Latest Update - October 2023
The Chronic Conditions commissioning cycle is part of the ACT Health refreshed approach to commissioning which will manage expectations and timeframes through three coordinated pathways – intensive, flexible and support.
Chronic Conditions commissioning will be part of an intensive commissioning approach that is applied to stakeholders who are currently engaged in the Design or Invest phases of commissioning.
The Intensive Commissioning Approach means commissioning will be undertaken as a policy priority, to inform new or innovative service design and investment. Intensive Commissioning Approaches acknowledge that both government and sector partners will require a high level of willingness, readiness and capability to successfully engage with commissioning. Commissioning activities will be highly structured and will be delivered in a consistent manner, while tailored to the circumstances of each subsector.
Sector stakeholders involved in Intensive Commissioning Approaches have or are engaged with commissioning over several years and have been involved in the development of a Needs Assessment, sector design activities and service/program outcomes. Sector partners are also well prepared for commissioning investment. Process changes for future commissioning (lessons learnt) have been identified and acknowledged.
For Chronic Conditions, significant feedback has been received from sector stakeholders to develop a draft needs assessment.
For more information contact: healthpolicy@act.gov.au
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Chronic Conditions Subsector Commissioning
Status: Strategise
The commissioning approach involves working collaboratively with sector partners, and people with lived experience, to plan, design and deliver the best health and support services for Canberrans. Through this process, commissioning will provide greater opportunities for innovation by adopting an integrated, partnered approach to delivering and procuring services.
Commissioning in the chronic conditions subsector is an involved and iterative process. We are now coming to the end of the Strategise phase. In this phase we have conducted two consultation roundtables with community sector partners and representatives, and have developed a Needs Assessment, which will be presented and discussed at the third and final roundtable.
2021 Beginnings: Following individual consultations with ACT Health-funded sector partners in 2021, ACT Health Directorate developed a discussion paper, Commissioning Services for Chronic Conditions [PDF KB] [Word KB], outlining the proposed approach to commissioning for outcomes in the chronic conditions subsector.
Roundtables 1 and 2: The first two roundtables were held on 14 February 2022 and 6 April 2022. These roundtables provided an opportunity for a sector check-in, discussion of service gaps and areas of unmet need, and identification of opportunities for collaboration, integration, and service improvement. Discussions comprised the importance of involving people with a lived experience in shaping commissioning priorities, and opportunities for collaboration on prevention and the common risk factors for chronic conditions, as well as promotion of self-empowerment for people to manage their physical health and mental wellbeing. Ideas and challenges were raised by participants around current gaps in services and the health system for chronic conditions; emerging priorities for the chronic conditions sub-sector; incorporating lived experience into commissioning for chronic conditions; and exploring how we can undertake collaborative design and develop agreed outcomes.
Roundtable 3: The third roundtable will be held on Wednesday, 30 November 2022. This will be the final roundtable of the Strategise phase. At this roundtable, sector partners and representatives will discuss, and aim to reach agreement on, the Chronic Conditions Subsector Needs Assessment. This Needs Assessment will form the basis for the Design phase, which will commence in early 2023.
Timeline
We are initiating our commissioning process with further timings to be shared, this is where we are at:
- February and April 2022, roundtables were held with sector representatives.
- On 30 November 2022, the third roundtable will discuss the Needs Assessment, developed by the chronic conditions team at ACT Health.
- In early 2023, we will begin the Design phase, where we will work towards specifying services, developing an outcomes framework, defining outcomes and metrics, and finalising commissioning intentions.
Stage | Timeframe | Activity |
|---|
Strategise | Feb–Nov 2022 | ACTHD Health Policy and Strategy Branch (HPSB) consultations with current sector partners |
Evaluate and Design | Jan–May 2023 | Review information gathered in Strategise stage; collaboration with broader chronic conditions subsector to design outcomes, desired services and evaluation mechanisms |
Procure | Sep 2023 –June 2024 | ACTHD procurement and contracting of services for beyond 1 July 2024. |
Deliver / Evaluate | July 2024- | Implementation of new contracts and services, with ongoing monitoring and evaluation |
Contact us
The commissioner for this cycle is the Chronic Conditions Team within ACT Health.
To learn more about the process email healthpolicy@act.gov.au
How to participate
You can have your say and participate in the chronic conditions commissioning cycle by contacting the Chronic Conditions team at healthpolicy@act.gov.au.
What we are looking at, listening to, and sharing
We are seeking insights, perspectives and experiences that help us understand:
- What service gaps you have identified
- What emerging needs you have identified
- How your organisation is providing services
- Any new or emerging groups you have identified for targeted services
- What are meaningful measures and indicators
- Lived experiences of people accessing services
- Solutions or ideas or innovations that could meet the service needs
- How to develop better linkages and coordination across service delivery.
Who is involved
We will be seeking insights, perspectives, and experiences from a wide range of people including those accessing services or who have accessed services in the past as well as organisations involved in providing services for people living with chronic conditions.
Related commissioning cycles
We are listening to, connecting with, and drawing from these related commissioning cycles:
- Mental health
- Community Support
- Alcohol and Other Drugs
Key documents
We are referencing the following plans, strategies and frameworks in this cycle:
We will use your views to
- Innovative ways we can address the service gaps
- Refine outcomes in line with the ACT Wellbeing Framework
- Design and improve service models
- Inform contractual principles and approach for new Partnership Agreements in mid 2024
Page updated: 06 Mar 2024
