The Global Institute for Women’s Leadership (GIWL) at The Australian National University (ANU) was commissioned by the Australian Government Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet to support an evaluation of National Women’s Alliances in partnership with the Office for Women (OfW). The National Women’s Alliances are one of two streams in the Women’s Leadership and Development Program (WLDP) that funds engagement with the women’s sector and other activities to improve social and economic outcomes for women in Australia.

The National Women’s Alliances (NWA) were established in 2010 to create a better, more informed and representative dialogue between women and the Australian Government. There are currently two issue-based NWAs, the Equality Rights Alliance and the National Women’s Safety Alliance, and four cohort-based NWAs, National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Women’s Alliance, Harmony Alliance, National Rural Women’s Coalition, and Women with Disability Australia.

The primary purpose of the evaluation was to assess the suitability of the NWA model as a vehicle for bringing women’s voices to the Australian Government to inform policy development. The report is structured around three evaluation outcome requirements:

1. Assessment of how well suited the NWA model is to delivering the objectives of the Women’s Leadership and Development Program 
2. Analysis of whether (and if so, how) changes to the model in 2020-21 and 2021-22 have improved NWAs’ focus and delivery of the specified outcomes and activities 
3. Analysis of whether (and if so, how) the model has been adapted by grantees to their particular contexts, including NWA focus area, organisational governance and culture, and what impact any adaptations have had on meeting the model’s objectives