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Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, catchment management
authorities, Greening Australia, and botanic gardens.
3.4 The
roundtable, which was held on 30 November 2011, introduced stakeholders
to the scope and objectives of the Biodiversity Fund program. Environment
informed roundtable participants that guidelines for Round 1 would
be released before Christmas 2011 and that the funding round would be deliberately
broad in scope. The roundtable did not, however, include a consideration
of the draft guidelines, as they had already been submitted to the Minister
for approval when the roundtable was held.
55
3.5 Prior
to the launch of the NATI round, the department also held stakeholder
meetings in Broome, Darwin and Townsville during July 2012.
56
These meetings canvassed opportunities for biodiversity conservation across
northern Australia, with participants providing suggestions for improvement
to application and project reporting processes.
Informing potential applicants
3.6 Stakeholders
were provided with information about the Biodiversity Fund
program rounds through a range of mechanisms, including newsletters from
natural resource management NRM bodies, newspaper advertisements, the
department’s website, and Australian Government Regional Landcare Facilitators.
57
3.7 Environment’s
stakeholder surveys discussed later indicated that potential
applicants were adequately informed of the opportunity to apply for grants
under the Biodiversity Fund program. The ANAO’s consultation
58
with stakeholders
also indicated that there was strong interest from potential applicants.
Further, the large number of applications lodged under each funding
round indicated that stakeholders were aware of the program.
55 The Minister approved the guidelines on 1 December 2011.
56 Stakeholder meetings were not convened prior to the launch of Round 2 or the Investing in
Tasmania’s Native Forests round. Environment informed the ANAO that the delivery of these rounds drew upon stakeholder feedback and departmental experience gained through the earlier rounds.
57 Under the Caring for Our Country initiative, Australian Government Regional Landcare Facilitators
have been appointed to each of the 56 NRM regions across Australia. Within each region, facilitators advocate for the protection and conservation of natural resources.
58 The ANAO contacted a range of organisations with an interest in environmental management seeking
views on the extent to which the Biodiversity Fund program had been adequately advertised to potential applicants. In addition, the ANAO’s survey of funded recipients sought comment on access to
the program.
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3.8
Additional support tools were made available to potential applicants during
application periods, including: online frequently asked questions; the department’s
Community Information Unit 1800 number; the Biodiversity Fund
program website; and direct emails to the Biodiversity Fund program inbox.
Feedback to the department from Round 1 participants indicated that this
supporting information was, in most cases, useful to potential applicants. Timing of Round 1 application period
3.9 A
key concern raised by applicants that had participated in Round 1 was
the timing of the application period 9 December 2011 to 31 January 2012. A
number of applicants commented to the ANAO that conducting an application
round over the ChristmasNew Year period created additional difficulties.
For example, some applicants experienced problems in negotiating with
project partners due to the absence of personnel and a general lack of resources
over the holiday period to complete applications. These concerns were
also expressed in responses to Environment’s post‐Round 1 survey, with some
applicants stating that the timing of the application period caused considerable
stress.
Stakeholder consultation after funding rounds—surveys
3.10 Environment
conducted a number of stakeholder surveys after the completion
of funding rounds to seek feedback from both applicants and grant assessors
about the implementation process and policy settings for the Biodiversity
Fund program.
59
In Round 1, these surveys formed part of Environment’s
internal review of implementation. In response to the survey results,
Environment improved implementation arrangements for later rounds—for
example, in relation to the clarity of grant guidelines and the alignment
of application forms and assessor scoring tools.
Grant guidelines
3.11 Agencies
are required to develop guidelines for new grant programs and
to make them publicly available, to allow eligible persons andor entities to
apply for a grant under the program. The ANAO reviewed the development
59 Surveys of grant applicants were conducted for Round 1, Round 2 and Investing in Tasmania’s Native
Forests rounds, but not the NATI round. Assessors in Round 1 were surveyed, and assessors who had participated in a number of Environment’s grant assessments, including the Biodiversity Fund
