I hope you enjoyed this. Lunchtime Seminar. Slides from this session can be viewed here: Closing the gap - slides  

Topic:	Closing the gap - evidence and challenges from two studies and future possibilities
Speaker:	Dr Rebecca Reeve, Senior Research Fellow, CHERE
Date:	Thursday 30 October 2014
Time:	12.15pm for 12.30pm
Venue:	Reserve Bank of Australia, Ground Floor, 65 Martin Place, Sydney
Cost:	Free - light refreshments provided

This event is free to members with light refreshments provided.  Presentations usually conclude between 1.15pm and 1.30pm. Abstract: The emphasis of Indigenous policy making is on ‘closing the gap’ between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. Two studies will be discussed which use ABS survey data to analyse Indigenous disadvantage. Both studies indicate that current policies are broadly aligned with the evidence; however, many of the gaps are not closing. Further research is required to determine which strategies are the most effective at achieving policy targets. Longitudinal surveys and data linkage present a way forward for future research to investigate the efficacy of specific policies: for example do price incentives improve access to health services, or what types of programs work to improve education outcomes for Indigenous children. Speaker: Dr Rebecca Reeve is employed as a Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for Health Economics Research and Evaluation (CHERE) and is the program manager of CHERE’s policy evaluation program of research. Rebecca is passionate about using her skills as an economist and econometrician to improve outcomes for society’s most disadvantaged people. This is reflected in the majority of her research projects, which focus on vulnerable populations including Indigenous Australians, people at the end of life, people with dementia, people with drug and alcohol problems, children exposed to lead, children with speech and language impairment, refugee children and victims of childhood abuse.