Australia: the healthiest country by 2020
National Preventative Health Strategy – the roadmap for action

8.2 - National Prevention Agency

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‘The development of a National Preventative Health Strategy and of a National Preventative Health Agency provides a unique opportunity to provide strong leadership and coordination of the preventative reform agenda’ (Quote from submission)

Preferred model and rationale

The NPA will be viewed as a national leader for prevention in Australia. It must be capable of driving the prevention agenda across many sectors and within a diverse range of stakeholders through collaborative partnerships, coordination of activity at the national, state and local levels, and the provision of strategic advice to inform government policy.

In its interim report, the NHHRC proposed the establishment of an independent national health promotion and prevention agency. The Taskforce agrees with this recommendation and proposes that the model for the agency include the following approaches:
  • A national body, established by enabling legislation
  • Have an expert, cross-sectoral Board of Governance comprising 10 to 12 members, selected on merit for their expertise
  • While the proposed funding under the COAG agreement is welcomed, its capacity and budget will need to be significantly increased to ensure its national leadership in prevention
  • Be a facilitator/coordinator and, as required, implementer and commissioner of interventions through and with partners
  • Be independent from but working closely with government, reporting to the Commonwealth Parliament through the Minister for Health as responsible Minister, in consultation with the Prime Minister
  • Facilitate the infrastructure for prevention including: social marketing; research, evaluation and the building and transfer of evidence; monitoring and surveillance systems; workforce development and funding models.

Establishing the NPA in this way provides for an appropriate public and corporate governance model that will reflect the important role prevention plays in the health outcomes of all Australians and gives them confidence that action is being taken. It will also facilitate a ‘whole of government’ approach to prevention by representing a central point for monitoring implementation and delivery, and provide a framework for accountable, efficient performance.

Roles and functions

These will include:
  • Lead and facilitate the building of evidence for preventative health through research and evaluation, and the synthesis and translation of research findings into policy and practice.
  • Develop and implement comprehensive, sustained social marketing campaigns for obesity, tobacco and alcohol (see below).
  • Provide a national clearing house for the monitoring and evaluation of national policies and programs in preventative health.
  • Publish annual reports on the state of preventative health, including reporting on progress towards the achievement of the 2020 goals specified in this Strategy.
  • Advise COAG, through AHMC, on national priorities and options for preventative health.
  • Administer national programs, facilitates national partnerships, and advises on national infrastructure for surveillance, monitoring, research and evaluation, (see below) as charged by AHMC.
  • Develop for consideration by AHMC the next phase of preventative health reform to follow after this Strategy.
  • Develop a web-based clearing house/register for organisational policies, plans and achievements in order to share good practice across the country.
  • Commission/conduct from time to time surveys of activities undertaken by different sectors, and the barriers to and enablers of action, and to report on these.
  • Develop a national recognition and award scheme for outstanding contributions, large and small to making Australia the healthiest country by 2020.
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In order to effectively perform in this role, the NPA will require expertise across a diverse array of disciplines and interests.

Due to the collaborative and cross-sectoral linkages and partnerships proposed for the NPA, an externally oriented culture will be critical to its success. The development of strategic partnerships and intersection with other relevant national strategies or initiatives will be vital. A visual representation of the functional relationships proposed for the NPA is presented in Figure 1.12 below.

Figure 1.12: Functional relationships of the NPA

Larger version of Figure 1.12: Functional relationships of the NPA

Governance

It is recommended that the NPA be established, by enabling legislation, as an incorporated Commonwealth statutory authority (as is the AIHW) and allow for the engagement of personnel through the agency as well as the Public Service Act 1999. The proposed governance model has these characteristics:
  • General direction and control of the NPA to be vested in a Board of Governance/Council comprising 10 to 12 members, appointed by the Governor-General on the recommendation of the responsible Minister.
  • CEO to be directly responsible to the board for the development and implementation of a three-year strategic plan, stakeholder relationships, strategic partnerships and organisational development.





Figure 1.12: Functional relationships of the NPA

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