The ACT Government is announcing its plan to progress further reforms to how the ACT Government together with the Community Services Sector identifies and responds to the needs of our community.

Building on recent budget commitments to address funding certainty and sustainability, the reforms include Government and the Community Sector co-designing an updated Social Compact, reviewing the community services commissioning approach, and progressing improved internal decision-making processes.

To commence the reforms, based on shared values and principles for working together, the Government and ACTCOSS will co-chair a new Social Compact Working Group to guide the development of a refreshed compact. Members of the working group will be jointly appointed in the coming weeks in discussion with community sector peak organisations.

Development of the Social Compact will be complimented by sector wide consultation on approaches to community needs analysis to support a refreshed approach to health and community services commissioning in the non-government sector. The consultation will be supported by a discussion paper available from today with formal consultation through yoursay commencing in August.

Minister for Disability, Carers and Community Services Suzanne Orr said, “In the first months of this term after discussions with the sector, we settled to progress a broader package of reforms to improve how the Government and the Community Sector work together.”

“By bringing our commitment to update and refresh the Social Compact in with broader sector reform, we are working alongside our community sector partners to deliver the best model for engagement, commissioning and prioritisation.”

Consultation will begin on Thursday, August 20 through the ACT Government’s YourSay Conversations Website.

Quotes attributable to Devin Bowles, Chief Executive Officer of ACTCOSS:

“ACTCOSS values the constructive relationship between the community sector and ACT Government which together deliver important services to Canberrans. I look forward to further deepening the relationship through the process of refreshing the Social Compact and other reforms announced today,”

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