Senate Education and Employment Legislation Committee [Part 2], , 2:39:54 to 2:43:00
The committee reviews the independent midpoint evaluation of Fee-Free TAFE and the associated procurement costs. Officials explain the timeline for the final report and its availability to parliament.
Topics: Education, Procurement, Government spending
Speakers: Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, Speaker 15, Anna Faithfull, Unknown Speaker
>> but not what the states and territories will say. All right. with um reference to uh question uh number SQ26 sorry triple 0996. Um the latest skills and workforce ministerial council communique of 18th of September 2026 makes no mention of the independent midpoint evaluation of fee free TA that was expected to be provided for consideration in July 2026. Has the evaluation been provided to the skills and workforce ministerial
>> Uh so uh thank you senator. No it hasn't as yet. It's been going through its process with uh state and territory
>> Um so why why hasn't it been provided yet?
>> Uh it's been uh progressing through that consultation process with state and territory officials.
>> Um what's the updated expected completion date?
uh be it will be imminent. So hope our intent is by uh year end
>> and will it be tabled in parliament is that will is that when it will be tabled in parliament by year's end
>> uh senator there was no uh so it is a uh an evaluation that's been commissioned by all state and territory ministers um and committed to as part of the free thief program. Uh there was no intent to have this tabled in parliament.
>> That'll be at the discretion of the ministers and the fellow miners.
>> Okay. Um who was engaged to complete the evaluation?
>> I'm happy to answer that. >> Oh, sorry. Um Miss Helen Stone, the assistant secretary in skills and We um engaged a supplier called Where to Research uh via a procurement published on the 14th of June 2025 on odds tender. Um we did a RFQ that was issued to six panel members. Um the RFQ was open for 17 days. Um the assessment process considered compliance with the conditions and we did an assessment. We approved the engagement of where to on the 14th of July 2025.
>> How much did the evaluation cost? The
value was 781,000 GST inclusive.
>> GST inclusive. And sorry, you said um are you able to provide?
>> Sorry. 781.
>> 781.
>> Yeah. My apologies.
>> No problem. Um and are you able to provide the tender notice or is that did you say that was public? Okay.
>> That would have gone on O tender.