Welfare to Work Reforms

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The Evolving JN/Centrelink/DEWR relationships
Joan ten Brummelaar DEWR Carmel McGregor -
Centrelink
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Aligning Priorities with Government Policy
Decisions

Whole of Government Policy Whole of government
denotes public service agencies working across
portfolio boundaries to achieve a shared goal and
an integrated government response to particular
issues.  Approaches can be formal and informal. 
They can focus on policy development, programme
management and service delivery. Definition of
whole of government as adopted by Management
Advisory Committee 2004
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Centrelink People Culture

• Centrelink is taking a proactive, whole of
  government approach focussing on
• Responsive to the Government of the day
• Strengthening our customer focus in line with
  Government direction
• positioning the organisation to gain a better
  understanding of the local labour markets e.g
  National attendance at DEWR Better connections
  workshops.

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BACKGROUND

• DEWR has for many years focussed on producing
  productive and positive employment outcomes for
  our customers and worked with Centrelink to
  achieve them
• The Machinery of Government changes and
  announcement of Welfare to Work initiatives have
  changed the nature of the relationship with
  Centrelink and increased the focus on workforce
  participation.

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Working in Harmony in the past?
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New Focus

• Joint contribution, respect for each agencys
  expertise and professionalism are the keys to
  success
• Welfare to Work initiatives have focussed
  attention on the need for a cooperative and
  productive relationship between Centrelink and
  DEWR.
• The interdependency of the two departments will
  ensure the successful implementation of Welfare
  to Work.

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Challenges

• Joint aim of increasing workforce participation
  due to emerging skill and labour shortages
• Machinery of Government changes in 2004
• Increased focus on workforce participation
• Income support now part of DEWR responsibility
• Engaging and assisting non activity test
  customers
• Emergence of Welfare to Work
• Centrelink needing to refocus effort from the
  Income Support maintenance to active engagement
  in services
• Both agencies have made a positive contribution
  over the past six months to reflect this new focus

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Success to date

• Increased referrals of DSP and PP customers to
  Job Network with increased placements
• Quicker referral of job seekers to Job Network
  (within two working days) resulting in increased
  attendance rates
• Better understanding of Privacy resulting in more
  information sharing
• Local area relationships which are supported
  Nationally by monthly CDLO teleconference that
  handle all local Centrelink issues swiftly and
  professionally.

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Examples of working together to improve service
to service providers

• Have increased referrals of non-activity tested
  clients to employment services and are working
  together to further refine strategies.
• Developing joint briefing strategies for
  Centrelink and Service provider staff
• Hear only one story
• Increases consistency of messages from DEWR and
  Centrelink

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New Partnership?
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Shared Agenda

• Both DEWR and Centrelink have key
  responsibilities to deliver the Governments
  policy objectives.
• Changes will occur in DEWR and Centrelink to
  implement Welfare to Work.

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Cultural Change

• Working closely to change the way we work
  together to deliver results for all our
  stakeholders
• Rapid Connect- joint steering committee to keep
  it on track
• Joint IT processes to support Welfare to Work
• Increased Information Sharing Active Dialogue
• Joint briefings and messaging to service
  providers and key stakeholders reducing the risk
  of confusion

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How does DHS fit in?

• Whole of Government Policy
• The new department will ensure that the
  Government is able to get the best value for
  money in delivery with an emphasis on continuous
  service improvement and a
• whole of government approach.
• The Hon John Howard, PM
• 22 October 2005
• DEWR, DHS and Centrelink are working together to
  implement Welfare to Work initiatives

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Relationship Framework

• A new Business Partnership is in operation with
  clearer performance indicators and increased
  focus on responsiveness to new initiatives.
• KPIs have an increased focus on consistency of
  performance across the Centrelink network for
  example many include both national targets and
  a target for at least 80 of CSCs to reach the
  target
• Centrelink and DEWR are also exploring the notion
  of site visits to CSCs much as occur under Job
  Network contracts
• Increased focus on local liaison between
  Centrelink and the range of DEWR contracted
  service providers

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Advantages for service providers

• DEWR and Centrelink have the common goal of
  effective and efficient implementation of the
  Governments policies
• This new partnership facilitates a better working
  relationship which enables
• Uniform messaging by Centrelink and DEWR to
  service providers
• Increased in referrals to appropriate services

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Simply

• DEWR and Centrelink working together
  cooperatively and productively equate to better
  systematic services for Job Network and other
  service providers.

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Improvement
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Conclusion

• Good formal and informal working relationships
  are integral to achieving the outcomes for our
  customers.
• Being responsive to Government means we have to
  be responsive to each other.
• DEWR and Centrelink have the common goal of
  effective and efficient implementation of the
  Governments policies, in particular Welfare to
  Work .

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And one day we will get there
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• Questions?