strengthening the industry
information . resources . support
organisational development . industry policy. workforce development
boards and committees . managers
Helpdesk and Inquiries: phone 03 6231 0755
Our focus is on supporting strong, lively, well-managed and well-governed organisations:
Current Activities
From late 2008, the IDU has been reviewing its service delivery and now has a new work-plan of activities supporting individual organisations and facilitating industry-wide activity. This includes:
Help desk
Clearinghouse
Information Sessions
Peer Learning Circles
Industry policy advice and projects
Workforce Development Project
Outcomes contracts, performance and evaluation project
Facilitating the Community Services Industry Plan Implementation Committee (IPIC)
Helpdesk
The IDU Team continues to be available to funded community service organisations and TasCOSS members. Examples of some of the support provided recently by Helpdesk include information on HR, general policies and procedures, governance and the recruitment of staff and volunteers.
Clearinghouse - Provision of online information, resources and links
The IDU acts as a clearinghouse for information relevant to the governance and management of community service organisations. View this at Information, resources and links and Sourcing advice and support.
Information sessions
The IDU is running low cost information sessions focused on management skills to assist organisations position themselves for the future. It is planned to run workshops every few months until June 2010.
The series commenced in March 2009 with a solutions focused workshop on management issues. TasCOSS conducted this in partnership with Management Services Online. Later workshops will cover issues such as:
• change management;
• relationship management in partnership and consortia; and
• workforce development tools and strategies.
These information sessions will be developed based on feedback gathered continually from community services on their needs.
Contact: Dale Rahmanovic dale@tascoss.org.au
Peer Learning Circles
TasCOSS is facilitating Peer Learning Circles across the State bringing community service managers and coordinators together to share practice, develop learning cultures, develop skills in fostering learning and reflective practice and provide low cost, ongoing professional development for managers in the industry.
A southern-based learning network commenced in January 2009, two Launceston groups formed in March 2009, and an expression of interest has gone out in the North West, also in February 2009.
Click here to read a report.
Contact: Tim Tabart tim@tascoss.org.au
Industry policy advice and projects
TasCOSS continues to undertake consultations and research with members on sector viability and sustainability, the DHHS reform agenda and national reform processes. Reports and submissions the IDU team have completed and are currently working on are:
Solid Foundations, Challenging Futures - Industry Profile 2008 Completed
Reporting, compliance and government paperwork Completed
Peaks Network Response: Integrated Finance and Performance and Quality and Safety Recommendations Completed
Peaks Review response Completed
Industry Plan objectives audit Completed
How to use the Industry Plan - PowerPoint Completed
Review of Tas Community Fund and Gambling Support Levy Completed
Workforce Development Literature review Completed
Award Modernisation Process – Joint National COSS submission to the Industrial Relations Commission Completed
DHHS risk assessment tool In Progress
Productivity Inquiry on Not-For-Profit sector – Joint National COSS submission In Progress
Outcomes contracting, performance and evaluation – Literature review and consultation report In Progress
The IDU is also working on two specific projects:
1. Workforce development project: Focusing on the role of organisational culture in the retention of staff, this project will include:
1. A literature review and annotated bibliography situating the issue contextually.
2. Consultation with the Community Services Sector Peak bodies to ascertain work done within their sectors on workforce development and also what they would like to see done. This information will be collated into the project report.
3. Consultation with both frontline managers and workers from a broad area of community sector services to gain information on what the different levels of staffing perceive as the key problems in workforce development and, in particular, shed some light on how organisational culture impacts on staff retention.
4. A project report which will provide an overview of workforce development issues in the Tasmanian Community Services Sector, outline key findings of the research and provide recommendations for aligning organisational culture with the recruitment and retention needs within the sector.
5. A Tasmanian Community Sector Workforce Development Toolkit which will provide a ready-reference guide to the broad range of workforce development issues including recruitment and retention.
For more on this project and workforce development issues click here.
2. Outcomes contracts, performance and evaluation project: This project aims to develop a better understanding of the implications of DHHS’ new outcomes based contracting and performance monitoring approach. It will look at:
1.Literature on outcomes based contracting and reporting for community service organisations.
2.Interstate experience with outcomes based contracts for community services.
3.The approach of local organisations to outcomes based reporting in relation to their own performance improvement processes.
4.Practical steps organisations can take to monitor and improve their own performance, and produce data for reports to funding bodies as a by-product.
5.Recommendations for improving the alignment of DHHS requirements with the needs of community service organisations.
TasCOSS has also been working on specific industry development projects, and has produced two new reports on the industry:
• Industry Profile: Solid Foundations – Challenging Futures: A report summarising available data on the size of the industry, its income and expenditure, its workforce, and key data limitations. To download the report click here.
• The burden of reporting: A report examining the impacts and issues of reporting, compliance and government paperwork for community service organisations. To download the report click here.
Facilitating the Community Services Industry Plan Implementation Committee (IPIC)
TasCOSS is continuing to provide significant support to the Industry Plan project by facilitating the IPIC.
The committee consists of the following members:
Theresa Moore from YNOT (Chair)
Janis McKenna from Carers Tasmania
Therese Taylor from Colony 47
Anne Penney from Community Connections Inc.
Noel Mundy from Mission Australia
Tom Muller from TasCOSS
Amanda Quealy from The Hobart Clinic
Des Graham from DHHS
The second meeting of the IPIC was held on the 15 July 2009 and the Committee considered an audit against the Industry Plan priorities and a Power Point presentation demonstrating how organisations can use the Industry Plan. This presentation is available for organisations who want to know how they can incorporate the Plan into their their strategic plans, in setting their visions and values and in other ways. Contact Elida Meadows – elida@tascoss.org.au – for more information.
If you would like a hard copy of the Industry Plan please contact TasCOSS at admin@tascoss.org.au or your Community Services Peak Body.
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