Closing the Gap Clearinghouse
A knowledge centre for evidence-based research on overcoming disadvantage for Indigenous Australians
The Closing the Gap Clearinghouse is a Council of Australian Governments initiative jointly funded by all Australian governments. It is being delivered by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare in collaboration with the Australian Institute of Family Studies.
The objectives of the Closing the Gap Clearinghouse are to:
- build an evidence base for what works to close the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians for key areas of wellbeing, such as health, employment, housing, education and community safety;
- improve access by policy-makers, service providers and the general public to evidence on best practice and success factors to close the gap in Indigenous disadvantage;
- rigorously assess the quality of evidence for policies and interventions aimed at closing the gap in Indigenous disadvantage;
- contribute to better coordination of research and evaluation efforts across Australia; and
- identify the gaps in the available evidence on what works in overcoming Indigenous disadvantage.
Closing the Gap Clearinghouse is different from other knowledge centres in that it is focused not on outlining the nature or extent of the problems, but on what works to overcome the problem. In line with this aim, the clearinghouse will focus on identifying and communicating key findings from the following types of research:
- intervention and evaluation research;
- research analysing the cost-benefit or cost-effectiveness of programs/interventions; and
- research on adapting and implementing mainstream (non-Indigenous) programs and policies in Indigenous communities.
The research made available through the clearinghouse is not necessarily limited to Australian or Indigenous-specific research and evaluations, but also draws on wider evidence that can be used to inform all phases of policy development and actions to close the gap on Indigenous disadvantage. While its primary audience is government policy-makers and service providers, the clearinghouse would also be available to meet the needs of researchers and the general public.
For further information contact:
Telephone: 1800 035 938
Fax: 61 2 6244 1299