individualised and coordinated. This should include a ‘no wrong door’ approach. The person at risk should get all the information and support they need when they start their journey through the system. Monitoring Ongoing monitoring of the social support system is built into the actuarial model. Annual revaluations provide a detailed annual profile of the size and scope of the income support system and indicate whether investments are effective. Annual revaluations will determine whether the future liability of the social support system has improved, and ensure that those groups at greatest risk of long term income support dependence are identified. Ongoing monitoring ensures the system has the flexibility to adapt to social and demographic changes. The investment approach should undergo a full qualitative and quantitative evaluation to ensure it is effective. The appraoch would need to run for at least five years before this evaluation. Evaluation A commitment to ongoing, rigorous evaluation will ensure that services and programmes are properly assessed. Based on the outcomes of these evaluations programmes can be improved, new supports can be introduced and services that are not delivering outcomes discontinued. Over time, this process ensures that the evidence base for investment is expanded and strengthened. Recommendations Develop and implement an Australian investment approach. As a first step in the investment approach, undertake a comprehensive actuarial valuation of the lifetime liability of the income support system. Based on the actuarial valuation, invest in those groups with the largest lifetime liability and the capacity to move to self reliance. A revaluation should be conducted every year to determine whether there is a return on investment and to identify new priority groups with higher lifetime liabilities. A test and learn funding pool should be available to fund and evaluate trials of new interventions. Implement a flexible funding programme that is responsive to emerging and local needs, responds to evaluations by redirecting funding, identifies programmes that are not delivering outcomes and ceases funding with resources redirected back into the investment pool. Implement an evaluation capability to ensure that services are evaluated and an evidence base developed to support future investments. Enhance existing and build new programme management information (MI) systems, along with advanced data analytics expertise, to support an effective evaluation capability. Mutual Obligation The new social support system should be designed to improve people’s lives by supporting them to build their capability and to work to their capacity. People in the income support system should benefit from a comprehensive package of support services and a payment architecture designed to make work pay. This
individualised and coordinated. This should include a ‘no wrong door’ approach. The person at risk should get all the information and support they need when they start their journey through the system. Monitoring Ongoing monitoring of the social support system is built into the actuarial model. Annual revaluations provide a detailed annual profile of the size and scope of the income support system and indicate whether investments are effective. Annual revaluations will determine whether the future liability of the social support system has improved, and ensure that those groups at greatest risk of long term income support dependence are identified. Ongoing monitoring ensures the system has the flexibility to adapt to social and demographic changes. The investment approach should undergo a full qualitative and quantitative evaluation to ensure it is effective. The appraoch would need to run for at least five years before this evaluation. Evaluation A commitment to ongoing, rigorous evaluation will ensure that services and programmes are properly assessed. Based on the outcomes of these evaluations programmes can be improved, new supports can be introduced and services that are not delivering outcomes discontinued. Over time, this process ensures that the evidence base for investment is expanded and strengthened. Recommendations Develop and implement an Australian investment approach. As a first step in the investment approach, undertake a comprehensive actuarial valuation of the lifetime liability of the income support system. Based on the actuarial valuation, invest in those groups with the largest lifetime liability and the capacity to move to self reliance. A revaluation should be conducted every year to determine whether there is a return on investment and to identify new priority groups with higher lifetime liabilities. A test and learn funding pool should be available to fund and evaluate trials of new interventions. Implement a flexible funding programme that is responsive to emerging and local needs, responds to evaluations by redirecting funding, identifies programmes that are not delivering outcomes and ceases funding with resources redirected back into the investment pool. Implement an evaluation capability to ensure that services are evaluated and an evidence base developed to support future investments. Enhance existing and build new programme management information (MI) systems, along with advanced data analytics expertise, to support an effective evaluation capability. Mutual Obligation The new social support system should be designed to improve people’s lives by supporting them to build their capability and to work to their capacity. People in the income support system should benefit from a comprehensive package of support services and a payment architecture designed to make work pay. This
final_report_access_2_final_word.docx