The DAF published its Leading Practice Model for Development Assessment in March 2005, which provides a blueprint for jurisdictions for a simpler, more effective approach to development assessment.

It achieves this by defining ten leading practices that a development assessment system should exhibit.

On 4 August, 2005, at a meeting of the Ministerial Council, Local Government Ministers and Planning Ministers acknowledged the Model in their Communique  as “an important reference for individual jurisdictions in advancing reform of development assessment”.

Almost every jurisdiction has now adopted elements of the DAF Leading Practice Model into their planning systems.