March 2010

ACTCOSS acknowledges that Canberra has been built on the traditional lands of the
Ngunnawal people. We pay our respects to their elders and recognise the displacement and disadvantage they have suffered as a result of European settlement. We celebrate
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and ongoing contribution to the ACT community.
The ACT Council of Social Service Inc. (ACTCOSS) is the peak representative body for notfor-profit community organisations, people living with disadvantage and low-income citizens of the Territory.
ACTCOSS is a member of the nationwide COSS network, made up of each of the state and territory Councils and the national body, the Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS).
ACTCOSS’ objectives are a community in which all people have the opportunities and resources needed to participate in and benefit from social and economic life and the development of a dynamic, collaborative and viable community sector.
The membership of the Council includes the majority of community based service providers in the social welfare area, a range of community associations and networks, self-help and consumer groups and interested individuals.
ACTCOSS receives funding from the Community Services Program (CSP) which is funded by the ACT Government.
ACTCOSS advises that this document may be publicly distributed, including by placing a copy on our website.
Contact Details
Phone:
Fax:
Mail:
E-mail:
WWW:
Location:
Director:
02 6202 7200
02 6281 4192
PO Box 849, Mawson ACT 2607 actcoss@actcoss.org.au http://www.actcoss.org.au
Level 1,
67 Townshend St,
Phillip ACT 2606
Deputy Director:
Policy Officer:
March 2010
Roslyn Dundas
Kiki Korpinen
Natalie Oliver
© Copyright ACT Council of Social Service Incorporated
This publication is copyright, apart from use by those agencies for which it has been produced. Non-profit associations and groups have permission to reproduce parts of this publication as long as the original meaning is retained and proper credit is given to the
ACT Council of Social Service Inc (ACTCOSS). All other individuals and Agencies seeking to reproduce material from this publication should obtain the permission of the Director of
ACTCOSS.
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ACTCOSS would like to thank the Department of Disability, Housing and
Community Services (DHCS) for the opportunity to provide feedback on the discussion paper: Developing a service delivery framework for OCYFS funded services working with vulnerable children, young people and their
families, and note that we broadly support the joint sector’s response to this discussion paper.
In this paper ACTCOSS would like to make particular comment on the role of peak bodies (Discussion Paper Focus Question 7).
FOCUS QUESTION 7:
What is the role of peak bodies within the youth and family support program and how can they best be organised to ensure they fulfil their role?
There are a number of definitions articulating the nature of peak bodies including:
A “peak body” is a non-government organisation whose membership consists of smaller organisations of allied interests. The peak body thus offers a strong voice for the specific community sector in the areas of lobbying government, community education and information sharing between member groups and interested parties.
(Melville and Perkins 2003, p ix) 1
ACTCOSS is of the view a peak body offers a strong voice for the community sector in areas of lobbying government, community education and information sharing.
In the ACT, as well as nationally, a diversity of peak body models is evident. Such diversity is to be welcomed, allowing peak bodies to represent a number of sectors in a range of ways.
1 Referenced in `Strickland, M & Goodes, K (Nov 2008) Review of Tasmanian
DHHS-Funded Peak Bodies and the Development of a Peak Body Strategic
Framework, page 26.
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Peak bodies play a number of roles. The ACT Peaks Forum, which is comprised of representatives of the community sector peak and representative bodies for the ACT, hold the following as key roles of peak bodies:
 Policy Development and Advocacy: the organisations have a substantial role in a systemic analysis of ACT government policy in their areas based on sound research and credible evidence, and seek to communicate those ideas to government, the sector and the broader community
Sector Development: the organisations seek to empower community  organisations to improve and develop their services and ensure that they provide appropriate services to their users
 Membership: the organisations are democratic and have strong links with members who they represent 2
The role of peak bodies in providing systemic advocacy responses has been acknowledged and supported by the ACT Government, as outlined in the Social Compact, which includes an undertaking by Government to
“understand and recognise the role that peak bodies and representative groups play in advocating issues on behalf of the community”.
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Influencing public policy outcomes through advocacy, as a key role of peak bodies, has also been highlighted by the Productivity Commission report on the contribution of the not-for-profit sector.
4 Peaks can facilitate the contribution of direct information from ‘on the ground’ service providers and give considered analysis into future policy development.
ACOSS’ recent submission into the Productivity Commission report outlined:
There are also direct benefits from the research, policy development, education and advocacy work undertaken by much of the sector and this needs to be acknowledged in any analysis of its contribution. 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 democracy.
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2 ACT PEAKS FORUM (2009) Terms of Reference
3 ACT Government (2004) The Social Compact: A partnership between the
community sector and the ACT Government, page 12.
4 Australian Government Productivity Commission (Jan 2010) Contribution of the
Not-for-Profit Sector, page 37.
5 ACOSS (Nov 2009) Submission to the Productivity Commission - Response to
the Draft research Report: Contribution of the Not for Profit Sector, page 1.
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Research, capacity building and community education are crucial to the role of peak bodies, which all feed into and draw from their broader policy and advocacy work. TASCOSS outlines these roles:
Research
Research is fundamental to good policy development and effective advocacy which contributes to better decision making by government agencies. The close relationship that peaks enjoy 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.
Capacity building
…The work of 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 organisations.
Community Education
Part of the advocacy and policy development role of peaks is an educative role, with government agencies, with member organisations, but also with the community. Part of achieving better outcomes for people living with disabilities and people living on low incomes, for example, is to counter disinformation about these groups and to assist communities to understand their needs. Community support enables governments to act more progressively.
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All these roles of peak bodies are intertwined, and separating them would be problematic. The significant advocacy role of peak bodies is informed by their policy work, which is informed by their links through to the sector and the strong evidence base they bring. This work also feeds into capacity building of the sector and broader community education. The
Productivity Commission Not-for-Profit report highlights the interconnection of this work and its importance:
Not-for-Profit (NFP) advocacy, education of citizens, enabling of engagement in civic processes, and the creation of opportunities for connections, work together to form a healthy civil society. Consequently the extent of NFP activity is often taken as an indicator of the health of society.
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Direct service delivery work is of critical importance, however policy, advocacy, engagement and community education are also important in achieving the social goals we are working towards. Peak bodies are ideally placed to do that work. Direct service delivery organisations do not always have the capacity to engage in policy and advocacy work, particularly in drawing together the bigger picture.
6 TASCOSS (May 2009) TASCOSS’ response to the Review of DHHS-funded Peak
Bodies, page 6.
7 Australian Government Productivity Commission (Jan 2010) Contribution of the
Not-for-Profit Sector, page 17.
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Adequate resourcing of peak bodies is vital to ensure their capacity to best fulfil the many roles they provide. If peaks are well resourced they can play important roles the sector does not have the capacity to do or aren’t best placed to deliver including policy work, education, advocacy and maintaining robust bodies of evidence. If they aren’t adequately funded to fulfil all these roles their capacity will be quite limited. ACTCOSS is aware of the increased demand for peak support as service delivery organisations struggle themselves to deliver with reduced resources. As service delivery organisations need to concentrate on their work, the support and voice of peaks becomes increasingly important in ensuring the needs of the community sector and those living with disadvantage are not ignored.
Peak bodies fit between service providers and government. This allows for big picture planning and policy development led by peaks and can also break down artificial and unproductive competition between service providers. Direct service delivery agencies do not always have capacity to engage in advocacy or influence policy development so peak bodies play a key role in representing the sector. Additionally peak bodies play a key role in facilitating communication between government and the community.
As there are different interests at play in such a broad service delivery framework as is being developed here by OCYFS, there is definitely scope for a number of different peak bodies to work in this sector. There may be benefit in having different peaks bringing specific expertise and focus representing different interests and target groups. There are differences in the needs of children and young people, as individuals, communities and within their families. There are also some differences in the needs for workers and service providers for children, young people and families. If there is to be only one peak body in the new framework it should house different streams of responsibility to ensure different stakeholders are accounted for.
Peaks should first and foremost be accountable to their membership and to the sector they represent. In addition peaks are accountable to meet relevant legal requirements (such as those of the Registrar General). Peak bodies are also accountable to the funding body for their contracted outputs. Whilst there is this accountability to funding bodies we agree with the Productivity Commission Report which recommends that:
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Agency independence must be respected and contractual requirements limited to those needed, to ensure the funded service is delivered appropriately and agreed outcomes are met.
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8 Australian Government Productivity Commission (Jan 2010) Contribution of the
Not-for-Profit Sector, page LX.
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