Desert Services That Work: Year One Research Report

Desert Services That Work: Year One Research Report Report

DKCRC Working Paper

• Author(s): Moran, M , Anda, M , Elvin, R , Kennedy, A, Long, S, McFallan, S, McGrath, N , Memmott, P, Mulgan, R, Stanley, O , Sullivan, P, Tedmanson, D, Wright, A, Young, M
• Published: 2009
• Publisher: Desert Knowledge CRC
• Volume: 30

Link to resource Report broken link

Abstract: People working in the administration of Aboriginal affairs all over Australia tell a similar story: they are overwhelmed by the complexity of the system they work within and feel policy-makers don’t listen to them. At a time of unprecedented change in the policy environment it is becoming increasingly urgent to understand what is happening in the service system, ensure the capacity needed to manage the system is built and technological and governance solutions to improve the system are found. This project addresses the second of the outcomes proposed for the Desert Knowledge Cooperative Research Centre (DKCRC): ‘Remote desert communities that are more sustainable to support the presence of desert people, as a result of facilitating access to more attractive services that are delivered more efficiently’ (DKCRC 2008). The project is directed by a steering group that includes a range of people engaged in Aboriginal affairs: Aboriginal leaders and entrepreneurs and non-Aboriginal service providers. The steering group has revised and endorsed the following five research questions to guide the project: 1. What are the characteristics of the interplay between demand and supply of services according to the perceptions of consumers and service providers engaged at the local interface? 2. What conditions permit successful practice to develop between consumers and service-providers? 3. At what scales of governance should different service delivery functions be assigned in order to optimise both demand and supply based criteria? 4. What are the service type and delivery style priorities of consumers within a specified budget framework, and what is their capacity to participate and willingness to contribute to those services? 5. What are the critical issues and strategies required to improve the service system, including the strengths and weaknesses of different technology and governance options?

• Urls: http://www.nintione.com.au/resource/DKCRC-Working-paper-30-Desert-Services-That-Work.pdf, https://web.archive.org/web/20180405112504/http://www.desertknowledgecrc.com.au/resource/DKCRC-Working-paper-30-Desert-Services-That-Work.pdf
• Publisher Location: Alice Springs
• Keywords: service delivery, technology, governance, case study