Performance Reporting

Part two

Output Group 4.4: Community partnership and delivery

Administered items:

Community Engagement
- Community Business Partnership
- Stronger Families and Communities Strategy—Communities Initiatives
- Volunteer Management Program
Reconnecting People Assistance Package

Departmental outputs:

Policy services and program management
Service delivery

Community Engagement

This administered item aims to improve outcomes for individuals and families in disadvantaged communities by supporting volunteering, funding case and place‑based support, strengthening ties between business and the community and helping community organisations to function more effectively.

Price
Estimate	$65.682m*
Actual	$62.394m

* This estimate was taken from the 2007–08 FaHCSIA Portfolio Additional Estimates Statements.

Community Business Partnership

The Community Business Partnership was a group of prominent Australians from the community and business sectors appointed by the former Prime Minister to advise and assist the Government on issues concerning community business collaboration. The partnership was dissolved as part of an election commitment of the incoming Government.

Quantity indicator: Number of Australian Public Service departments implementing a workplace giving program or reinvigorating an existing program
Estimate	10	The variance is +12. The Australian Charities Fund was engaged by FaHCSIA to work with Australian Government agencies to either reinvigorate existing workplace giving programs or introduce them.
Actual	22

Quantity indicator: Number of essays that meet eligible standards for the Social Responsibility Writers Prize from
a) secondary school students and
b) tertiary students
Estimate	(a) 262 and (b) 120	The variances are: (a) –68 and (b) –98. Despite the extensive promotion of this competition, the number of entries was less than forecast. However, numbers were the same as 2006 for secondary school students. This follows a change in the competition name and change in question format.
Actual	(a) 194 and (b) 22

Quantity indicator: Number of nominations that meet eligibility requirements for awards that recognise excellence in partnerships from business and community
Estimate	240 and judges make an award in each award category	The variance is –10. While there has been a slight decrease over time for nominations in the partnership’s target audience in 2007–08, the small and medium business categories increased.
Actual	230

Quantity indicator: Number of partnerships days hosted
Estimate	7	The variance is +1. Partnership days were hosted in the capital city of each state and territory.
Actual	8

Stronger Families and Communities Strategy—Communities Initiatives

The Stronger Families and Communities Strategy helps families and communities to build strength and resilience so they can identify and resolve local issues and manage the impact of social and economic change.

Local Answers helps strengthen disadvantaged communities to build the skills and capacity to identify opportunities and take action for the benefit of their members.

The Volunteer Grants Program (VGP) provides funding to not-for-profit community groups to purchase equipment in support of their volunteers, recognising their hard work in the community. It also provides funding to community sporting organisations, particularly groups that support and encourage the involvement of children.

Quantity indicator: Number of projects funded
Estimate	7,215	The variance is +1,039. The variation is due to an increased number of organisations funded under the VGP 2007 round.
Actual	8,254

Quantity indicator: Percentage of funded projects that meet agreed deliverables
Estimate	100%	The actual result was the same as the estimate indicated in the 2007–08 FaHCSIA Portfolio Budget Statements.
Actual	100%

Volunteer Management Program

The Volunteer Management Program (VMP) funds Volunteer Resource Centres to provide training programs to volunteers and volunteer managers, support volunteer‑involving organisations to enhance their volunteer management capacity and facilitate corporate volunteering.

Quantity indicator: Number of individuals assisted into volunteering
Estimate	12,000 individuals assisted over a 6‑month period	The variance is +5,735. Due to the amalgamation of the VMP and the Volunteer Work Initiative, the number of Volunteer Resource Centres increased from 24 to 50.
Actual	17,735 individuals assisted over a 6‑month period

Quantity indicator: Number of volunteers and volunteering managers trained
Estimate	8,000 volunteers and volunteer managers trained over a 6‑month period	The variance is +6,380. Due to the amalgamation of the VMP and the Volunteer Work Initiative, the number of Volunteer Resource Centres increased from 24 to 50. Also, in consultation with the volunteering sector, the objectives of the VMP were refocused towards assisting people into volunteering through volunteer management training.
Actual	14,380 volunteers and volunteer managers trained over a 6‑month period

Reconnecting People Assistance Package

The Government provides support to eligible Australians who have been adversely affected as a direct result of their inappropriate immigration detention within Australia.

The Reconnecting People Assistance Package (RPAP) provides ex‑gratia assistance to eligible Australians to help them reestablish their lives and reconnect with their family and community. Depending on the individual’s circumstance, assistance can include: case management support by a Centrelink Family Liaison Officer; health and community support services; help to re‑establish appropriate accommodation; personal financial assistance; and/or assistance with travel to preferred location of residence.

Price
Estimate	$0.400m
Actual	$0.468m

Quantity indicator: Number of calls to the Reconnecting People Hotline
Estimate	50	The variance is –45. The program is demand-driven and client numbers are not able to be anticipated.
Actual	5

Quantity indicator: Number of eligible applicants assisted under Reconnecting People since 1 July 2007
Estimate	20	The variance is –18. The program is demand-driven and client numbers are not able to be anticipated. The initial estimate was based on an forecast higher take‑up and eligibility, which has not been the case.
Actual	2

Quantity indicator: Number of visits to Reconnecting People website
Estimate	100	The variance is +586. This variance is due to the difficulty of estimating the number of visits to any website. The number of visits may not reflect direct interest in the program.
Actual	686

Policy services and program management

Price
Estimate	$8.651m
Actual	$8.468m

Quality—assurance indicator: Department ensures that service providers meet terms and conditions of funding
Estimate	100%	The actual result was the same as the estimate indicated in the 2007–08 FaHCSIA Portfolio Budget Statements.
Actual	100%

Quality—assurance indicator: Research and evaluation is of a high standard (timely, fulfils terms of reference, complete, methodologically sound) and contributes to policy understanding and development
Estimate	100%	The actual result was the same as the estimate indicated in the 2007–08 FaHCSIA Portfolio Budget Statements.
Actual	100%

Quality—assurance indicator: Service agreements/contracts that meet legislative, government policy and departmental requirements in place with all service providers
Estimate	100%	The actual result was the same as the estimate indicated in the 2007–08 FaHCSIA Portfolio Budget Statements.
Actual	100%

Quality—client satisfaction indicator: Ministers and their offices are satisfied with the quality of policy advice and departmental requirements in place with all service providers
Estimate	100%	The actual result was the same as the estimate indicated in the 2007–08 FaHCSIA Portfolio Budget Statements.
Actual	100%

Quantity indicator: Major pieces of research and evaluation completed
Estimate	0	The variance is +3. Three research projects were commissioned and completed through the Prime Minister’s Community Business Partnership: Practical Partnering Toolkit—Social Compass Employee Volunteering: a guide for small to medium-sized enterprises—Volunteering Australia Media tools.
Actual	3

Quantity indicator: Number of contracts/service agreements under management
Estimate	1,805	The variance is +6,516. The original estimate did not take into account the VGP which provided an additional $12.8 million and funded 7,735 organisations in 2007–08.
Actual	8,321

Quantity indicator: Number of service providers under management
Estimate	490	The variance is –28. The number of service providers under management in 2007–08 was less than the estimate initially projected.
Actual	462

Quantity indicator: Number of items to Ministers’ offices
Estimate	370 items of ministerial correspondence 130 submissions and briefings	Detailed information on actual results for this indicator can be found in Part 3 of this report.

Service delivery

Price
Estimate	$10.693m
Actual	$10.466m

Quality—assurance indicator: Service providers deliver services to the standards agreed with FaHCSIA
Estimate	100%	The actual result was the same as the estimate indicated in the 2007–08 FaHCSIA Portfolio Budget Statements.
Actual	100%

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