agencies to design processes that are robust, transparent and instill confidence in the Australian Government’s procurement. The CPRs contain mandatory requirements that apply to all procurements, regardless of their value. MONITORING, EVALUATION AND REPORTING It is imperative that Australian Government agencies regularly monitor and evaluate the language services they have provided to ensure that service design and delivery are both effective and responsive to the needs of people with limited English language proficiency and to multicultural access and equity obligations. By implementing monitoring and evaluation arrangements, Australian Government agencies can record performance targets, track progress, highlight lessons learned and facilitate improvement of government programs and activities. To assess whether Australian Government agencies are committed to effective language services, some important questions to ask include: Is management within the agency committed to the development and implementation of effective language services? (Multicultural access and equity obligations require that the management commit to this.) Does the agency have a Language and Communication Plan for multicultural communities in place to reflect this commitment? Are resources allocated to support the planning, implementation, evaluation and quality assurance of language services? Does the agency have a range of strategies and initiatives in place to meet the language needs of people in the community with limited English language proficiency? Is a planned and sustained approach to training staff in the use of language services and in following policy and procedures? Monitoring, evaluation and reporting initiatives on the delivery of language services could include: taking into account linguistic diversity in data collections, research projects, contractual arrangements, program and policy development factoring language costs into procurement processes in agencies’ Chief Executive Instructions on procurement incorporating the needs of clients with limited English language proficiency as a consideration in agencies’ New Policy Proposals, budgeting and procurement guidelines considering the efficiency and effectiveness of meeting the needs of clients with limited English language proficiency considering the number of people provided with language services, the number of language services provided and the languages in which they were provided addressing issues arising where demand was not met (e.g. instances where language service providers were unable to provide requested services)
agencies to design processes that are robust, transparent and instill confidence in the Australian Government’s procurement. The CPRs contain mandatory requirements that apply to all procurements, regardless of their value. MONITORING, EVALUATION AND REPORTING It is imperative that Australian Government agencies regularly monitor and evaluate the language services they have provided to ensure that service design and delivery are both effective and responsive to the needs of people with limited English language proficiency and to multicultural access and equity obligations. By implementing monitoring and evaluation arrangements, Australian Government agencies can record performance targets, track progress, highlight lessons learned and facilitate improvement of government programs and activities. To assess whether Australian Government agencies are committed to effective language services, some important questions to ask include: Is management within the agency committed to the development and implementation of effective language services? (Multicultural access and equity obligations require that the management commit to this.) Does the agency have a Language and Communication Plan for multicultural communities in place to reflect this commitment? Are resources allocated to support the planning, implementation, evaluation and quality assurance of language services? Does the agency have a range of strategies and initiatives in place to meet the language needs of people in the community with limited English language proficiency? Is a planned and sustained approach to training staff in the use of language services and in following policy and procedures? Monitoring, evaluation and reporting initiatives on the delivery of language services could include: taking into account linguistic diversity in data collections, research projects, contractual arrangements, program and policy development factoring language costs into procurement processes in agencies’ Chief Executive Instructions on procurement incorporating the needs of clients with limited English language proficiency as a consideration in agencies’ New Policy Proposals, budgeting and procurement guidelines considering the efficiency and effectiveness of meeting the needs of clients with limited English language proficiency considering the number of people provided with language services, the number of language services provided and the languages in which they were provided addressing issues arising where demand was not met (e.g. instances where language service providers were unable to provide requested services)