Networking the Nation programme assessed

Stuart Corner
Sunday, 16 October 2005 16:23

IT Industry - Deals

Communications minister, Senator Helen Coonan, has released an evaluation of the seven year $320 million Networking the Nation program.

She claimed that the report shows how the program "helped connect Australians in rural, regional and remote Australia by funding more than 720 communications projects."

According to Coonan, "Thanks to various programs funded under NTN, Australians living in rural, regional and remote areas are now largely Internet-literate and indeed, some services, such as videoconferencing, are now used more in the bush than in the city.

"Networking the Nation programs have also made significant improvements to infrastructure levels and improved service provision in regional Australia. Initiatives such as local call Internet access and improvements to mobile phone service have ensured that regional, rural and remote area telecommunications haven't missed out on the benefits of technology.

However during its lifetime the programme came in for plenty of criticism, even from within the Government, that money was being squandered on many small projects likely to have little lasting impact.

In March 2003 the NTN secretariat wrote to all grant recipients complaining that: "There are many projects that have fallen well behind the milestones in their funding agreements and have progress reports which are well overdue."

Later that year the National Audit Office concluded that money for the programme had expended without adequate needs assessment.

However one part of the assessment is an efficiency review prepared by an external consultant, who, according to the minister's press release "found much to praise about the program, favourably comparing its administrative processes with Australian National Audit Office requirements."

The Networking the Nation evaluation report is in four parts. DCITA has prepared a report identifying the social and economic impacts of the program. The second report looks at the tangible assets and services Networking the Nation has delivered to regional, rural and remote communities and an efficiency review was prepared by an external consultant.

The third part is efficiency review. The final part of the assessment "draws together the elements of the first three reports to produce a Lessons Learnt report." This was not available on the website at press time.


Coonan claimed "This part of the evaluation work is already producing results. The experience of running the Networking the Nation program has already helped shape the development of regional communications programs and will be beneficial to the Connect Australia initiatives."

The Networking the Nation evaluation reports are available online at www.dcita.gov.au