A benefit-cost analysis of the Early Years Education Program. This project undertakes a benefit-cost analysis of the Early Years Education Program (EYEP). EYEP is an innovative early years education and childcare program for children at risk of abuse and neglect that is being trialled by the Children’s Protection Society in Melbourne. The use of the randomised evaluation method in the trial, the innovative and extensive nature of EYEP, the inter-disciplinary research team, and the breadth of dat ....A benefit-cost analysis of the Early Years Education Program. This project undertakes a benefit-cost analysis of the Early Years Education Program (EYEP). EYEP is an innovative early years education and childcare program for children at risk of abuse and neglect that is being trialled by the Children’s Protection Society in Melbourne. The use of the randomised evaluation method in the trial, the innovative and extensive nature of EYEP, the inter-disciplinary research team, and the breadth of data collection, provide the opportunity to complete a high quality benefit-cost analysis that will be internationally unique. Results from the study have the potential to influence the design of childcare and education for 30,000 at-risk children in Australia, as well as informing approaches in regular childcare.Read moreRead less
Experimental evaluation of YP4 - Is 'joining up' services for homeless and jobless people a net benefit to society? This project will provide evidence on the social costs and benefits of programs that seek to 'join up' delivery of government services - with specific reference to young homeless jobseekers. This knowledge has direct application in future design of government policies on implementing programmes for government payment recipients with multiple sources of disadvantage. Furthermore, th ....Experimental evaluation of YP4 - Is 'joining up' services for homeless and jobless people a net benefit to society? This project will provide evidence on the social costs and benefits of programs that seek to 'join up' delivery of government services - with specific reference to young homeless jobseekers. This knowledge has direct application in future design of government policies on implementing programmes for government payment recipients with multiple sources of disadvantage. Furthermore, the project will provide a 'case study' demonstration of the capacity for not-for-profit organisations to independently undertake policy reform, and to implement that reform in a way that allows rigorous evaluation of its effects. The project will also extend research expertise in the area of program evaluation, particularly as applied in the Australian context.Read moreRead less
Tackling Nurse Shortages in Australia. There is currently a shortage of registered nurses in Australia. To date, however, there has been only limited detailed micro-level analysis of the nursing workforce. In this project, we will use microeconomic and advanced econometric tools to investigate a number of important issues related to nursing and help inform the policy debate. In particular, we will examine trends in workforce participation of nurses, the determinants of nurse labour supply and jo ....Tackling Nurse Shortages in Australia. There is currently a shortage of registered nurses in Australia. To date, however, there has been only limited detailed micro-level analysis of the nursing workforce. In this project, we will use microeconomic and advanced econometric tools to investigate a number of important issues related to nursing and help inform the policy debate. In particular, we will examine trends in workforce participation of nurses, the determinants of nurse labour supply and job turnover and provide a comparative analysis of wages of nurses with other similar occupational groups. Throughout the project, we will provide special attention to designing policies aimed at promoting nurse labour supply in rural areas. Promoting an adequate supply of registered nurses is central to meeting the National Research Priority of 'Promoting and Maintaining Good Health'.Read moreRead less
Low Skill Workers in Australia. This project will describe and analyse determinants of labour market outcomes for low-skill workers in Australia. The main themes are to examine effects of business cycle influences, training programs, and the experience of retrenchment, on earnings and employment outcomes for low skill labour force participants. With the Australian Bureau of Statistics as an Industry Partner - providing access to data and guidance otherwise unavailable - the project can make a ....Low Skill Workers in Australia. This project will describe and analyse determinants of labour market outcomes for low-skill workers in Australia. The main themes are to examine effects of business cycle influences, training programs, and the experience of retrenchment, on earnings and employment outcomes for low skill labour force participants. With the Australian Bureau of Statistics as an Industry Partner - providing access to data and guidance otherwise unavailable - the project can make a highly original contribution to understanding key determinants of labour market performance of low skill workers. That enhanced understanding will improve knowledge of how to design public policy to assist those workers. Read moreRead less
Uncertainty and the success of innovation. This proposal outlines an empirically-oriented project, with strong conceptual foundations, that will add significantly to our understanding of the barriers to successful commercial exploitation of innovations in Australia. There is currently no other applied work in this area in Australia of this scope and empirical content. Our approach adopts a rigorous approach to the measurement of innovation and performance, and looks at the effect of uncertainty ....Uncertainty and the success of innovation. This proposal outlines an empirically-oriented project, with strong conceptual foundations, that will add significantly to our understanding of the barriers to successful commercial exploitation of innovations in Australia. There is currently no other applied work in this area in Australia of this scope and empirical content. Our approach adopts a rigorous approach to the measurement of innovation and performance, and looks at the effect of uncertainty on the relationship between the two. The results of this exercise will translate into both government and corporate policy.Read moreRead less
Insecure Work and the Mental Health of Workers and their Families. This project aims to explore the relationship between insecure work and mental health by applying advanced econometric methods to large survey and administrative datasets, and newly collected survey data. This project expects to provide causal policy-relevant estimates of how insecure work is affecting the wellbeing of workers and their families, and for whom the effects are most harmful. It also expects to inform on how poor men ....Insecure Work and the Mental Health of Workers and their Families. This project aims to explore the relationship between insecure work and mental health by applying advanced econometric methods to large survey and administrative datasets, and newly collected survey data. This project expects to provide causal policy-relevant estimates of how insecure work is affecting the wellbeing of workers and their families, and for whom the effects are most harmful. It also expects to inform on how poor mental health influences the types of jobs that people enter into. This should provide significant benefits, including evidence needed to improve existing workplace and employment programs, and evidence ensuring that assistance is efficiently targeted to those workers and industries with the greatest need.Read moreRead less
Applying behavioural insights to the tax system in Australia. Applying behavioural insights to the tax system in Australia. This project aims to improve compliance and payment in the Australian tax system. It aims to tackle debts of individuals and businesses, the most challenging aspect of tax systems, by applying behavioural insights to design innovative payment interventions and conducting rigorous randomised controlled trials to evaluate their effects. An empirical analysis will account for ....Applying behavioural insights to the tax system in Australia. Applying behavioural insights to the tax system in Australia. This project aims to improve compliance and payment in the Australian tax system. It aims to tackle debts of individuals and businesses, the most challenging aspect of tax systems, by applying behavioural insights to design innovative payment interventions and conducting rigorous randomised controlled trials to evaluate their effects. An empirical analysis will account for heterogeneity in treatment responses, and the findings will be combined with a study of regulatory and administrative processes to support the ultimate goal of a legitimate, fair, cost-effective and responsive tax system.Read moreRead less
Setting Priorities for Services Trade Reform. Services could be a deal maker in the Doha Round of trade negotiations, and Australia has much to gain if developing countries can be persuaded to make commercially meaningful commitments to liberalise services trade. Australia will also gain if the economies of the region are strengthened through regulatory reform. And Australia can gain from further regulatory reform at home. To these ends, the project will provide new understanding of regulatory b ....Setting Priorities for Services Trade Reform. Services could be a deal maker in the Doha Round of trade negotiations, and Australia has much to gain if developing countries can be persuaded to make commercially meaningful commitments to liberalise services trade. Australia will also gain if the economies of the region are strengthened through regulatory reform. And Australia can gain from further regulatory reform at home. To these ends, the project will provide new understanding of regulatory best practice that will reveal the priorities for services trade reform. Read moreRead less
The impact of income support design on the outcomes of children and youth. This project aims to assess how children from low-income families are affected by welfare policy design in Australia – specifically, by policy intended to influence welfare payment receipt and workforce participation of their parent(s). Causal impacts of policy design on children will be identified and evaluated using unique administrative and survey data, and treating recent welfare reforms in Australia as natural experi ....The impact of income support design on the outcomes of children and youth. This project aims to assess how children from low-income families are affected by welfare policy design in Australia – specifically, by policy intended to influence welfare payment receipt and workforce participation of their parent(s). Causal impacts of policy design on children will be identified and evaluated using unique administrative and survey data, and treating recent welfare reforms in Australia as natural experiments.. This will be the first comprehensive Australian analysis of intergenerational impacts of welfare policy design.Read moreRead less
General Purpose Technologies, Complementarities and the Convergence of Industries: A Comparative Study of Information Technology, Biotechnology and Nanotechnology. Modern economies are being transformed by several waves of new, converging general purpose technologies such as information technology, biotechnology and nanotechnologies. This project will undertake a comparative analysis of four aspects of this process: the pattern of development and convergence, the extent of industry concentratio ....General Purpose Technologies, Complementarities and the Convergence of Industries: A Comparative Study of Information Technology, Biotechnology and Nanotechnology. Modern economies are being transformed by several waves of new, converging general purpose technologies such as information technology, biotechnology and nanotechnologies. This project will undertake a comparative analysis of four aspects of this process: the pattern of development and convergence, the extent of industry concentration of activity in particular regions, the implications for firm strategy and options for policy responses. The underlying objective is to provide a knowledge base for Australian firms and governments, to guide strategies to enable Australia to develop a competitive position in these emerging technologies and industries.Read moreRead less