1. WORKING TOGETHER AN EXPLORATION OF TAKING CHARGE OF CHANGE IN THE COMMUNITY SERVICES SECTOR

2. DRIVERS OF CHANGE EXPONENTIAL INCREASE IN GOV EXPENDITURE EXPECTATIONS FOR PUBLIC ACCOUNTABILITY COMPLEX COMPLIANCE AND REGULATION GOVERNMENT OUTSOURCING OF RISK FEWER, LARGER PROVIDERS EMERGING AFTER TENDERING PRODUCTS, PRICE POINTS AND VALUE PROPOSITIONS WORKFORCE AND ESCALATING WORKFORCE COSTS PRODUCTIVITY – WHAT IS IT, IN OUR SECTOR?

3. DRIVERS OF CHANGE (2) ADOPTION OF ‘MARKET’ IDEOLOGY, LANGUAGE AND PRACTICES (BIGGER, FEWER? VALUE FOR MONEY?) REVIEWS, SECTOR REGULATION CHANGES, SLOW PACE OF RED TAPE REDUCTION GOVERNMENT’S DESIRE TO REFORM US OUTDATED GOVERNANCE AND PROGRAM MODELS CLIENT DIRECTED PURCHASING REQUIREMENTS TO INNOVATE SMALLER MARGINS, REDUCED CAPACITY TO INVEST FUNDING CUTS AND PRODUCTIVITY TARGETS

4. PAST ADAPTIVE CHANGES IN QUEENSLAND FUTURES FORUM QUEENSLAND COMMUNITY SERVICES SECTOR CHARTER QUEENSLAND COMPACT FAIR LEVEL OF FUNDING PROCESS (AND ITS OFFSPRING) MEASUREMENT CONTINUUM OF INPUT-OUTPUT-OUTCOME-IMPACT COMMUNITY SECTOR INVESTMENT FRAMEWORK IMPLEMENTATION OF QUALITY STANDARDS COMMUNITY DOOR (information on Working Together is very relevant now) STRENGTHENING NGO’S SINGLE SERVICE AGREEMENT / BETTER SERVICES BILL 2011 REGULATORY SIMPLIFICATION PLAN/CONTRACT MANAGEMENT REVIEW HARMONISATION OF QUALITY STANDARDS SKILLS QUEENSLAND’S STRATEGIC INVESTMENT FUND

5. SUSTAINABILITY & NEXT STAGES OF ADAPTION OWNING THE OVERALL REFORM AGENDA SHAPING STRUCTURAL REFORM DRIVING REGULATORY REFORM AND REDUCING ALL ADMINISTRATIVE OVERHEADS DEFINING PRODUCTIVITY IN OUR CONTEXT NEW ALLIANCES, PARTNERSHIPS, COLLABORATIONS AND MERGERS A FOCUS ON THE ‘BUSINESS OF THE BUSINESS’ WHILE KEEPING THE CLIENT AT THE CENTRE OF PURPOSE FIND A REGULATORY FRAMEWORK THAT ENCOURAGES INNOVATION STRONGER BUSINESS TO BUSINESS COLLABORATION AROUND BEST PRACTICE

7. SOME CONSIDERATIONS FOR WORKING TOGETHER THE KEY DRIVERS OF CHANGE – IN THE SECTOR AND IN YOUR ORGANISATION ORGANISATIONAL READINESS FOR WORKING TOGETHER (NOT ONLY COLLABORATION) SELF ASSESSMENT AND PRINCIPLES THAT GUIDE SUCCESS UNDERSTANDING THE ROLES OF MANAGEMENT AND GOVERNANCE IN THE PROCESS WHERE ON THE CONTINUUM OF COOPERATION THROUGH TO MERGER SHOULD YOU BE? EXAMPLES OF SUCCESS/MATCHING YOUR NEEDS WORKING TOGETHER ON MANY LEVELS

8. SELF ASSESSMENT- BEFORE CONSIDERING PARTNERSHIPS/MERGERS/ALLIANCE WHAT IS MOTIVATING YOUR DESIRE TO WORK TOGETHER? WHAT DO YOU EXPECT FROM THE PARTNERSHIP/MERGER? CAN YOU KEEP A FOCUS ON MISSION? DO YOU HAVE A UNITY OF STRATEGIC PURPOSE? CAN YOUR LEADERS SPEAK WITH ONE VOICE? HOW SOLID ARE BOARD-MANAGEMENT RELATIONSHIPS? ARE YOU CURRENTLY IN A CRISIS? DO YOU HAVE A HISTORY OF SUCCESSFUL RISK-TAKING? DO YOU HAVE A GROWTH ORIENTATION? DO YOU KNOW OF OTHER SUCCESSFUL MERGERS/PARTNERINGS?

9. SOME EXAMPLES OF WORKING TOGETHER, STRATEGIES THAT WERE FIT FOR PURPOSE VICTORIAN BACK OFFICE BENCHMARKING (COOPERATION) QUEENSLAND CHURCH COMMUNITY SERVICE QUALITY COLLABORATION (COORDINATION) URBAN RENEWAL IN NSW UNDER ONE ROOF- QUEENSLAND (COLLABORATION) QUEENSLAND CEO GROUP- PLACE BASED PARTNERSHIP QUEENSLAND CEO GROUP – BUSINESS CASE FOR INDUSTRY BODY WIDE BAY BURNETT COMMUNITY ALLIANCE OTHER REGIONAL MERGERS, ALLIANCES MANY BUSINESS RELATED MERGERS AND CONSORTIA INTERNAL MERGERS – AN INVISIBLE WEALTH OF INFORMATION

10. UPDATE ON INDUSTRY BODY CONSULTATION CHECK COMMUNITY DOOR READ THE BUSINESS PLAN ENGAGE IN THE CONVERSATION

11. Updated list of proposed themes All relate to overarching theme of "improving outcomes for people Putting people at the centre of service delivery General approaches to increase choice and engagement for individuals, covering: Individual practices, e.g. collaborative practice, strengths-based approaches, individual involvement in planning System approaches, e.g. co-design, co-production, citizen-centric services Rewarding good outcomes How to put into practice what many people/players want – better measurement and use of outcomes Some questions will focus on "how do we get better outcomes data and outcomes-based evaluations" Will also solicit feedback on mechanisms for rewarding organisations that get the best outcomes NB: outcomes-based funding as a specific funding mechanism will be included under "different funding models" Refocus funding pools around people Government changing its funding pools (i.e. programs) to make more focused on people, as well as potentially them broader and more flexible Focus is less about "is this a good thing?" than "what would it look like and how would we change it?" This will also ask "how broad should funding pools be?" and solicit feedback on the risk-compliance balance Redefining system roles and responsibilities Who does what along the service delivery value chain, covering: Who does what in service provision (identify, access, plan, deliver, monitor and review) More inclusive approaches to policy development that include providers Different funding models Different models for how funds could flow through the system Includes questions on client direct funding (and its variants) that were previously in a separate theme Also includes questions on different models e.g. area-based funding, consortia, outcomes-based funding.... Alternative funding sources Given tight budgets, how to supplement existing funding (esp gov't funding) with other sources Includes a broad range of approaches, including use of debt and other social financing approaches Need to acknowledge that organisations in the sector are already doing lots of this, and OCS is looking at it More effective, efficient operations How to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the system through operational improvement NB: This is part of accountability expectation that government has in return for providing more funds for SACS Sector-driven activities include things like shared services, workforce training,... Government-driven activities include things like standardising contracts, red-tape reduction efforts, etc Still to add: A sense of where barriers hamper outcomes, flexibility, etc "New ways of working together" / improving collaboration and coordination Early intervention - in 'Rewarding good outcomes'? Discussion of risk sharing and compliance Still to add: A sense of where barriers hamper outcomes, flexibility, etc "New ways of working together" / improving collaboration and coordination Early intervention - in 'Rewarding good outcomes'? Discussion of risk sharing and compliance

12. MORE RESOURCES MERGERS, ALLIANCES – ASSESSMENT,STRATEGIES AND PREPARATION READINGS AND RESOURCES THAT SIT BEHIND THE GREEN PAPER tcar@qld.chariot.net.au