CAGP involves an Australian contribution of A$20.3 million over the 74 month program timeframe. The executing agencies for the program are, on the Chinese side, the International Cooperation Center of the National Development and Reform Commission and, on the Australian side, Hassall and Associates International, a Canberra based consultancy company.

The program represents a new and innovative approach to the delivery of bilateral technical assistance, using a partnering approach whereby all program partners share a common vision and share responsibility for strategic decision making.

The program is designed with three components:

Component 1 is a facility through which the CAGP will fund short-term partnership activities between Australian and Chinese organisations in relevant governance fields. It is intended to support ‘whole of government’ engagement by Australian departments in areas of mutual interest to China. Relationships will also be developed with key human resource development agencies (the CPS and CCLA) to foster the dissemination of lessons learned through other CAGP activities.

Component 2 supports implementation of policy initiatives in identified thematic areas. It is expected that Projects under each of the themes will have durations of up to three years, linking together activities at the national policy making level with policy implementation at the local level. Activities under this component are identified, designed and managed jointly by the Program Partners, with management, administrative and technical support from HAI. Components 1 and 2 have a dynamic relationship as outcomes for each feed into the development of new projects for the other.

Component 3 is the provision of administrative support for the Australian Development Scholarships (ADS) program in China. The ADS in China involves around 20-30 scholarships per year.