A YEAR IN REVIEW National Agreement on Closing the Gap   The National Agreement on Closing the Gap identifies four priority reform areas and 17 socio-economic outcomes that are critical to addressing the devastating and ongoing legacy of colonialism and marginalisation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The Agreement came into effect in July 2020 and sets out a 10-year framework to close the gap in life expectancy within a generation and reform the way governments work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Throughout 2021, the federal, state and territory governments, local governments and the Coalition of Peaks developed and released their first Implementation Plans under the Agreement. Each Implementation Plan details the scope of work to be undertaken under the Agreement until 2031. This is further outlined through an implementation tracker. Progress towards the priority reforms and outcomes under the Agreement will be further monitored by the Productivity Commission, including through its data dashboard and annual data report.    In July 2021, the Productivity Commission released its first annual data report under the Agreement.4 The report revealed that the central commitment to close the life expectancy gap for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples by 2031 was not on track to be met. The report also showed increased rates of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in prisons and out-of-home care, and of suicide. Only three of the seven targets for which data was available were on track. These were healthy birth weight babies, the enrolment of children in the year before full-time schooling and youth detention rates.   The Productivity Commission’s new annual data report is an important tool for tracking progress towards the Closing the Gap priority reforms and targets, and in keeping governments accountable for their commitments and community needs. It also lays bare the significant work to be done, the importance of driving action through the four priority reforms and the need for additional, needs-based funding from all parties to support their implementation plans.   The Close the Gap Campaign will be monitoring all levels of government closely to ensure they are meeting their national and jurisdictional commitments in their Implementation Plans, and to ensure the full intent of the four priority reforms to change the way governments work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people is embraced.   14 Transforming Power: Voices for Generational Change Key developments on Closing the Gap in 2021: • Completion of two Sector Strengthening Plans, with a focus on early childhood care and development, and health. They establish the priorities and agreed ways to build these critical Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community controlled sectors under Priority Reform Two. • Addition to the Agreement of a new target on community infrastructure, which will measure progress towards parity in infrastructure, essential services, and environmental health and conditions. This will include data development to measure essential service provision to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, including water and sewerage, waste management, road reserves and electricity supply. • $46.5 million co-contribution by the Australian Government for the Strengthening the Community-Controlled Sector Fund. Funding is allocated over four years to build the capacity of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community controlled service delivery sector. • Establishment of the Justice Policy Partnership to address incarceration – the first of five policy priority partnerships to be established. • Agreement to establish the first two (of six) community data projects in Western Sydney and the Kimberley.