introduction · web viewthe national disability insurance scheme (scheme) is a new way of...

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Commissioning Pipeline

To increase market awareness of commissioning initiatives

August 2016

Commissioning Pipeline | July 2016

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ContentsIntroduction...........................................................................................................................4

What is this document and who is it for?..........................................................................4

Agency’s Commissioning Framework..................................................................................5

Commissioning Categories...................................................................................................5

Pipeline Categorisation.....................................................................................................6

Agency Capabilities.......................................................................................................7

Scheme Capabilities......................................................................................................7

Consumer Based Demand............................................................................................7

Agency Capabilities.......................................................................................................8

Key concepts in the commissioning lifecycle....................................................................8

Sourcing............................................................................................................................9

Grant Activities..............................................................................................................9

How do I find out about Grant opportunities?................................................................9

Procurement Activities...................................................................................................9

Open Procurement Activities.........................................................................................9

Panel Arrangements....................................................................................................10

What can you expect in the upcoming pipeline?................................................................10

Working collaboratively – what this means for Suppliers...................................................11

Agency Information Sources and the Commissioning Pipeline......................................12

What resources are available to assist?.........................................................................13

Participant Dashboards...............................................................................................13

Market Dashboards.....................................................................................................13

NDIS Provider Toolkit..................................................................................................13

Market Position Statement..........................................................................................14

Staying Connected..........................................................................................................14

Glossary..........................................................................................................................15

Annexures..........................................................................................................................16

Commissioning Pipeline Overview..................................................................................16

Commissioning Pipeline – Agency Activities..................................................................16


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Commissioning Pipeline – Scheme Activities.................................................................17

Commissioning Pipeline – Consumer Based Demand Activities....................................18


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IntroductionThe National Disability Insurance Scheme (Scheme) is a new way of providing support for people living with disability. It’s a whole-of-life approach that represents a major reform of disability services in Australia, designed to provide the right support according to each person’s needs and goals.

The National Disability Insurance Agency (Agency) oversees the implementation of the Scheme in accordance with the National Disability Insurance Scheme Act 2013 (NDIS Act).

This includes:

Providing information and referrals, links to services and activities, individualised plans and where necessary, supports over a lifetime.

Raising community awareness and encouraging greater inclusion and access to mainstream services, community activities and other government initiatives.

Supporting Service Providers to build capacity and be part of the Scheme.

Over time, finding new and better ways of providing support, by building on what works well and learning from the lived experience of people with disability.

Delivery of these responsibilities involves a wide range of functions, including the sourcing, procurement and funding of people and entities to perform various services and deliver various products.

Key to the Scheme and the principles of the Commissioning Framework is the fostering of good relationships with both participants and Suppliers to deliver an outcome that delivers benefits for all parties.

With current Agency market findings1 forecasting growth in the demand of disability services by participants, there is a real need for an increase in the supply of services and correspondingly, an increase in the pool of capable and informed Suppliers to meet this demand.

What is this document and who is it for?

The purpose of this document is to provide the disability Service Provider market with notice of the Agency’s Commissioning activity so that organisations can better prepare themselves for participating in the implementation of the Scheme.

This document will provide the following information:

Anticipated market approaches that will become available in the near to short-term.

Conditions for participation in market approaches.

1 NSW Market Position Statement – March 2016


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The commencement and conclusion date of packages.

The scale, size and intended audience of the package.

Any additional information to contextualise the program of work and the stage at which it is at.

Agency’s Commissioning FrameworkThe Agency has recently released a Commissioning Framework available on its website. The purpose of the Framework is to explain why the Agency utilises commissioning, and how it undertakes commissioning activity once its determined it is necessary. In this way, the Agency aims to consolidate related commissioning activity across the Agency under a common umbrella approach.

Commissioning CategoriesWhen we talk about commissioning, we mean a strategic approach to the identification and funding of services and activities that benefit individuals and communities. This approach involves:

Assessing the needs of people or users in an area.

Working with users to identify the products and services required to meet the need.

Developing a true sense of partnership between the user and the Supplier in delivering the products and services.

Measuring outcomes and feeding learnings into a cycle of improvement towards the goals of the user.

Making best use of available resources.

The Agency has segregated the types of commissioning activities that it undertakes into three broad drivers or categories based on similar characteristics or commissioning requirements (refer below table). This is to ensure a common and consistent application of the various support activities surrounding the commissioning lifecycle. It will enable potential Suppliers easily to identify the category and associated packages they may be interested in and eligible for.


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CATEGORY DESCRIPTION

Consumer Based Demand

Provision of products and services that are for the direct benefit and/or consumption by participants in the Scheme in accordance with their approved plans.

Scheme Capabilities Provision of products and services that deliver underpinning capability for the effective implementation and sustainability of the Scheme. This category aims to promote innovation, efficiency and new models of relationship and care delivery.

Agency Capabilities Provision of products and services that deliver functions for which the Agency is directly accountable in order to deliver on its corporate objectives.

Pipeline Categorisation

Defining categories for the types of commissioning activities that the Agency expects to be involved in will deliver many benefits for participants and Suppliers including:

Consistency in application of processes and procedures. Streamlined processes that will deliver improvements to processing times of

applications and delivery of services.

The Agency’s Commissioning Framework is therefore centred on delivering a client focused commissioning model as outlined in Figure 1 below, with three clear categories, each with associated activity streams that can be easily referenced in the Commissioning Pipeline.


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Information, Linkages and

Capacity Building (ILC)

Intermediary Support

Other Markets

Eg Housing, Transport


MarketsAssistive

Technology

Agency Capabilities

MarketsRemote and

Rural “Providers of Last Resort”

SchemeCapabilities

Early Childhood

Early Intervention

(ECEI)

OtherEg Complex

planning, Property

Local Area Coordination

(LAC)

FIGURE 1: PARTICIPANT FOCUSED COMMISSIONING MODEL


Participant commissioning is the primary function for engagement of services participants receive through funded packages. This delivers against the commitment of choice and control and creates a demand around which markets organise themselves.

Where deemed necessary, the Agency may temporarily intervene to encourage innovation and stimulate the market to drive scalable solutions that will ultimately benefit consumers.

Scheme Capabilities

In order to fulfil its Scheme commitments, the Agency may deem it necessary to undertake commissioning activities with the objective of building sustainability in the market. These types of activities will generally be long term and deliver underpinning capability for the effective implementation and sustainability of the Scheme.

Agency Capabilities

Commissioning may also be undertaken in order to achieve effective delivery of Agency functions. This is consistent with the relevant laws. Agency functions such as activities associated with planning and planning support, delivery of Information Technology, the purchase of property and labour hire.


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Key concepts in the commissioning lifecycle

The Agency recognises that one of the challenges facing potential Suppliers is a clear and consistent understanding of key concepts in the commissioning lifecycle. It is important to differentiate between commonly used terms in order to effectively interpret the Commissioning Pipeline and the packages that potential Suppliers will be eligible for. Figure 2 provides an overview of the interaction of some of the key terms used by the Agency in its approach to commissioning.

FIGURE 2: COMMISIONING, SOURCING, PROCUREMENT AND GRANTS

Sourcing

There are two main sourcing methods that the Agency uses to implement its commissioning activities: procurement and grants processes.


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Each sourcing method is undertaken in accordance with the policies of the Agency and relevant rules and guidelines to ensure fair, transparent methods are used to make sourcing decisions.

These rules and guidelines enable entities to design processes that are robust and transparent while permitting innovative solutions that reflect the scale, scope and risk of the desired outcome. For another useful resource to those interested in engaging with the Agency, see Selling to the Australian Government: A Guide for Business.

Grant Activities

Through grants the Agency works in partnership with individuals and organisations to deliver outcomes for the Scheme. Some grant opportunities are open processes where any eligible individual or organisation can apply. Others are limited to particular market segments or organisations.

Where a grant opportunity is open, competitive, merit-based selection rounds are held where applications can be made by any organisation in the market place. Applications open and close on a nominated date. Eligible applications received by the closing date are assessed against the assessment criteria and prioritised against competing, eligible applications for the available funding. The approach may also include a two-step process whereby an Expressions of Interest (EOI) process is used to shortlist prospective applicants.

How do I find out about Grant opportunities?

An open grant round will be advertised through the media, the Agency website and other sources as required to maximise potential applicant’s awareness of the opportunity.

Procurement Activities

The Agency undertakes a wide variety of procurement activities and the process chosen is dependent on the nature, size and complexity of the requirement. Like grants, some procurement activities are open to everyone in the market, others are limited to particular groups or individual organisations.

Open Procurement Activities

Large, complex procurements are generally undertaken via an open approach to the market. The Agency uses a web portal, AusTender, which is the Australian Government’s procurement information system to advertise these opportunities. All open approaches to market for the Agency are advertised via this portal.

You must be a registered AusTender user to download tender documents, receive business opportunities and addenda notifications and lodge tenders. By registering your area of business interest in your AusTender profile, you will receive free automatic notifications of the latest opportunities as they are published.

Suppliers who are interested in delivering products and/or services to the Agency and the Commonwealth Government more broadly should register to receive alerts from AusTender.

Panel Arrangements


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http://www.sellingtogov.net.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Selling-to-the-Australian-Government-1-July-2015.pdf

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Some procurements can be undertaken through accessing a Commonwealth Standing Offer Panel (Panel) arrangement. Panel arrangements benefit both the Agency and Suppliers through a reduced number of approaches to market which provides administrative and financial efficiencies.

Smaller organisations which have specialist knowledge or skills may find benefits from Panel membership through the potential increase in opportunities, volume and the generation of price savings.

As per open approaches to market, opportunities to become party to a panel arrangement are released via AusTender.

What can you expect in the upcoming pipeline? The Commissioning Pipeline will allow potential Suppliers to view information about both procurement and grant packages with the Agency. Suppliers can use the Commissioning Pipeline to:

Search for opportunities in different Agency categories and activity streams.

Find out what’s coming up in the future.

Below clarifies the report structure and description of each of the report headings.

REPORT HEADER DESCRIPTION

Activity/Task Provides a brief outline of the opportunity and associated requirements that need to be met.

Funding Scheme Refers to the funding package for the good/service i.e. Procurement or Grant.

Process Further information on the decision process and the various stages that may be required prior to the awarding of a contract. For example:

Single stage process – the decision making process will require an application for a Request for Tender (RFT) only or,

Multi-stage process – the decision making process may require multiple applications including a Request for Information (RFI) / EOI, and/or a period of consultation and co-design prior to the RFT process.


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REPORT HEADER DESCRIPTION

Region Outlines the region(s) for which the good/service is required.

Scale May include details relating to size, complexity, or estimated value so that a gauge of the scope and scale can be determined.

Timing Includes information relating to key dates in the commissioning process including expected opening and closing dates in the tender process and dates for expected delivery of goods/services (where known).

Conditions / Constraints

A description of any constraints and eligibility criteria that a provider should be aware of that may prevent them from applying for the contract. For example, notable restrictions include the preclusion of an organisation applying for both LAC funding and registering as a Service Provider to avoid conflicts of interest.

Associated Docs Links to NDIA guidance documents to provide additional context. This may include published policy, strategy, or framework documents.

Working collaboratively – what this means for SuppliersAs part of the Agency’s commitment to Listen, Learn, Build, Deliver, we continually seek the views of people with disability, their families and carers as well as potential Suppliers on the development of our commissioning initiatives.

Our aim is to be inclusive and transparent in the commissioning process and to engage with current and potential Suppliers to understand their business models, aspirations and any potential barriers to their operations under the Scheme.

As a Supplier you can expect both consistent and clear dialogue with the Agency with particular emphasis on the following:

Clarity on upcoming sourcing activity – the Commissioning Pipeline will be developed and regularly maintained and can be accessed via the Agency website. It presents a forward view of upcoming market sourcing activity to enable potential Suppliers of products and services to better plan and prepare for future market initiatives.


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NDIS marketplace news - the Agency is continuing to produce a series of market information products that will focus on both local markets along with key State-wide information to equip potential Suppliers with the knowledge to better understand areas of expected demand growth and the characteristics of particular markets. Market Position Statements (MPSs) have been released for NSW, Queensland and Victoria. Work is currently underway to develop MPSs for the remaining states and territories.

Agency Information Sources and the Commissioning Pipeline

The Agency is committed to providing as much information as possible about the new landscape for commissioning in the disability sector. This will assist Suppliers with making commercially viable decisions and ultimately lead to a better offering for participants and their families.

The information produced will be readily available on the Agency website and will provide a holistic view of the framework, objectives, and opportunities available for the various commissioning activities that have been categorised by the Agency.

Figure 3 provides an overview of the information available. Suppliers are encouraged to access and review this information to make informed decisions on their service offerings.

Figure 3: NDIA information channels

What resources are available to assist?


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Engagement and co-design activities will assist the Agency and key stakeholders to develop new and innovative ideas for improving service provision to Scheme participants. Current resources are summarised in the following sections.

Participant Dashboards

The participant dashboard provides participant and plan statistics as at the end of each quarter. These state-based dashboards can be found at: http://www.ndis.gov.au/about-us/information-publications-and-reports/quarterly-reports/9th-qr-dashboards

Market Dashboards

The market dashboard provides a snapshot of Service Providers and market demographics as at each quarter along with detailed participant goals, outcomes and support package information by age band. These state based dashboards can be found at http://www.ndis.gov.au/about-us/information-publications-and-reports/quarterly-reports/9th-qr-dashboards

NDIS Provider Toolkit

The Toolkit incorporates the following:

A self-assessment tool which assist in identifying your organisation’s current state of transition towards the Scheme.

A financial ratio tool, which provides an insight into your organisation’s current revenue concentration, liquidity, debt and sustainability.

The NDIS Provider Toolkit can be found https://myplace.ndis.gov.au/ndisstorefront/providers/provider-toolkit.1.html

Market Position Statement

The Agency has recently released a number of Market Position Statements which provide a strategic overview for the supply and demand evidence within a jurisdiction. These statements aim to support current and prospective Suppliers through provision of information of most use for commercial decision making. These can be found at http://www.ndis.gov.au/market-position-statements. It is anticipated that other jurisdictional MPSs will also be released in the near future.

Staying Connected

The Agency will be working to keep you abreast of initiatives via the various communication channels outlined above. You can keep informed via:

Agency website – for regular updates on commissioning opportunities and activities within the disability services sector.


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http://www.ndis.gov.au/market-position-statements

https://myplace.ndis.gov.au/ndisstorefront/providers/provider-toolkit.1.html

http://www.ndis.gov.au/about-us/information-publications-and-reports/quarterly-reports/9th-qr-dashboards




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Government tender channels– monitor sites such as AusTender and GrantConnect for a list of Australian Government business opportunities and associated procurement and grants information.

Industry Forums – participate in industry forums as they arise and use these events as an opportunity to connect and network with others in your sector and with the relevant peak bodies.

Participating and contributing to co-design opportunities in order to have your say and help shape the end service that will be offered.

Monitoring conditions and requirements defined in the Commissioning Pipeline and understand how they may impact your business.

Finally, keep in contact with the Agency. If you would like further information on our activities or would like to submit comments and/or suggestions then you can contact us via email at [email protected].

By working collaboratively, we can deliver services that will support a better life for Australians living with disability, their families and carers so your opinion and contribution is valued greatly.


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http://www.grants.gov.au/

https://www.tenders.gov.au/

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Glossary

TERM DEFINITION

Commissioning A strategic approach to the identification and funding of services that benefit individuals and communities. This approach involves: assessing the needs of people or users in an area; working with users to design and choose the products and services required to meet the need; developing a true sense of partnership between the user and the provider in delivering the products and services; measuring outcomes and feeding learnings into a cycle of improvement towards the goals of the user; and making best use of available resources.

Grants The Commonwealth Grants Rules and Guidelines define a grant as follows: A grant is an arrangement for the provision of financial assistance by the Commonwealth:

under which relevant money is to be paid to a recipient other than the Commonwealth;

which is intended to assist the recipient achieve its goals;

which is intended to help address one or more of the Australian Government’s policy objectives; and

under which the recipient may be required to act in accordance with specified terms or conditions.

Procurement A specific aspect of the commissioning cycle that focuses on the process of buying products and services to maximise efficiency and value for money. It sits alongside other mechanisms for the funding of services, such as the provision of grants, or through government to government bi-lateral agreements.

The procurement definition within the Commonwealth Procurement Rules also applies: “Procurement encompasses the whole process of procuring goods and services. It begins when a need has been identified and a decision has been made on the procurement requirement. Procurement continues through the processes of risk assessment, seeking and evaluating alternative solutions, the awarding of a contract, the delivery of and payment for the goods and services and, where relevant, the ongoing management of the contract and consideration of disposal of goods.”

Sourcing Refers to procurement and grant processes, aimed at finding, evaluating and engaging Suppliers of products and services. Includes scoping requirements, development of commercial models, soliciting the market and selecting and engaging one or more Suppliers.


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AnnexuresCommissioning Pipeline Overview

Note - All planned commissioning activities are subject to revision, withdrawal, or cancellation. Information about planned sourcing activities is provided for planning purposes only and it does not represent a solicitation or constitute a request for proposal, nor is it a commitment by the Agency to procure the described services or supplies. This document will be updated from time to time as new information becomes available.

Commissioning Pipeline – Agency Activities

Partners in the Community (LAC and ECEI) Stream

Helping people with disability to engage with the NDIA and to make the most of the NDIS as well as improve inclusion of people with disability across the community as well as providing the identification of the type and level of early intervention support each child needs to achieve their best outcome

Activity / Task Funding Scheme Process Region Scale Timing Conditions / Constraints Associated DocsThe NDIS plans to release a commissioning process for the provision of Partners in the Community, comprising of both LAC and ECEI services in selected regions in VIC, commencing from January 2017.

Intending to release a grant commissioning process.

Single stage process with phased evaluation to meet bilateral commitment requirements.

VIC TBC Release FY16/17 Q1Decision FY16/17 Q2

Successful LAC and or ECEI providers will not be eligible to apply for other future ILC grant funding.

Registered providers of support will not be eligible to apply for LAC or ECEI contracts.

NDIS Early Childhood Early Intervention (ECEI) Approach

The NDIS plans to release a commissioning process for the provision of Partners in the Community, comprising of both LAC and ECEI services in selected regions in QLD, excluding remote.



QLD TBC Release FY16/17 Q1Decision FY16/17 Q2




The NDIS plans to release a commissioning process for the provision of Partners in the Community, comprising of both LAC and ECEI services in ALL regions in SA, excluding remote.



SA TBC Release FY16/17 Q1Decision FY16/17 Q2




The NDIS plans to release a commissioning process for the provision of Partners in the Community, comprising of both Local Area Coordination (LAC) and Early Childhood Early Intervention services in ACT.



ACT TBC Release FY16/17 Q1Decision FY16/17 Q2





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Commissioning Pipeline – Scheme Activities

ILC Stream

Funding for projects that assist not-for-profit and community organisations to increase social and community participation for people with disability

Activity / Task Funding Scheme Process Region Scale Timing Conditions / Constraints Associated DocsThe NDIA is seeking applications for ACT 2016-17 Information, Linkages and Capacity Building (ILC) projects. The ILC framework supports five areas of activity:

Information, linkages and referrals; Capacity building for mainstream services; Community awareness and capacity building; Individual capacity building; Local area co-ordination (LAC).


Dual stage ACT The focus of this service will be the ACT which has a population of around 400 000 people.

TBD - potentiallyRelease FY16/17 Q4Decision FY17/18 Q2

Successful ILC providers will not be eligible to apply for future LAC grant funding and would be subject to exceptional circumstances considerations.

ILC Commissioning Framework

The NDIA is seeking applications for 2017-18 ILC projects. The ILC framework supports five areas of activity:

Information, linkages and referrals; Capacity building for mainstream services; Community awareness and capacity building; Individual capacity building; LAC.


TBD Single stage or Dual stage

All regions National and regional projects.

TBD- potentiallyRelease FY17/18 Q2Decision FY17/18 Q3



The NDIA is seeking applications for 2018-19 ILC projects. The ILC framework supports five areas of activity:

Information, linkages and referrals; Capacity building for mainstream services; Community awareness and capacity building; Individual capacity building; LAC.


TBD Single stage or dual stage

All regions National and regional projects.

TBD - potentiallyRelease FY17/18 Q2Decision FY17/18 Q3




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Commissioning Pipeline – Consumer Based Demand Activities

Housing Stream

Development of specialist disability accommodation for people living with a disability

Activity / Task Funding Scheme Process Region Scale Timing Conditions / Constraints

Associated Docs

The NDIA is running a program of Housing Pilots in Barwon, Victoria. A Request for Information (RFI) was released on 30th November 2015 to seek information on a range of innovative ideas on possible Specialist Disability Accommodation housing projects to be “piloted” in the Barwon trial site and a Request for Tender (RFT) will shortly be issued

Intending to release a procurement commissioning process/

Multi-stage process which will see consultation period and co-design will be a part of the process prior to final build specifications being agreed.

VIC Initially limited to Barwon region in VIC with potential for other pilot programs.

Release FY16/17 Q2Decision FY16/17 Q3

The Specialist Disability Accommodation Pricing and Payments Framework

The Specialist Disability Accommodation Position Paper on Draft Pricing and Payments.

Assistive Technology (AT) Stream

Products, systems, services, devices and technologies used by people with a disability to support and enhance their participation in the community

Activity / Task Funding Scheme Process Region Scale Timing Conditions / Constraints

Associated Docs

The NDIA is seeking to catalyse AT innovation in Australia, through collaboration and co-investment with researchers, like agencies (e.g. aged care), the private sector and consumer and peak bodies. Various approaches to market are likely following the release of the AT Innovation Scoping & Feasibility Study being prepared for the NDIA. The Report is due for release in July 2016.

Procurementgrant

Multi-stage process which will involve co-design of enablers of AT innovation.

All This will likely form the basis for a national solution.

Anticipated to be available in August 2016

NA NDIA Assistive Technology Strategy

The NDIA will approach the market to source particular ‘parcels’ of AT where doing so:

- Would help a participant get better choice of quality products; OR

- Would deliver net financial benefits for the NDIS.The AT Strategy outlines some of the ‘AT parcels’ and potential ways the NDIA may choose to source them if the above tests are met.

Procurement Typically a multi-stage process with an EOI and RFT.

All May be national, regional, or group specific. Some offers may focus on addressing AT need in remote Australia, others for particular characteristics of participants (rapidly changing conditions).

As identified through market analysis and monitoring.

Will vary depending on the AT or need to be addressed.

NDIA Assistive Technology Strategy


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http://www.ndis.gov.au/news/sda-news



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