Governing for Reform in Aged Care Program evaluation

The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission (the Commission) engaged HMA to provide an independent evaluation of the outcomes and impacts of the Governing for Reform in Aged Care Program and to establish a methodology to assess the long-term outcomes and impacts of the program going forward. The Governing for Reform Program formed part of the Australian Government’s response to findings from the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety. The Program aimed to strengthen the corporate and clinical governance capability of approved providers by targeting governing body members and executives. Key task for this evaluation included:

• desktop review of existing program documentation, Royal Commission recommendations and findings, and policy informing the development of the program
• review and independent analysis of existing data collection processes
• detailed analysis of existing program data and publicly available Aged Care Quality Standards data
• gap analysis of existing program evaluation documentation and data
• independent consultation with aged care provider governing body members and executives, external stakeholders, and senior Commission staff

This independent evaluation informed the future direction of the program and methods implemented by the Commission to ensure an effective understanding of governance requirements across the aged care sector. The project commenced in January 2024 and was completed in June 2024.