The key drivers of TAFE institutes' systems for monitoring and evaluating effectiveness and efficiency are accountability for government funding, compliance with legislation and quality assurance requirements. The need to supplement government funding with commercial income requires institutes to understand the training markets in which they operate and to maintain productive networks with industry and local communities.

This paper provides an account of the management strategies and processes that TAFE institutes use to evaluate their performance. It concludes that institutes use similar practices to understand their business and it provides some suggestions for the type of information that would be beneficial.