Timings
We are getting ready to commission with further timings to be shared, this is where we are at:
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Discover October – December 2022
We are reviewing who provides and funds related multicultural services and programs within the ACT.
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Strategise October 2022 – February 2023
We will use the review to identify any service gaps or emerging community needs.
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Design February – June 2023
Together we will use insights of the review to guide future program design for each program- identifying service or program specifications and the determining the right service mix to meet community needs.
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Invest July 2023
We will use the new service and program specifications to guide investment approaches.
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Deliver July 2023 – onwards
Latest update - April 2025
The Workforce Participation Program and Welcome to Canberra program commenced their pilot program co-design phase from 1 July 2024. This pilot will be delivered over two years to ensure service delivery meets the needs of the multicultural community of Canberra for both established and emerging communities.
Cycle: 1
Commissioner: Community Services Directorate
Status: Strategise
We are currently examining what will meet the needs of the ACT population and deliver reform agendas. In this phase we will conduct an independent review to:
- Review the Discovery Discussion Paper together - what do we already know?
- Validate and prioritise needs – who needs this service or program?
- Determine our framing statement – what problem we are trying to solve?
- Assess the market – who could provide services?
- Identify service design opportunities – what service/s could we design together to meet the need?
Background
With nearly 1 in 4 Canberrans speaking a language other than English at home, Canberra is a proud multicultural city.
A wide range of initiatives to meet the needs of Canberra’s growing multicultural community. The Commissioner (government) is now collaborating with non-government organisations, people with lived experience and the Canberra community to review three (3) key initiatives using the commissioning method.
- Workforce Participation Program provides the opportunity to gain office skills and Australian workplace experience supporting people to build networks and enter the paid workforce with confidence.
- Welcome2Canberra helps connect the community with local organisations and services they may need to settle in Canberra.
Commissioning applies a consistent way of working together – government and non-government – to keep the human services system responsive to needs.
Commissioning is our opportunity to ensure our multicultural services are effectively meeting the needs of our growing population with the ACT being home to more than 116,750 culturally and linguistically diverse people.
Engagement and collaboration
The Commissioner (government) is undertaking a review to identify who provides and funds multicultural services in the ACT.
getting ready to engage with organisations, peak bodies, and people with lived experience of to understand the current scope, diversity, and impact of the Community Development Program.
Engagement and collaboration will help assess the Program need and identify the service mix and service requirements to meet the needs of our growing population.
Given the connection of multiple services and programs to the Community Development Program, other commissioning cycles will also inform the any new service mix or requirements.
Contact us
To learn more about the process email Health and Community Services Directorate: HCSDCommissioning@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 or programs
- Any new or emerging groups that could benefit from a service or program
- What are meaningful measures and indicators
- Lived experiences of people benefiting from the service or program
- How to develop better linkages and coordination across all service delivery
- Innovate ways we can address the service or community need gaps
- Refine program outcomes in line with the ACT Wellbeing Framework
- Design and improve the service requirements or the service mix.
We will use your views to
Related commissioning cycles
We are listening to, connecting with, and drawing from these related commissioning cycles:
Key links
We are referencing the following plans, strategies, and frameworks in this cycle:
Page updated: 26 Nov 2025
