Meeting Summary
This is a summary of the NDIS Co-design Advisory Group (CAG) meeting on 23 June 2025.
Chairperson
Leah van Poppel, Independent Advisory Council (IAC) Principal Member.
Welcome and actions
Leah led the meeting and welcomed Clair Wheeler, acting as General Manager of the Co-design and Engagement Division and guest, Samantha Jenkinson, IAC Senior Independent Advisor.
The NDIA addressed actions from previous meetings:
- The CAG webpage of the NDIS website has been updated to reflect current membership, revised Terms of Reference and meeting summaries.
- The Office of the Participant Advocate has shared deidentified data on the demographic and intersectional representation of Participant First members to support future discussions around co-design with communities that are not always heard.
- Planning is underway for the proposed in-person meeting in October, with the intention to discuss the NDIA Engagement Framework and co-design methodology.
IAC Guiding Principles
Led by Leah and Samantha, IAC members provided an overview of the IAC guiding principles and measures of success, developed by Council as formal advice to guide the intent and practice of NDIS reform.
The principles reflect underlying themes from previous Council advice. Each principle includes how success can be measured and monitored, along with recommendations to guide implementation.
- CAG members supported the guiding principles, while acknowledging the challenge of embedding them into existing work, in a way that promotes ongoing reflection and consistency in applying the principles.
- The group stressed the importance of accountability and methods to measure, monitor, and evaluate whether the principles are being followed and contributing to better outcomes.
- Members discussed the need to clarify the difference between the Co-design principles and the IAC guiding principles, noting that while the guiding principles relate to co-design, they are primarily intended to guide broader reform and change.
- The group supported using deliberative and evidence-based tools to apply the principles and assess how well they are being embedded across all levels of the organisation, particularly for co-design working groups, senior leaders, and decision-makers.
- There was strong support for using qualitative tools to assess whether the principles are being genuinely felt by those affected and leading to better outcomes.
- Members suggested delivering briefings on the principles to help those involved in the co-design working groups understand what they mean and how to apply them, in an accessible and inclusive way.
- Members proposed integrating the principles into the continuous improvement approach to co-design, to better understand how people experience them and to more effectively capture and report outcomes.
Continuous Improvement
The NDIA gave an overview of the continuous improvement approach for co-design, outlining how feedback is collected, monitored, actioned, and reported to improve co-design practices, processes, and approaches.
Members were invited to share feedback on the approach, noting the first quarterly report developed by the Participant Outcomes, Evidence and Evaluation (POEE) Branch will be shared with members for feedback and discussion at the next meeting.
- Members appreciated the intention to share the quarterly report with CAG members, noting the benefits in understanding how co-design is being delivered.
- It was suggested to group findings under the four Co-design principles; transparent, ready to listen and learn, timely and inclusive, to show how these principles connect to what is being produced in the reports.
- Members highlighted the importance of understanding how everyone involved in co-design activities, including different areas of the Agency, feel during and after a session to support shared awareness and stronger collaboration.
- Members suggested using tools such as checklists or end-of-session feedback to support reflective practice and improve collaboration.
- Members stressed the importance of recognising and tracking positive feedback, even if it is only raised once or comes from smaller groups, to ensure valuable insights aren't overlooked.
- The NDIA noted feedback is being used to shape training and capability-building across the Agency, ensuring staff genuinely hear and respond to feedback, and drive cultural change.
Next meeting
Friday 8 August 2025, 1:00-3:00pm AEST.
Contact us
For more information about the Co-design Advisory Group, including membership and Terms of References, please visit the Co-design Advisory Group webpage.
If you have any feedback or questions about the Co-design Advisory Group, please email [email protected].