Policy Evaluation

BCEC plays an active role in policy forecasting and evaluation. A range of applied economic methods are used to evaluate the content, implementation and impact of current and proposed policies across Australia. Evaluation findings can highlight ‘winners’ and ‘losers’ in the population under proposed and existing policy reforms, as well as the overall budgetary implications of proposed reforms at both Federal and State levels.

The findings from the Centre’s evaluations are intended to inform decision-making by policymakers in regard to the benefits and trade-offs of proposed policy changes. Examples of evaluations on current and proposed programs that the Centre’s researchers have conducted include the NSW government’s ‘Keep Them Safe’ child protection initiative, the national Headspace program providing early intervention mental health services to young people, and a range of housing-related policies and programs such as changes to the First Home Owner’s Grant, stamp duty and land tax provisions, and public housing rent-setting rules.

Related Publications

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Presentation: Employment and disability in Australia Michael Dockery, Alan Duncan View the presentation by lead authors Professor Mike Dockery, Principal Research Fellow, and Professor Alan Duncan, Director, both of Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre, from the launch of the report Employment and disability in Australia: Improving employment outcomes for people with disability, on... Read article 14 March 2024Focus on The States  |  Presentations Read More
Gender Equity Insights 2023: Accelerating the pace of change Alan Duncan, Astghik Mavisakalyan, Lili Loan Vu The eighth report in the Gender Equity Insights series from the Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre (BCEC) and the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) looks at the gender equality strategies at nearly 4,800 Australian employers to determine what factors are accelerating... Read article 5 October 2023Gender Equity Insights Read More
Executive Summary: Gender Equity Insights 2023: Accelerating the pace of change Alan Duncan, Astghik Mavisakalyan, Lili Loan Vu The BCEC|WGEA Gender Equity Insights 2023 Executive Summary is a printable summary of the key findings and infographics from this year’s report, Gender Equity Insights 2023: Accelerating the pace of change, which looks at the gender equality strategies at nearly... Read article 4 October 2023Gender Equity Insights Read More
Identity and support for policies towards Indigenous people: evidence from Australia Astghik Mavisakalyan, Yashar Tarverdi This paper adds to knowledge on the role of politicians’ and voters’ identities in influencing policy-making in societies marked by ethnic inequality. The outcome we investigate is the initiatives and policies targeting Indigenous populations in the context of Australia. We... Read article 8 May 2023Journal Articles Read More
Remote housing for Indigenous children in the Fitzroy Valley, Western Australia: A case study Michael Dockery, Erica Sykes Poor-quality and overcrowded housing in remote communities in Australia is widely seen to negatively impact Indigenous children’s health and development. Despite widespread reports of, in some instances, quite appalling housing conditions, recent analyses of data from the Longitudinal Study of... Read article 22 December 2022Journal Articles Read More
Understanding utility hardship Graham Hansen, Eva Perroni, Silvia Salazar Access to energy and water is essential for people’s health, wellbeing and security, and to meet all of their basic needs. This is recognised in the United Nations Development, 2030 Agenda for Sustainable which sets out the goals of ensuring... Read article 9 December 2022Research Reports Read More