Community Services Bulletin

This is Community Services Procurement Policy Bulletin – June Edition.

General Manager

We’ve reached the mid-way point of a busy year and the end of another financial year.

Last month the WA Government released the 2022-2023 State Budget which pledged $160.1 million in new funding for community service providers and not-for-profits, in addition to a range of other funding programs to support vulnerable Western Australians.

In addition to prepping for the end of the financial year, we’re continuing to support the community services sector through the delivery of training for Western Australia’s Outcomes Measurement Framework and progressing the State Commissioning Strategy (Strategy) implementation plan. All this hard work hasn’t stopped the team from enjoying themselves and helping out in the community, with a volunteer day spent at the Dog Refuge.

The first half of the year has set us up for success as we plan to begin implementing commissioning into the community services landscape, (subject to approval from Government) and ensuring all Western Australians have access to the essential services they need to live healthy and fulfilling lives.

State Commissioning Strategy Update

The State Commissioning Strategy and Implementation Plan have been finalised and will go to Government in July for consideration.

Finalising the Implementation Plan and Strategy was possible thanks to the extensive collaboration with government agencies and the community services sector. We will continue to keep the sector up to date on the progress.

2022 CSPP Training Update

Introduction to purchasing community services – for government agency representatives working in the community services space.
Introduction to procurement: Procurement Evaluations – for government agency representatives.
Supplying community services for government – for community services sector organisations tendering for community services.

Outcomes Measurement Framework

The Outcomes Measurement Framework for Community Services and User Guide have been published on WA.gov.au.

The User Guide takes procurement officers through the process of using the Outcomes Measurement Framework, step by step. Additionally, prompts to include domains and community outcomes from the Outcomes Measurement Framework have been included in community services procurement templates.

The Outcomes Measurement Framework is not being applied to existing service agreements except where service providers are keen to have it integrated, but service providers will see domains and community outcomes reflected in new community services Requests and co-design processes.

Please contact the CSPP team if you have any queries regarding the Outcomes Measurement Framework.

Supporting Communities Forum

On 1, June 2022 the Supporting Communities Forum (held the second quarterly meeting of the year). Read the communique from the meeting or find out more about the SCF online.

WA Languages Services Policy 2020

In accordance with the WA Language Services Policy 2020, Government agencies must enable contracted Service Providers to engage interpreters and translators for service delivery and make providers aware of how to access language services through the Western Australian Government Common Use Arrangement (CUA) Interpreting and Translating Services.

Service users who are unable to communicate effectively in written and/or spoken standard English must be offered language services (such as interpreters and translations) by the Service Provider. This includes some Aboriginal people, people from culturally and linguistically diverse (CaLD) backgrounds, and people who are deaf or hard of hearing. The language services are to be provided at no cost to the service user.

The Office of Multicultural Interests (OMI) has advised that some providers, who have accessed the Commonwealth Government’s Free Interpreting Service in the past to provide language services, will be ineligible to use this free service for their State funded initiatives, i.e. if they receive substantial State government funding for the delivery of the service.

This may result in additional costs to current service agreements and will require consideration when planning for future services. Current services experiencing issues should contact their government agency contract manager. For further information please contact OMI.

If contracted service providers have experienced any issues with providing language services to service users and are willing to share their insights, please email the Community Services Procurement Policy team.