The Role of Community Sector Peak Bodies Information Paper, December 2012 Research, policy development, advice to government and their sector Peak bodies make an important contribution to the development of inclusive and innovative public policy. The close relationships that peaks hold with agencies engaged in direct service provision place them in a unique position to undertake research in relation to client and industry needs, best practice, and innovative models of service provision. Peaks have the skills, capacity and flexibility to conduct research which provides the knowledge base upon which to develop effective local solutionsi. Peak bodies present a unique and cost-effective opportunity for governments to access robust and innovative advice from a single point of contact, representing the allied interests of its membership group. Peak bodies are able to provide policy input in a number of ways, through:       

Participation on government reference groups and meetings Formal and informal consultation Formal policy submissions (government-commissioned or independent) Preliminary research and recommendations to government on policy reform Final comment and submissions to government on policy reform Formal analysis of, and recommendations regarding existing policies Sector research, data collection, collation and presentation

Case Study: Policy Development at QCOSS As a peak body, QCOSS undertakes the following policy development processes:  researching evidence for policy development that meets the priorities and needs of Queenslanders experiencing poverty and inequality,  developing clear, evidence-based policy positions; and  presenting these to policy-makers to assist with policy and program design decisions. QCOSS also enters into partnerships and consultation with key stakeholders, including other peak bodies, industry experts, universities and researchers. In this way, QCOSS provides a cost effective conduit for governments to access research, views and issues of disadvantaged or marginalised Queenslanders. This contributes to and improves the development of social policy and programs.

Representation to government and other decision makers In the Productivity Commission’s 2010 research report on the contribution of the not for-profit sector it is noted that “not for profit organisations contribute to wellbeing through exerting influence on economic, social, cultural and environmental issues”ii. The contribution of peak bodies in this area can be summarised as: 

Providing a low cost mechanism for government to access the knowledge and expertise of the sector to improve the quality, efficiency and relevance of their programs and services;

  

Acting as a repository of sector knowledge and expertise in relation to the needs and circumstances of specific groups in the community, through specialist knowledge and contributions from members; Instigating and promoting public debate which assists in fostering participatory democracy while contributing to sound social policy development; Assisting government to be accountable to the wider community, by providing information and feedback on the impacts of policy and programs on specific groups in the communityiii.

Peaks act to give a voice to minority and disadvantaged groups who often remain unconsulted during the policy development process. Furthermore, the work carried out by peaks can, in effect, ‘get the ball rolling‘, initiating interest and opening doors for smaller organisations to build broader platforms to create change locallyiv.

Facilitation of information flow within their sector and to the community Peak bodies play a key role in disseminating information on changes to policy, government programs or the broader environment that will impact on the sector and/or their clients. This is an efficient way for government to communicate with the sector. Peaks also facilitate the flow of information between their members or from the community to the members via the sharing of research, opinion and practice experience. Peak bodies sift through the many issues faced by their represented sector and flag the most poignant and urgent issues, and then disseminate information to the necessary communities and organisations. This occurred during the natural disasters of 2010/11 where QCOSS disseminated updates, information and tools to keep community organisations informed of latest news and enable them to respond to their communities. Peak bodies can also play an important role in providing community education. This may include raising the profile of people, groups or organisations, or raising awareness of issues in the community. The community support that results enables governments to act more progressivelyv. Community Education is usually done through newsletters, websites, resource centres, guides and toolkits, and sometimes formal targeted education kits or programsvi. Case Study: Promotion of the Online Acquittal Support Information System QCOSS played a valuable role in disseminating information on behalf of the state government by promoting the Department of Communities’ Online Acquittal Support Information System (OASIS). QCOSS was engaged to increase the uptake of the system amongst funded organisations. As a result of QCOSS’ involvement, 45% of organisations who were unregistered at the commencement of the project registered within four months. The position of trust that QCOSS holds with the community sector and its ability to decipher and augment available information means that it is uniquely placed to disseminate information and engage organisations in change.

Consultation and coordination within their sector One of the unique and most highly valued roles of peak bodies, which is part of their role as sector coordinators, is their ability to bring organisations and people together through drawing on common goals and passion around certain issues. Sector consultation is a core part of the role of peak bodies. Consultation can be either in response to issues that member groups raise or they may be in response to specific government processes or requests. In the latter case, approaching a peak body may be much more efficient for the government than instigating its own inquiries around the sector.

Page |2

Consultation between peak organisations and their respective sectors occurs in a number of ways and at all levels of decision making. Consultative methods include (but are not limited to):        

One-off round tables, workshops, conferences and meetings Member surveys Issue based policy working groups or policy councils Representation by members on the governing board Input by members into publications and e-bulletins Calls for comment and contribution in regards to any publications or actions taken Involvement with sector activities and relevant committees/groups Informal conversations and networkingvii.

Whilst the consultative function of peak bodies is important, direct consultation with other organisations should always be undertaken on matters of significant program or policy change. Peak Bodies can facilitate such consultation. Case Study: Working Together Together with a collection of other peak bodies, state-wide organisations and networks, QCOSS has been leading research and coordination within the Queensland community services sector around how the industry could work better together in the face of significant and unprecedented change in the state and national community service environment. This coordinated work has resulted in an alternative approach to organisational behaviour, collaboration and sustainability including:     

Shifting the discussion from organisational size to organisational behaviour Researching the enablers and blockers to the sector collaborating more effectively Examining the possibility of collaborative practice to solve key sustainability issues Examining best practice around consortium/partnership/collaboration models, and Defining the relationship between the sector and government and providing a framework for sector development and investment.

This work is just one example of the important role that peak organisations play in engaging the sector in innovative thinking and practice and in coordinating the collective effort of organisations to contribute to the development of the sector. Case Study: QCOSS Homelessness Planning and Coordination Initiative As a peak, QCOSS had established relationships with community service organisations and other key stakeholders that ideally placed us to coordinate and secure local commitment to the Homelessness Planning and Coordination (HPAC) initiative. QCOSS workers have coordinated over 300 agencies in local community action planning and service system development activities. This has led to seven regional plans focusing on reducing homelessness and improving outcomes for people who are at risk of or experiencing homelessness. There are now over 100 local actions that have been committed to by key stakeholders from all tiers of government, the community services sector, philanthropic organisations, businesses and community members. The homelessness community action plans facilitate innovative, effective, coordinated and integrated service responses to people at risk of or experiencing homelessness.

Page |3

Sector capacity building to enable better service delivery and functioning of community organisations Supporting member agencies to become stronger, more responsive and effective service delivery organisations is a core function of a peak body. Effective capacity building requires an enduring relationship of trust, effective communication and some sense of common purpose. Peak bodies are ideally situated to facilitate capacity building in member organisationsviii. Enhanced knowledge within the sector can improve decision-making by not for profit organisations; provide greater transparency for their stakeholders; and strengthen the evidencebase on which government policies affecting the sector are developed and evaluatedix. Within the community services sector it is often not possible for each organisation to source or run their own training or to gather the resources necessary for organisational development. Thus, the sector development role of peak bodies has grown to include the provision and sharing of information and management support. There are economies of scale in sharing resources across the sector rather than duplicating programs and resources in many organisations. Furthermore, with access to large networks of members and other contacts, peaks are able to run and/or promote conferences, forums and other events that provide opportunities for organisations to share knowledge and resources to build their capacityx. Case Study: Strengthening Non-Government Organisations Between 2006 and 2009 QCOSS was funded under the Strengthening Non-Government Organisations initiative to assist organisations to successfully complete the standards selfassessment process. This was a key step towards implementing the Department of Communities Standards for Community Services. A Sector Development Worker was placed in each of the Department of Communities regions across the State. Workers provided support through one-to-one sessions, peer networking, small group sessions, workshops, regular bulk emails, telephone support and resource sharing. An evaluation found that the project provided valuable assistance to organisations, with 92.6% of organisations reporting that the support was instrumental in undertaking the selfassessment process. This was particularly true for those organisations without the expertise or capacity to undertake the process within their own organisation. 97% of organisations advised that they had submitted the required self-assessment summary reports by the due datexi.

Opportunities for the Future There are ongoing opportunities for peak bodies in Queensland to contribute to building the capacity of the community services sector and enhancing the contribution the industry can make. The Productivity Commission highlights the growing need to measure the contribution of the not-for-profit sector. Among their recommendations made for enabling this, is the continued development of supportive institutional arrangements. In particular, the Commission argues that there is a role for a central body to promote knowledge sharing, and information about approaches to evaluation more generally within the sectorxii. QCOSS strongly endorses the need for a centre for excellence for the not-for-profit sector. Whilst peak bodies are already supporting the industry to better measure and articulate the outcomes of their work and the impact made by the government funding that they receive, a central body leading this work into the future is vital. Peak bodies will continue to play an essential and complementary role to such a body.

Page |4

Value of Diversity Peak bodies play a critical role as civil society organisations that work across government areas, engage with the community, and contribute to the vibrancy of public debate and discussionxiii. The role of both generalist and specialist peaks is of equal importance. Generalist peak bodies bring a breadth of perspective that cuts across issues and interest groups, whilst specialist peaks provide a depth of understanding and information on specific issues and interest groups. The diversity of peak bodies is a result of community and industry need and recognises the way community organisations work across many areas. A diversity of peak bodies reflects the degree to which many of the service system issues affecting clients cut across more than one policy area and require peak bodies to engage across the service systemxiv.

Conclusion There are direct benefits from the research, policy development, education and advocacy work undertaken by much of the sector and this needs to be acknowledged. Often this work draws from experience of service delivery on the ground where gaps or unintended consequences become evident. Experience from the ground also contributes to the development of policies to address the underlying causes of disadvantage or lack of opportunity. Advocacy around these policy changes are then undertaken directly or through representative structures such as peak bodies. Much of this work is at the heart of the community services and welfare not for profit sector and is a vital component of our democracyxv. i

ACT Council of Social Service 2010, Comment on the DHCS Discussion Paper: Developing a service delivery framework for OCYFS funded services working with vulnerable children, young people and their families. Focus Question 7: The Role of Peak Bodies. http://www.actcoss.org.au/publications/Publications_2010/0810CMT.pdf ii Australian Government Productivity Commission 2010, Contribution of the Not-for-Profit Sector Research Report. http://www.pc.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/94548/not-for-profit-report.pdf. iii Dr. Melville, R. & Perkins, R. 2003, Changing roles of community sector peak bodies in a neoliberal policy environment in Australia. http://www.martialartsaustralia.com.au/IMA%20Website/PDF%20Articles/Peak_industry_body_study_pdf.pdf iv South Australian Council of Social Service 2011, Unique Peaks: The Definition, Role and Contribution of Peak Organisations in the South Australian Health and Community Services Sector. http://www.sacoss.org.au/online_docs/110614%20Unique%20Peaks_Def%20Value%20&%20Contribution%20Paper _final.pdf v Tasmanian Council of Social Service 2009, TasCOSS Response to the review of DHHS-funded Peak Bodies. http://www.tascoss.org.au/Portals/0/Policy%20&%20Research/TasCOSS%20Peaks%20Review%20Response.pdf. vi South Australian Council of Social Service 2011, loc. cit. vii South Australian Council of Social Service 2011, loc. cit. viii Tasmanian Council of Social Service 2009, loc. cit. ix Australian Government Productivity Commission 2010, loc.cit. x South Australian Council of Social Service 2011, loc. cit. xi Queensland Council of Social Service Inc, 2009. Strengthening Non-Government Organisations Project Evaluation Report. xii Australian Government Productivity Commission 2010, loc.cit. xiii Tasmanian Council of Social Service 2009, loc. cit. xiv Tasmanian Council of Social Service 2009, loc. cit. xv Australian Government Productivity Commission 2010, loc.cit.

Page |5