Agenda papers for Council should be no longer than 5 pages, with attachments no longer than 20 pages. Substantial reports will be circulated separately and in advance to Ministers and relevant officials.
Agenda papers should be made available to the Council Secretariat in time to enable distribution to Ministers 10 working days prior to the Council meeting. In the event of Ministers convening a meeting of senior officials to preview the agenda, the lead time may need to be increased.
Distribution of documents
In the case of reports which Council may consider for public release, the relevant taskforce shall make recommendations as follows:
groups to whom the report should be sent, together with any relevant documentation
a procedure for making copies of the report available for sale through appropriate outlets, for example, Curriculum Corporation
a contact person to respond to any queries concerning the report, and
distribution and printing costs and details of funding sources.
Where appropriate, documents for public release should be in a form that allows web publication, usually through the MCEECDYA website.
Protocols for launching MCEECDYA publications
There are two main categories of reports produced under the auspices of MCEECDYA:
reports officially endorsed by a MCEECDYA resolution and hence carrying the full authority of the Council (for example, National Report on Schooling); and
other reports not specifically endorsed by MCEECDYA but endorsed by MCSOC as suitable for circulation (in formats ranging from photocopy to glossy colour) as a contribution to public information or some other similar purpose. Such documents may acknowledge the relevant auspices, but this wording should not imply full MCEECDYA endorsement.
Reports officially endorsed by MCEECDYA are normally officially launched or released by the current Chair of MCEECDYA (or another Minister on behalf of the Chair). Advance copies of such reports are provided to all members of MCEECDYA, through the Secretariat, in order to facilitate press briefings.
Other reports are not normally officially launched at Ministerial level, as they do not carry the full authority of MCEECDYA. However, permission may be sought from the MCEECDYA Chair in particular circumstances where an individual Minister may wish to launch a report, with appropriate acknowledgement of the status of the report and distribution to other Ministers.
Printing and Copyright
MCEECDYA reports are funded and printed under a number of agreed arrangements. Funding may be jointly provided by the Australian Government, States and Territories according to various agreed formulae or by the Australian Government or a particular State. Frequently the Australian Government will choose to fund the printing of a MCEECDYA report and this does not require permission of MCEECDYA or a MCEECDYA taskforce, except where there is an official agreement with the relevant taskforce in relation to publication.
Copyright is normally vested in MCEECDYA; however, in certain instances, copyright can be vested in other agencies with the conditions of ownership being subject to formal agreement.
Confidentiality
All taskforce meeting papers and reports shall be treated as confidential documents with circulation limited to MCEECDYA members and their organisations, unless otherwise directed by the Council. An exception will be made for release of relevant documents to approved academics and researchers.
All requests for access to MCEECDYA data and documents will be dealt with by the MCEECDYA Secretary on behalf of the Council Chair.
Responses to requests to individual jurisdictions under FOI legislation should be handled by that jurisdiction under the FOI requirements that apply.
Requests to MCEECDYA under FOI will normally be directed back to the jurisdiction from which the request originated.
Protocols for Publishing Research and Project Reports
These protocols complement Principles for launching MCEECDYA publications, Printing and Copyright, and Confidentiality.
1. Authorisation to Publish
1.1
In all cases, other than those referred by MCSOC to MCEECDYA for decision, MCSOC may authorise the publication of research or project reports funded through the MCEECDYA National Project Fund (MNPF).
1.2
MCSOC will determine, on a case-by-case basis, which reports should be referred to MCEECDYA (out-of-session, if required) for Ministerial authorisation to publish.
1.3
Taskforces or jurisdictions commissioning reports may provide advice as to the quality of reports. MCSOC will publish reports of a high quality.
1.4
In all cases, publication should only occur after all jurisdictions have had the opportunity to comment on the report.
2. Copyright and MCEECDYA Endorsement
2.1
Where research or projects are managed by a taskforce (or other MCEECDYA entity), copyright for any reports funded from these funding sources will be vested in MCEECDYA, through its legal entity, the Curriculum Corporation.
2.2
All such reports should carry the following copyright statement:
Curriculum Corporation as the legal entity for the Ministerial Council for Education, Early Childhood Development and Youth Affairs (MCEECDYA) owns the copyright in this publication. This publication or any part of it may be used freely only for non-profit education purposes provided the source is clearly acknowledged. The publication may not be sold or used for any other commercial purpose.
Other than as permitted above or by the Copyright Act 1968 (Commonwealth), no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored, published, performed, communicated or adapted, regardless of the form or means (electronic, photocopying or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the copyright owner. Address inquiries regarding copyright to:
MCEECDYA Secretariat, PO Box 202,Carlton South, VIC 3053, Australia.
2.3
Where projects are managed by a jurisdiction, copyright may vest in that jurisdiction.
2.4
All reports should also carry the MCEECDYA logo as a symbol of their funding by MCEECDYA. Where reports have been produced through an individual jurisdiction (as opposed to a MCEECDYA Taskforce), the report may also carry the logo of that jurisdiction.
3. Publication and Costings
3.1
Documents for public release should be in a form that allows web publication, through the MCEECDYA web-site.
3.2
Any media release to launch a report will be by the Chair of MCEECDYA, unless the Chair delegates this to another jurisdiction. All media releases will acknowledge funding by MCEECDYA.
3.3
In proposing to MCSOC that a report is ready for public release, the relevant taskforce or jurisdiction should make recommendations as follows:
groups to whom the report should be sent or who should be advised that the report is available
the procedure for making the report available (ie: online, printing, or both)
(if printing) distribution and printing costs, details of funding source(s), and where print copies are to be held
a contact person to respond to any queries concerning the report.
4. Confidentiality and Freedom of Information
4.1
Whilst under development, research or project reports are confidential documents with circulation limited to MCEECDYA members and their organisations, unless otherwise directed by MCSOC.
4.2
Responses to requests to individual jurisdictions under FOI legislation should be handled by that jurisdiction under their FOI requirements that apply.
4.3
Requests to the MCEECDYA Secretariat under FOI will be directed back to the jurisdiction from which the FOI request originated.
