The purpose of this communique is to detail the key outcomes of the Co-design Advisory Group’s 13th meeting, which took place on Tuesday 13 September 2022.
The primary purpose of the Co-design Advisory Group is for the Independent Advisory Council (IAC), Department of Social Services (DSS) and the disability sector to provide strategic advice to the NDIA on the implementation of co-design and engagement processes within the disability community.
The Co-design Advisory Group works collaboratively to:
- ensure disability community perspectives on issues facing the NDIS are represented
- gather feedback on the co-design priorities and approaches with peers and members and
- provide and receive strategic advice on the design, implementation and evaluation of co-design and engagement
The following members and NDIA representatives were in attendance.
Chairperson
- Ellen Skladzien, CEO, Down Syndrome Australia
Members
- Ross Joyce, CEO, Australian Federation of Disability Organisations
- Ellen Skladzien, CEO, Down Syndrome Australia
- Dwayne Cranfield, CEO, National Ethnic Disability Alliance
- Sharon Boyce, IAC
- Leighton Jay, IAC
- Jennifer Cullen, IAC
- Julie Yeend, DSS
- Trish Drury, DSS
NDIA representatives
- Liz Callaghan, Branch Manager, Co-design and Engagement
- Jess Walker, Branch Manager, Agency Policy
- David Gifford, Deputy Scheme Actuary
- Melissa Young, Director, Co-design and Engagement
- Barny Lee, A/g Branch Manager, Participant Advocate
Secretariat
- Matthew Wright, Director, Sector Engagement and Advice
- Alysha Cole, Assistant Director, Sector Engagement and Advice
- Jo Chadwick, Engagement Administrative Support, Sector Engagement and Advice
Apologies
- Jamie Lowe, General Manager, Communications and Engagement
- Sam Bennett, General Manager, Policy, Advice and Research
- Donna Purcell, Branch Manager, Participant Advocate
- Mary Mallett, CEO, Disability Advocacy Network Australia
- Leah Van Poppel, Principal, IAC
Meeting summary
The Chair acknowledged the Traditional Owners of the land, paying respect to their Elders, past and present, and also paid respects to people with disability.
Co-design Evaluation update
The Chair introduced Liz Callaghan, NDIA Branch Manager, Co-design and Engagement who provided an update on the procurement of an external evaluator for co-design and the Theory of Change.
The procurement documents are progressing toward completion. The proposal is to proceed with a 12 month contract comprising 3 phases; planning, implementation and conclusion. Liz outlined two areas requiring further discussion and input from the Group today to finalise the selection criteria.
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Requirements – what information is required from the Evaluators:
- approach to engagement with stakeholders and people with a disability
- approach to evidence gathering and reporting outcomes
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Evaluation Criteria and Methodology
- evidence of the evaluator’s capability i.e. methodology
- evidence of experience and appropriately trained staff
- financial competitiveness
- evidence of understanding the requirements of the project
Group Feedback
- ensure requirements include whether the organisation is culturally attuned to supporting participants from Cultural and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) backgrounds and from First Nations backgrounds
- allow for possible extension of the contract beyond 12 months
- require a breakdown of the proposed pricing structure and payment schedule to indicate value for money
- demonstrate experience as evaluators working with people with a disability
Investment Effectiveness Update
The Chair introduced David Gifford, Deputy Scheme Actuary to provide a brief recap and update on the engagement process in relation to Investment Effectiveness.
- the engagement process objectives are to understand the links between outcomes for participants in relation to NDIS funding
- what strategies are required to achieve a successful future state
- a pilot engagement phase will commence shortly
Feedback
- consider reviewing individualised outcomes through a human rights lens to determine alignment with the NDIS strategy
- outcomes can be measured differently on a personal level and require rigour around engagement
- ensure engagement is sought with representative organisations
Meeting close
The Co-design Advisory Group meeting concluded with the Chair advising a draft communique will be forwarded to the Group for comment.
The next meeting has been scheduled for Tuesday 10 October 2022.
If you have any feedback or questions about the Co-design Advisory Group, please email [email protected].