COMMUNITY BUILDERS PROGRAM OVERVIEW AUGUST 2010

Transcription

1 COMMUNITY BUILDERS PROGRAM OVERVIEW ABRIDGED COMMUNITY BUILDERS PROGRAM GUIDELINES FOR EX-CSGP SERVICES AUGUST 2010 Community Builders Program Guidelines August 2010 Page 1 of 31

2 Table of Contents 1 Purpose of these guidelines Introduction NSW Government statewide priorities Community Services Communities and Early Years Division Aspects of community strength Community Builders Who does Community Builders assist? Target population Priority groups What are the funding conditions? Contracts The Community Services service agreement The Community Builders service specification Project reporting Data collection reports Financial reports Other reports as required by Community Services Good practice guidelines Performance Monitoring of Community Builders projects Performance monitoring framework Measuring results for Community Builders Evaluating Community Builders projects Evaluating Community Builders Glossary Appendices Appendix 1: Community Builders Service Models Appendix 2: Community Builders Project Examples Appendix 3: Community Builders Budget Template and Guide Appendix 4: Community Builders NSW: Results Logic Diagram...31 Community Builders Program Guidelines August 2010 Page 2 of 31

3 1 Purpose of these guidelines The purpose of these guidelines is to provide relevant information to those CSGP service providers transitioning to the Community Builders (CB) funding program about Community Builders and its role and purpose. Complete and updated Guidelines for the Community Builders program will be available late Introduction 2.1 NSW Government statewide priorities The Government of New South Wales is committed to improving the services it delivers to the community. The NSW State Plan, released in 2006, and updated in 2010 is the blueprint for how the Government intends to achieve these improvements. The plan reflects the hopes of people across NSW and the priorities for the public sector. It sets the goals the community wants the NSW Government to work towards and identifies priorities for Government action that will help achieve each of these goals over the next 10 years. 2.2 Community Services Community Services is the leading NSW Government agency responsible for children, families and communities. Community Services assists children, young people and families and the communities which support them across a continuum of care. Community Services is an agency of the NSW Department of Human Services. Community Services provides services in four key focus areas prevention and early intervention, child protection, out-of-home care, disaster recovery and community development and capacity building. Community Builders falls under the community development and capacity building work of Community Services. Community Services funds and works with a wide range of community partners to provide these services to the NSW community. These partners include local communities, volunteers, community agencies and other government agencies, local, state and federal. 2.3 Communities and Early Years Division In 2004, the now Communities and Early Years Division was established within Community Services by bringing together a range of functions and programs formerly located in different Government agencies with the aim of providing strategic coordination and leadership on whole-of-government strategies to support families, children and young people, to reduce violence against women, and to build community capacity. The integration of these functions within Community Services under its community development and capacity building focus area means that Community Services has a broad mandate for working with communities. These functions were combined to ensure improved planning, provide greater integration of similar programs and achieve a more effective and comprehensive approach to working with communities. The Division coordinates a diverse range of programs and strategies in the areas of community capacity building, strengthening families and reducing violence against women. The Community Builders program and the communitybuilders.nsw.gov.au website are important complementary resources for community development in NSW. Both are administered by the Communities and Early Years Division of Community Services. The communitybuilders.nsw.gov.au website provides great practical resources and a forum for communities and organisations to share their ideas and experiences. Community Builders program provides grants to support organisations in building community capacity. The program and website are part of the Government s commitment to strengthening communities. 2.4 Aspects of community strength Research has identified that a strong community is one where people are: connected have a sense of belonging with others in the community and with the community as a whole; respectful encourage a diversity of ideas and opinions, where alternative views are respected; Community Builders Program Guidelines August 2010 Page 3 of 31

4 participatory have opportunities to be, and are, involved in areas of community life and decisionmaking; resourceful have access to and use a variety of resources, where these resources are used to respond to or adapt to change; trusting of each other and the institutions in their community. Research on community strengthening initiatives indicates that less intervention is required in communities that are strong (Gauntlett et al, 2000) 1. From a NSW government perspective this translates to there being less reliance on intensive, expensive high end service provision where communities are more self reliant and resourceful. Activities that strengthen communities aim to develop cohesiveness and trust, increase participation in social and civic activities, and foster access to resources. These activities contribute to people developing their capacity and resilience to maintain and build on their own resources and to manage future challenges. 2.5 Community Builders Community Builders was created from two older funding programs: the Area Assistance Scheme which operated in parts of six Community Builders regions, Metro West, Metro South West, Southern, Central Coast, Hunter and Northern, and the Community Services Grants Program s community strengthening services, which were distributed across the state. Community Builders is a funding program which aims to strengthen communities across NSW and particularly the disadvantaged groups within them. The program was developed in response to a growing body of evidence that suggests that community strengthening is an effective way of reducing inequality and disadvantage. Community strengthening is about building the capacity of and opportunities for people to actively engage in a wide variety of social, economic, cultural, recreational, learning and civic activities. It also includes supporting the relationships and networks that result from these activities. Community Builders strengthens communities by: enhancing community social infrastructure in order to build stronger, more resilient communities funding projects and services which are strategic, locally based and deliver community strengthening outcomes which address identified local, regional and Government priorities promoting people s participation and inclusion in their community by building trust, resourcefulness, respect and connectedness. Community Builders funds can be provided on a fixed term basis for projects of one to three years, or on a renewable basis for ongoing services, subject to compliance with contractual requirements, including the Community Builders Program Guidelines. Government and regional priorities and planning will inform the decision as to whether tenders are called for fixed term or ongoing projects. 3 Who does Community Builders assist? 3.1 Target population The target population for Community Builders is communities in NSW, particularly the disadvantaged members of those communities. Disadvantaged members of a community are defined as those who lack access to fundamental material and social resources and/or are socially excluded. Fundamental material and social resources include things like adequate housing, health care, employment, education, support or financial resources. Individuals are socially excluded if they do not participate to a reasonable degree in certain activities of the community due to reasons beyond their control. The nominated communities for a project/service may include groups of people who live in the same place or area or people who share an identity. These are defined as: communities of location e.g. people who live in the same Local Government Area(s) (LGA), or part thereof; and 1 Gauntlett, E., Hugman, R., Kenyon, P. and Logan P. (2000) A meta-analysis of the impact of community-based prevention and early intervention action, policy research Paper No. 11, Department of Family and Community Services, Canberra, Australia. Community Builders Program Guidelines August 2010 Page 4 of 31

5 communities of identity e.g. people who identify as part of a specific group within the nominated community(ies). Only one Community of Identity may be chosen. Community Builders Communities of Identity are classified as: o All members of the community o Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander o Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Community (specify which language/cultural group e.g. Italian) o Shared Interest or Affiliation (specify e.g. religious belief, sport, hobby) o Other (specify) A community of identity cannot be the target population of another funded program e.g. people who are aged, have a specific disability or health condition. See Eligibility Criterion 5 in Section 3.5 of these Guidelines. For Community Sector Development projects, the target community is those people who are clients of the participating organisations. Applicant organisations must nominate their target community across both parameters in the format of <community of identity> living in <community of location> e.g. <Italians > living in <Newpark LGA >. Where the project targets all people living in a particular location, then the community of identity would be <all members of the community> e.g.: <All members of the community > living in <Newpark LGA>. 3.2 Priority groups Projects/services must identify at least one and up to three priority groups of the disadvantaged members of the nominated communities of location and identity who will be the main focus of the project/service. If the proposed project/service is Community Sector Development (which only works with organisations) then the priority group is the client group of those organisations. The first Priority Group must be one of the following overarching categories: Socially disadvantaged members of a community e.g. people who are isolated either socially or geographically from their community, such as those with mental illness or living in remote areas Financially disadvantaged members of a community i.e. people whose participation in their community is compromised due to their financial situation, such as people who are unemployed or very poor Socially and financially disadvantaged members of a community The second and third Priority Groups are optional and can be used to refine the focus of a particular project/service by identifying specific attributes which may contribute to disadvantage: Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander only if not chosen as Community of Identity Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Community only if not chosen as Community of Identity Men Women People of specific age groups For example, the target population for a Community Capacity Building project may be: <All members of the community> living in <Sydney LGA> with priority given to people within that community who are <financially and socially disadvantaged>, especially those who are <Ethiopian> and are <women>. 3.3 What are the funding conditions? The following conditions apply to projects/services that receive Community Builders funding: Within three months of the date of the letter of Offer, the organisation must enter into a contract with Community Services which sets out the funding conditions and reporting requirements. The contract comprises the Community Services service agreement, the Community Builders service specification, (with attached program guidelines) and the original application form. A copy of the service agreement is available at: Funds must be spent on the project/service described in the application and outlined in the service specification and any unspent funds must be returned to Community Services when the Community Builders Program Guidelines August 2010 Page 5 of 31

6 Where access to public land or a Development Application approval is required for the project/service to be delivered, then funds will not be released until the relevant documents and approvals are available. Additional requirements may be set. If so, they will be included in the service specification. The project/service must commence within three months of all parties signing the service agreement. The project/service must finalise its service levels with Community Services staff within three months of the project/service starting. Any variation to the approved project/service must be approved by Community Services prior to implementation. Ongoing and final reports, acquittals of funding and other data must be submitted to Community Services on time and in the relevant formats. 4 Contracts The contract for a Community Builders project/service will comprise the Community Services standard service agreement, the Community Builders service specification for the approved project the Community Builders Program Guidelines and the original application form. All applicants must retain a copy of their original application form which has been signed by the organisation s authorised officer(s). 4.1 The Community Services service agreement The Community Services Service Agreement can be downloaded at: The Community Builders service specification The service specification is a schedule to the Community Services service agreement. The service specification describes: the funded projects/service, the target community its service model(s) any additional activities the intended results (outcomes) the performance measures and service levels (outputs) the grant amount and any additional requirements attached to the funding. These Guidelines are considered to be an attachment to the service specifications and form part of the contract documentation. A copy of these Guidelines should be retained by each funded organisation with their contract documentation Service mdels Service models describe what can be done and what is to be achieved within a particular project/service. An organisation may be funded for more than one service model. Service models provide information about the results, objectives, target population, service activities and performance measures. Applicants for Community Builders funds must indicate the service model(s) which describe their proposed project. There are four Community Builders service models: Community Capacity Building (Capacity Building) Community Skills Development (Skills) Community Sector Development (Sector) Community Builders Program Guidelines August 2010 Page 6 of 31

7 Community Hub (Hub) In addition, research and development activities may be commissioned by Community Services in order to build the evidence base for community strengthening strategies. See 9.1 for a full description of each service model Additional requirements Additional requirements are those requirements applying to an individual project/service which are in addition to the general conditions of funding as set out in the Community Services standard service agreement. Any additional requirements are listed in a project s service specification. Examples of additional requirements include the composition of advisory committees or additional reporting requirements Performance measures Performance measures for each project must be developed with the assistance of Community Services staff within the first three months of the service agreement being signed. Performance measures will relate to the intended results and activities of the project. Progress against these measures will be used to inform monitoring and evaluation of the project/service and aggregated to inform the evaluation of the Community Builders program. 5 Project reporting All organisations approved for funding will be expected to provide Community Services with the following reports: if the project/service is funded for more than one year, an annual report in the approved template for fixed term projects (up to three years), a final report on the project s overall results and performance measures in the required format any other reports specified in additional requirements and/or special conditions financial reports as set out in Section 8.2. All reports must be submitted on the specified template. If the form or the content of a report is not adequate, as determined by the Manager Regional Strategy, Community Services may require the organisation to submit a revised version of the report within 30 days of written notice. 5.1 Data collection reports Data collection reports must be submitted each year by 30 September for the term of the project/service or at the end of the project, for projects of one year or less. Data collection reports must be submitted on the standard template issued by Community Services. The template may be downloaded at Reports should be signed by the Chairperson of the Board and/or Chief Executive Officer or equivalent and forwarded either in hard copy or as a PDF file to the Senior Regional Strategy Officer in the relevant Community Services Regional office. Where data collection reports are not submitted on time, payment may be suspended until a report is received. Data collection reports must be submitted in the approved template and on time. 5.2 Financial reports Annual audited statements or financial statements must be submitted in accordance with the terms outlined in the Community Services standard service agreement and in compliance with any additional requirements relating to financial reporting. In summary, organisations are required to provide Community Services with an audited financial statement only where they are required by law to prepare an audited financial statement. This statement will be at the level of the organisation as a whole. For organisations not required, under the law, to prepare an audited financial statement, a statement of income and expenditure, balance of Community Builders funds, and statement of equity only are required. These statements are to be certified by two members of the Board of Management. Community Builders Program Guidelines August 2010 Page 7 of 31

8 In both cases, organisations are required to provide Community Services with project/service-level income and expenditure statements certified by the organisation s Board of Management or equivalent for Local Government Authorities 2. In certifying the project level income and expenditure, the Board of Management is confirming that Community Builders funds have been spent as agreed on the Community Builders project/service. Where the organisation is winding up at the end of the project/service, or for projects which will run for less than six months, then audited/financial statements may be required within two months of project completion. If this is the case, this requirement will be included in the additional requirements applying to that project/service. 5.3 Other reports as required by Community Services Community Services may from time to time request specific information to assist in reporting on or evaluating Community Builders. The organisation will be expected to comply with all reasonable requests, directions or monitoring requirements of Community Services. Requirements for additional ongoing reports will be included in any additional requirements which apply to the project. 5.4 Good practice guidelines The Good Practice Guidelines for DoCS Funded Services aim to guide and support organisations to promote quality results. The guidelines are not a mandatory requirement for Community Builders projects but may be a useful tool for community organisations as an aid to continuous improvement. They can be downloaded at: uidelines_.html 6 Performance monitoring of Community Builders projects 6.1 Performance monitoring framework Community Services performance monitoring framework (PMF) for funded services is the basis for performance monitoring for all Community Builders projects/services. All projects/services, including projects with funding terms of one (1) year or less, will be monitored for compliance with their contract using the Community Services performance monitoring framework. The contract comprises: Community Services service agreement and Community Builders service specification including additional requirements and/or special conditions and agreed performance measures and Community Builders Guidelines and The original application form. The major elements of the performance monitoring process for Community Builders projects are shown in the following diagram: 2 In the case of local government, this must be the Chief Executive and the Chief Financial Officer. Community Builders Program Guidelines August 2010 Page 8 of 31

9 New project or service approved or renewed Performance measures agreed/reviewed and service specification updated Performance monitoring commences or continues Performance issues resolved Service Provider Completes Self Assessment Template (SAT) Significant performance issues confirmed or noncompliance identified Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) developed, implemented and monitored Community Services Regional Staff Complete Desktop R i Full compliance with all requirements No significant performance issues identified Significant performance issues identified or non-compliance with funding conditions 7 Measuring results for Community Builders The NSW Government human services sector has endorsed the results based accountability (RBA) approach developed by Mark Friedman as the approach to accountability for all NSW funding programs. Therefore the RBA model is a useful basis for planning and evaluation practices. More information on RBA can be found at Community Builders uses the RBA model as its evaluation framework at both a program and project level. 7.1 Evaluating Community Builders projects Community Builders projects are evaluated on the results achieved. These results will be as set out in the service model descriptions and service specification and will be measured as per the agreed performance measures in the service specification. It is important that organisations submitting proposals for funding have clearly thought through the results intended to be achieved by the project. Projects or services that run for more than one year will be required to submit annual reports on their results and performance measures to date to contribute to both project and program evaluation. Community Builders Program Guidelines August 2010 Page 9 of 31

10 7.2 Evaluating Community Builders Community Builders as a whole will be evaluated on the results achieved by all funded projects/services with respect to strengthening local communities and the contribution Community Builders projects have made to the relevant NSW Government statewide priorities. The evaluation of Community Builders will also include evaluating Community Builders business and administration processes, such as the application process and the assessment process. Applicants are encouraged to provide feedback on the application process and members of Regional Assessment Panels are also asked to provide feedback on the assessment process. All organisations which have received funding for projects or services under Community Builders will be required to participate in the evaluation of Community Builders through completion of their annual and/or final report for each funded project/service. Community Builders Program Guidelines August 2010 Page 10 of 31

11 8 Glossary Australian Business Number See Community assets The positive strength, qualities, merits, benefits and character embedded in a community. The Communities and Early Years Division (C&EYD The Communities and Early Years Division (C&EYD) provides policy advice, delivers programs, strategies and projects and negotiates with key human services and justice agencies to improve outcomes for children, young people, women experiencing violence, families and communities of NSW. This work is done from a whole-of-government perspective and focuses on improving outcomes at a population level by working with government, non-government, community sector and business sector agencies. Community Builders Community Builders is a Regional funding program funded and managed by Community Services. Community Builders aims to strengthen communities across the Community Builders regions and the disadvantaged groups within them. The program has been developed in response to a growing body of evidence that suggests that community strengthening is an effective way of reducing inequality and disadvantage. Community strengthening is about building the capacity and opportunities for people to actively engage in a wide variety of social, economic, cultural, recreational, learning and civic activities. It also involves supporting the relationships and networks that result from these activities. Community Builders funds projects and services that are conceived and driven by communities to support their goals, while meeting NSW State Government priorities. Communities Communities are comprised of a range of people with different interests and perspectives. The term can have a specific geographical meaning with a clearly defined spatial boundary (i.e. an area or neighbourhood). It can also refer to a group of people with a common identity (for example, language, culture, age or religion) or with a common interest or experience such as work, sport or entertainment. Communities may be defined by more than one attribute. Community capacity When applied to the concept of community capacity building, it implies the power, knowledge, resources and skills within a community. Community capacity building The primary objective of community capacity building is to strengthen the ability of a community to respond to, or address, problems or challenges from within its own resources. It focuses on identifying and using the assets and strengths of a community and what communities value, as opposed to other approaches in which the emphasis is on the needs and deficits of a community. Community development Community development is a term used to describe any activity which seeks to redress social inequalities by improving the physical, social and/or economic conditions under which people live. Community Services Community Services is the leading NSW Government agency responsible for community services. Community Services is one of the agencies within the NSW Department of Human Services. Community Services helps children, young people and families across a continuum of care. Its core work focuses on child protection, starting with early intervention strategies to help build stronger families and communities. In particular, it helps those who are vulnerable and most disadvantaged. Community Services Corporate Directions Community Builders Program Guidelines August 2010 Page 11 of 31

12 Community Services Corporate Plan Department of Human Services The Department of Human Services NSW comprises a number of agencies, including Community Services. Early intervention Programs and practices that intervene with individuals, families or communities at an early stage in the occurrence of a problem or issue in such a way that there is a high probability that the intervention will resolve the problem or issue and stop it from becoming worse. Effective service delivery Effective delivery of the service is about achieving the results that the project/service set out to achieve. A service may be effective in that achieves the intended results but it may not be efficient in that it may be using excessive resources to achieve the results. Efficient service delivery Efficient delivery of the service is about delivering the service in a way that uses the least amount of resources in the shortest possible time to achieve the nominated results of the project/service Evaluation An evaluation is a systematic process of collecting and using information to assess the value of a project or program. Evaluations provide an analysis of how well a project/programs performed and whether it achieved its targeted results. Evidence-based Evidence-based is an approach to policy development and implementation which uses rigorous techniques to develop and maintain a robust evidence base from which to develop policy options. Evidence for policy has three components. First is hard data (facts, trends, survey information), the second component is the analytical reasoning that sets the hard data in context. Third, an evidence base comprises stakeholder opinion and feedback on an issue or set of issues. Indicators An indicator is a performance measure that quantifies the achievement of a result. Inputs The resources, both human and other, used to produce program outputs. LGA Local Government Area Manager Regional Strategy (MRS) The Manager, Regional Strategy leads the coordination, integration and delivery of Communities and Early Years Regional plans, strategies and activities across a region. Non-profit organisation For the purpose of grants administration in NSW, a non-profit organisation is one which is not operating for the profit or gain of its individual members, whether these gains would have been direct or indirect. A nonprofit organisation can still make a profit, but this profit must be used to carry out its purposes and must not be distributed to owners, members or other private people (NSW Dept of Premier and Cabinet). Non-government organisations (NGOs) Non government bodies may be either not for profit or for profit organisations. Local councils are not NGOs as they are local government authorities. Community Builders Program Guidelines August 2010 Page 12 of 31

13 NSW State Plan The Government of New South Wales is committed to improving the services it delivers to the community and the NSW State Plan is the blueprint for achieving these improvements. Outcome An outcome is another word for a result. Performance measure A performance measure is a measure of how well a program, agency or service system is working according to defined indicators. Performance improvement plan (PIP) A performance improvement plan (PIP) is an agreement between a funded organisation and Community Services, for the improvements to a project/service that the organisation will undertake during the balance of the term of the service agreement. Performance monitoring framework (PMF) The PMF describes how Community Services for monitors the performance of projects funded by Community Builders and other Community Services funded programs. Physical Infrastructure Physical infrastructure includes the construction of new buildings, repairs to existing buildings, or the construction or repair of internal facilities such as kitchens and toilets. Physical infrastructure is only funded where it is required to deliver a specific result for a community and can comprise no more than 50% of the requested Community Builders fixed term funds. Priority groups Priority groups are disadvantaged members of the community who lack access to fundamental material and social resources and/or are socially excluded. Fundamental material and social resources include things like adequate housing, health care, employment, education, support or financial resources. Individuals are socially excluded if they do not participate to a reasonable degree in certain activities of the community due to reasons beyond their control. Probity Probity is the evidence of ethical behaviour in a particular process. It contributes to sound procurement processes that accord equal opportunities for all participants. Program guidelines The program guidelines provide information about Community Builders, its role and purpose. These guidelines are for potential applicants for Community Builders funding, organisations which are responsible for projects funded under Community Builders and for people who are interested in building capacity and resilience in communities. Public land Public land is land that is owned by the Crown (State and Federal land), local government, or by Trustees where eligible. The land must also be open to the public and available for public use. Trustee owners of land will be eligible where any member of the public can be appointed as a trustee, no person appointed as a trustee benefits from being trustee and the terms of the Trust prevent any distribution (whether due to winding up of the Trust or otherwise) of the assets of the Trust to a trustee, member or beneficiary of the Trust. Regional assessment panel (RAP) RAPs are panels convened by Community Services to assess the eligible applications received from organisations applying for funding for Community Builders projects or services. Community Builders Program Guidelines August 2010 Page 13 of 31

14 Regional assessment report The Regional assessment report is produced by a Manager, Regional Strategies at the end of the assessment process for each region and forwarded to the head office of Community Services. Regional priorities Regional priorities are developed annually for Community Builders in order to assist RAPs to assess and prioritise eligible applications for funding for Community Builders projects/services. Resilience Resilience is the positive adaptation of an individual or community within the context of significant adversity. Results Results are the changes and improvements expected to happen as a consequence of a project/service. In the words of Mark Friedman, A result is a condition of well being for children, adults, families and communities. See for further information. Results based accountability (RBA) RBA is a structured approach to thinking and taking action that starts with defining the desired results and working backward to the means of getting there. See for further information. Results logic diagram A results logic diagram helps clarify the aims of a program and shows the link between the activities to be conducted and the short, medium and long-term desired results. Service models Service models (or service activity descriptions) provide information about the results, objectives, target population, features of a particular approach to community strengthening and its performance measures. Senior Regional Strategies Officer (SRSO) Funded Programs SRSOs are responsible for the day-to-day administration of Community Builders in each region. This includes liaising with and assisting organisations that are either funded by, or seeking funding from, Community Builders. Each Community Services Region has one or more SRSOs. Social inclusion A socially inclusive society is one where all the people feel valued, their differences are respected and their basic needs are met so that they can live in dignity. Social infrastructure Social infrastructure comprises a community s engagement, resources, skills and partnerships which support the members of that community to participate in and contribute to that community. Two Ways Together This is the NSW Strategy for delivering effective services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. See for further information. Whole-of-government This is a term that has generally come to mean any aspect of government agency activity, ranging from planning through to service delivery, in which a number of agencies participate to achieve a common result. The underlying rationale of the whole-of-government approach arises from the recognition that individual or community needs are complex and can seldom be fully addressed through the efforts of one agency alone. The core objective of whole-of-government approaches is therefore to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of government service provision through the coordinated provision of government resources. Community Builders Program Guidelines August 2010 Page 14 of 31

15 9 Appendices 9.1 Appendix 1: Community Builders service models Community Services models, also known as service activity descriptions, describe categories or groups of activities that may be funded under Community Builders. The service model includes information about the results and objectives to be achieved, the target population, the activities to be undertaken and how performance will be measured. A Community Builders project (fixed term) may include a physical infrastructure component if the infrastructure is essential to support the activities of the project and the funds for the physical infrastructure component are less than fifty percent of the total project budget. Where physical infrastructure can be funded, this will be specified in the relevant Request for Tender. Where an organisation s Community Builders activities cover more than one service model, these will be included in one contract (Service Specification) to reduce monitoring and compliance costs for both parties. Community Builders applicants are required to choose one or more of the following service models for their project: Community Builders Program Guidelines August 2010 Page 15 of 31

16 9.1.1 Community Capacity Building Community Capacity Building (CCB) projects aim to build stronger communities by building links between community members and assisting members of disadvantaged communities to participate in community life and activities. CCB projects aim to increase members use and knowledge of existing community resources, especially for identified disadvantaged members of a community. Community Capacity Building projects build community networks, empower communities and their disadvantaged members, support communities to increase their resilience and access to community resources, and improve the quality of life of members of those communities. Community Builders Community Builders Results Community Capacity Building Communities maintain and build on their own resources Communities effectively plan for and manage change Communities identify, address and overcome disadvantage Objectives 3 Enhance communities social infrastructure to support desired community results Enhance the evidence base about what makes communities stronger Key Result Area for Community Capacity Building Target Population for Community Capacity Building Increased connectedness, resourcefulness, trust, respectfulness or participation in the community Community of Location (LGA based) Community of Identity (choose one): o All members of the Community of Location o Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait islander o Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Community 4 (specify which language/cultural group e.g. Italian) o Shared Interest or Affiliation (specify e.g. hobby, religion etc) o Other 5 (specify) Priority Group for this Service (select only one) Additional priority Groups (up to two may be selected) Community Capacity Building Activity Overview Socially disadvantaged members of the community 6 Financially disadvantaged members of the community Socially and financially disadvantaged members of the community No additional priority groups Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander only if not chosen as Community of Identity Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Community only if not chosen as Community of Identity (specify which language/cultural group e.g. Italian) Men Women People of specific age groups (choose from 65+, 45-64, 25-44, 18-24, <18) Community Capacity Building projects aim to build stronger communities and promote social inclusion by building links between community members and assisting members of disadvantaged communities to participate in community life and activities. Community Capacity Building projects aim to increase members use and knowledge of existing community resources, especially for identified disadvantaged members of a community. Community Capacity Building projects build community networks, empower communities and their disadvantaged members, support communities to increase their resilience and access to community resources, and improve the quality of life of members of those communities. 3 Each Service Activity Description Objective contributes toward achieving the Key Objectives of Community Builders, as indicated. 4 Insert specific language/cultural group if there is one 5 Community of Identity cannot be the target population of another funding program 6 Disadvantaged communities are those who lack access to fundamental material and social resources and/or are socially excluded. Community Builders Program Guidelines August 2010 Page 16 of 31

17 Community Capacity Building Activities Community Activities Using Community Infrastructure Providing Information Linking People Initiate or support activities that promote social inclusion by building aspects of community strength, such as participation and connectedness e.g. social or cultural activities (both one-off and recurring). Assist communities to access existing social and physical infrastructure in their community to promote social inclusion Promote existing community social and physical infrastructure to community members to increase their knowledge and use of that infrastructure. Provide information to individuals and target communities about community resources and services in order to empower communities and increase their resilience and resourcefulness. Promote and/or facilitate community access to sources of information and referral. Build community networks that increase community connections, trust and respectfulness e.g. set up a linked network for members of a community around a shared issue. Additional Community Capacity Building Activities 7 Physical Infrastructure Enhance community physical infrastructure to support these activities and promote social inclusion Performance Measures How much? Number of participants per activity/task Number of tasks by activity type (eg. community project, community event etc) How well? Number of participants per activity/task from each of the priority groups Number of activities/tasks provided on time and as planned Number of participants reporting satisfaction with the project per task Is anyone better off? Number of participants reporting increased connections, resourcefulness, trust, respectfulness or participation in their community Number of participants reporting increased knowledge and use of local services, community facilities, public amenities or open spaces 7 Additional activities should be deleted where not applicable. Community Builders Program Guidelines August 2010 Page 17 of 31

18 9.1.2 Community Skills Development Community Skills Development projects are training and support projects that provide information and training to members of the community so that their access to and knowledge of community resources is improved and their quality of life enhanced. The projects also aim to increase individuals participation and inclusion in their community. Community Skills Development includes: the building of skills which assist disadvantaged members of communities to access community resources and networks and enhance their connectedness to their community training in mentoring and leadership to increase resilience and access to resources for those communities the recruitment and training of volunteers for organisations who do not receive funding for this purpose to increase the resources available to the community training for individuals and groups in how to establish and run community organisations e.g. basic governance for community groups, running meetings etc. Community Builders Community Builders Results Community Skills Development Communities maintain and build on their own resources Communities effectively plan for and manage change Communities identify, address and overcome disadvantage Objectives 8 Enhance communities social infrastructure to support desired community results Enhance the evidence base about what makes communities stronger Key Result area for Community Skills Development Target Population for Community Skills Development Increased connectedness, resourcefulness, trust, respectfulness or participation in the community Community of Location (LGA based) Community of Identity (choose one): o All members of the Community of Location o Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait islander o Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Community 9 (specify which language/cultural group e.g. Italian) o Shared Interest or Affiliation (specify e.g. hobby, religion etc) o Other 10 (specify) Priority Groups for this Project (select only one) Socially disadvantaged members of the community 11 Financially disadvantaged members of the community Socially and financially disadvantaged members of the community Additional priority Groups (up to two may be selected) No additional priority groups Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander only if not chosen as Community of Identity Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Community only if not chosen as Community of Identity (specify which language/cultural group e.g. Italian) Men Women People of specific age groups (choose from 65+, 45-64, 25-44, 18-24, <18) 8 Each Service Activity Description Objective contributes toward achieving the Key Objectives of Community Builders, as indicated. 9 Insert specific language/cultural group if there is one 10 Community of Identity cannot be the target population of another funding program 11 Disadvantaged communities are those who lack access to fundamental material and social resources and/or are socially excluded. Community Builders Program Guidelines August 2010 Page 18 of 31

19 Community Skills Development Activity Overview Community Skills Development projects are training and support projects that provide information and training to members of the community so that their access to and knowledge of community resources is improved and their quality of life enhanced. The projects also aim to increase individuals participation and inclusion in their community. Community Skills Development includes: the building of skills which assist disadvantaged communities to access community resources and networks and enhance their connectedness to their community training in mentoring and leadership to increase resilience and access to resources for those communities the recruitment and training of volunteers for organisations who do not receive funding for this purpose to increase the resources available to the community training for individuals and groups in how to establish and run community organisations e.g. basic governance for community groups, running meetings etc. Community Skills Development Activities Governance Mentoring & Leadership Training in setting up and managing community groups and organisations (governance) Training in mentoring and leadership Training in recruiting and training volunteers Other Community Skills Undertaking activities that build skills and connectedness though participation in those activities e.g. volunteering in a community program, learning how to access community information and resources through computer skills training Additional Community Skills Development Activities 12 Physical Infrastructure Enhance community physical infrastructure to support these activities Performance Measures How much? Number of participants per activity/task Number of tasks by activity type e.g. volunteer skills, governance training, mentoring and leadership, other skills How well? Number of participants per activity/task from each of the nominated priority groups Number of activities/tasks provided on time and as planned Number of participants reporting satisfaction with the service per task Is anyone better off? Number of participants reporting increased skills as a result of the training provided Number of participants reporting increased connections, resourcefulness, trust, respectfulness or participation in their community. Number of participants reporting increased capacity to participate in or establish community groups or networks 12 Additional activities should be deleted where not applicable. Community Builders Program Guidelines August 2010 Page 19 of 31

20 9.1.3 Community Sector Development Community Sector Development projects are undertaken with other organisations who work with the target population communities and priority groups. Community Sector Development projects build partnerships between organisations and facilitate organisations working collaboratively on issues affecting the communities they service. These projects aim to enhance the capacity of local community sector networks. Council Community Project Officer (CPO) positions fall within this service model as their role is to assist organisations and community networks to plan, coordinate and support community capacity building in their local government area. Community Builders Community Sector Development Community Builders Results Communities maintain and build on their own resources Communities effectively plan for and manage change Communities identify, address and overcome disadvantage Objectives 13 Enhance communities social infrastructure to support desired community results Enhance the evidence base about what makes communities stronger Key Result area for Community Sector Development Organisations increase community participation and engagement for their target population communities Target Population for Community Sector Development Priority Groups for this Project (select only one) Additional priority Groups (up to two may be selected) Organisations of location (specify) Organisations of identity (specify) All community organisations of the Community of Location Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait islander Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Community 14 (specify which language/cultural group e.g. Italian) Shared Interest or Affiliation (specify e.g. hobby, religion etc) Other 15 (specify) Organisations providing services to: Socially disadvantaged members of the community 16 Financially disadvantaged members of the community Socially and financially disadvantaged members of the community Organisations providing services to: No additional priority groups Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander only if not chosen as Community of Identity Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Community only if not chosen as Community of Identity (specify which language/cultural group e.g. Italian) Men Women People of specific age groups (choose from 65+, 45-64, 25-44, 18-24, <18) 13 Each SAD Objective contributes toward achieving the Key Objectives of Community Builders, as indicated. 14 Insert specific language/cultural group if there is one 15 Community of Identity cannot be the target population of another funding program 16 Disadvantaged communities are those who lack access to fundamental material and social resources and/or are socially excluded. Community Builders Program Guidelines August 2010 Page 20 of 31