Evaluating the Tertiary Education Advisory Commission: An Insider’s Perspective

Abstract

The Labour/Alliance government established the Tertiary Education Advisory Commission (TEAC) in April 2000 to advise it on the future direction, shape, regulation and funding of the tertiary sector. During the subsequent 19 months, the Commission produced four public reports and advised the government on a wide range of policy issues. Drawing on the experiences of TEAC, this article considers the necessary conditions for (relatively) short-term advisory bodies to provide ministers with timely, high-quality policy advice and make an effective contribution to the policy process. It then outlines a series of criteria for evaluating advisory bodies like TEAC, examines the performance of the Commission in the light of these criteria, and considers its likely contribution to the evolution of tertiary education policy in New Zealand.