Contracting for Indigenous Health Care: Towards Mutual Accountability

Australian Journal of Public Administration

Volumn 70, Issue 1, 2011, Pages 34-46

  Dwyer, Judith M ^a   Lavoie, Josée ^b   O'Donnell, Kim ^a   Marlina, Uning ^a   Sullivan, Patrick ^c  

^a FLINDERS UNIVERSITY   (Australia)

^b UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN BRITISH COLUMBIA   (Canada)

^c Australian Institute for Aboriginal   (Australia)

Author keywords

Accountability; Contracting; Indigenous health care

Indexed keywords

EID: 79952777127     PISSN: 03136647     EISSN: 14678500     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-8500.2011.00715.x     Document Type: Article

References (51)

1. AHMAC [Australian Health Ministers' Advisory Council]. 2006. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Performance Framework 2005. Canberra AHMAC. URL: <>.
2. AIHW [Australian Institute of Health and Welfare]. 2006. Cutting the Red Tape: Preliminary Paper Detailing the Problem of Multiple Entry and Reporting by Service Providers. AIHW Catalogue No. HW1 92. Canberra AIHW.
3. Alford, K. 2005. Comparing Australia with Canadian and New Zealand Primary Care Health Systems in Relation to Indigenous Populations: Literature Review and Analysis. Discussion Paper No. 13. Melbourne Onemda VicHealth Koori Health Unit, University of Melbourne.
4. Allen, P. 2002. 'A Socio-Legal and Economic Analysis of Contracting in the NHS Internal Market Using a Case Study of Contracting District Nursing. Social Science and Medicine 54(2):255-266.
5. Anderson, I. 2006. 'Mutual Obligation, Shared Responsibility Agreements and Indigenous Health Strategy. Australia and New Zealand Health Policy 3:10. URL: <>.
6. Auditor General of Canada. 1996. Study of Accountability Practices from the Perspective of First Nations. Chapter 13. Ottawa Auditor General of Canada.
7. Australian Government. 2010. A National Health and Hospitals Network for Australia's Future: Delivering the Reforms. Canberra URL: <>.
8. Beaver, C. and Y. Zhao 2004. Investment Analysis of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Primary Health Care Program in the Northern Territory. Canberra Australian Department of Health and Ageing.
9. Canadian Institute for Health Information and Statistics Canada. 2000. Canadian Health Information Roadmap Initiative Indicators Framework. Ottawa CIHI and SC. URL: <>.
10. Cribb J. 2006. Being Accountable: Voluntary Organisations, Government Agencies and Contracted Social Services in New Zealand. Wellington Institute of Policy Studies.
11. Deeble, J., C. Mathers, L. Smith, J. Goss, R. Webb and V. Smith 1998. Expenditures on Health Services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People. Canberra National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health and the AIHW.
12. Dixson, M. 1999. The Imaginary Australian: Anglo-Celts and Identity, 1788 to the Present. Sydney UNSW Press.
13. DoHA and NACCHO [Department of Health and Ageing and National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation]. 2008. Service Activity Reporting 2005-2006 Key Results. Canberra Department of Health and Ageing. URL: <>.
14. Department of Treasury and Finance Victoria. 2006. Project Alliancing Practitioners' Guide, Victoria. URL: <>.
15. Dwyer J., K. O'Donnell, J. Lavoie, U. Marlina and P. Sullivan 2009. The Overburden Report: Contracting for Indigenous Health Services. Darwin Cooperative Research Centre for Aboriginal Health. URL: <>.
16. Econtech. 2004. Costing Models for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Services. Canberra Department of Health and Ageing.
17. Effective Change. 2008. Review of DHS Reporting Requirements for Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations. Unpublished Report prepared for the Department of Human Services, Melbourne.
18. Flack T. and C. Ryan 2005. 'Financial Reporting by Australian Nonprofit Organisations: Dilemmas Posed by Government Funders. Australian Journal of Public Administration 64(3):69-77.
19. Grbich, C. 2007. Qualitative Data Analysis: An Introduction. London Sage.
20. Hudson, S. 2009. Closing the Accountability Gap: The First Step Towards Better Indigenous Health. Sydney Centre for Independent Studies. URL: <>.
21. Hughes Tuohy, C. 2003. 'Agency, Contract and Governance: Shifting Shapes of Accountability in the Health Care Arena. Journal of Health Politics, Policy and Law 28(2-3):195-215.
22. Jan, S. 2000. Why $400 Million per year from Medicare Needs to be Quarantined for Improving Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health. AMSANT's Final Submission to the Commonwealth Grants Commission's Indigenous Funding Inquiry. Darwin Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance of the Northern Territory (AMSANT).
23. Lavoie, J.G. 2005. Patches of Equity: Policy and Financing of Indigenous Primary Health Care Providers in Canada, Australia and New Zealand. PhD thesis, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. URL: <>.
24. Lavoie, J., A. Boulton and J. Dwyer 2010. 'Analysing Contractual Environments: Lessons from Indigenous Health in Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Public Administration 88(3): 665-679.
25. Macinati, M.S. 2008. 'Outsourcing in the Italian National Health Service: Finding from a National Survey. International Journal of Health Planning and Management 23(1):21-36.
26. Macneil, I. 1978. 'Contract: Adjustment of Long-Term Economic Relations under Classical, Neoclassical and Relational Contract Law. Northwestern University Law Review 72(6):854-905.
27. McGregor-Lowndes, M. and C. Ryan 2009. 'Reducing the Compliance Burden of Non-Profit Organisations: Cutting Red Tape. Australian Journal of Public Administration 68(1):21-38.
28. Mooney, G., S. Jan and V. Wiseman 2002. 'Staking a Claim for Claims: A Case Study of Resource Allocation in Australian Aboriginal Health Care. Social Science and Medicine 54(11):1657-1667.
29. Morgan Disney and Associates. 2006. A Red Tape Evaluation in Selected Indigenous Communities. Australia Morgan Disney and Associates.
30. NACCHO [National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation]. 2009. Second Submission to the National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission. URL: <>.
31. NATSIHC [National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Council]. 2003. National Strategic Framework for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health: Framework for Action by Governments. Canberra NATSIHC. URL: <>.
32. NHHRC [National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission]. 2008. Beyond the Blame Game: Accountability and Performance Benchmarks for the Next Australian Health Care Agreements. Canberra NHHRC.
33. NHHRC [National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission]. 2009. A Healthier Future for All Australians: Final Report. Canberra Australian Government. URL: <>.
34. OATSIH [Office for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health]. 2009. Consultation Paper: Review of Reporting Requirements for OATSIH Funded Organisations. April. Canberra OATSIH. URL: <.
35. Palmer, N. 2000. 'The Use of Private-Sector Contracts for Primary Health Care: Theory, Evidence and Lessons for Low-Income and Middle-Income Countries. Bulletin of the World Health Organization 78(6):821-829.
36. Palmer, N. and A. Mills 2003. 'Classical Versus Relational Approaches to Understanding Control on a Contract with Independent GPs in South Africa. Health Economics 12(12):1005-1020.
37. Palmer, N. and A. Mills 2005. 'Contracts in the Real World: Case Studies from Southern Africa. Social Science and Medicine 60(11):2505-2514.
38. Parker, A.S., A. Harding and P. Travis 2000. '"Make or Buy" Decisions in the Production of Health Care Goods and Services: New Insight from Institutional Economics and Organizational Theory. Bulletin of the World Health Organisation 78(6):770-790.
39. Perrot, J. 2006. 'Different Approach to Contracting in Health System. Bulletin of the World Health Organization 84(11):859-866.
40. Productivity Commission. 2010. Contribution of the Not-for-Profit Sector. Research Report. Canberra Commonwealth of Australia.
41. Queensland Government Chief Procurement Office. 2008. Relational Procurement Options: Alliance and Early Contractor Involvement Contracts. Procurement Guidance Series. URL: <>.
42. Ring, I. and D. Firman 1998. 'Reducing Indigenous Mortality in Australia: Lessons from Other Countries. Medical Journal of Australia 169(10):528-533.
43. Rowse, T. 2005. 'The Indigenous Sector.' In Culture, Economy and Governance in Aboriginal Australia, eds D. Austin-Broos and G. Macdonald Sydney University Press, 207-223.
44. Ruuska, I. and R. Teigland 2008. 'Ensuring Project Success Through Collective Competence and Creative Conflict in Public-Private Partnership - A Case Study of Bygga Villa, Swedish Triple Helix E-government Initiatives. International Journal of Project Management 27(4):323-334.
45. SCRGSP [Steering Committee for the Review of Government Service Provision]. 2009. Overcoming Indigenous Disadvantage: Key Indicators 2009. Canberra Productivity Commission.
46. Shergold, P. 2003. Two Cheers for the Bureaucracy: Public Service, Political Advice and Network Governance. Paper presented at the Australian Public Service Commission Lunchtime Seminar, Canberra, 13 June. URL: <>.
47. Sibthorpe, B. 2004. A Proposed Conceptual Framework for Performance Assessment in Primary Health Care: A Tool for Policy and Practice. Canberra Australian Primary Health Care Research Institute. URL: <>.
48. Sullivan, P. 2009. 'Reciprocal Accountability: Assessing the Accountability Environment in Australian Aboriginal Affairs Policy. International Journal of Public Sector Management 22(1):57-71.
49. Sullivan P. 2010. The Aboriginal Community Sector and the Effective Delivery of Services: Acknowledging the Role of Indigenous Sector Organisations. DKCRC Working Paper 73. Alice Springs Desert Knowledge CRC.
50. WHO [World Health Organization]. 1978. Declaration of Alma-Ata. International Conference on Primary Health Care, Alma-Ata, USSR, 6-12 September. Geneva WHO. URL: <>.
51. WHO [World Health Organisation]. 2008. The World Health Report 2008: Primary Health Care - Now More Than Ever. Geneva WHO. URL: <>.