This paper analyses in a case study of the federal Coalition's changes to the Commonwealth's school funding model, inherited from its predecessor, made by its successful amendments to the Australian Education Act 2013 in June 2017 in terms of McConnell's three dimensions of policy success and failure. It gives attention to how initial policy success, can quickly give way to failure, if one of the other dimensions are not achieved or lack durability. By so doing the paper allows for the multi-dimensional nature of doing policy to be better understood and provides insights into the institutional interactions between the Commonwealth Department of Education, the minister and staff, key interest groups, and experts and think tanks in this complex, and hotly contested policy area. The case study shows the limits of 'evidence-based' policy. It highlights how the policy came unstuck and also traces what has happened in this area under subsequent governments.
