Murrindindi Shire Council
Aged and Disability Service Strategic Review
We have conducted a range of strategic reviews of community aged care and other community services for local governments to improve the efficiency, effectiveness and sustainability of services and assets. The objective being to guide Councils’ decision-making about its future role in service delivery and involved considering service scope and opportunities to improve and redesign service delivery model(s) to improve community outcomes and reduce Council’s exposure to financial and reputational risks.
Through our work with other local governments, we recognised that Murrindindi Shire Council’s decision-making included consideration of the broader role of local government in empowering residents as consumers of community care services and in supporting the development of a sustainable local service system. Council also had to keep in mind a range of other challenges confronting local governments in Victoria such as rate-capping, demographic shifts, cost growth, and increasing community expectations.
Importantly, while there are a range of factors that create a pressure to exit service delivery, Council also has a range of public value obligations to ‘achieve the best outcomes for the local community particularly considering the long term and cumulative effects of its decisions’ (Local Government Act 1989). Council’s decision was also complicated by uncertainty regarding the availability, capacity and capability of alternative providers if Council decides to discontinue service delivery.
These challenges, responsibilities and strategic considerations require a nuanced and sophisticated approach to developing and considering the role of Murrindindi Shire Council in relation to aged and disability services beyond July 2020. It was critical that decision-makers were engaged in meaningful consideration of a range of factors in order to address the key strategic questions, for example:
Should Council continue as a provider of Aged and Disability Services (A&DS):
will eligible clients receive timely, coordinated and integrated basic maintenance and support services to continue to live in their community?
will eligible clients have equitable access to a service regardless of where they live, their complexity of need or individual circumstances?
what is the potential financial impact of continuing service delivery? And what are the opportunities to improve financial sustainability of service?
what are the potential impacts of continuing / discontinuing service delivery on current staff and on the local economy?
Other than direct service delivery, what other roles could Council play in the A&DS sector:
what outcomes does Council want to achieve? (ie not just what Council currently does)
how can Council best contribute to the achievement of these outcomes?
can Council partner with other organisations to support the achievement of desired
outcomes?
what is the impact (positive or negative) of conducting one possible role on other roles? (eg Council as service provider, advocate or local system planner / steward)
We designed an iterative, co-design approach tailored to Murrindindi Shire Council’s needs focusing on their strategic objectives, operating environment, and community interests & concerns. The review elements included community consultation, market sounding, analysing service & financial data, co-design workshops, reviewing polices, strategies, academic / practice literature and previous reviews and facilitating a series of conversations with Council to ensure that Councillors & the executive leadership team fully understood, contributed to and were engaged with the decision-making process.
Our approach had a number of benefits, including:
responding to the particular circumstances facing Council (unlike the big accounting firms that generate efficiencies – and revenue - through standardised approaches and boilerplate solutions)
identifying risks and opportunities by drawing on the experience & expertise of Councillors, Council staff and INCITE information
stimulating consideration & discussion by utilising INCITE information’s experience and expertise to develop & present options (ie not relying on ‘content-free facilitation’)
promoting engagement and shared understanding by involving key stakeholders
Council agreed to an innovative option to transition from direct service delivery by working with and supporting a collaborative arrangement with a network of small, local providers to develop strong and connected local service system. Council would continue to provide support for the aged population more broadly, providing community information, advocacy and service planning.
Key objectives of the new model include:
enhancing client outcomes through developing more responsive, flexible and innovative service offerings
supporting the viability of local service provision and local accountability for service delivery
ensuring a ‘no wrong door’ approach with each provider guiding community members to the right agency with a warm handover
Council’s decision reflected its desired role and how it can best add value to its communities. The agreed option provides greater opportunities for client choice and the development of innovative service responses to meet diverse needs. In addition, transition from service delivery provides an opportunity to reallocate resources and re-position Council’s role to respond to other areas of need for all older residents and those with a disability to promote better community outcomes.
Client Testimonial
“We engaged INCITE Information to assist with a review of Aged and Disability Services. INCITE Information developed and delivered a comprehensive review process with a strong focus on collaboration and consultation with Council officers, Councillors and the community.
They listened and heard what was important to our community and other key stakeholders and this was reflected in the options developed and ultimately the review recommendation.
INCITE Information have a strong background in the subject matter we engaged them on and they understood the context of a rural Council. This was demonstrated in their planning and presentation and provided our Council with confidence in their ability.
The strong focus on collaboration and co-design approach in determining appropriate options for Council provided a range of opportunities for genuine input and influence for all key stakeholders This has been a critical element in supporting a change management process and a smooth transition to a new way of doing things.
People understood why the decision was made even if they didn’t necessarily agree with it.
They followed the brief, they already had a good understanding of the context and the complexities.
Time spent with INCITE information was about progressing the review and working through issues and options rather than explaining how Council works. It was all worthwhile time.
I feel confident we got what we paid for and that is not always the case with consultants.
They are curious, diligent, intelligent and expert in their field.”
Naomi McNamara
Manager Community Wellbeing
Murrindindi Shire Council