Part 4/5 - The evaluation process
State and Commonwealth evaluation prioritisation and funding approval processes
The Commonwealth Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) makes an annual call for Industry and Indigenous Skill Centre program applications on a financial year basis. This call generally takes place late in the year. Upon the Commonwealth announcement, the State will make a formal call for applications to meet the Commonwealth application submission deadline:
- All applications should be submitted to the Program Leader, Industry Services Unit, Industry Skills Development Directorate, DFEEST
- All applications received will be provided with a formal acknowledgement of receipt, and applicants will be advised accordingly as their application progresses through the system.
The evaluation process in South Australia is two-tiered.
Firstly, the Industry Services Unit, DFEEST, conducts an evaluation of all submitted applications to ensure they have achieved the required program guideline and prescribed quality assurance standards.
After this process is complete, all applications are presented to two independent State Evaluation and Prioritisation Panels:
- The Industry Skills Centre Panel
- The VET Infrastructure for Indigenous People Panel
The relevant panel evaluates all applications against VET training needs and skills demands for the State. The program guideline requirements and the Quality Assurance Processes are used to evaluate compliance and quality of applications, and are used as fundamental elements to ensure compliance with expected outcomes of the evaluation and prioritisation process. It is imperative for all applicants to ensure that their application proposal is significantly researched against independent sources, and all applications demonstrate an identified skills need and training demand in industry or the community in the proposal.
The second tier involves the State endorsing and forwarding all evaluated and prioritised applications by the State Evaluation and Prioritisation Panels to DEEWR for National Evaluation, endorsement and Funding Approval.
Applicants will be formally notified when applications are forwarded to DEEWR for the National Evaluation and Funding Approval Process. If, for whatever reason, applications are not approved by the State Evaluation and Prioritisation process, applicants will be formally notified and provided feedback if requested.
On completion of the National Evaluation and Funding Approval Process, DFEEST will be notified by DEEWR of the successfully funded applicants, and DFEEST will, in turn, inform all applicants of the outcome of the National Evaluation and Funding Approval Process. All unsuccessful applicants will be provided feedback if requested.
When DFEEST have informed all successful applicants, applicants will be expected to commence the Funding Deed development process (see Part 5), and make every effort to provide all outstanding application information discussed, and agreed, at the Enquiry Process, in a timely manner.