Principles and Evaluation Criteria Underpinning HHF Investments

The following principles and evaluation criteria will be used to assess proposals for funding through the HHF:

In this section:

Principle 1: Projects should address national infrastructure priorities

Evaluation Criterion 1: Extent to which the proposal addresses national priorities, including that the proposal:

a) ensures significant progress will be made in achieving the Commonwealth’s reform targets;
b) is consistent with or will complement reform activities and assist the Commonwealth in building a health system for the future; and
c) will contribute to a balanced infrastructure investment across Australia.

Principle 2: Projects should demonstrate high benefits and effective use of resources

Evaluation Criterion 2: Projects result in improvements in health outcomes consistent with the level of investment, including that the proposal:

a) can demonstrate that the project will contribute to significant, sustainable and measurable ongoing improvement in health care;
b) is supported by a good evidence-base that the project will lead to improvements in health outcomes;
c) provides an indication of the relevant economic, social and environment costs, and relevant health, economic, social and environmental benefits of the proposal; and
d) demonstrates, comparing benefits and costs, that the proposal represents value for money.

Principle 3: Projects should efficiently address infrastructure needs

Evaluation Criterion 3: Extent of co-investment and collaboration, including that proposals:

a) generally will not impede investment in health infrastructure by other organisations, including the states and territories (states), universities, philanthropic and private organisations;
b) leverage, where possible, existing funding sources to maximise the impact of projects receiving HHF funding; and
c) where relevant, the distribution of any financial proceeds from the project are agreed before the commencement of funding.

Evaluation Criterion 4: Project quality and efficiency including that proposals:

a) have a project design consistent with current health sector standards; and
b) demonstrate that a range of options for achieving the outcomes have been considered, and that the option put forward in the proposal is the most effective, strategic option.

Principle 4: Projects should demonstrate that they achieve established standards in implementation and management

Evaluation Criterion 5: Capacity of the organisation to support, maintain and integrate new infrastructure into ongoing operations including that:

a) proponents identify how the facilities will be operated and maintained beyond the period of HHF funding, including where relevant, the capacity to integrate facilities funded by the HHF into their ongoing operations;
b) proponents should demonstrate that they possess sufficient capacity and any other resources (such as funding for project maintenance or associated recurrent costs) to ensure the delivery of the project and realisation of expected benefits;
c) the organisation has access to, or will acquire, the human resources necessary to ensure the realisation of expected benefits from the proposal;
d) the proponent has developed a comprehensive implementation plan, which where relevant, demonstrates how infrastructure will be implemented in stages (allowing for payments to occur on milestone completion); and
e) the proponent has developed a comprehensive risk management strategy, with risks clearly identified and allocated.