Research
IBA’s targeted research provides an evidence base for its approach to Indigenous economic development and explores new opportunities and partnerships to increase Indigenous participation in the Australian economy.
The direction and focus of research projects that IBA undertakes or participates in is derived from the IBA Research Strategy, which involves an annual consultative process across IBA and with the IBA Executive to inform new project directions. Once approved, research projects are undertaken in close consultation with relevant IBA business areas to ensure that they are appropriate and relevant to program research needs.
We will achieve our vision and objective by having the right information:
- to develop products and services that meet the needs of Indigenous Australians and advance IBA’s purpose
- to influence broader policy development
The research projects undertaken in 2008–09 are set out in Table 19.
Over the past 18 months, IBA has been developing and testing two tools to enable it to measure the broader social and economic outcomes of its investments – a Social Return on Investment (SROI) tool and a baseline profiling tool. The SROI tool is a spreadsheet that calculates a dollar value for employment, income and dividends as outcomes of investments. The baseline profiling tool measures the impacts on the social circumstances of communities where IBA invests. The baseline tool could also be used to identify and monitor risks that may relate to the potential of an investment to deliver social and commercial outcomes.
IBA is considering beginning a one-year pilot of the SROI and baseline profiling tools in 2009–10. Its objectives would be to further refine the tools, develop best practice in their implementation, train staff to implement them, and develop a database to collect data with appropriate reporting capabilities. The pilot would involve applying the tools to five investments that represent a cross-section of active and passive investments, urban and rural investments, and established and new businesses.
| Research project | Purpose | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Measuring the social and economic outcomes of IBA’s investments | To develop practical tools to measure the social and economic outcomes of IBA’s investment activity | The tools will be implemented on a pilot basis in 2009–10. |
| Collaborative market research partnership between the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations, the Northern Territory Government and IBA | To develop a methodology that enables Indigenous people to collect, in their own communities, data for research projects and governments | The project has provided a foundation for developing the methodology which provides for self-employment and training opportunities for local Indigenous researchers. |
| Review of the Indigenous small business development model in Galiwin’ku in the Northern Territory | To determine the feasibility of implementing the model in other Indigenous communities | The review recommended that the five-step, grassroots Indigenous small business development model be extended to other Indigenous communities in rural and remote areas. The model will be extended to those areas in 2009–10. |
| Research for the development of a royalty governance support model | To support the Government’s reforms to native title and how native title payments are distributed to maximise Indigenous economic benefit | This research contributed to the formulation of IBA’s position on supporting native title groups. IBA’s position is still under consideration and awaiting the recommendations of the Australian Government’s native title review. |