1. The future of the community sector: A Victorian perspective Cath Smith Chief Executive Officer Victorian Council of Social Service www.vcoss.org.au vcoss@vcoss.org.au 03 9654 5050

2. Future of the Sector  DHS Human Services Partnership Agreement – signed in 2002 and again 2005, due for review late 2008  Sector Sustainability Task Group – now Community Sector Futures Task group  Stronger Community Organisations project and State Services Review of NFP Regulation – SCOP action plan and new Office for Community Sector

3. Projects  Collaboration and consultation protocol  NGO indexation agreement and exceptional events clause  Pricing framework  Workforce strategy – DHS funded sector  OHS education and small grants  Staff bank  Long service leave portability  Clearinghouse –training and pro bono brokerage  Futures work– evaluation of impact, re-capturing ‘community’ accountability into community organisations, capacity-building and ‘leadership’

4. Unfinished business  Workforce strategy – ‘whole of sector’  Indexation – whole of government NGO index  Pricing that reflects real cost of service delivery  Streamlining compliance, data collections - service agreements and grants – single chart of accounts etc  Investment in strategies that will enhance service delivery – develop models of care that can be sustained within demographic trends

5. Challenges  Why do Governments outsource services and programs to the NGO sector?  Why and how do we run them?  Social inclusion – putting principles in practice?

6. Opportunities  National NFP Compact consultations  Social inclusion agenda  Service system reform – indicators and outcomes for people and communities  Governments cannot deliver social inclusion without a strong NGO sector  Strong NGO sector needs cross-sectoral approaches and collaboration around e.g. workforce, OHS, shared services, data streamlining etc.  Need to maintain accountability to communities and to our shared values, social equity vision