Resources for Regions Round Seven Process Evaluation

The funded projects aim to reduce the impact of mining on regional NSW communities through community and economic infrastructure, community programs, and the development of businesses cases to scope and build the evidence for new projects.

This Process Evaluation assesses the efficiency and effectiveness of activities relating to program design, application, assessment and funding deed negotiation processes. It follows a Strategic Review of the program conducted in 2019, and looks specifically at the extent to which the recommendations where implemented effectively, and the impact they had on program administration.

The evaluation found the implementation of the Strategic Review recommendations had a demonstrable benefit to the administration of Round Seven. The program was fully committed for the first time in three rounds, there was a high understanding of the program’s intent among applicants and, in general, stakeholders were satisfied with the grant administration process.

The findings of this process evaluation have been used to drive program improvements in R4R Round Eight and program planning, design and delivery in other regional grant programs. Specifically, R4R Round Eight has allowed additional funding per LGA for business case development in response to demand, streamlined the application and funding deed forms to get projects started sooner and increased internal resourcing to ensure an appropriate level of program support is provided to applicants and to meet processing timelines.
 

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Date of publication: June 2021