Education programs designed to bridge the gap between students living in regional Australia and those in cities are being undermined by a lack of processes to monitor progress, according to an audit report.
The Australian National Audit Office assessed a $400 million package announced by the former coalition government in 2020 for programs to be delivered by the education department over five years.
The package aimed to improve outcomes for remote university, VET and TAFE students and halve the disparity between the city and regions when it came to education attainment rates.
The gap was about 21 per cent in 2016.
While the department effectively designed and implemented programs to improve educational opportunities and access for students in regional Australia, the audit found it was "undermined" by a lack of processes to assess targets.
The department collected data about the initiatives but the information wasn't being used to monitor whether the programs were improving student outcomes.
"In the absence of a package level evaluation framework, the department has been unable to verify whether programs and initiatives ... are achieving intended access and participation outcomes for regional and remote students," the report said.
Auditors made two recommendations to establish a performance measurement system with data collection to better evaluate higher education outcomes for regional and remote students.
Both were accepted.
The audit office had similar instructions for other government departments to improve how they monitored program delivery.
"An overarching framework that clearly articulates the purpose of the measure ... can provide the parliament with confidence that money is being spent in accordance with legislative requirements and intended outcomes are being monitored and achieved," the report said.
"Successful implementation is underpinned by effective monitoring, review and evaluation processes."
