Indigenous Advancement Strategy (IAS) Grant Activity Review

Ninti One was contracted by the National Indigenous Australians Agency (NIAA) to undertake 149 Indigenous Advancement Strategy (IAS) Grant Activity Reviews across consecutive years, covering all NIAA regions in Australia.

The IAS is the way the Australian Government funds and delivers a range of programs for First Nations Australians. Administered by NIAA, the IAS has six key streams that fund activities designed to improve outcomes for First Nations people through targeted, place based initiatives. The reviews covered projects across Jobs, Land and the Economy, Children and Schooling, Safety and Wellbeing, Culture and Capability and Remote Australia Strategies, and we engaged with many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations and non-Indigenous organisations working on the ground.

Ninti One’s Grant Activity Reviews applied a collaborative, strengths based approach, engaging grant recipients, communities and NIAA regional staff to identify what is working, where services can be strengthened, and how to increase local ownership and impact.

Through in person, on site engagement, each review assessed up to 15 funded activities within a region or subprogram. This process generated evidence based insights to inform continuous improvement in service delivery and grants policy, while strengthening the capability of both NIAA staff and funded organisations.

In delivering this work, Ninti One developed strong working knowledge of NIAA funding agreements, including project schedules, performance measures and reporting requirements. Engagement across all NIAA regions built trusted relationships with community organisations and provided deep insight into local contexts, strengthening understanding of how IAS funding translates into effective, place based outcomes.

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