Transcript Solaris Therapeutic Community

Developing Throughcare :
A better way of doing policy?
Simon Rosenberg
Deputy CEO
Three ways to “do” policy
The Consultation Approach
The Advocacy Approach
The Partnership Approach –
Throughcare as case study
1. Policy by Consultation
 Govt identifies a policy issue
 Govt develops a draft policy or consultation
paper, and seeks reaction through forums or
submissions
 Community sector organises its response
 Govt accepts, adapts or ignores sector input
 Govt provides feedback on the outcomes –
sometimes!
2. Policy by Advocacy
 Community sector identifies unmet needs,
gaps in services
 Sector does research and consults internally
on the issues and solutions
 Policy Paper/Submission developed to
present to Govt.
 Govt accepts, adapts or ignores sector views
3. Policy by Partnership
 Community sector (or Govt) identifies unmet
needs, gaps in services
 Sector approaches Govt (or vice versa) to work
jointly on issues and solutions
 Policy Paper/Submission(s) developed – may be
joint or separate, but with common elements
 Govt and sector reps maintain their
accountabilities, but work together as far as
possible
 Ideally, a final policy position emerges that has
govt and sector ownership.
Community Integration
Governance Group (CIGG)
 Cross-sectoral community agencies’ forum set up late 2009
 Focus on Throughcare, ie continuity of services and
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support for offenders pre and post release from AMC,
Bimberi, and broader justice system.
Problem identified: new facilities with rehab and human
rights focus, but no systemic planning or coordination of
throughcare services to help prevent reoffending.
Whole of Govt, whole of community (WoG/WoC) problem
Developed initial policy position for Throughcare
CIGG explicitly aimed to work with govt
CIGG achievements
 Participation from all relevant sectors
 Comprehensive submission to AMC review
 Engagement with ACTCS and CMD initially,
then all key govt agencies
 Input to paper for Policy Forum (Dep CEOs)
 Policy Forum agreement to development of
Throughcare Policy collaboratively between
ACT Govt and CIGG.
What made it work?
 Trust and openness
 Role clarity
 Accountability
 ‘Selling’ the value of the sector's input
 Patience
 The ‘Partnership’ was genuine
What are the risks?
Confidentiality
 Co-option
 Role confusion
 Delay
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What are the benefits?
 An alternative way of doing policy – community
sector has earlier input, and outcomes more likely
to be jointly owned
 Particularly useful for ‘wicked problems’ – often
need WoG/WoC joined-up approach*
 Implementation issues get better consideration at
policy development phase
 Greater understanding of each other’s constraints
 Enhanced trust and respect for further work
 A practical expression of the Social Compact!
Conclusion
 Community sector should explore opportunities for
policy development through partnership with govt
 Sector needs to more actively share and learn from
experiences of what has worked and what has not
 Partnership approach most useful for WoG/WoC*
 Value connecting/networking skills.
[email protected], ph. 0400 507757
* For more info see APSC, “Tackling Wicked Problems: A Public Policy
Perspective”, 2007