Meeting Summary
This is a summary of the NDIS Co-design Advisory Group (CAG) meeting on 2 October 2025.
Chairperson
Clair Wheeler, General Manager, Co-design and Engagement Division, NDIA.
Welcome and actions
Clair welcomed members including:
- Susan Moore, new Co-design Branch Manager, NDIA
- Maryanna Cosic, representing the National Ethnic Disability Alliance (NEDA)
- Paul Rawson, representing the Office of the Participant Advocate (OPA), NDIA.
The NDIA acknowledged that this shorter meeting was held to catch up prior to the in-person meeting, which requires further planning.
Actions from previous meetings:
- Recommendations from the previous meeting (8 August 2025) on the approach to co-design evaluation and reporting were shared back with the group. Co-design Branch is working on implementing these, including in the next quarterly report.
- Actions around preparing for the proposed face to face meeting are pending and for discussion.
- An updated visual map of agency co-design and advisory groups is also pending.
Live Learning Design Hub
The NDIA provided an overview of a proposal to establish a Design Hub to support the new way of planning.
The Design Hub will work with NDIA staff and participants to gather feedback on the experience of the new approach. This includes refining the new support needs assessment.
Members shared the following insights:
- The importance of information and resources in multiple languages and different formats, such as audio, video or notebooks to accommodate different learning needs
- Engaging with a diverse range of participants and considering how to create the right opportunities and promote them effectively. Suggested engaging with community leaders from the disability and multicultural sectors, communities that people trust
- Concerns that current engagement is not meeting people in their real environment and is disconnected from certain communities
- Need to link past and current feedback and evidence, so participants don’t have to repeat their story and so support needs assessors have full context to make informed decisions
- The need to support health professionals to understand what information they need from participants to help provide the right information to the Agency
- Concerns about where participant information will be stored and how secure it will be. The NDIA reassured members that dedicated integrity and cyber security teams are working to ensure participant information is safe
- The importance of refining and tailoring the support needs assessment process to accommodate different disability types and levels of complexity
- The importance of the support needs assessment process being independently evaluated and addressing any issues before it is rolled out
- A considered approach to rolling out the new way of planning, including who will be involved in the initial rollout and allowing more time to tailor it for communities with specific needs
- Clearly communicating who will and won’t be using the new way of planning from July 2026 to help reduce uncertainty and anxiety.
Face to Face session planning
The group discussed plans for a proposed face-to-face meeting and the next steps.
The proposed meeting date of 25 November was not suitable for members. NDIA said it would explore other dates.
At the last meeting on 8 August 2025, the group discussed the idea of improving public facing information about our approach to co-design. This involves being clear about what we mean by co-design, what work is happening, and how people can get involved.
There was also discussion about updating the Engagement Framework to reflect our journey, what we’ve learnt by doing and findings from the Co-design Evaluation.
The NDIA proposed the following issues to discuss at the in-person meeting:
- With the urgent focus on rolling out the new way of planning, how might the current approach and focus of the co-design and engagement groups need to shift?
- How can we measure the impact and outcomes of co-design?
- How can we better evaluate and capture how insights and feedback are being used in new policies and services?
Members shared the following insights:
- Recognising if the agreed approach isn’t working and adjusting it as needed
- People lose trust in the Agency when decisions are made that don’t reflect what was discussed during co-design or consultation
- Genuine co-design takes time and can’t be rushed to meet tight deadlines, emphasising the need for process design to support meaningful engagement
- The Home and Living Framework and the Supported Decision-Making Policy were highlighted as good examples of co-design at the Agency
- There needs to be room for reflection when the CAG meets in person.
Next meeting
Date to be confirmed, proposed hybrid meeting (in person and online).
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]