Information sessions:New grant agreements

November 2014

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Acknowledgement of Country

We acknowledge the traditional owners on whose land we meet today. We pay our respects to their elders past and present.

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What will be covered in this session

• Changes to grant agreements

• Content in the streamlined grant agreement

• Reporting requirements (the DSS Data Exchange)

• Supplementary conditions

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What will not be covered today

• Outcomes of the recent selections processes

• Matters other than content in grant agreements

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Why we are making changes

The ‘new way of working for grants’• new grant programmes • longer term grant agreements where

appropriate• a move towards a single grant agreement • a new and streamlined approach to

programme performance reporting• simplified financial acquittal reporting

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Agreement types

1. Streamlined – majority of grants

2. Comprehensive – complex grants

3. Letter of Offer – small, one-off grants

4. Memorandum of Understanding

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Streamlined agreements

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General grant conditions

• Terms and conditions or header agreement

• Plain English

• Significant reduction in number and complexity

• Updated to align with relevant legislation

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Input for each Activity

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Data reporting

DSS Data Exchange:

• Client level data

• Six monthly reporting periods

• Partnership approach (optional)

• Performance Indicators

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Financial Acquittal Reporting

• Reduced and simplified

• The type of acquittal will depend on the Activity being delivered.

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Service Stocktake Report

• Covers compliance, operational and financial reporting requirements

• Submitted using a short template

• Will include financial declarations if applicable

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Supplementary Conditions

• Additional requirements

• Included where appropriate

• Examples include:– Equipment and assets– Relevant qualifications or skills– SACS supplementation

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Social and Community Services (SACS)

• SACS Supplementation will be included in new agreements for eligible organisations funded for in-scope programmes.

• The methodology for calculating SACS supplementation will remain the same.

• Organisations will still only have to provide a declaration that the supplementation was spent for that purpose.

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Summary• New grant agreements implement the Australian

Government’s commitments

• All future DSS grant agreements will reflect this approach.

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Short BreakNext topic: The DSS Data Exchange

A new way of working for grants The DSS Data Exchange

Principles underpinning the DSS Data Exchange:

1. Reduce red tape

2. Shift the focus of reporting from outputs to outcomes

3. Work collaboratively with civil society organisations to support innovation in service delivery

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The DSS Data Exchange IT systemThree simple ways to submit data:

1. System-to-system transfer

2. Bulk upload

3. Web-based portal

The DSS Data Exchange Framework

• First name• Last name • DOB• Gender • Postcode• Indigenous status • CALD• Disability• Client survey

• SCORE goals• SCORE circumstances• SCORE satisfaction• SCORE community

• SCORE • Post-assistance• Specific purpose

• ABS• AIHW• Census • Others

Client needs and circumstances• Reason for seeking assistance• Referral source • Referral made• Household composition• Household income

• Service delivery information (Activity, outlet delivered from, date of service)

• Language spoken at home• Length of time in Australia• Ethnicity/country of origin• Migration visa category

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DSS Purpose: Improving the lifetime wellbeing of people and families in Australia

1. Clients have improved circumstances

2. Clients achieve their goals/resolve their issues

3. Clients are satisfied with the responsiveness of services

4. Services are available to individuals and families

Outcomes of DSS grants

Did we achieve what we expected?

How well is it being done?

How much is being done?

DSS Data Exchange Programme Logic

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SCORE

Goal SCORE Circumstances SCORE Satisfaction SCORE Community SCORE

Knowledge & access to information

Skills

Behaviours

Confidence to make their own decisions

Engagement with support services

Amelioration of impact of crisis

Physical health

Mental health & self-care

Personal & family safety

Age-appropriate development

Social networks & community participation

Family functioning

Financial resilience

Employment, education and training

Material wellbeing

Safe, affordable housing

The service listened to me and understood my issues

I am satisfied with the services I have received

I am better able to deal with issues that I sought help with

Group/Community knowledge, skills & behaviours

Organisations’ knowledge & practices

Community structures & networks

DSS Purpose: Improving the lifetime wellbeing of people and families in Australia

Client Goal SCORESCORE goal domain 1:

No progress in achieving goals

2: 3: 4: 5:

Goals fully achieved

Changed knowledge and access to information

No progress in increasing awareness and knowledge in areas relevant to clients’ needs and circumstance

Limited progress to date in achieving knowledge goals—but emerging engagement

Limited progress to date in achieving knowledge goals—but strong engagement

Moderate progress to date in achieving knowledge goals

Full achievement of goals related to increasing awareness and knowledge in areas relevant to client’s needs and circumstance

Changed skills No progress in increasing skills in areas relevant to clients’ needs and circumstance

Limited progress to date in achieving skills goals—but emerging engagement

Limited progress to date in achieving skills goals—but strong engagement

Moderate progress to date in achieving skills goals

Full achievement of goals related to increasing skills in areas relevant to client’s needs and circumstance

Changed behaviours No progress in changing behaviours in areas relevant to client’s needs and circumstance

Limited progress to date in achieving behaviour goals—but emerging engagement

Limited progress to date in achieving behaviour goals—but strong engagement

Moderate progress to date in achieving behaviour goals

Full achievement of goals related to changing behaviours in areas relevant to client’s needs and circumstance

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Using SCORE

• Outcomes measurement is inherently challenging

• SCORE is designed to be flexible not prescriptive

• SCORE can be administered in 3 easy ways:

1. your staff members’ own assessment

2. a joint assessment (staff and client)

3. a client self assessment

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Partnership approach

• The partnership approach is entirely voluntary

• Grant agreement clause:

You agree to participate in the partnership approach, to provide some additional information (as outlined in the DSS Data Exchange Protocols) in exchange for the receipt of regular and relevant reports.

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Reports

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Timeframes

• Implemented as part of new grant agreements

• 12 month transition period:

1 July 2014 – 1 July 2015

• Priority requirements available in web-based portal now

• Partnership approach available in web-based portal March 2015

• Self-service reporting available July 2015

More Information • http://www.dss.gov.au/grants/programme-reporting

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Questions

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For more information

• DSS grants website https://www.dss.gov.au/grants

• Subscribe to receive alerts when new information is made available

Questions Mailbox

Grants grants@dss.gov.au

DSS Data Exchange dssdataexchange.helpdesk@dss.gov.au

DSS Data Exchange (IT) Dataexchange.developersupport@dss.gov.au