One year ago, the Australian Government released the nation’s first international development policy (the policy) in almost a decade. In the run-up, it was careful to manage stakeholder expectations: this policy would be about stabilisation and foundation building, but it would also “chang[e] how Australia delivers development.”
Some stakeholders were pleased that the policy put a floor under a decade of budget decay and policy drift, hoping it set the stage for a more serious renovation of Australian development in a later term of government. Others worried at the mismatch between the rhetoric and capability to achieve it. All agreed: the proof of the policy pudding would be in its implementation.
Here at the Lab, we’ve taken a look at what’s happened since. Whilst it’s too early to draw conclusions on this policy’s success after only a year, we’ve highlighted progress to date and what we’ll be watching for in the next twelve months – and beyond.
Our take? There’s been activity, for sure – much of it internal, as the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) cracks on with re-organising itself for the task. We expect visible progress coming into the end of 2024.
But ultimately Australia will need to invest in a more substantial program of reform if it wants to maximise the impact of what could be one of its most powerful elements of statecraft.
Happy anniversary – and happy reading.
