A values migration test has a definition problem

I once had a boss who told me, “What gets measured gets done.” We measured, and things got done. The important part was not the volume of measurement – it was that we knew exactly what we were measuring. The bottom line was simple: you can’t measure what you can’t define.

So, when it comes to values, migration, and individual compliance, the question becomes: how can values first be defined?

Currently Australia has an Australian Values Statement that sets out principles applicants are required to acknowledge as part of the migration process. Angus Taylor, Leader of the Opposition, has announced the Coalition will pursue “a values-based migration scheme that puts Australian values first, and shuts the door to those who hate our country or abuse our legal system to stay here without a right to do so.” He has also said those values are “up to debate”, meaning the definition of what is being assessed remains unsettled.

This signals a move towards requiring compliance with a set of Australian values that are not defined in behavioural terms. “Values” here are being used as shorthand for behavioural predictability under uncertainty. This instinct is understandable: migration systems are, by design, attempting to assess future behaviour. But that only works if the behaviours being inferred are clearly defined in advance. The deeper question is now more practical: if values are to be used as a compliance tool, how can they be translated into defined behavioural criteria to allow consistent and fair assessment?

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Grants for Growth

Perspective is everything

Ever notice that it is where you see things from that determines how you see things? Perspective is everything.

Perspective can really make a difference when researching and matching grant opportunities to projects. How you see your core operations and how it may match up with national and international grant opportunities can be very different as to how a professional grant writer may see it. Here are five reasons why a professional grant writer offers a different perspective – a perspective which can give you an edge in winning a grant that can create exponential growth:

  1. A professional grant writer will have a strategic mindset and a curious nature. It is a natural extension of this to question and enquire when working with a new business, looking for the edge, listening to where you want to take your organisation. In doing so they will find a way to tell your story, pitch your project in a fresh approach, and match the outcomes required of the grant with where you are going.
  2. Reading grant guidelines all day everyday gives a professional grant writer a clear perspective on what an assessor is looking for. You may want to tell them all about how brilliant your project is but they need to know how you will measure your outcomes … and what your outcomes will be.
  3. It is a vast vast world of grant opportunities. Your attention needs to be on your organisation, and no matter how easy or lucrative a grant opportunity seems it is still time consuming to prepare, plan and submit on time – with no guarantee of success. The sheer amount of grants available means it is better for you to share your plans with a professional who can keep perspective on how much time and attention vs potential outcome should be placed on any opportunity.
  4. Your project might take you to new places and help in way you never considered. A professional grant writer will be able to think outside the square for you while still having realistic parameters in place. There is no use chasing a grant opportunity in outback Queensland when you do not have the capacity to pivot and deliver. With a strong, strategic grant specialist you can target the right opportunities that fit your growth strategy.
  5. Time flies. Sure, a six week lead on a grant looks like ample time to round up the staff, write a budget, draft up a plan, consider the practical details (insurances, financials) … and then… TIMES UP, and you find yourself hitting submit on a draft you are not fully happy with. Submission dates roll around like Easter and Christmas. Don’t be fooled by what seems like a long lead – get going, or get a professional to do the hard graft.