Invest series: fast-tracking a common costing tool

Whether it is government investing in a service or program or a sector organisation responding to a tender or submitting grant application – how we cost the service or program is critical factor.

The Counting the Costs: Sustainable funding for the ACT community service sector outlined how ineffective service delivery costing can impact sustainability of services, organisations and ultimately the community and health sector.  It clearly identifies a need to break the cycle that sees funders having expectations about how little they need to invest and service providers feeling the need to under-cost a service to be competitive.  It’s led to a persistent pattern of behaviours that need to change. And a common costing tool is one way to shift the pattern.

That is why the Sector Sustainability Program, that addresses the challenges raised in the Counting the Cost Report, is fast-tracking developing of a costing tool to support the wave of investment and procurement activity over the next 12 to 18 months.

Community and health sector leaders have joined with government representatives in a recent workshop to shape the specifications for community sector costing tool to be developed by independent experts.

The comprehensive background briefing paper provides more detail on why we all need a community sector costing tool for our future human service system.

Find out more Sector Sustainability Program

Page updated: 02 May 2025