Performance monitoring Departmental policy and outcomes The Reef Trust contributes to the Department’s policies and Portfolio Budget Statement Outcome 1: Conserve, protect and sustainably manage Australia’s biodiversity, ecosystems, environment and heritage through research, information management, supporting natural resource management, establishing and managing Commonwealth Protected areas and reducing and regulating pollutants and hazardous substances. The progress and outcomes of the Reef Trust are evaluated and reported in a number of Departmental statements and reports. These include: establishing annual performance expectations reporting the of success in achieving the performance expectations. In addition the achievements of the Reef Trust are reported in the following: Annual Reef 2050 Plan Report (five-yearly). Departmental contributions to international obligations The Australian Government’s international obligations, such as under the World Heritage Convention for the management of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area, are summarised in the Great Barrier Reef Outlook Report. The Reef 2050 Plan provides an overarching strategy for the management of the Great Barrier Reef. It coordinates actions and guides the adaptive management of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area to 2050. Delivery against key actions in the Reef 2050 Plan including contributions from Reef Trust investments are reported annually and five yearly through the Outlook report which provides an assessment of the reef ’s health, management and likely future. The most recent was published in 2014. In addition the status and trends in the condition of the Great Barrier Reef is reported in the on the state of the conservation of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area (Australia). 6 / Reef Monitoring and Reporting Plan
Program output and outcome performance The Reef Trust program logic (Appendix A) provides a visual interpretation of the connection between the actions, outputs and four outcomes of the Reef Trust. This also establishes the points where assumptions are made in the choice of actions and outputs to deliver against the Reef Trust outcomes. The Reef Trust program logic also provides the opportunity to identify key evaluation questions (Appendix B) to test these assumptions and inform options for adaptive management of the program. Performance of the Reef Outcomes one, two and three are assessed through the effectiveness of projects in completing their outputs and measured and modelled impacts in relation to water quality, health and resilience of coastal habitats and improvements in marine biodiversity. Monitoring and reporting of Outcome four will consider outcomes from projects implemented with offset funding and evaluate how the activities have addressed the residual adverse environmental impacts of an action on the environment in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area. Progress of the Reef Trust program investments are monitored six monthly and reported annually through the (MERIT) located on Atlas of Living Australia website. Monitoring performance against agreed actions and key performance indicators (Appendix C) provides the Department with up-to-date project level data to indicate the progress and performance of delivery of project outputs and project outcomes against specified Reef Trust outcomes. Reporting through MERIT enables the Department to meet the Australian National Audit Office’s requirement of reporting by outcomes, enabling continuous improvement and accountability for the use of public funds. While this site allows public access to location, name and description of projects, it does not allow the public to monitor progress. Impact monitoring The impact of Reef Trust investments are monitored through a number of processes. These include: The impacts of investments in quality, coastal habitat protection and improvements and protection of marine biodiversity will be monitored through the . This program will draw on existing monitoring programs and collaboration similar to the Paddock to Reef Program. This is currently under development to secure essential status and trend information to inform periodical reporting requirements under the Reef 2050 Plan, including the 2019 Outlook report. 7
Reef Trust performance evaluations and adaptive management Reef program evaluations Periodic evaluation of the Reef Trust is undertaken regularly in the lead-up to identifying the next phase of investments. This regular evaluation provides the opportunity to adaptively manage the program continuously improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the Reef Trust interventions, and review the appropriateness of the policies which underpin the program. The program undertakes stakeholder consultation processes in developing successive phases of investment. This includes science, industry, regional and non-government organisations and landholders and includes information on existing and emerging gaps and priorities, reflections on past investments and processes and comments on proposed investments. In addition programs are guided by the and the through its performance measures. A Reef Trust program evaluation will be undertaken against the objective, outcomes, key performance indicators, key evaluation questions, and principles will be undertaken in 2018-19. This evaluation will be informed by the department’s evaluation policy with a view to assessing the programs overall performance and to inform future delivery of activities to support the implementation of the Reef 2050 Plan. Project evaluations Evaluation of the performance of Reef Trust projects in delivering activities and outputs against the three Reef Trust outcomes is undertaken every six months and at the end of each project through processes established in the Atlas of Living Australia monitoring and reporting process . The main purpose of the evaluations is to inform project performance and improvement evaluations. The Department’s project managers can draw on these reports to inform the development of successive investment phases of the Reef Trust - particularly to inform adaptive management of the Trust to meet evolving issues facing the reef. 9
Intermediate outcomes Targets Key Performance Indicators Data sources Delivery Project Threats to dugongs and turtles reduced including poaching and transportation of illegal turtle and dugong meat. nature and extent of poaching, illegal killing and transportation of illegal turtle and dugong meat understood. Incidents of poaching, illegal killing and meat trafficking reduced. A dugong and turtle protection plan which outlines key actions to reduce the threats to dugongs and turtles developed by [2015]. Turtle [and dugong] protection awareness raising actions available for communities to engage in, including indigenous groups. GBR community is aware of the threats to turtle populations and engaged in their protection. Draft and final investigation and assessment of the practice of environmental crime is evaluated and documented. Planned far north Queensland and remote area community consultations completed. Number of target packages developed for individuals identified as subjects of investigation. Number of interventions against illicit wildlife traffickers initiated (where authorised). Number of intelligence products including a Strategic assessment on environmental crime, operational analysis, intelligence assessments completed. A dugong and turtle protection plan developed. Distribution and communication of plan to stakeholders. Utilisation of the plan by funding recipients/ projects. Number of awareness raising activities. Number of communication materials developed for the Turtle rehabilitation centres including at the interpretative centre. Six-monthly progress, financial and final reporting through MERIT including: Draft and final investigation reports Community consultation outcome reports Subject evidence and investigation reports Draft and final intelligence reports analysis and assessment reports. Six-monthly progress, financial and final reporting through MERIT including: Draft and final plan Proposals to uptake the protection plan Community feedback reports Community engagement plans. Phase I: Australian Crime commission investigation into illegal killing and poaching (2014–16)