Partnering with the community

Commissioning of services in the social sector

MSD, Oranga Tamariki and the Social Wellbeing Agency, along with other social sector government agencies, are working with representatives of the NGO and philanthropic sectors this year to develop ways we can collectively shape commissioning in the social sector.

The Future of Social Sector Commissioning work programme responds to longstanding issues raised by NGOs and philanthropic organisations about how government agencies approach commissioning services in the social sector.

The intention is to build on improvements made over the past few years, such as more use of longer-term contracts, common contracts across agencies, developing more sophisticated service cost models, and the expanded use of codesign and devolution in commissioning services.

The work acknowledges the interdependency between the NGO, government and philanthropic sectors in improving the lives of New Zealanders.

While still in development, this is an ambitious work programme, seeking to influence thinking and design across government agencies of existing, new, and emerging initiatives in the social sector, where provision of support and services are intended to be delivered through NGOs.

Watch this space.

New focus for how we work with rangatahi

After engaging with youth clients, the people who deliver the Youth Service and sector partners, MSD is refocusing how it works with rangatahi (youth).

We’re enabling youth coaches to spend more time with rangatahi, and also opening up new pathways to employment where clients are not in education, employment or training (NEETs).

A key requirement for securing a new contract is a provider’s record of success in mentoring young people who are struggling to find and follow their own pathway to achieve their aspirations. We’re working to finalise new contracts. These, and the new ways of working, take effect from 1 April this year.

Our focus over the next weeks is working with current and new providers, and community and government partners as needed, to transition our Youth Service rangatahi to the most appropriate support.

Looking further out, we’ll work alongside contracted providers to wrap tailored support around each Youth Service rangatahi, supporting them towards education, training, work-based learning or employment outcomes. We’ll have much more information to share with you soon.

Please send any questions to: YouthService2020@msd.govt.nz.

Seeking great ideas for stopping family violence

The ‘It’s not OK’ Campaign is putting a call out across Aotearoa. We want to hear from everyday New Zealanders who have exciting or ground-breaking ideas that could help reduce family violence in New Zealand.

Our campaign is now focusing on preventing violence by men, who generally cause the most harm. We are concentrating on encouraging positive behaviour change in men, promoting safe and healthy relationships, and shifting harmful ideas around what it means to be a man, so that more of our men can be violence free.

We have a new seed fund that will provide financial grants for people who want to do something about family violence, and have a dynamic idea that they think can help.

We know how important our communities are in helping to stop family violence. That’s why we want to partner with New Zealanders who have creative ideas and new ways of:

• improving the relationships men have with themselves, their partners, their children, their siblings and their mates, or
• creating environments that support men to be the best versions of themselves.

You don’t have to be an expert or someone with past experience. You may have an idea no one’s thought of before, and that’s the kind of innovative initiative we’re looking for.

If this sounds like you or someone you know, email your contact details and your idea to areyouok@msd.govt.nz with Seed Fund in the Subject line. The team will get in touch for a chat about your idea.