The Australia Awards Global Tracer Facility (the Facility) is a research program developed to enable the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) to assess the long-term development contributions and public diplomacy outcomes of Australia’s investment in the Australia Awards. Managed by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER), the Facility has been designed to provide a strong evidence base relating to the outcomes of alumni of Australian development scholarships and fellowships in order to inform global level policy, strategy and management of the Australia Awards. The Facility began in mid-2016, and is funded through to mid-2024. This report forms a synthesis of the research undertaken by the Facility in the first four years of the program—mid-2016 to mid-2020, incorporating three global surveys and 18 case studies. It explores the themes and findings relating to the long-term outcomes of alumni of Australian government development scholarships and fellowships over a 70 year period—from the 1950s to the 2010s. The main purpose of this report is to highlight evidence collected by the Facility of the contributions and impact of alumni in relation to each of the long-term outcomes of the Australia Awards. A second purpose for this report is to highlight particular areas of alumni contributions that relate to DFAT’s interest in social inclusion and equity, and the role that the Australia Awards can play in promoting and enhancing opportunities for all. In particular, themes relating to gender equality and disability inclusiveness are highlighted in parts of this report.
Copyright Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade 2020