The Office of the Commissioner Meriba Omasker Kaziw Kazipa (Torres Strait Islander Child Rearing Practice) required a comprehensive financial review to quantify the value provided by the Act and assess the potential benefits of program expansion. The objective was to evaluate the financial sustainability of the current funding model and identify key performance indicators for ongoing measurement.

Challenge

The project faced several challenges, including: • Limited availability of benchmark data for comparable models, such as the Māori Whāngai concept of traditional adoption, which shares similarities with Ailan Kastom. • The need to quantify the socioeconomic impact of Cultural Recognition Orders in alignment with the National Agreement on Closing the Gap. • A requirement to assess the commercial viability of existing operating leases, including office lease payments.

Solution

To address these challenges, we conducted: • Independent research using open-source data sets such as the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. • Financial analysis, including cost-benefit analysis, to identify key financial drivers for performance. • Development of additional key performance indicators to measure the program's effectiveness. • Limited market research to evaluate the commerciality of existing office lease agreements.

Outcome

The financial review provided several key insights: • Cultural Recognition Orders were linked to achieving socioeconomic outcomes 4, 5, and 14 of the National Agreement on Closing the Gap. • The current funding level was sufficient to support nine full-time employees under the Act. • If ensuring demand increased, a funding review and adjustment to full-time employee allocations would be necessary. By conducting rigorous financial modelling and analysis, we provided a clear framework for future funding and program expansion, the sustainability and effectiveness of the Office of the Commissioner Meriba Omasker Kaziw Kazipa.