The National Assessment Program (NAP) is an important investment made by all Australian governments. It is an asset that helps measure the health of Australian school education. This report considers how the usefulness of the NAP can be enhanced to improve our evidence base about the successes and challenges of the Australian school system.

The Australian Government Department of Industry commissioned the Centre for Workplace Leadership (University of Melbourne) to conduct a study that investigates the use of management practices that increase performance and innovation in Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the manufacturing sector. This paper presents the initial findings.