Under the National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Agreement (National Agreement), Commonwealth, state and territory governments agreed to develop nationally consistent evaluation principles through:

• a National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Evaluation Framework (Evaluation Framework) and
• Evaluation Sharing Guidelines (Sharing Guidelines).

The aim of these deliverables is to provide guidance on the conduct and sharing of evaluations respectively, in order to improve the quality and consistency of mental health and suicide prevention evaluations, and to support the sharing of evaluation findings. This is so that ultimately, evaluations contribute to a strong evidence base that informs investment decisions and program delivery in the sector, in order to improve the mental health and suicide prevention system in Australia for all that need it.

The Evaluation Framework relates to a key recommendation from the Productivity Commission 2020 Inquiry into Mental Health to embed an evaluation culture into the system.

The Evaluation Framework and Sharing Guidelines have been developed in close consultation with governments and key stakeholders, including those with a lived experience of mental ill health and suicide and First Nations peoples.

The following principles are suggested to guide decision-making and support the evaluation of mental health and suicide prevention programs.

• Lived and/or living experience and person-centred
• Robust and fit-for-purpose
• Trauma-responsive and ethical
• Focused on learning and building the evidence base