under this approach the Pakistan and South Asia scholarship programs would remain
separate, with parallel design, procurement and contracting processes. As the contracts
for each program end in November 2013 (Pakistan) and January 2014 (South Asia), both
programs are at a point where they must be put to tender for a new contractor, which
offers scope to bring together implementation arrangements. Continuing the existing
approach of two implementing arrangements for the same set of services would not take
advantage of efficiencies that could be achieved through a single delivery model and nor
would it best facilitate cross-program learning. With reduced aid budgets there is also a
heightened need to achieve administrative efficiencies, including the need to find
financial space for program innovation and improvement.
Fixed Program design common to all country programs
Under this approach the Program would set the mix of awards across all countries under
an overarching regional strategy or framework. The strategic rationale for allocation of
numbers, level, type of award, sectors and additional activities such as English language
training would be set across the region, rather than country programs determining the
numbers and mix of awards. This is not considered appropriate, as it cannot respond
adequately to the differing contexts and priorities of each country. However if the aid
program moves towards establishing a more detailed strategic rationale for aid at the
This has most recently been confirmed in the 2014 Quality at Implementation Reports and in the 2013
Contractor Performance Assessment.
43
22
Australia Awards in South and West Asia 2015-2020
Investment Design Document
regional level, it may also be appropriate to have a regional framework to set at least
some element of the mix and spread of awards across the region, types of awards (long
and short) and other elements of the Program. In the meantime, however, the design
provides for additional oversight and support from the Activity Manager in setting
priorities and planning.
Delegated cooperation arrangement with another development partner
An alternative approach to investment implementation is the establishment of a
delegated cooperation approach with another development partner. This approach can
be valuable in countries or regions where Australia does not have a substantial presence
(or the capacity or incentive to establish one) and where other partners have existing
complementary investments. However the nature of Australia Awards – as a Program
integrated with the Australian education and training system and deeply linked to
Australia’s diplomacy in the region – means it would not be possible to consider any
form of delegated cooperation arrangement with another donor in the region.
7. Resources and Budget
The Program has been designed for the five year period 2015-2020. Its implementation
will be led by DFAT, with the support of a Contractor, expected start date in January
2015 to run to January 2020. The Contractor will provide all personnel and logistical
resources required to support Program implementation, including long- and short-term
personnel as well as offices in every country and a Program Hub. Details of personnel
and office structures are provided in section 8 below.
The overall Program budget is split between Annual Intake Costs (covering all study and
short-course related expenses in Australia, such as tuition fees and stipends) and
Program Implementation Costs related to the management of the Program (including
promotion, selection, administration, mobilisation, sub-contracting and alumni activities).
The Annual Intake Costs budget is additional to the Program implementation costs, and
is determined according to the eventual mix of long- and short-term activities each
country or region program decides to implement. The Program will be able to scale up or
down over its five-year lifespan in response to budget and political priorities. There will
also be flexibility to adjust the mix of awards and other activities, however the current
cost estimates are based on the existing number of long-term awards in each
participating country program.
Program Implementation Costs
As a general rule, Program Implementation Costs are the responsibility of the Contractor
and comprise the Contract Value. Program Implementation Costs are further delineated
between reimbursable costs and management costs, such as the Contractor’s
management fees. Reimbursable costs are the costs associated with specific activities,
such as promotion and selection costs and the costs of shared resources and activities,
and are specific to each country or the regional program. Management fees are
apportioned between the participating country programs. The total commitment of
funding from each country program (across reimbursable and management costs) is
drawn from the budget allocation of each country or regional program.
Annual Intake Costs
The Annual Intake Costs for either long-term awards (Scholarships) or Short Courses,
are drawn from Country or Regional Program Funds or the Enhancing Education
Budget Measure and given annual approval. Annual Intake Costs for short course awards
23
Australia Awards in South and West Asia 2015-2020
Investment Design Document
are generally the value of subcontracts with specialist training providers, and are managed
on a reimbursable basis through the Contractor. Annual Intake Costs for long-term
scholarships awards are the responsibility of DFAT through the Scholarships and
Alumni Branch.
Informal Learning Opportunities Costs
The cost informal learning opportunities will be additional to Annual Intake Costs and
Program Implementation Costs. They will be managed by the Contractor on a
reimbursable basis, and will be funded outside the Australia Awards allocations.
Annex 1 provides more detailed cost estimates.
24
Australia Awards in South and West Asia 2015-2020
Investment Design Document
D. IMPLEMENTATION ARRANGEMENTS
8. Management and Governance Arrangements
Governance Structures
Governance of the Program will occur at two levels: at Program level, and at country
level. An interim governance structure will reflect the practise institutionalised during the
previous phase of Australia Awards in South Asia. However, there are ongoing shifts in
the DFAT structure and the roles and responsibilities of Posts and Canberra (which will
continue into the initial implementation period). Therefore this structure will be reviewed
on mobilisation of the Contractor and be adjusted to reflect the requirements of the new
Divisional structure then (and in future) as required.
At the Program level, senior DFAT managers will come together on a quarterly basis to
discuss issues of Program implementation, planning and management. This Quarterly
Oversight Meeting – a practice institutionalised during the previous phase of Australia
Awards in South Asia – will bring together the Assistant Secretary (Development
Operations Branch, South and West Asia Division), the senior Post official with direct
management responsibility for Australia Awards, and the Activity Manager. Head of
Mission will be invited to join this meeting at their discretion.
Country-level governance will reside with the strategic oversight provided by the Head of
Mission, working closely with, and on the advice of, the senior Post official with
management responsibility for Australia Awards.
Figure 2: Management and Governance Structure
Head of Mission
(per Post)
Scholarships
& Alumni
Branch
Senior Post
Official
(Aust.Awards)
(per Post)
Quarterly Oversight Meetings
(Assistant Secretary, Development Operations
Branch; HOMs (at discretion); Senior Post Official
(Aust.Awards); Activity Manager)
Activity
Manager
Program
Manager
(per Post)
Each individual country program will determine the extent and nature of any
participation by partner governments in the governance arrangements for Australia
Awards, at the commencement of the Program.
Management Structures
Management responsibility for the Program will be shared across several organisational
settings, and will similarly operate at the Program and the country level. The Activity
Manager within DFAT Canberra will have management responsibility at the Program
level; Australian aid staff in the relevant diplomatic mission will have management
responsibility for the Program within the country; and the Contractor will be responsible
for managing and undertaking implementation across the Program.
25
Australia Awards in South and West Asia 2015-2020
Investment Design Document
DFAT Activity Manager (Canberra)
More than in the past, the Activity Manager will play a crucial coordinating and
supporting role across the Program as staffing profiles at some Posts are changing in the
integrated DFAT (i.e. reducing the extent of aid management staffing allocations). The
role comprises leadership and mentoring of Post staff, providing an interface with the
Scholarships and Alumni Branch, facilitating the timely exchange of relevant information
between the Branch and participating Posts, as well as the Contractor, regarding policy
and process developments at a global level for Australia Awards. The Activity Manager
will also actively facilitate interactions between participating Posts, enabling and
encouraging peer support and information exchange.
The Activity Manager will support the strategic oversight of the Program by DFAT
senior management; will provide the interface with the staff who manage the Enhancing
Education Budget Measure (which provides funding for many awards in the region), and will
manage all aspects of the contract with the Contractor.
DFAT Staff in the Region
Under the Head of Mission, it is anticipated that management responsibility for Australia
Awards within each country will rest with a senior A-based official, supported by an Obased Program Manager. These DFAT staff will oversee implementation at the country
level and participate in Program-wide activities for staff. They will take the lead on: the
strategic direction of the Program, including the approval of the relevant Country (or
Region) Plan; the relationship with the partner government; and alumni engagement.
The Contractor will support DFAT to perform these roles to the extent required in each
country. Each Post will determine the exact mix of roles and responsibilities that best
matches its priorities and capacity to support the Program, and will negotiate the
allocation of tasks and the establishment of processes and lines of communication with
the Contractor during mobilisation (see below). In this way, the Program will be tailored
to respond to the specific support needs of each individual Post and program. In some
cases this may require the Contractor to play the leading, or at least a substantial role in
consultations with the partner government and with Australian government agencies and
programs in country; in other cases the Post will continue to fulfil this role, with only
administrative support from the Contractor.
Contractor
The Contractor will provide all the personnel and operational resources required for
Program planning, management and implementation, and will undertake these tasks in
support of, and in collaboration with, DFAT (in keeping with the specific needs of each
Post and program, as described above). The Contractor will communicate with DFAT
Canberra as well as the country Posts, and with the Scholarships and Alumni Branch as
specified in the Australia Awards Scholarships Handbook and other relevant procedural
guides. It will provide all necessary support for the annual cycle of scholarships processes,
from annual planning, through promotion and selection, through to mobilisation and
return home. It will also support DFAT in alumni engagement.
A close and collaborative working arrangement between the Contractor and each DFAT
Post will be essential, and will underpin the Contractor’s provision of strategic and policy
advice to each Post on the most appropriate utilisation of the options provided for in the
Implementation Toolbox.
The Contractor will also provide flexible technical and administrative capacity in
Australia to support activities that occur in Australia. These are described throughout the
26
Australia Awards in South and West Asia 2015-2020
Investment Design Document
Design Document, but will include: planning and implementation of on-award activities
such as (but not limited to) Reintegration and Return Home Workshops; planning,
subcontracting, monitoring and coordination of short courses and other short-term
activities; and any required informal learning opportunities (see section 9 below). The
Contractor will also have capacity to undertake ad-hoc research or issues analysis, when
tasked by DFAT, related to the operation or context of Australia Awards in South and
West Asia44.
The Contractor will establish and maintain six offices in the region, as follows:

Regional Hub and Country Office for Sri Lanka – in Colombo

Country Office for Bangladesh – in Dhaka

Country Office for Pakistan – in Islamabad

Country Office for Nepal – in Kathmandu

Country Office for Bhutan and India – in Thimphu

Country Office for Maldives – in Male
Program Hub Office
The design team carefully analysed the most appropriate location for the Program Hub,
noting that it needs to meet several criteria:

Reliable and good quality telecommunications and office infrastructure

Presence of an Australian diplomatic mission, with a bilateral aid program and Abased officers focusing on aid management

Safety and security for personnel, participants and visitors

Suitable to attract and support internationally-recruited staff

Adequate transport connections throughout the region
Travel within the region is not always straightforward and often requires transit through
Bangkok or various cities in India. In response, the logical Hub location would be
Bangkok (there is no Australia Awards country office in Delhi as there is no bilateral aid
program for India). Bangkok is already used routinely for program workshops bringing
together staff from all country offices. Bangkok could also offer a higher standard of
infrastructure than country office locations. However the risks of Hub personnel
becoming disconnected from Program delivery as well as the added cost of an extra
office outweigh the potential efficiencies of a Bangkok hub.
Based on these criteria, and excluding Bangkok, Colombo, Dhaka and Kathmandu are
most likely to meet Program requirements, and all incur comparable operating costs.
Kathmandu was rejected due to the unreliability of air travel at certain times of the year
(due to weather constraints) as well as concerns about the level of infrastructure available.
Dhaka and Colombo provide comparable transport connections within the region. There
are several concerns with Dhaka: telecommunications are not always reliable (some
stakeholders reported difficulty contacting Hub staff by phone); there has been an
extended period of political unrest which, although currently absent, has the potential to
For example, the Contractor may be tasked to undertake (or commission) a review of barriers to
accessing Australia Awards in Nepal (which would then be used to more effectively prioritise and promote
the program there)
44
27
Australia Awards in South and West Asia 2015-2020
Investment Design Document
recur and constrain operations considerably; and the turnover of international staff
experienced in the Hub over recent years is partially attributed to the difficulties they face
living in Dhaka.
Further, the volume of Australia Awards managed out of the Sri Lanka Post is currently
the largest across the region (covering Sri Lanka and Maldives). Also, the likelihood of
increased reliance on the Contractor if and when DFAT staff resources at Posts are
constrained makes it even more important to attract and retain key international staff for
the life of the Program. Locating the Hub in Colombo will assist with this.
Contractor Personnel
The Contractor will provide all personnel and resources required to deliver its specified
services in support of Program implementation. A number of key full-time positions will
be required to underpin Program delivery:
A Regional Manager (internationally-recruited) will have overall leadership and
management of the Contractor’s team, and will be responsible for the delivery and
quality of the services provided.
A Regional Operations Manager (internationally recruited) will lead and oversee
operational, financial and administration activities, and provide back-up to the Regional
Manager when required.
A Training/ Short-Term Activities Specialist (internationally recruited) will provide
technical support and advice to the Program and to DFAT Posts and their partners on
the identification, development, subcontracting and implementation of short course
awards and other short-term activities.
A Country Manager will head each country office and will be responsible for day-today operations of Australia Awards, managing both the regular scholarships cycle as well
as any other activities incorporated into the Program for that country45. The Country
Manager will also provide support and advice to the relevant DFAT Post on the
utilisation of the Implementation Toolbox, and will – when required – directly engage
with Australian Government agencies at Post, and with partner governments and
organisations, to support the planning and management of Australia Awards.
Each country office will also include between one and three professional national staff to
cover the Scholarships Associate, operations and M&E responsibilities, as well as an
Administration Assistant. The Contractor will work with the Post in each country to
determine the precise mix and scope of the staffing in the relevant Country Office during
mobilisation.
In addition, the Contractor will provide a part-time M&E Specialist (internationally
recruited), to work with a full-time national M&E Coordinator. There will also be a fulltime Alumni Coordinator; a Finance Officer, and a number of additional administrative
and support staff in the Regional Hub. Hub staffing must be sufficient to meet the
requirements of the Program including: management information systems,
communications (including website and publications), information technology, office
management, administration and logistics.
In Australia, the Contractor will provide the necessary technical and administrative staff
to support all the required services. These will be provided on a flexible basis in response
In light of the larger program in Bangladesh, the design provides for an internationally-recruited Country
Manager.
45
28
Australia Awards in South and West Asia 2015-2020
Investment Design Document
to the requirements of Program implementation, including in-Australia activities such as
on-award activities for scholarship awardees, as well as incoming study tours, training
activities, work attachments and any other informal learning opportunities.
The diagram at Figure 3 below shows the staffing structure of the Contractor:
Figure 3: Contractor Structure
Regional Manager
Training/
STA
Specialist
Regional
Operations
Manager
M&E
Specialist
M&E
Coordinator
Alumni
Coordinator
Finance
Coordinator
Other
support staff
Contractor
Representative
Pakistan Country Office
Country Manager, Associates (2),
Admin
Bangladesh Country Office
Country Manager, Associates (2),
Admin
Sri Lanka Country Office
Country Manager, Associates (2),
Admin
inAustralia
support
staff
Bhutan/ India Country Office
Country Manager, Associate, Admin
Nepal Country Office
Country Manager, Associates (2),
Admin
Maldives Country Office
Country Manager, Associate, Admin
Regional Hub
Synergies with other People-to-People Initiatives
Australia Awards is one of a suite of initiatives the Australian Government funds to build
links between Australians and people from other countries, particularly those in our
region. The Australia Awards Endeavour Scholarships and Fellowships, managed by the
Department of Education, offer academic scholarships and fellowships for Australians to
study overseas and for citizens of other countries to study in Australia46. Similarly, the
Australian Council for International Agricultural Research operates a small scholarships
and fellowships program under the Australia Awards for partners of existing research
projects to undertake postgraduate study in Australia. The Australian Volunteers for
International Development (AVID) program offers opportunities for Australians to
volunteer overseas as part of the aid program. The New Colombo Plan is a significant
148 awards were offered in 2013, 60 for citizens of other countries to study in Australia and 88 for
Australians to study overseas, a significant decline from previous years when over 500 were awarded
(Scholarships and Alumni Branch data)
46
29
Australia Awards in South and West Asia 2015-2020
Investment Design Document
new Australian Government initiative to send undergraduate students to countries across
the region to learn, build friendships and strengthen ties.
These programs present many opportunities to cooperate in similar activities, to extend
the reach of these programs and create additional opportunities for building personal and
institutional links and building Australia’s reputation as a good international partner.
However, there are a number of fundamental differences between the programs, which
limit the scope for operational cooperation, particularly on the management and
contracting arrangements. Unlike DFAT’s Australia Awards, management of the
Australia Awards Endeavour Scholarships and Fellowships is undertaken in Canberra
through a global contractor, with no in-country management or contractor presence
required, and no country allocations/quotas. AVID is delivered through a number of
partners with which DFAT has ongoing grant agreements with all strategic decisions
made in Canberra. The Department of Education is responsible for administering
elements of the New Colombo Plan including scholarships and student mobility grants.
These very different operating models mean there is not a realistic approach to being
able to deliberately consolidate the operations of these programs to create programming
efficiencies. The services required for delivery of each program in-country are not
sufficiently similar enough that they would create significant efficiencies (compared to
building Informal Learning Opportunities into the Australia Awards services). The
opportunities instead lie in the coordinating activities across the programs and building
on each other’s networks where this is sensible and adds value. In some cases there may
be scope to collaborate with AVID to place volunteers into organisations as temporary
back-fill for staff absent on scholarships, however these arrangement may require
considerable planning and negotiation.
The Australia Awards administered by the Department of Education (Endeavour
Awards) tend to attract applicants of a similar demographic to DFAT Australia Awards.
However, because there is no development objective to these awards, they can be
employed in different sectors. Generally, there has been good interaction between the
two groups, and where there is a logic to combining activities this will create efficiencies
and extend the benefits of the experience for all awardees/alumni.
Although there has been a move towards combined Australia Awards activities, more
coordination is required, particularly around identifying roles and responsibilities
between agencies and Post/Contractor.
The AVID and NCP programs are both outbound programs for Australians. On first
glance it would appear that AVID participants as a cohort would have more in common
with Australia Awards recipients (as mid-career professionals, working on development
priorities) than NCP participants (who are undergraduates and whose program is not
aligned to aid priorities). This is a consideration for developing activities designed to
bring these groups together, in terms of the potential for sustainable relationships to
evolve.
The Program will use the principles underpinning the global Alumni Strategy (see Section
10 for details). The Strategy takes a whole-of-government approach and makes practical
suggestions of how to involve participants from other programs to enhance these
initiatives. The Alumni Strategy refers to opportunities to involve Endeavour, AVID
(and soon also the NCP) participants in Australia Awards activities, such as PDBs,
welcome home events and alumni activities. Experience has shown that these
opportunities need to be meaningful for the relationships to have the potential to be
sustainable. Where possible, interactions will be carefully targeted, for example:
30
Australia Awards in South and West Asia 2015-2020
Investment Design Document

supporting an institution or project with both volunteers and award
recipients/alumni to bring these groups together

bringing together those from the same sector.
The Program has undertaken initial work on mapping practical opportunities for
engagement and coordination. The Contractor will build on this to work with Posts in
each country and Scholarships and Alumni Branch to develop a “people-to-people” plan
that reflects the local context and targets meaningful opportunities to bring participants
from these programs together. This plan will draw on some of the elements from the
Alumni Strategy plan for each country, but provide contextual analysis, and clearly define
the roles and responsibilities between agencies/contractors, and establish protocols for
regular communications and dialogue.
In a number of Posts, management of Australia Awards and volunteers lies with one
person, or one team. This is where efficiencies can be created, as this position can ensure
a coordinated approach to the public diplomacy opportunities that these programs create.
The Contractor will support Posts in delivering on these public diplomacy opportunities,
through communications and event support, including where these involve non-Australia
Awards recipients/alumni.
9. Implementation Toolbox
Australia Awards in South and West Asia provides country and regional programs access
to, and support for, a range of options to provide long- and short-term training and
professional development activities. Options range from more formal, but less flexible
and responsive, opportunities (e.g. long-term scholarships) to less formal, but highly
flexible and responsive opportunities (e.g. ad-hoc seminars). Country and regional
programs will be supported to draw from across this spectrum of options in response to
identified needs and opportunities.
These options are outlined below and described in Annex 4 as the Implementation
Toolbox, and fall within four categories:
1. Core Australia Awards
2. Enabling Activities for Australia Awards
3. Informal Learning Opportunities
Core Australia Awards
Australia Awards core awards operate within the global framework that provides for:

Australia Awards Scholarships

Australia Awards Short Courses

Australia Awards Fellowships

Supplementary Programs
The Program will be implemented in accordance with the prevailing prescriptions of the
global framework. This is set out in the Australia Awards Handbook and other formal
policies and guidelines, and may change over the life of this design, but the current
parameters are provided below.
31
Australia Awards in South and West Asia 2015-2020
Investment Design Document
Australia Awards Scholarships
Australia Awards Scholarships are what would most commonly be considered to be
traditional scholarships. They provide for long-term study at the vocational education
and training (VET), Bachelor, Masters or PhD level. Current DFAT policy also requires
that these long-term scholarships be delivered by tertiary institutions contracted by
DFAT, and at least part of the course must be undertaken in Australia.
Consultations with partner governments (and other partner organisations) regarding
numbers and priority sectors for an intake must commence one to two years before their
selection and mobilisation, and the provision of scholarships operates within Australian
institutions’ course availability and intake cycles. In order to select and prepare
candidates in time, each intake requires between one to two years of activity to achieve47.
Because of these requirements, Australia Awards Scholarships fall at the least flexible and
responsive end of this toolbox’s spectrum. While this makes them a limited tool for
responsive action, it renders them well suited to maintaining stable, longer-term bilateral
relationships. They are particularly useful for linking provision of Australia Awards to
priorities identified within bilateral or regional Aid Investment Plans, or their less formal
equivalents.
Australia Awards Scholarships may be offered at any tertiary level, including for PhD,
postgraduate (Masters/Graduate Diploma), undergraduate, and vocational education and
training (VET) courses. Country and regional programs must carefully consider the most
relevant level of study for their scholarship awards, balancing technical requirements with
the relative cost and duration of each level of study.
Generally scholarships are offered for study entirely in Australia, and current policy on
long-term awards does not enable delivery entirely in a recipient or third country. Splitsite or ‘sandwich’ delivery models have been piloted in Philippines and Indonesia and are
possible in South and West Asia, provided that the Australian provider still confers the
full Australian qualification associated with the specific course. However, in practice,
implementing such split-site or sandwich course options are not straightforward, because
they rely on Australian institutions operating campuses in recipient countries or having
existing formal relationships with teaching institutions in those countries. Australia
Awards funding cannot be used to help establish such relationships; they are a significant
undertaking requiring considerable negotiation and technical leadership. This is generally
well outside the mandate for the Program and may only be appropriate in instances
where the development of the higher education sector is a priority for the bilateral aid
program in a participating country. Such action may also constitute providing a selective
competitive advantage to specific Australian institutions.
The Program provides for the Contractor to implement the full cycle of implementation
activities required for scholarships on a regular, annual basis and in line with the detailed
prescriptions of the Australia Awards Handbook. This is the core business of the
Contractor and will require the bulk of its attention and resources. The Contractor will
also provide specialist academic advice to successful applicants in the final selection of
their course of study. Annex 5 provides further detail of the implementation
arrangements for scholarships cycle.
Each Post will provide specific strategic guidance to this annual cycle (as described in the
annual planning process in Section 12 and Annex 7 below), and will oversee the work of
Depending on how much additional assistance is provided to candidates to meet institution-stipulated
entry requirements: see Australia Awards Enabling Assistance
47
32
Australia Awards in South and West Asia 2015-2020
Investment Design Document
the Contractor. Posts will also play specific roles such as participation in promotion and
representation on selection panels, where possible.
Scholarships are generally funded from two sources: the bilateral country program fund,
or central budget measure funding managed by the Scholarships and Alumni Branch. A
third possible funding source also exists; individual sectoral investments within country
program could, theoretically, allocate a proportion of initiative funding to scholarships,
however this rarely occurs.
Regional Scholarships
Australia Awards in South Asia have recently included a regional scholarships allocation,
offering 12 Master’s scholarships in Water Resource Management to citizens across the
region in the 2014 intake, expanding to 14 in the 2015 intake to include Pakistan, funded
from the Enhancing Education Budget Measure. Eligible countries are Bangladesh, Bhutan,
India, Nepal and Pakistan, making the regional scholarships notable for their inclusion of
India as well as other countries.
Regional allocations of scholarships support the South and West Asia Strategy, and are
intended to target specific cross-border issues. They offer a number of particular
advantages, especially when for a very specific technical area or field of study. They can
catalyse the development of a regional network of professionals who have been educated
together in Australia and who share experiences and understandings as a result of that
education. This network (and the individuals within it) can contribute to addressing
cross-border issues in the region that genuinely require regional collaboration and
cooperation, and they can enable the provision of support to countries that would
otherwise not be eligible for Australia Awards (i.e. India). Supporting stronger regional
relationships is a priority for Australia’s foreign policy.
The Program will continue to support regional allocations of scholarships should funding
be allocated in future. It is recommended that regional scholarships continue to align to
the South and West Asia Strategy, and address specific fields of study and address crossborder issues, so as to maintain the benefits that derive from a genuinely multi-country
response.
Short Course Awards
Short Course Awards (SCAs) are a relatively new form Australia Award. They have been
available for approximately five years, with greatly variable levels of application by
different country programs. Short Course Awards are defined as opportunities for formal
study or training, generally less than three months’ duration, and no more than five
months’ duration, delivered by an approved Australian higher education provider48 or an
Australian Registered Training Organisation.
As Australia Awards, SCAs still need to meet certain quality standards, to ensure they are
not at risk of becoming ‘ad-hoc’ courses. The requirement that a provider must provide
successful participants with some form of recognised academic credit (or statements of
competency) requires some course material to be drawn from Australian accredited
courses, but does not usually include the conferring of any form of qualification 49. Hence,
content of Short Course Awards can be tailored to meet specific needs, but the definition
still ensures that training is conducted within recognised Australian standards.
48
49
See Table A, B, C of the Higher Education Support Act 2003
Although there may be exceptions in the VET area.
33
Australia Awards in South and West Asia 2015-2020
Investment Design Document
Short Course Awards can be substantially more flexible and responsive than long-term
awards. They involve engaging an Australian university or Registered Training
Organisation to conduct the short course as a separate exercise to its normal academic
intakes. This means that the timing and content of a short course can be better tailored
to suit arising demands. In general, it takes somewhere between nine to twelve months to
deliver a short course, which means such courses can usually be implemented within a
year of their being requested or offered. This makes them a reasonably useful and
responsive tool for dealing with unforeseen requests or newly identified needs.
Short Course Awards have proved popular with many public and private employers in
the countries where they have been utilised, because they allow staff to receive formally
recognised training, without taking them away from their roles for extended periods.
Senior staff of many organisations state that it is simply not possible for them to leave
their posts for the periods required by long-term-awards.
They are also much more effective at addressing immediate technical needs associated
with sector-based programs50.
One additional area of flexibility provided by Short Course Awards is that they may be
delivered in recipient countries without the need for the Australian course provider to
have existing local campuses or relationships with local teaching institutions. Providers
can simply rent a local venue and fly in the required Australian training staff. Bringing the
course to the participants is also potentially a less expensive option than taking all
participants to Australia, and removes participant overstay risks. It is also possible to
provide translation and interpreting services during Short Course Awards (even
simultaneous translation, if the budget is available), enabling participants with a wider
range of English capacity to participate compared to scholarships. Some programs have
also experimented with split-site delivery of Short Course Awards, with part of the
course delivered in Australia and part in the recipient country. This type of delivery may
have valid and significant educational benefits and still provide the in-Australia
experience, but it generates greater logistical workloads.
The Program will enable country and regional programs to provide Short Course Awards
across a range of scenarios, but all based on the requirement that they respond to clear
demand:

A short course to meet the needs of an individual country program, with
participants only from that country.

A short course identified by a country program, but requiring participants from
other countries to achieve sufficient participant numbers to make the course
viable.

A short course relating to an important regional issue or need identified by a
DFAT post, with participants from across the region.

A short course associated with a separate source of funding to support a specific
aid investment or sector in the region, with participants from multiple countries.
Under this model, country programs have maximum flexibility to decide if, and/or how,
to use Short Course Australia Awards, and the Program is designed to provide support
for Short Course Awards through the Contractor. Further detail on the implementation
arrangements for Short Course Awards is provided at Annex 6.
Whether these are Australian Aid or partner government supported sector programs, their limited
timeframes do not normally permit utilization of Long Term Award opportunities.
50
34
Australia Awards in South and West Asia 2015-2020
Investment Design Document
Funding for Short Course Awards may be drawn from bilateral allocations or the
Enhancing Education Budget Measure (currently the Pakistan Short Courses are from the
budget measure). Short Course Awards are much lower cost per individual than any of
the long-term-award options, which can enable a country program to increase overall
numbers of Australia Awards offered in a particular country. However, workloads
associated with organising Short Course Awards are not similarly lower, as many similar
tasks need to be carried out regardless of course length. Short Course Awards also
require additional effort associated with defining the desired course content and
contracting an Australian provider. Some of this additional workload can be contracted
out to the course provider, but the level of additional resourcing required by Posts and
within a Contractor should not be underestimated. So, while Short Course Awards may
be seen as a cheaper and quicker (more flexible/responsive) option, they should not be
regarded as an easier option.
Options for enabling delivery of Australia Awards Short Courses under a global
mechanism are currently being considered by the Scholarships and Alumni Branch. The
Program will utilise that mechanism if and when it is operational.
Australia Award Fellowships
The goal of Australia Awards Fellowships is to develop appropriately trained current and
aspiring leaders in priority areas, who, in the short- to medium-term, will be in a position
to advance key regional policy objectives and increase institutional capacities of partner
countries. Fellowships are designed to complement individual bilateral country programs
by offering flexible Fellowship placements that address current and emerging issues at
the country, sub-regional and regional level51.
Grant funding of up to $35,000 per fellow for Fellowship activities, is offered on a
competitive basis to Australian organisations to host leaders or mid-career professionals
from eligible countries for short-term specialised research, study, leadership training or
professional attachments, delivered in Australia.
Australia Award Fellowships are potentially the most flexible form of Australia Award,
but only in regard to the types of opportunities they can provide. They may consist of
professional work placements, informal training or mentoring opportunities, study tours,
or other similar interactions between organisations in Australia and recipient country.
Posts have a key role to play in establishing and facilitating links between local and
Australian organizations where the focus of the partnership aligns with Country
Programs’ priorities, including assisting in the brokering of Fellowship applications at
Posts’ discretion. Given that the additional Post workloads this entails may be
undesirable, the Program extends the role of the Contractor to enable it to provide
support for brokering such Fellowship arrangements (should posts request it).
Australia Awards Supplementary Programs
Australia Awards includes a number of supplementary programs52, which offer additional
opportunities to existing Australia Awards scholarship recipients on the basis of
outstanding merit. Of these, South and West Asia is only eligible for the Leadership
Program. The Leadership Program is being re-designed and may involve special
The Fellowships program is currently being redesigned, so implementation arrangements for Fellowships
in South and West Asia will adapt to any new or changed requirements once this redesign is completed.
52 Australia Awards Leadership Program, Prime Minister’s Pacific-Australia Program, Allison Sudradjat
Award
51
35
Australia Awards in South and West Asia 2015-2020
Investment Design Document
additional training, opportunities to attend conferences or other networking forums,
work placements, or academic/research placements. The program has had a focus on
boosting leadership skills, but incorporation of other objectives is also possible.
The Program will support the implementation of the Leadership Program in South and
West Asia in its current form and once re-designed in accordance with the prevailing
policies and guidelines, as part of Australia Awards core awards. It is expected that the
selection process as well as funding allocations for the Leadership Program will continue
to be centralised in DFAT in Canberra, thus reducing the demands on posts and the
Contractor. Country programs may, however, be expected to provide advice and
recommendations regarding applicants and awardees.
Australia Awards Enabling Activities
The Program Implementation Toolbox provides for a range of enabling activities to
support and enhance the implementation of Australia Awards in South and West Asia.
They are most often useful to assist with achieving access and equity aims, or to support
targeting and prioritisation of awards. Funding of all forms of enabling activities must be
drawn from bilateral allocations, so it will be up to each country program to decide on
the appropriate trade-offs required to provide them, if they choose to do so. The design
provides for substantial assistance from the Contractor in managing application of these
tools, when requested.
The most common forms of enabling activities provided are:

English language testing

English language training (ELT)

Foundation Awards

Partner Organisation activities
English Language (IELTS or equivalent) Testing
Long-term awards – scholarships – require every awardee to have an IELTS score that
meets pre-determined levels and enables their acceptance to an Australian tertiary
institution. As a general rule, applicants must include a recent IELTS score in their
application. Many programs report that the cost of an IELTS test is a very significant
barrier to many potential applicants, especially those from traditionally marginalized
groups, such as women and ethnic minorities, and those is rural and remote areas53. Once
travel and other associated costs are included, this cost may amount to one to two
months earnings for some individuals in South and West Asia. Hence, requiring an
IELTS score to be provided with an application can amount to a barrier that effectively
imposing a hidden selection criterion; to the effect that all applicants must be relatively
financially affluent. This seriously diminishes inclusiveness of Australia Awards. One
The barrier created by requiring an IELTS score with the application is evident in the 2013 On- Award
Survey results for the region. Over half of the awardees surveyed from the 7 countries covered by this
design indicated that paying for an IELTS (or TOEFL) test had been a problem for them, and that it was a
“major” or “severe” problem for 15%. In some cases (Bhutan and Sri Lanka), it was a problem for almost
three quarters of awardees, and a “major” or “severe” problem for around 25%. Similarly, the logistics of
attending an IELTS (or TOEFL) was a problem for over 40% of awardees, and a “major” or “severe”
problem for almost 10%. Given these figures are from successful awardees, it can only be assumed that the
more important figures – regarding potential applicants who were effectively prevented from applying
because of the requirement to include an IELTS score in applications – would be even more concerning.
53
36
Australia Awards in South and West Asia 2015-2020
Investment Design Document
option is therefore to not require an IELTs score on application, and provide assistance
to short-listed candidates to do their IELTS test.
English Language Training (ELT)
One of the most common barriers to otherwise desirable candidates effectively
competing for awards is attaining the level of English that is set by Australian teaching
institutions as a prerequisite for entry into their courses. Not only is it impossible to
enrol in such courses without meeting such standards, but any attempt to lower
standards so students with significantly lesser English capability could be enrolled could
simply set these students up for failure. While it is true that most countries do have a
sufficient pool of candidates with high enough English language proficiency to fill
intakes, defaulting to just selecting these candidates effectively overrides all other
selection criteria. Programs that do this are compromising their own selection processes
by effectively selecting awardees primarily on existing English language capacity. This
does not reflect the development and linkage objectives of Australia Awards.
The English language requirement for postgraduate study in Australia is generally an
overall IELTS score of 6.5 with at least 6 in each sub-band. Undergraduate entry
requirements can vary widely, but most are between an overall IELTS score of 6.5
overall with at least 6 in each sub-band and an overall band score of 6.0 with no subscore of less than 5.5. VET courses are slightly less onerous, often requiring an overall
IELTS score 5.5 with no individual band lower than 5. The key point to make in regard
to assisting candidates to reach these necessary standards is that improving IELTS scores
takes time.
One strategy adopted in some countries to address this issue has been to provide those
candidates who strongly meet all selection criteria but English proficiency levels with
opportunities to improve their English to the required standard. Given the additional
investments required, this is only applied to scholarships; with Short Course Awards
using provision of on-course translation as a more cost efficient option. This toolbox
offers a number of possible approaches to providing English language training to
applicants and awardees in South and West Asia:
a) Pre-application English language training for target groups
b) English training for selected shortlisted applicants
c) Pre-award English language training either in-country or in Australia
Annex 4 provides details of these options, including issues to be considered in selected
one or more for inclusion in Australia Awards at a country level.
Provision of ELT assistance can be a powerful tool to improve selection of the most
desirable candidates and improve inclusiveness of programs for traditionally marginalised
groups, including women and ethnic minorities. Some programs offer such assistance
exclusively to such groups as a means of improving performance against inclusiveness
targets. This is normally appropriate, but it should be noted that providing ELT does not
guarantee candidates will sufficiently improve their English54, and care must also be taken
to ensure that attempts to meet gender or other inclusiveness targets are not progressed
at the cost of creating immediate or longer-term risks to the social and personal
wellbeing of any individuals (i.e. to ensure they do no harm).
54
Experience across country programs has been mixed in terms of results.
37
Australia Awards in South and West Asia 2015-2020
Investment Design Document
Foundation Awards
The provision of Foundation Awards is a more comprehensive approach to supporting
high-calibre applicants from targeted groups who cannot meet all the required criteria.
These Awards – currently implemented in Pakistan – bundle ELT with additional
coaching in relation to study, computer and life skills relevant to successfully completing
a long-term scholarship in Australia. Foundation Awards are offered to a small number
of applicants who were unsuccessful but show potential, and are designed to strengthen
the capacity of those applicants to submit successful applicants in subsequent selection
processes.
The most cost-effective approach to providing Foundation Awards is to make them
part-time, with a series of short course training across a year. Depending upon where
such training is available, this may mean that participants do not have to leave their home
or employment, and the Program may avoid funding stipends or travel costs. Care needs
to then be taken in contracting local training providers who have the relevant broader
skill sets.
Foundation Awards can be very useful, building the capacity of strong applicants from
target groups while also bringing an element of prestige to unsuccessful applicants. Each
country program should consider the extent to which Foundation Awards can meet the
aims and intentions of their program; and the costs of the Awards must be weighed
against the opportunity cost across the whole Australia Awards budget.
Partner Organisation Activities
Some country programs choose to identify specific organisations for priority assistance
through Australia Awards. Designating an organisation as a Partner Organisation for
Australia Awards can entitle that organisation to a range of support. The exact mix of
support activities will be determined by each country program, if and when it elects to
establish a Partner Organisations component in Australia Awards in that country.
Support activities will depend on the specific intentions of the country program, the
capacity and priorities of the organisation, and the scope the country program has to add
such enabling activities within its budget envelope.
The decision to formally partner with a specific organisation when providing Australia
Awards must be also be based on the ability of certain members of that organisation’s
staff to deliver appropriate development or linkage contributions in line with country
program and Australia Awards objectives. This may be the case when a potential partner
is especially active in a target sector, target location or within a particular target group.
Options include:

Direct coaching of appropriate candidates from Partner Organisations in
preparing eligible applications or interview techniques

Preferential access to ELT or Foundation Awards for appropriate candidates
from Partner Organisations

Preferential access to IELTS testing for appropriate candidates from Partner
Organisations

Reserved (allocation) awards places for staff of Partner Organisations
Regardless of which forms of assistance are provided, it is imperative that partner
organisations do receive substantial additional assistance (within the above constraints),
38
Australia Awards in South and West Asia 2015-2020
Investment Design Document
as providing only nominal additional assistance will soon lead to disillusionment with the
partnership and damage the reputation of the Australia Awards Program as a whole55.
This implies that partnerships should only be used when the country program has a
strong rationale for such partnerships and is willing to fund some or all of the options
provided above. It is valid to offer appropriate candidates from Partner organisations a
greater level of assistance than other applicants on the basis that they have been
specifically targeted as a group with increased potential to contribute to Program
objectives. It is also valid to limit assistance offered to the most appropriate subset of
partner staff.
Partner organisations must have the capacity to absorb staff absences, and to utilise staff
skills and knowledge on their return. They must also contribute to the arrangement in
order to demonstrate their commitment. At a minimum this requires organisations to
commit to re-employing awardees on their return, but larger organisations may be
expected to make additional contributions.
The most intensive and valuable support to a Partner Organisation is the provision of a
specific allocation of awards to staff of that organisation. This approach has been used,
for example, in the Bangladesh program for its partners BRAC and ICDDR,B. It can
form part of a broader strategic partnership covering volunteer placements, core funding
and potentially the New Colombo Plan when it becomes available in South and West
Asia. A country program would chose to take this approach if an organisation is central
to the country program or the bilateral relationship, if the organisation is large enough to
release staff regularly (but not so large it can be expected to finance its own staff
education and training), and whether the organisation is prepared to guarantee staff
return to work and other forms of support to staff while they are on award. Some
organisations may maintain staff salary payments while they are studying. It is important
for programs to be explicit about the basis for giving this extent of priority access to
Australia Awards, and for them to regularly re-confirm that basis through the annual
planning and targeting process.
Even when actively partnering with organisations, there is no guarantee that awardees
will return to work in these organisations. Public sector employees appear to have a
greater likelihood of returning to the same employer, but even they often return to a new
position or department. Partnering should therefore only be considered as means of
increasing the likelihood of having Award-built capacity applied where it will have the
greatest appropriate effects. Long-term awards (i.e. full scholarships), generally have the
greatest issues with returnee mobility, so provision of Short Course Awards or
Fellowships are one means of mitigating this problem.
Informal Learning Opportunities
Informal Learning Opportunities (ILOs) are a very important part of the spectrum of
capacity building opportunities offered by this design. They fill the gap at the most
flexible and responsive end of the range of tools in this toolbox. ILOs are not required
to meet the specific definitions governing Australia Awards. This has several key
implications: they can be much more flexible and responsive than formal Australia
Awards (as they do not have be included in annual Country/Region Plans); they are not
funded from within Australia Award funding allocations, they are not included in
Australia Awards global reporting.
Where the only assistance provided to an organisation is direct promotion, this is merely part of a
targeted promotions strategy, not a formal partnership.
55
39
Australia Awards in South and West Asia 2015-2020
Investment Design Document
Any form of ‘learning opportunity’ can be proposed as an ILO. This includes:

Ad-hoc short courses, including on-site training

Study tours

Workshops

Conferences

Seminars

Work placements

Mentoring arrangements, on-the-job training and other capacity building
activities

Provision of technical assistance where this directly relates to a training or
capacity-building function (e.g. provision of guest lecturers to local institutions,
provision of key note speakers at conferences, etc.)
The Contractor will support the delivery of ILOs, in response to request from Posts,
including by sector-based programs. These requests must be based on already welldeveloped terms of reference, as determined by DFAT in conjunction with local partners,
and there will not be a regular or cyclical program of ILOs – the need for such activities
will be opportunistic and responsive. To ensure that associated workloads remain
manageable and that tasking remains demand driven, training providers and the
Contractor will not be involved in identifying or scoping ILOs56.
Funding for informal opportunities must be drawn from bilateral allocations, additional
to the Australia Awards allocation. As noted above, ILOs will not be included in the
annual planning cycle or in Country Plans (see section 11) as they are to be identified and
implemented on an ad hoc basis in response to opportunities and emerging needs.
After twelve months of ILO implementation the Contractor will work with DFAT Posts
and the DFAT Activity Manager to review the ILO mechanism to assess the extent to
which it is meeting program needs for flexible support. The findings of this review will
inform any necessary adjustments to the ILO option. The Contractor and DFAT may
decide to bring in an external reviewer for this process.
10. Alumni Engagement
The Australian Government has a strong interest in increasing its engagement with
alumni from Australian institutions (including Australia Awards alumni) and this will be a
more prominent element of the Program than in the past. The first whole of government
strategy for alumni engagement, the Australia Awards Alumni Network Strategy 2013-15
(‘Alumni Strategy’), was approved in 201357. The Strategy requires ongoing engagement
with Australia Awards alumni, even where no current Australia Awards program exists.
The Government of Australia is currently developing an approach to engaging with all
alumni (i.e. all people who studied in Australia, including privately funded students or
those on non-Australian government scholarships), while retaining a special focus on
DFAT will not task the contractor to identify ILOs or develop terms of reference on its behalf. This
limitation is necessary to retain effective workload and budget planning even when utilising such highly
flexible tools.
57 The definition of alumni under the Strategy covers both alumni who completed a long-term award as
well as those who have completed Fellowships and Short Courses, and includes Australia Awards
Endeavour Scholarship and Fellowship and ACIAR alumni.
56
40
Australia Awards in South and West Asia 2015-2020
Investment Design Document
Australia Awards alumni. Nevertheless, the Alumni Strategy remains the guiding
framework for Australia Awards alumni engagement and the Program will implement the
Strategy and its future iterations as required by Scholarships and Alumni Branch.
The objectives of the Alumni Strategy are to establish an influential network of leaders
with strong links to Australia, enabling engagement with leaders and advocates linked by
their experience as holders of Australia Awards. The Alumni Strategy will also support
professional and personal development of alumni through professional and social links
as a way of developing enduring life-long relationships. It sets out a number of
‘benchmark activities’ (pre-departure briefing and farewell event; welcome home event;
alumni network meetings) as well as ‘good practice’ activities relevant to the local context
(for example professional development workshops, mentoring of outgoing awardees,
alumni involvement in functions/meetings with high-level Australian delegations,
participation in Australia Day or similar events).
Heads of Mission are responsible for ensuring Network outcomes are delivered across all
agencies at Posts with the support of implementing agencies (the Contractor) and the
Scholarships and Alumni Branch. Posts are required to complete annual implementation
plans and report on progress against these twice a year. For the South and West Asia
Program, the Contractor’s Alumni Officer will work with country teams, whole-ofgovernment partners and Posts to undertake necessary alumni annual planning,
providing advice to posts on which activities are recommended and appropriate in each
country context. The Contractor will work with Posts to implement and report on
alumni activities58.
All alumni engagement activities under the Program will support the objectives of the
Alumni Strategy. Activities will comprise the Strategy’s benchmark activities and
whichever good practice activities Posts deem relevant to the country or regional context.
These activities will be guided by the information identified in the Alumni Development
Impact Surveys on barriers to using skills and knowledge, Case Studies from the
Program’s M&E system, and with the input of local alumni.
The Program will continue to include funding to support implementation of the Alumni
Strategy. In previous years there have also been opportunities to supplement this funding
with global funds from Scholarships and Alumni Branch through an annual seed funding
round.
Building Networks and Relationships
The process of building a relationship with each awardee, and developing networks that
alumni will sustain on return to their home country, begins before the awardee arrives in
Australia.
For scholarships recipients in particular, the Program will lay the foundations for
stronger alumni networks through enhancements at the mobilisation and on-award
stages of the scholarships cycle. These enhancements will comprise an extended predeparture briefing, specific opportunities for targeted cohorts for extension activities
The Contractor will extend these services to support Kabul Post as appropriate, where there is no active
Australia Awards program but where there are Australia Awards alumni. The Contractor will not be
required to maintain an office in Kabul.
58
41
Australia Awards in South and West Asia 2015-2020
Investment Design Document
while on-award, and a return home workshop for all awardees before they depart
Australia59 (details provided below).
For Short Course Awards participants, the process of building a network occurs more
naturally due to the intensive, cohort-based format. The cohort is mobilised together and
remains together as a group throughout the course, over an intensive period. For this
reason, Short Courses are a particularly useful tool where there is a strong desire to build
networks within the region by including participants from several countries.
Pre-Departure Briefing
Compared to the global Australia Awards Scholarships cohort, a significantly lower
proportion of award recipients from South and West Asia rate the topics covered in the
pre-departure briefing (PDB) as “very useful”60. Thus, in order to improve pre-departure
preparation, the Program will hold compulsory three-day pre-departure briefing in each
country for each intake that will build on the current minimum standards.
The pre-departure briefing will enable awardees to get to know each other better, to start
to build networks and friendships that they can draw upon for support, and which will
lay the foundation for a stronger alumni network. It will also ensure that awardees are
better prepared for living and studying in Australia, and fully understand their
scholarship contract.
Extension Activities On-Award
The foundations for a strong alumni network will be further developed during the onaward stage. Targeted and specialised activities managed either by the Program or the
Scholarships and Alumni Branch of DFAT will bring together award recipients from the
same country and/or same sector to provide extension activities and networking
opportunities. The Program will work with SCB to develop and where appropriate pilot
activities under a global on-award engagement strategy, and will document agreed
activities in a South and West Asia On-Award Engagement Plan.
The key principle for any additional on-award activities coordinated by the Contractor is
that they will not duplicate the services that institutions are contracted to provide to
award recipients (academic and welfare support). Additional activities will provide
extension activities, networking opportunities and support that is focussed on reintegration issues.
The Contractor will identify opportunities to bring together award recipients from the
same sector. This will include using existing partnerships and links that Country
Programs have with Australian organisations that could provide work placements, site
visits, workshops or other professional development opportunities. In the first year the
Contractor will scope potential activities through existing aid program partners and
59 The
design team did give consideration to concentrating specific cohorts of award recipients in a small
number of institutions, as a further means to support the development of alumni networks. However this
is not recommended, particularly in light of the drawbacks of this option. Awardee concentration can be
counter-productive by providing an environment where the awardee is surrounded by others from their
own country and thus less likely to engage with other international students and Australian students. It can
inadvertently prevent award recipients from selecting the most appropriate course and institution for the
outcomes they are seeking. There is also a risk that the concentration of awardees would raise contractual
concerns for other institutions.
60 Australia Awards Scholarship Surveys, 2013 Country Reports. 54% rated very useful” the “living in
Australia” topic compared to 74% globally; 58% rated “very useful” the topic “academic programs –
learning and study skills” compared to 82% globally.
42
Australia Awards in South and West Asia 2015-2020
Investment Design Document
through work placement opportunities already offered through institutions. Based on the
scoping exercise, the Contractor will pilot relevant activities in the first year for the award
recipients selected under the regional allocation for study in the water resources sector.
The lessons learned from the pilot will guide any expansion of these activities beyond the
regional water resource management cohort, to cohorts from other sectors.
With the diversity of countries covered under this Program there are groups of award
recipients that come from conflict-affected areas, who are at higher risk of seeking to
remain in Australia at the end of their award. These award recipients will receive
additional monitoring and support, particularly towards the end of their award, from the
Contractor. The Contractor will provide this additional monitoring and support to
specific cohorts of award recipients identified by DFAT.
Return Home Workshop
The Contractor will hold a Return Home Workshop in the major cities each semester for
all award recipients from South and West Asia studying in that state who are due to
graduate that semester. The workshop will include sessions as a whole group on career
planning, using their new skills and knowledge on return, and the reintegration and
return-to-work support that will be provided on return home. It will also include sessions
in country groups to cover country-specific return-home issues, and to provide award
recipients with time to renew and strengthen their bonds with each other.
Reintegration Workshop
Twice a year the Contractor will hold a Reintegration Workshop for those alumni,
including from the Endeavour program, who have most recently completed their award.
This will provide an opportunity for the alumni to re-connect with each other, share
experiences and receive advice and support, to join the local alumni network, and to be
formally welcomed and celebrated by the Australian government.
The Workshop will include a structured component that will facilitate the alumni
exchange of reintegration experiences, and could also provide insights from alumni who
returned several years ago, career planning guidance, strategies for how to initiate change
in the workplace and so on, information on the local alumni network and its activities,
and a reminder of the importance of participating in Alumni Development Impact
Surveys.
The workshop will also include a formal ‘welcome home’ function that will be hosted by
the HOM or a senior representative from Post, to formally congratulate the alumni and
welcome them home. The local alumni network, Endeavour alumni, Australian
Volunteers for International Development, New Colombo Plan awardees and other
relevant stakeholders will be invited to the welcome home function.
Regional Alumni Workshops
The Program will hold one regional alumni workshop annually. The Contractor will
develop a concept for each workshop in consultation with the DFAT Activity Manager,
focussing each on a particular sector (such as water resource management) or
participants from a particular group (women in the civil service, ethnic minorities). These
workshops will be an opportunity for alumni to present their work, share their
experiences with peers formally and informally, and build and strengthen relevant,
professional-based networks across the region. This will extend the alumni experience
beyond the local level and bring an enhanced professional development aspect to alumni
43
Australia Awards in South and West Asia 2015-2020
Investment Design Document
engagement. These workshops will include alumni from Afghanistan in addition to the
countries covered by the Program.
The Contractor will make all logistical and technical arrangements for each alumni
workshop, and the Program will finance the participation of up to 30 alumni (covering
travel and accommodation costs) for a two-day workshop. The Contractor will develop
guidelines for a simple application and assessment process for alumni to apply directly to
participate in the workshop, for approval by DFAT.
While the focus of the regional alumni events is firmly on professional development and
alumni networking, these events also present an excellent opportunity to highlight the
Australian government’s support for development and as an international partner, and
these public diplomacy opportunities can be maximised by giving careful consideration
to timing and location. These opportunities may include potential ministerial visits, highlevel meetings, international days relevant to the topic, or public announcements of
Australian government programs or policies.
11. Implementation at Country/Region Level
Within the framework of this design (and as introduced in Section 5: Program Logic),
each country program will articulate its own set of outcomes, and will determine the
priorities, mix of awards, and targets that will meet its program aims. The format for
country program outcomes provided by this document is designed to give complete
flexibility. This flexibility allows country programs to focus on any aspect of
development or linkage contributions, and does not constrain Program scope. The
flexibility also allows country programs to review the foci of their outcomes annually
without formally amending their statement of outcomes.
The Implementation Toolbox, together with the annual planning tools described below,
will support Post decision-making and both the Activity Manager and Contractor will
have an increased role in the annual process of setting priorities and aligning with
strategy for Australia Awards. This will draw on the operational knowledge the
Contractor will be required to provide, and will respond to the changing staffing profile
at Posts61.
12. Annual Planning Process
Each country program team, and the regional program team, will undertake an annual
planning process that considers the prevailing policy and operating context to articulate a
clear set of priorities and targets for Australia Awards. The annual cycle will follow a
number of routine steps, as shown in Figure 4 and described in detail in Annex 7:
Figure 4: Annual Planning Process
Country Plan
+
Current Priorities
Table (CPT)
(Sets out priorities and
performance targets
for coming year)
Country Profile
+
Desired Applicant Profiles
Targeted
Promotions Plan
(Public communication
about priorities and
performance targets)
(Documented
plan regarding
promotional
activities)
This particularly refers to the likelihood of reduced staff resources at Posts and thus an increased need
for support from the Activity Manager in Canberra.
61
44
Australia Awards in South and West Asia 2015-2020
Investment Design Document
In a program with specific development and Australian linkage objectives, it is important
to provide Awards to individuals who are most likely to return to their home countries
and work in relevant fields. Adopting the approach of purely academic programs (e.g.
Endeavour Awards, Fulbright Scholarships, etc.) that simply select the ‘best and brightest’
may be a serious mistake. Past evaluation62 has shown that the ‘best and brightest’ are
often the least willing to remain in their home country and, even when they do remain,
they are the least likely to work under the difficult conditions or in less-developed
locations often associated with development work. This is not a personal reflection on
these individuals; it is merely a function of the broader set of international and national
opportunities available to them. Simply selecting the ‘best and brightest’ also has
implications from an inclusiveness perspective, as past schooling and other academic
opportunities are often closely related to existing privilege within societies. Hence, such
approaches tend to reinforce existing inequalities.
For Australia Awards, the ‘best’ awardees are those that will succeed in their studies,
permanently return to their home countries, deliver development contributions
(preferably in priority sectors) and maintain Australian links. Ensuring the Program
obtains such awardees requires substantial consideration and planning.
The annual planning process will set out the plans for the utilisation of Core and
Enabling Australia Awards activities. Informal Learning Opportunities will not be part of
Country Plans and the annual planning process, as these are funded separately and will
be implemented on an ‘as needs’ or ad hoc basis in response to opportunities and
emerging priorities.
Country Plans
As part of each year’s annual planning and prioritising process, country and regional
programs will prepare a Country Plan for Australia Awards (or Region Plan for South
Asia Regional)63. Using the template provided at Annex 7, programs will reflect on the
priorities and associated performance targets of the previous year of Australia Awards, as
well as the prevailing aims and outcomes for the aid program (and, by extension, the
bilateral or regional relationship)64. On the basis of these, the Country Plan will then
document the intended outcomes for Australia Awards, as well as the priority sectors,
organisational and other priorities, the mix of activities (including both Core and
Enabling activities as described in this design).
In some (perhaps many) cases, a Country Plan will provide for a continuation of the
existing priorities and targets for Australia Awards. There is no expectation that they will
change from year to year; in fact sustained focus can assist with achieving solid
development and other outcomes. However the process will prompt teams to genuinely
consider how they are utilising Australia Awards in the broader context, and to ensure
maximum strategic and developmental value from the investment. The Canberra-based
DFAT Activity Manager will be available to assist country and regional teams to
undertake the analysis, reflection and strategic consideration necessary to prepare wellAusAID M&E and Reintegration Review, 2007
It is important to note that these Plans are separate from the program’s overall Annual Plan, which
would cover all aspects of program implementation (such as alumni engagement support, and program
management activities). Country/Region Plans are specifically to address the planned mix of activities from
the Implementation Toolbox.
64 This will include formal aims and outcomes expressed in Country or Regional strategy or Investment
Plans, as well as more recently announced commitments or objectives. There are announcements relating
to Australia Awards from time to time, which would need to be considered in this process.
62
63
45
Australia Awards in South and West Asia 2015-2020
Investment Design Document
rationalised and clear Country Plans. Country and regional teams will also be able to seek
assistance from the Contractor, to the extent necessary.
The Program will operate within a set of principles for a flexible approach that will allow
for varying involvement by the Contractor and the DFAT Activity Manager in
developing the Country and Region Plans if necessary. It recognises that there is no onesize-fits-all approach and each country context is different, requiring a tailored process.
The fundamental guiding principle is, however, that decision-making remains the
responsibility of Posts and programs. What will vary is the extent of involvement from
the Contractor in the analysis, the consultations, the documentation and the planning
that is required so those strategic decisions can be well made. Each Post will work with
the Contractor to refine the planning process to suit its individual circumstances, and the
specifics will be documented in the Program’s Regional Operations Manual (see the
section addressing Mobilisation Activities, below). In some cases the Contractor will take
the lead in all planning and prioritising consultations, including with Australian
Government agencies at Post; in others the Post itself will take this leading role.
Arrangements will be refined and revised as necessary throughout the Program. Because
the development of Country Plans will involve a varying degree of DFAT and
Contractor input, all Country Plans will be reviewed by the Activity Manager for
consistency and quality as the final step before approval.
There has already been a range of approaches to the strategic direction of Australia
Awards in South and West Asia. In Maldives and Bhutan where the Contractor has an
office but there is no DFAT Post, the Contractor has played an important role in
undertaking some of this work, including meetings with partner government. In India
there is no bilateral aid program and the priority setting does not involve partner
government, but directly supports a pillar of the South and West Asia Regional Strategy.
Across the other four countries partner government negotiations are led by Post, with
varying involvement from the Contractor. For the period of this design, each country
program (or the regional program) will determine the extent and nature of support and
input required from the Contractor.
Consultations as part of the planning process will engage with all Australian Government
agencies at Post, with partner governments, and with civil society and the private sector
(focusing on small and medium enterprises) as relevant.
As part of the Country Plan, the Current Priority Table (described in Section 5) is
updated or confirmed, to explicitly define that country program’s desired outcomes.
Once Country Plans are finalised for all programs, the DFAT Activity Manager will
negotiate any required amendments to the Contractor’s contract, as part of an annual
Contract amendment process that will also address any other necessary contractual
adjustments. This contract amendment will reflect any necessary adjustments to budgets,
operational or technical resources, and administrative or management arrangements,
resulting from decisions about the utilisation of the options in the Implementation
Toolbox.
Setting Targets (Performance Targets)
Each Australia Award program will specify a number of targets for its awards. These
targets will include the precise nature of the intended allocation of awards, and will then
46
Australia Awards in South and West Asia 2015-2020
Investment Design Document
comprise performance targets for the program65. The key to setting useful performance
targets is that they must be viable. Targets that are impossible to meet can only be met
with scepticism by implementers, and efforts to fulfil them may become token. When
left unspecified, performance targets default to either 100 per cent or 0 per cent,
depending on whether the target measures a desirable or undesirable output/outcome,
and perfection is rarely feasible in the real world. So setting a performance target at a
reasonable level is also a means of taking into account contextual limitations when
defining success.
When considering performance targets the most important points to note are that
performance targets must be designed as a coordinated set, and simplistic performance
targets may not be an effective means of achieving outcomes. All performance targets
need to be assessed in regard to whether they are the most effective means of supporting
objectives in the context. In some cases simplistic approaches may be appropriate, in
others more subtle means may be necessary. Annex 7 provides important guidance on
the development of performance targets.
Country Profiles and Desired Applicant Profiles
Once approved, Country and Region Plans (including their Current Priority Table) will
form the basis for the Contractor to prepare Country Profiles. As public documents,
these communicate the specific priorities, targets, selection processes and eligibility
requirements for Australia Awards (mainly scholarships) in each country or region. The
Contractor will also prepare Desired Applicant Profiles (DAPs), which clearly set out the
characteristics of each group of priority candidates. This is an important rigour in that it
ensures that the full range of objectives and performance targets is considered when
seeking applicants (i.e. not just the application of a broad set of priority sectors). They
also inform the development of a targeted promotions strategy that can be specific to
each profile. The Desired Applicant Profile (DAP) format currently used by Pakistan will
be extended across the program and used for all countries.
Annotated Country Plans
At the time of preparing this design, the settings for the 2015 intake of scholarships were
already set; and it was too early to establish these settings for the 2016 intake (particularly
in a time of significant institutional and policy change in the Australian aid program).
Further, the design team was not able to visit each country program nor examine each
program’s use of Australia Awards in depth. As such, this Design does not provide
recommendations regarding the specific use of Australia Awards for each country or
regional program. Establishing these strategic priority settings is the core business of
each country and regional team in DFAT, within the prevailing policy, political and
development context.
However Annex 8 provides a set of annotated Country and Region Plans for Australia
Awards, setting out the current settings (i.e. for the 2015 intake), and offering a set of
comments, questions and suggestions. These annotated Country Plans are intended to
meet two purposes: they function as examples of how the Country/Region Plan tool
would be used in practice, and they provide technical feedback from the design team in
Performance targets generally involve the setting of a numerical or qualitative benchmark (e.g. a
percentage of applicants/awardees or a recognised course standard) that informs implementers of donor
expectations in relation to outputs or outcomes of the program. Provided they are set at viable levels, they
are useful from both donor and Contractor perspectives because they provide a common and explicit
definition of success.
65
47
Australia Awards in South and West Asia 2015-2020
Investment Design Document
response to the current settings for Australia Awards. They are intended to assist country
and region teams to make more strategic and pragmatic use of Australia Awards in the
future.
Targeted Promotions
It is a common misconception in scholarship programs that the key to obtaining the
most appropriate awardees is a rigorous selection process. This overlooks an important
assumption. That is, that the most appropriate awardees are already in the pool of
applicants to which the program applies its selection criteria. However, if the most
appropriate candidates do not apply, they cannot be selected. Therefore the key to
obtaining the ‘best’ awardees is to attract applicants from the most appropriate groups.
Such a targeted approach has the added benefit of reducing the number of unwanted
applications and eases both unproductive workloads in assessing them and the level of
disappointment the program generates in recipient countries.
Once program outcomes, priorities and performance targets are specified, it is therefore
rational to develop strategies that seek applications from men and women who are most
able to deliver contributions towards these objectives or targets. Moreover, it is not
rational to seek applications from persons who cannot do so. Blanket advertising may be
an inefficient approach to seeking appropriate applications as it may increase the total
number of applications to be processed without ensuring the most desirable candidates
have been reached.66
To ensure the most desirable candidates are reached when soliciting applications and
reduce the number of ineligible applicants, the Contractor will annually develop Targeted
Promotions Strategies for each of their Desired Applicant Profiles. In simple terms, this
requires identifying where the greatest concentrations of the desirable candidates are to
be found and targeting promotion to any forums associated with these concentrations.
In some cases this may still involve external print or electronic media, but also more
specific fora such as publications or programs (e.g. specific social media groups, local
professional association publications or broadcasts targeting village women’s health
workers, etc.). In other circumstances, it may be productive to directly target promotions
towards organisations that employ concentrations of desirable candidates. Lessons from
the Pakistan program67 suggest that it is important to distinguish between the different
approaches in relation to organisations:

Basic Targeted Promotions to Organisations. If the organisation is merely
regarded as a good concentration of desirable candidates, only basic targeted
promotions may be warranted. This could simply involve ensuring that any
specific and available fora for reaching the employees of such organisations are
included in standard promotional activities. This may include linking into the
organisation’s internal communications networks or processes, or site visits by
program staff (provided the security situation does not render such site visits
unwise). The key point to note about basic targeted promotions is that it does
not include provision of additional Enabling Assistance Activities, nor does it
Note that this does not mean it should not be used for more general program promotional activities that
do not directly solicit applications. Given that increasing the profile of the program forms an objective of
some programs (e.g. Pakistan), such general promotion (i.e. de-linked from soliciting applications) is a valid
and valuable separate exercise.
67 See the findings of the Independent Progress Review, 2012
66
48
Australia Awards in South and West Asia 2015-2020
Investment Design Document
constitute a partnership with an organisation. It simply ensures that normal
promotional activities reach the desirable candidates in these organisations.

Organisational Partnering. If the organisation is not only regarded as a good
concentration of desirable candidates, but may also play a significant role in
relation to performance targets or objectives more generally68, more active
targeting, known as ‘partnering’ with the organisation, may be warranted. This
process is described in Section 9 and Annex 4.
Mobilisation Activities
The Contractor is expected to be mobilised by early January 2015 for a handover period
with the existing Contractor. Within one month of this full commencement date, the
Contractor will establish all Program offices in the region and mobilise the required staff
(including contracting the non-specified national staff). During this period, DFAT will
instruct the outgoing Contractor to hand over all relevant equipment, files, systems, data
and other material to the incoming Contractor.
The Contractor will provide the services of a full-time Mobilisation Coordinator for two
months, to assist the Regional Manager and other staff with transition, including the
integration of the Pakistan program.
During the first six weeks of implementation, the Contractor will work with all
participating Posts, programs and the Canberra-based Activity Manager to hold a
Mobilisation and Planning Workshop. It will be held in an appropriate location (in the
region or in Bangkok, for efficiency of travel and logistics) and will be of 3-5 days in
duration. The Workshop will bring together all Program staff of the MC; all Post
Program Managers (with Heads of Aid or their delegates to attend at their discretion);
and the Activity Manager. They will work together to set out the plans and processes
necessary to implement the Program in order to take this Design forward into the first
Annual Workplan. Matters to be addressed during the Workshop will include:

Clarification of the roles and responsibilities of the Regional Hub, Country
Offices, Posts, DFAT Canberra and partner governments, which will
subsequently be documented in the Regional Operations Handbook. This will
include updating the proposed governance arrangements to ensure they meet
the prevailing lines of management and authority operating within DFAT in
Canberra and at each Post. It will also define the extent and nature of the
Contractor’s involvement in strategic and operational engagement with partners
in the Australian Government, the partner government, and with stakeholders in
civil society and the private sector (particularly small and medium enterprises). It
may be necessary to follow up with additional bilateral meetings between the
Contractor and some Posts in order to further refine the allocation of roles and
responsibilities and lines of communication, in keeping with the need to tailor
arrangements to each individual Post and program requirements for Contractor
support.

Revisions and refinements to the Regional Operations Manual, including
ensuring it adequately meets the needs of the Pakistan program as well as the
requirements for all other participating country programs and the regional
E.g. they have a strong track record of delivering appropriate contributions in regard to geographic
targets, they have a strong track record on gender or disability contributions, they have a strong track
record in relation to a target sector, they are a key player in supporting a DFAT sector-based program, etc.
68
49
Australia Awards in South and West Asia 2015-2020
Investment Design Document
program of Australia Awards; and that it supports all other activities of the
Program specified in this Design Document.

Negotiation of the lines of communication between the Regional Hub, Country
Offices, Posts, DFAT Canberra and partner governments, which will
subsequently be documented in the Regional Operations Manual as agreed
communications protocols.

Development of plans and strategies for supporting the public and economic
diplomacy priorities of the Australian Government through the Program. This
may include the plans for alumni engagement in support of Posts’ Alumni
Engagement Implementation Plans.

Confirmation of the implementation arrangements for Program monitoring and
evaluation, including staff training in M&E tools and processes.

Training in Scholarships policy, OASIS, and Australia Awards branding as
required.
An important element of this Workshop will be the deliberate building of team
relationships. This reflects the fact that Australia Awards is a genuine partnership
between the Contractor and DFAT, both with hands-on implementation responsibilities.
It also reflects the regional nature of this Program, which provides the opportunity for
peer support and networking across the Country Offices and the Posts.
The Workshop may involve DFAT representatives for a sub-set of the program,
allowing time for the Contractor to use the Workshop for more detailed staff training
and mobilisation briefings.
Staff of DFAT may also chose to hold a stand-alone meeting to further develop and
clarify working arrangements across the participating Posts and the Canberra office.
Subsequently, the Contractor will work with Posts and the Activity Manager to
implement twice-yearly Regional Workshops, bringing together DFAT and Contractor
staff for information exchange, training, learning, consideration of M&E and quality data,
and team building. Workshops will be 2-3 days long with flexible programs designed
each time to meet prevailing needs. As a general rule, one workshop will held early each
calendar and will focus mainly on planning, while the second annual workshop will be
held later in the year to focus on review, reflection and evaluation.
During mobilisation and the following early implementation period of the Program, the
Contractor will produce the following outputs:

Regional Operations Manual – within two months of mobilisation

Monitoring and Evaluation Plan – within three months of mobilisation

Interim Annual Plan – within two weeks of Program Planning Workshop

Inclusivity Strategy – within six months of mobilisation

South and West Asia On Award Engagement Plan – within six months of
mobilisation
13. Procurement Arrangements
The Commonwealth of Australia will undertake procurement of a Contractor for the
Program through an open international tender process. In light of recent experience with
comparable procurement for Australia Awards contractors—which have attracted a
50
Australia Awards in South and West Asia 2015-2020
Investment Design Document
limited number of experienced bidders—a one-step tender process will be used.
Proposals will be welcomed from individual entities or consortia of entities.
The selection process will assess bids according to: their demonstrated knowledge of
supporting the implementation of scholarships and training programs in relevant
developing country contexts; their expertise in tertiary education and training; their
understanding of, and capacity to address, disadvantage and participation issues
(particularly in a South and West Asian context); and in their capacity to provide
Australia-based support for those activities of the Program which will take place in
Australia. The assessment will also consider the extent to which bidders can provide or
establish and operate local offices in the required locations, their capacity to effectively
manage implementation, performance and risk (including security risk), and their capacity
to finance Program implementation.
Bidders will be required to nominate core international personnel in their proposals,
although DFAT will reserve the right to request the replacement of individual nominees
by the preferred tenderer once the selection process has been completed.
The successful Contractor will be required to subcontract service providers throughout
implementation, if and when required, to deliver activities such as English language
training, foundation training activities, and Short Course Award activities.
14. Monitoring and Evaluation
Assessing the outcomes of tertiary scholarships is a long-term endeavour, with
considerable challenges of attribution, contribution, and causality. Nevertheless there are
well-established approaches, proven in South Asia and elsewhere, that enable monitoring
and evaluation to meet its three-fold purposes: enabling accountability; informing
program management; and supporting learning and improvement.
The approach to M&E for Australia Awards in South and West Asia builds on existing
practices and systems in South Asia and Pakistan, integrating and refining them to meet
the needs of this design and the new aid program context with an integrated DFAT. The
Contractor will fully develop the M&E system after mobilisation, working with DFAT
staff to ensure the system meets their needs. It will align with prevailing DFAT
performance and quality guidelines and meet all reporting and management requirements,
particularly relevant global performance benchmarks set out in Making Performance Count69
and the performance benchmarks in relevant Aid Investment Plans. The M&E system
will be documented for DFAT approval within three months of mobilisation.
Monitoring and evaluation will focus on the core activities of the Program: the provision
of core and enabling Australia Awards activities, as well as informal learning
opportunities.
Current System
Strengths
The M&E system currently in place under the existing Australia Awards in South Asia
Program is an ongoing trial of a pilot system, jointly developed by Scholarships and
Alumni Branch and the Program, aimed at implementing and testing the most recent
DFAT M&E policy reforms relating to Australia Awards. Implementation and results of
the trial to date have been generally regarded as successful. Therefore it would be high
69
http://aid.dfat.gov.au/Publications/Documents/framework-making-performance-count.pdf
51
Australia Awards in South and West Asia 2015-2020
Investment Design Document
risk and inappropriate for this design to make any marked changes to this approach to
Monitoring and Evaluation.
The focus of the current trial is on simplification of data gathering processes and
targeting of the most useful raw data (i.e. collecting the highest quality data available and
active avoidance of superfluous, low quality data). Given the most useful raw data in this
context are the examples of actual development contributions and Australian links
generated by alumni, this necessarily requires a rigorous application of basic qualitative
research methodologies. This has implications in regard to increasing workloads
associated with analysis of data once collected, but this additional workload is more than
offset by corresponding savings on the data gathering side. It is also justified on the
quality and practical utility of the findings it generates.
An attempt has also been made in this trial to add efficiencies by incorporating the
gathering of potential communications’ resources into M&E systems. This is designed to
avoid having to revisit alumni if it is decided that one of their development contributions
or Australian links would form the basis of a worthwhile communications product (e.g. a
‘good news story’). Very substantial efficiencies are gained by incorporating this
functionality at the case study stage, rather than the ‘tracer study’ stage. The trial’s case
study methodology is therefore designed to gather these additional communications
products, but in a manner that does not compromise the objective, M&E focus of the
exercise.
Full specifications of the overall M&E system and framework are provided at Annex 9.
Limitations
The current system is generally comprehensive in relation to Australia Awards
Scholarships, including in relation to enabling activities, such as ELT. What remains for
the design to address are the limitations on the current M&E system trial in relation to
the needs of both new countries and new forms of Australia Award incorporated into
the design. The current M&E system trial does not cover Pakistan or Afghanistan. Nor
does it address the monitoring and evaluation of Australia Awards Short Courses,
Australia Awards Fellowships (as modified in this design) or Informal Learning
Opportunities (as defined in this design).
Although Pakistan is not a formal part of the current trial, through its association with
the incumbent Contractor it has already updated most of its M&E system to the South
Asia trial standards. This includes the key outcome-related elements of Alumni
Development Impact Surveys (ADIS) and revised Case Study methodology. Afghanistan
has not been exposed to the trial, but a review of this case by the design team suggests
that transitioning of its current M&E systems relating to Australia Award Scholarships to
the trial’s standard elements is likely to represent a substantial simplification of their
existing processes that will correspondingly also reduce security-related issues associated
with M&E in that country.
Australia Awards Short Courses, Australia Awards Fellowships and Informal Learning
Opportunities, all share similar key characteristics from an output-level, M&E
perspective. They all require arranging and conducting of tailored training courses or
opportunities that are generally not available as off-the-shelf products from potential
providers. Hence, while many of the selection and mobilization processes are sufficiently
similar to be covered by the output level indicators of the program’s existing Monitoring
and Evaluation Framework (MEF), new indicators will be needed to cover performance
in relation to course design and delivery. These should include:
52
Australia Awards in South and West Asia 2015-2020
Investment Design Document

% of short term projects (Short Course/Fellowship/Informal Learning
Opportunity) concept papers completed within 4 weeks of initial request

% of short term projects (Short Course/Fellowship/Informal Learning
Opportunity) contracted to relevant providers within 12 weeks of approval of
concept paper

% of short term projects (Short Course/Fellowship/Informal Learning
Opportunity) delivered within contracted period

% of attendees providing positive feedback in ‘course relevance/quality surveys’*
(broken down by survey question)

% of attendees providing negative feedback in ‘course relevance/quality surveys’*
(broken down by survey question)
Australia Awards Short Courses, Australia Awards Fellowships and Informal Learning
Opportunities, also share similar key characteristics from an outcome-level, M&E
perspective. They are all relatively short time scale interventions. This means that there is
a greater chance recipients will return to the roles they left, and therefore have greater
ability to immediately apply the skills they obtained. In addition, all these forms of
training are better suited to specific technical topics, as targeting of candidates can be
much more focused, if required.
These characteristics imply a much greater ability to predetermine the types of desired
effects (i.e. outcomes) that the program wishes provision of these opportunities to
generate. While the current post-return data collection methodologies will remain valid
(i.e. ADIS, Tracing Surveys and Case Studies), some application periods for these
instruments may need to change. For example, the ADIS would be better applied earlier,
at 3 and 9 months after return (rather than at 6 and 18 months, as for longer-term
Australia Award Scholarships). There is also an improved ability for candidates of these
types of interventions to predict how they may apply their new skills. This means that a
tentative plan for doing so may be productively developed and used in comparison to
actual ADIS results70. In other country programs, this individual-focused action planning
is carried out with the assistance of the contracted course provider, rather than directly
by the Contractor. For efficiency purposes, this model is also recommended in this case.
However, it will be the responsibility of the Contractor to design and provide a standard
format for such action plan development.
Given course provision is not covered by an existing overarching contract with DFAT
(i.e. as per Australia Award Scholarships), performance of providers will also need to be
measured independently. For this purpose, a post return, course relevance/quality
surveys of attendees should be designed and conducted (immediately on return) by the
Contractor (i.e. for probity reasons this should not be delegated to the course provider).
The results of this survey, cross-checked with ADIS results, can be used to assess
provider performance. New indicators based on the data products of these new
instruments can then be incorporated into the MEF.
Data Management
Data storage for the MEF will be approached pragmatically. As far as possible,
centralised DFAT-administered databases such as OASIS and the Global Alumni
This is already carried out to some extent with longer term Scholarships, but as a means of
communicating program expectations, rather than an M&E tool.
70
53
Australia Awards in South and West Asia 2015-2020
Investment Design Document
Database will be used as primary storage locations. However, these databases cannot
meet all program MEF data storage needs. For the remainder, data will be stored at the
regional Hub, with Posts accessing this storage for update or review purposes. The
Program Database will be managed by the M&E Officer who will also be the dedicated
data manager. This role will be to ensure data quality and undertake data cleansing. Posts
are encouraged not to maintain their own separate databases, on the basis that this is
likely to lead to both duplication of effort as well as data, and the risk of and mismatched
data between Posts and Hub.
The Contractor will work with DFAT to ensure that data storage and management
systems and practices comply as required with prevailing privacy legislation in Australia
and in program countries.
Information Flows and Reporting
Formal reporting cycles will be kept as simple and timely as possible; to avoid interfering
with other work and to feed into DFAT planning and assessment cycles as neatly as
possible. With this in mind, the currently separate M&E Report and Annual Report will
be combined, and this report will be produced in October or November each year. The
exact timing of the report will be jointly agreed by DFAT and the Contractor, based on
an assessment of information needs associated with annual planning and Quality at
Implementation (QAI) cycles. An interim Six Monthly Update report will also be
provided in February or April (at six months from the annual report date), and will
consist of the Outputs Dashboard already in use by the South Asia Australia Awards
program, and a revision of the standard Outcomes analysis, based on any new Alumni
Development Impact Survey or Tracing Exercise data.
Other standard DFAT requirements such as Contractor Performance Assessments, will
be conducted in line with existing policy.
15. Inclusiveness
Historically, Australia Awards in South and West Asia generally has performed well in
the inclusion of women as well as men (i.e. gender inclusivity). It has faced more
challenges making the program inclusive for people with a disability. Individual country
programs have taken varying approaches to addressing the participation of other
disadvantaged groups in their countries, with varying success. The Pakistan program, for
example, targets the participation of men and women from the disadvantaged areas of
Balochistan, FATA and KP. By contrast, the Nepal program targets individuals from
ethnic minorities, in response to the broad disadvantage those people experience in
Nepal, including their under-representation in the civil service. Each program will
continue to calibrate its targeting of awards to respond to the particular and specific
context and requirements of their country, supported by the enhanced annual planning
process already set out in Section 12.
The Contractor will prepare an Inclusivity Strategy during the first year of program
implementation. In order to prepare this Strategy, the Contractor will analyse program
data from across the region regarding the participation of traditionally marginalised and
disadvantaged groups, and will undertake or commission any targeted analysis necessary
to prepare a well-informed Strategy. Specific analytical work is noted in the following
sections.
The approach to access and inclusiveness across the Program will be founded on the
commitment to the principle of ‘Do No Harm’, as already discussed.
54
Australia Awards in South and West Asia 2015-2020
Investment Design Document
Following a scholarship, awardees from disadvantaged groups or areas may be more
likely to leave the area or organisation in which they were previously living and working.
A prestigious and internationally recognised qualification can be a catalyst to enable them
to secure improved professional and personal opportunities—this is partly the intent of
Australia Awards, but the Program is also intended to deliver broader benefits to the
locations and organisations targeted. The risk that the Program will contribute to ‘brain
drain’ from areas or organisations already facing additional challenges in terms of highly
educated personnel is real, and there are limits in the extent to which the Program can be
implemented to minimise that risk. Nevertheless, the Program will carefully consider the
risks of brain drain as part of its overall analysis of effective approaches to inclusiveness.
As noted already in this document, English language levels are frequently the primary
barrier to participating in Australia Awards, and this can especially be the case for women,
people with a disability, and those from disadvantaged groups or locations. Each country
and regional program will determine its own approach to supporting English language
access to Australia Awards; in some cases this may include provision of English language
training – either before or after shortlisting or selection processes.
Gender
To the extent that it does not contravene ‘Do No Harm’ principles by putting them at
increased risk, the Program will continue to provide approximately half of all Awards
(both long- and short-term awards) to women in each of the participating country and
region programs.
In many participating countries, scholarship awards are still heavily concentrated within
the civil service, and in most countries in South and West Asia the civil service remains
male-dominated. This makes the awarding of scholarships to equal number of men and
women more difficult. Some programs respond by balancing the overall cohort with
more women awardees from outside the civil service; this is a valid response and country
programs may choose to continue with this approach. An alternative is to implement
pre-award activities designed to improve the capacity of women to secure participation in
Australia Awards. These enabling activities can include such things as pre-award English
language training for women; or modified shortlisting criteria for women candidates.
Some countries shortlist men and women separately, selecting equal numbers from each
shortlist. The Implementation Toolbox provides detail on these options, and each
country or regional program will make its own assessment and decision on the most
relevant approaches in their context.
The current Contractor is undertaking a gender analysis of barriers to accessing
scholarships in South Asia. As part of preparing the Inclusiveness Strategy, the incoming
Contractor will refer to the gender analysis across the program, so that the gender
aspects of the Inclusiveness Strategy can be up-to-date and contemporary. The
Inclusiveness Strategy will set out a comprehensive approach to promoting and achieving
gender equality across all aspects of Australia Awards in South and West Asia. The
monitoring and evaluation system will ensure that all reporting considers genderdisaggregated data as well as analysis of the differing barriers, enablers and experiences
men and women experience across the Program. The Contractor will also ensure that
pre-departure and other formal events address gender considerations (including gender
issues in Australian society, for those travelling to Australia), and will promote equal
opportunity for women in staff employment and management.
55
Australia Awards in South and West Asia 2015-2020
Investment Design Document
Disability
Australia Awards promotes opportunities for men and women with a disability. In all
participating countries people with disability face additional challenges to participating in
education; many are excluded from school education, before they even face the
possibility of moving into tertiary study. This already limits the scope for people with
disability to access Australia Awards, and these challenges are beyond the scope of the
Program to address. However for those people with disability who have participated in
education and work sufficient to enable them to participate in Australia Awards, the
Program will endeavour to ensure it is accessible.
Australia Awards is governed by its global policy: Principles and Procedures for Disability
Support (dated February 2014). This policy states that the principles for the provision of
disability support for Australia Awards Scholarship recipients are:

Reasonable adjustments should be provided to allow awardees with disability to
participate in their Scholarship on an equal basis with all other awardees.

Adjustments should be considered at all stages of the Scholarship cycle.

Australian institutions have an obligation to provide all students with reasonable
adjustments to support their academic endeavours. DFAT provides ‘nonacademic’ reasonable adjustments.

Each awardee’s support requirements will be different and must be assessed on a
case-by-case basis.

Standard Scholarship Entitlements that all Australia Award Scholarship recipients
receive (such as Contribution to Living Allowance and Supplementary Academic
Support) should not be used to fund disability support.

Additional DFAT funds for disability reasonable adjustments should be allocated
on a needs basis after a disability assessment. These funds form part of the value
of the awardee’s Scholarship.
The secondary aim of Australia Awards Scholarships disability policy is to enable
awardees to develop disability management skills and greater independence. These are
life-long skills that assist awardees in Australia and beyond. These skills also increase the
awardee’s individual development impact.
As noted above, DFAT can and will provide funding for non-academic reasonable
adjustments to enable people with disability to participate equally in their Australia
Awards Scholarship. This funding will be provided on a needs basis only. The purpose of
this funding is to create a level playing field for all awardees to face the academic
challenges of their courses.
While there is no fixed schedule of allowances for disability support services, the global
program provides for “reasonable support”. The Disability Adviser to the Scholarships
and Alumni Branch makes the judgement on what comprises reasonable support on a
case-by-case basis. Further, any training provided in addition to Australia Awards (such
as any English or IELTS training, or Foundation Award activities), and the design and
implementation of short-term activities such as Short Course Awards or Fellowships will
also be required to address accessibility factors so people with a disability are able to
participate.
During the promotion and selection process, the Contractor will ensure that information
about Australia Awards is made accessible to potential candidates with a disability,
56
Australia Awards in South and West Asia 2015-2020
Investment Design Document
including providing accessible application forms and making reasonable adjustments to
the venue and format for interviews. In some cases a country or regional program may
also consider modifying the shortlisting requirements for applicants with a disability –
most commonly this involved a small reduction in the required IELTS score – however
this must be treated with caution. Only applicants who are genuinely like to succeed in
their study or training through the Program should be granted awards; otherwise the
Program risks setting up individuals for failure, in violation of the Do No Harm principle.
16. Anti-Corruption
The Program will maintain existing anti-corruption measures from the South Asia and
Pakistan Australia Awards programs, and will continually review and refine those
measures to ensure they remain relevant and effective. The measures include a
continuing commitment to transparent and fair selection processes that minimise the risk
of interference, including the potential for nepotism or corrupt decision-making. The
Contractor will continue to utilise external selection panels that include external
members (who are changed each year, to avoid the risk of influence). The Monitoring
and Evaluation Plan and the Risk Management Plan (see below) will ensure that any
corruption, or risk of corruption, is identified and addressed in a timely and transparent
manner.
17. Risk Assessment and Management
Australia Awards uses well-established delivery mechanisms - Australian institutions and
a Contractor – with policies and processes to reduce and manage risks that have been
developed and refined over decades. There are a number of risks common across all
Australia Awards programs and risks specific to this Program, which are set out in the
risk register at Annex 10.
One of the main risks to achieving the objectives is not selecting the ‘right’ candidate,
and the candidate not selecting the ‘right’ course. To address these risks, the design
provides comprehensive advice and recommendations on the best mix of activities to
achieve the outcomes, and strategies to identify the candidates most likely to achieve the
program objectives, through targeted promotions and enabling assistance.
There is a risk of awardees from some target groups that are concentrated in conflictaffected areas seeking to remain in Australia at the completion of their studies71. The
design includes guidance and recommendations on targeting such groups, or candidates
from conflict-affected areas to enable country programs to give careful consideration to
such targets. In addition, the design includes resources for on-award support and
engagement not previously provided, that will enable the Contractor to more closely
monitor at-risk awardees, and provide additional support and guidance through a return
home workshop to mitigate the risk of non-return.
Several of the countries covered under the design have ongoing or deteriorating political
stability or security situations (Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan) while others change
from time to time (Nepal) or have recently emerged from entrenched conflict (Sri Lanka).
Risks presented by the operating environment have been managed well over the past five
Even in Early 2013, the Pakistan IPR specifically discussed concerns over a recent increase in the
number of awardees applying for other visas, and found that this was a largely unavoidable consequence of
the program’s geographic focus on insecure border provinces. The design team found that support for this
existing border province focus had substantially declined within DFAT and that it was continuing to cause
other significant issues in relation to access of promotional activities and the meeting of inclusiveness
targets.
71
57
Australia Awards in South and West Asia 2015-2020
Investment Design Document
years in both South Asia and Pakistan, with only minor security incidents affecting the
Contractor staff or offices. Operations are adjusted as required to respond to changes in
the security environment. The design has given careful consideration to the implications
for operations in countries with ongoing instability or potential security risks, and what is
required to mitigate these (see below).
The incidence of fraud to date has been minimal and well managed. Instances of fraud
by applicants and awardees have included falsifying receipts for reimbursement and
submission of false/altered documents in applications. Awards have been withdrawn or
terminated where fraud has been found to occur, in line with Australia Awards global
policies and the agency’s zero tolerance for fraud. Some policies and implementation
arrangements for Australia Awards are set at the global level and are intended to mitigate
against this risk (e.g. the Minimum Standards for Selections; awardee management by
DFAT and the institution through a single system). There are also requirements set by
institutions (such as level of prior education, English language ability) and the
Department of Immigration and Border Protection that mitigate this risk.
Security Assessment and Planning
At least five countries covered by the design have recently experienced violent internal
conflict of varying degrees, or currently continue to do so (viz. Afghanistan, Pakistan,
Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka and India). In at least three of these countries, a key
element of such conflict has been actions by Islamic extremist groups. The program
needs to be cognisant that ‘western education’ is often seen as an undesirable influence
by such groups and has been used as a basis for targeted violence in these and similar
contexts72. In addition, criminal kidnapping for ransom that targets anyone identified as
‘privileged’ is a very common activity in many South and West Asian countries. Current
practices include targeting of individuals returning from extended overseas stays73.
Programs such as Australia Awards need to at least be mindful of the risks that being
associated with a western education program have for both staff and participants.
Decoupling of promotion aimed at raising the program profile from promotion aimed at
soliciting applications (see Section 4) also has security benefits as it meant that the
program could be promoted broadly, but the release of information that might be used
to prompt or facilitate targeting of staff or participants could be better contained.
While many sector-based DFAT programs in such contexts routinely conduct extensive
security and ‘Do No Harm’ assessments, scholarships programs have traditionally been
very lax in applying the same rigor. There is no valid reason for scholarship programs to
avoid such standard duty of care requirements. The implications of targeted violence
against staff or participants of Australia Award programs are so serious, both for
For example: High Schools, Universities and western education agencies such as the British Council. are
often the targets of bombings in Pakistan and Afghanistan (e.g.
http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2014/01/09/22243350-heroic-student-killed-stopping-suicidebomber-at-high-school-in-pakistan; www.protectingeducation.org/country-profile/afghanistan,
http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/news/uk-afghan-joint-venture-survives-the-bombblast/417574.article). Islamic fundamentalists have also bombed universities in Bangladesh (e.g.
http://www.munshigonj.com/News/news170805_01.htm). This pattern is consistent with approaches
adopted by Islamic extremist groups worldwide. For example, the name of the Nigerian extremist group
‘Boko Haram’ literally means ‘western education is sinful’. There have also been attacks on foreign
scholarship recipients by the Al-Shabaab group in Somalia
[http://www.universityworldnews.com/article.php?story=2011100811563089].
73 Often Pakistani Diaspora, but such criminals generally do not make fine distinctions, so returning long
term scholars must be regarded has having similar risks.
72
58
Australia Awards in South and West Asia 2015-2020
Investment Design Document
individuals and program viability, that even if the risk of such action is regarded as
moderate, all steps need to be taken to avoid inadvertently encouraging or facilitating
such targeting. Note that taking such steps need not come at significant additional
expense. In most cases, appropriate steps will consist of ‘not doing something’; because
effective mitigating actions in such contexts will usually be well beyond the scope of the
program. For participants of Australia Award programs, such steps usually involve not
publishing or otherwise releasing material that may be used to identify individuals and
taking appropriate caution when gathering staff and/or participants together.
It is important to recognise that, in such conflict/post-conflict/high-criminality contexts,
normal practices in relation to certain risks can no longer be validly applied. For example,
asking an employee if they feel safe entering an area, or asking a participant to sign a
waiver to publish their photograph are extremely flawed approaches to risk assessment
and amelioration in these settings. In the case of the employee, they have an obvious
vested interest in being willing to enter dangerous locations (e.g. fear of not obtaining a
job or fear of losing their job). In the case of the participant, the waiver is only ever
intended to mitigate a legal issue, not one associated with targeted violence. In addition, a
participant who may potentially benefit or has already benefited from an award may feel
a considerable obligation to comply with the requests of their benefactor—even if it
entails considerable personal risk to themselves.
Similarly, if subsets of participants do not object to having their details publicised (e.g. on
the basis of potential for personal advancement), it is not appropriate to conclude that all
participants should similarly appreciate such treatment. Women in particular, are often at
greater risk than males, so even well intentioned, standard practices such as gender
targets should be approached with caution. In such settings it is always necessary that
gender and other inclusiveness targets include an explicit qualification that the target is
only to be progressed to the extent that it does not generate significantly increased
security or personal safety risks for staff or participants. To not include such a caveat
would allow aggressive application of such inclusiveness targets to defeat the very
purposes they were applied for in the first instance.
Another consideration is that persons who already have a significant public profile have
far less to lose than those that do not (i.e. many of the identified risks already exist for
such public figures, but the program may be creating such risks for others). In some
cases, exceptions to certain policies can therefore be made in regard to persons who
already have significant public profiles (e.g. high-level politicians, etc.), but these should
truly be exceptions, rather than the rule.
The Pakistan IPR correctly suggested the immediate implementation of a ‘no-names, nofaces’ policy in regard to program publications or other releasing of information
(including print or electronic, logo-identified mail, and publicly accessible databases).
This policy simply requires that such material must be produced in a manner that cannot
be used to identify individuals; it does not prevent the production of such material or the
inclusion of (more carefully selected) photos in communications products. Certain
Government agencies in Pakistan (e.g. FATA) already have such publication policies in
place, so a perceived risk of targeting does exist in the context. Such a policy is a sensible
minimum requirement as an interim measure for both Pakistan and Afghanistan contexts,
and application should be strictly enforced. Some coaching of applicants and awardees
on minimizing their exposure to any risks of being associated with the program is also
required, as is the intentional decoupling of general program promotion from the
soliciting of applications, so that broad-scale advertising may still occur in response to
59
Australia Awards in South and West Asia 2015-2020
Investment Design Document
objectives related to raising the profile of the program, but without inclusion of any
details or prompts that may facilitate targeting7475.
Additional appropriate measures already discussed in this design include the
establishment of a permanent DFAT-Contractor critical incidents response group and
critical incidents register.
The Contractor will be required to commission Security and Do No Harm Risk Assessments
for every participating country that has recently experienced or is still subject to internal
violent conflict or high levels of criminal kidnapping, and to undertake these assessments
within two months of Program commencement. The assessments must cover potential
risks to both program staff and participants76, and include specific recommendations for
appropriate responses. The assessments will be subcontracted to an organization that is
independent of the Contractor and has appropriate skills and experience in the security
field. The assessments will be provided directly to DFAT, without Contractor comment
or amendment. DFAT will then task the Contractor to develop Security and Do No Harm
Strategies for each relevant country that respond to assessment findings and
recommendations. The final Strategies will require DFAT approval and must be in place
within four months of program commencement. They will be reviewed and updated
annually by the Contractor.
Note that this approach allows the flexibility for each country program’s security and do
no harm measures to be different. However, it is within each country program’s duty of
care regime to ensure that Security and Do No Harm Risk Assessments are appropriately
addressed; even if related measures are not in line with existing country program or
Contractor preferences.
18. Sustainability
Under the current OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC) definition,
sustainability is concerned with ‘measuring whether the benefits of an activity are likely to
continue after donor funding has been withdrawn’77. In terms of an ongoing scholarship
program, the most logical way to apply this definition is to consider each scholarship
recipient as a separate activity under the broader program.
A sustainable outcome would be demonstrated if by evidence that showed alumni
continued to produce development contributions or maintain Australian links in the
long-term. As well as that these contributions or links were at least partially attributable
to the qualifications or skills they obtained through their Australia Award (or
contemporary equivalent) or their experience living in Australia.
As discussed in the M&E section of this design, past equivalents of the Australia Award
program have not been well focused on collecting specific and reliable data on alumni
development contributions or Australian links (i.e. in the form of actual examples of
such contributions or links). The Australia Awards program has attempted to correct this
It is noted that centralized Australia Awards communications policy does not explicitly note that
exceptions to standard ‘branding’ and other approaches are allowed in high risk contexts. It is hoped this
can be added in the near future.
75 This issue also has implications in relation to attempts by awardees to remain in Australia after
completion of their award.
76 and potentially Australian national interest.
77 http://www.ipdet.org/files/Publication-The_OECD-DAC_Criteria_for_International.pdf
74
60
Australia Awards in South and West Asia 2015-2020
Investment Design Document
with a number of Monitoring and Evaluation policy reforms that are now being trialled
by different programs, primarily in the region to which this design relates.
On the basis of the limited evidence collected to date in relation to long-term
scholarships, it would appear that provision of an award is a highly sustainable aid
modality. In both South Asia and Africa, concrete examples have been recorded of
alumni continuing to deliver development contributions in the field of their award study
for decades after the program ceased providing them any direct assistance. In both
regions this included specific examples in which alumni had direct input into successive
national development plans spanning at least two decades78. In addition, these alumni
directly attribute the opportunities to undertake such roles as being the ‘start of their
career’ that the Australia Award (or contemporary equivalent) provided. Few sectorbased aid programs would be able to similarly directly measure evidence of sustainability
spanning decades. While this data is no longer just anecdotal, it is still based on limited
dataset, but the initial indications are therefore very positive.
From the same limited data, it appears that maintenance of longer-term Australian links
is not an area in which the program has had strong success to date. Links that are
maintained are primarily personal or academic, with few examples of longer-term
professional links collected. This is therefore an aspect of the program for which
improvements may be made in regard to sustainability.
Of course, many options still remain for further promoting sustainability within the
program, especially in relation to maintenance of Australian links. However, it should be
carefully noted that to comply with the DAC definition of sustainability, these measures
must be firmly focused on promoting either ongoing development contributions or
ongoing Australian links by alumni. Such initiatives may include:

provision of alumni-targeted, ongoing professional development activities

facilitation of alumni networks

provision of opportunities to stay engaged with the program (e.g. use of alumni
in selection panels or pre-departure training, etc.)

provision of funding to alumni (e.g. via small grants) to conduct development or
Australian link related activities.
Initiatives relating to each of these options are already incorporated into the existing
design and will be continued in this revision.
A specific new proposal that this design would like to put forward is the provision of a
number of Australia Award Fellowship or Short Course Award opportunities exclusively
available to alumni who have been back (and resident) in their home country for three or
more years. Such Fellowships or Short Courses would need to be pre-arranged, but
doing so with an Australian academic institution would present few difficulties, and this
design already includes provision for the Contractor to undertake such a role.
Provision of such targeted Fellowships/Short Courses would serve three key functions:

78
it would facilitate ongoing professional development and linking opportunities
that would further improve alumni effectiveness at sustainably producing desired
outcomes
Bhutan Case Study, 2013 and Australia Awards in Africa IPR, 2012
61
Australia Awards in South and West Asia 2015-2020
Investment Design Document

it would the improve ability to attribute these longer-term outcomes to the
program

it would provide an incentive for alumni to remain engaged in the program and
actively provide current contact details and achievements to date (i.e. in the form
of application forms) to the M&E systems of the program; thereby allowing
more comprehensive and effect measurement of program outcomes79.
Thus this Fellowship/Short Course initiative could be used both as a sustainability and
M&E tool80. The Contractor will work with Scholarships and Alumni Branch to develop
this proposal further.
More passive attempts at encouraging 3+ year alumni to continue providing such information have
encountered almost negligible response rates.
80 In the case of the M&E system included in this design, applications submitted for the Fellowships could
effectively function as the ‘Tracing Survey’.
79
62