Each service and each program that meets the needs of individuals, families, and our community - is a part of the ACT human service system. Together, we invest in and deliver diverse supports that help people take greater control over their lives.
However, our human service system always has scope for improvement – particularly in terms of the way services connect, how responsive we are to emerging needs and how we deliver services collaboratively.
Through commissioning we can continually work to correct and address system challenges that can lead to illness, entrenched racism, or economic inequality. We can also take a closer look at the sustainability and effectiveness of the services and programs within the system.
So, what comes first – program or service reform? or system reform? or is it both?
When we pursue program or service reform we need to look at:
- Target population cohort/s
- Effectiveness in delivering outcomes for a target population
- Sustainability of service or program as population grows
- Defined outcomes.
It is important that we ask – is this program or service still relevant? Are there better ways to deliver this service or program? What is the evidence telling us about community needs?
When we pursue system reform we need to look at:
- Multiple population cohorts
- Complexity and integration across multiple services or programs
- Actions we can take to improve connections between services or programs.
- Actions we can take to address challenges impacting multiple services, programs or population cohorts.
For effective system reform, we also need program and service reform occurring in parallel. If we only focus on program or service reform, then we would only see improvements for some parts of our community or system. If we only focused on system reform, then we would be too far removed from the human need and experience to keep the system relevant and responsive. So, with the commissioning processes underway now, we are seeking to identify opportunities for uplift of programs and services as well as opportunities to improve system integration and tackle systemic barriers that impact access to services and achieving outcomes for service users.
For additional information about commissioning in a human service system check out Toby Lowe (Visiting Professor at Centre for Public Impact, Senior Lecturer at Northumbria University) explaining how commissioners who use learning as their strategy can commission for better outcomes
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Page updated: 28 Feb 2024
