Communities to lead targeted social support

Communities will have more power to decide how social services funding is spent locally under a new approach being delivered through the Government’s Social Investment Fund, Social Investment Minister Nicola Willis says.

“Expressions of interest are now open for Community-led Commissioning, which will give trusted local leaders and organisations with a proven track record more say over how funding is used in their communities, while holding them accountable for delivering measurable results.

“The Social Investment Fund is driving this new approach to social services which is focused on improving outcomes for New Zealanders and ensuring taxpayer funding is directed towards what works.

“Every year, the government commissions more than $8 billion worth of social services – choosing who delivers support, what is delivered, and where funding goes – from non-government organisations, iwi and community providers, in addition to core health and education services.”

Willis says too often the current way of commissioning means funding is tied up in siloed contracts, duplicated reporting requirements and Wellington-designed processes that do not reflect local needs.

“This new approach is about giving communities the flexibility to design solutions that work for their people, while maintaining a strong focus on outcomes including fewer people on the Jobseeker Support benefit, higher educational achievement, better health outcomes, and fewer victims and offenders of crime.

“Following the expression of interest process, shortlisted groups will work with the Social Investment Agency to agree shared objectives, outcomes and accountability measures.

“A request for proposals process will then follow. Ultimately, we want community-led commissioning to become the norm, moving away from fragmented Government contracts and backing communities to deliver better outcomes for the people they serve.”

The Social Investment Fund is supporting reforms including consolidating NGO contracts, commissioning new outcomes-based contracts, enabling Community-led Commissioning, and developing future funding partnerships with philanthropists.