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Community Governance Improvement Strategy - Evaluation

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Community Governance Improvement Strategy (CGIS) is a major initiative under the State Government’s Meeting Challenges, Making Choices strategy to build capacity and strengthen the standard of corporate governance in Aboriginal shires, with some components being offered to Island councils and to Aurukun and Mornington Shire Councils. The CGIS was implemented in July 2004 to assist Aboriginal shires to meet new responsibilities under the Local Government (Community Government Areas) Act 2004, during a transition over four (4) years to the Local Government Act 1993. The revised CGIS has been developed by the Department of Local Government, Planning, Sport and Recreation (DLGPSR) following a mid-term evaluation, which included consultations with councils, senior government representatives, peak bodies and stakeholders culminating in a conference in Cairns on 14-15 June 2006. The essential change for the CGIS is the focus on how strategies are implemented with a much stronger focus on engagement and collaboration with stakeholders. The need for a whole of government approach is recognised, with alignment of the CGIS to Queensland and Australian government initiatives, particularly the Agreement on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Service Delivery between the Commonwealth of Australia and the Government of Queensland (the 2005-2010 Bilateral Agreement). The revised approach aligns with proposals for intervention strategies in line with the Auditor-General’s Report No. 3 200. Changes to the CGIS have been designed to enhance the delivery of capacity building activities over the next two (2) years by: o providing a more integrated holistic approach, especially across whole of government,

with greater participation/engagement through Government Champions and the Negotiation Table process;

o enhancing the case-management of Aboriginal shires and Island councils; o value-adding to community capacity building; o improving on the basics of councils’ corporate governance through greater mentoring and

coaching opportunities for council staff; and o measuring performance to reflect outputs such as quantity of programs delivered and

quality of council satisfaction and outcomes such as improvement in council audit results and financial management and the number of councils implementing collaborative service delivery models.

Intervention strategies have been developed in line with the Auditor-General’s Report No. 3 2006, to provide a sliding scale of intervention activities, such as a the appointment of financial controllers and greater use of bureau financial management services. These are in line with the Auditor-General’s recommendations to:

o undertake analysis of the strengths and deficiencies in governance of each council to identify specific issues which shape a successful financial management regime;

o negotiate individual action plans for each council that include actions which address the critical governance and accountability factors;


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o implement agreed action plans through appropriate skills transfer and a tailored process of intensive and frequent review to assist councillors and councils in early identification and resolution of issues preventing sustained good financial management; and

o to assess the suitability of the grant funding process where there is no demonstrated improvement.

A risk management framework has been developed for the revised CGIS and intervention strategies to ensure councils are fully supported according to their individual needs. The progress of councils will be monitored and evaluated within a performance framework. The framework includes a number of high-level indicators and some very specific measures which are fundamental to good governance.


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TABLE OF CONTENTS

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY.................................................................................................... 1

Intervention strategies ........................................................................................................ 1

1 INTRODUCTION........................................................................................................... 4

1.1 Purpose ................................................................................................................... 4

1.2 Context ................................................................................................................... 4

2 REVISING THE COMMUNITY GOVERNANCE IMPROVEMENT STRATEGY... 5

2.1 The Community Governance Improvement Strategy ............................................ 5

2.2 Mid-term evaluation............................................................................................... 5

2.3 Opportunities for improvement .............................................................................. 6

2.4 Improvements......................................................................................................... 6

2.5 Implementation....................................................................................................... 7

2.6 CGIS Key performance targets .............................................................................. 8

2.7 Communication and Community Engagement Strategy........................................ 9

3 INTERVENTION STRATEGIES ............................................................................... 10

3.1 Auditor-General Report 3 2006............................................................................ 10

3.2 Activities and Priorities........................................................................................ 10

3.3 Intervention Strategies and Trigger Criteria......................................................... 11

4 RISK ASSESSMENT .................................................................................................. 14

5 CONCLUSION ............................................................................................................ 16

LIST OF ATTACHMENTS................................................................................................. 16

Appendix 1- Consultation for mid-term evaluation of the CGIS..................................... 17

Appendix 2 – Intervention Strategies Decision Tree Diagram ........................................ 19

Appendix 3 - CGIS OBJECTIVES AND ELEMENTAL STRATEGIES ...................... 20

Appendix 4 – CGIS ENHANCED ACTIVITIES............................................................ 23

Appendix 5 - Performance Development Plan Model ..................................................... 26

Appendix 6 - CGIS IMPLEMENTATION PLAN .......................................................... 28

Appendix 7 - Background Information on CGIS............................................................. 34

Appendix 8 – CGIS Recent Achievements ...................................................................... 38

Enhancement of CGIS case management model ............................................................. 41

Shared Responsibility....................................................................................................... 41

Cross-Agency Collaboration............................................................................................ 42


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1 INTRODUCTION

1.1 Purpose This paper sets out information supporting proposals to: ⋅ revise the Community Governance Improvement Strategy (CGIS); and ⋅ adopt intervention strategies for improving financial management of Aboriginal and

Island councils.

1.2 Context In 2004 wide ranging legislative reform was initiated by the Queensland Government to transition Aboriginal Community Councils to full shire council status by 2008. These reforms were supported by the Community Governance Improvement Strategy (CGIS), a comprehensive package of activities aimed at improving the standard of local government in Aboriginal and Island communities. The Partnerships Queensland: Implementation Progress Report 2006 confirms the State Government’s continued commitment to improved governance for Aboriginal and Torres Strait communities. The Report supports initiatives to improve the financial management and accountability of councils. The Auditor-General’s Report No. 3 2006 raised concerns about financial management practices of Aboriginal and Island councils and recommended initiatives to improve their financial accountability. The Department of Local Government, Planning, Sport and Recreation (DLGPSR) recognises the challenge of providing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with a local government system that is accountable, sustainable and responsive. DLGPSR initiatives that specifically target Aboriginal and Island councils include: ⋅ evaluating and strengthening the CGIS; ⋅ developing strategies for financial management intervention; and ⋅ reviewing governance arrangements for Torres Strait Island councils. Local government reform initiatives targeting all Queensland councils will also contribute to accountable and sustainable local government in Aboriginal and Island communities. The review of the Local Government Act 1993 provides an opportunity for the legislative framework to better reflect “one size does not fit all” and provide a framework that responds to difficulties faced by small and remote councils under current legislation. Capacity building of councils is one component of a whole-of-community need. A strong, autonomous and capable local government network is fundamental in addressing disadvantage in a broad range of cultural, economic, social and physical indicators in Queensland’s remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island communities.


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2 REVISING THE COMMUNITY GOVERNANCE IMPROVEMENT STRATEGY

2.1 The Community Governance Improvement Strategy The Community Governance Improvement Strategy (CGIS) is a major initiative under the State Government’s Meeting Challenges, Making Choices strategy to build capacity and strengthen the standard of corporate governance in Aboriginal shires, with some components being offered to Island councils and to Aurukun and Mornington Shire Councils. The initiative assists Aboriginal shires to meet new responsibilities under the Local Government (Community Government Areas) Act 2004, during a transition period over four (4) years to the Local Government Act 1993 (LGA). The Cabinet Budget Review Committee in April 2004 approved $16.616M CGIS expenditure over four (4) years with the CGIS 2004-2008 implementation plan endorsed by Cabinet in September 2004. The CGIS was developed by DLGPSR and the Department of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Policy (DATSIP) in consultation with the Department of the Premier and Cabinet and Queensland Treasury. Aboriginal and Island councils and their peak bodies were consulted in 2003, and common issues raised by councils influenced development of the CGIS. The goal of the CGIS is to “help councils achieve sustainable good governance to enable effective service delivery”. The CGIS differs significantly from past strategies in that council-specific performance development plans are negotiated with agreed performance targets. To date, CGIS expenditure has focused on: ⋅ Training councillors ⋅ Developing staff skills ⋅ Improving councils’ business systems ⋅ Reviewing councils’ policies and procedures ⋅ Reviewing councils’ organisational structures ⋅ Assisting with councils’ corporate planning ⋅ Enhancing community awareness ⋅ Investigating costs of municipal services ⋅ Piloting alternate delivery services Further details about the administration for and funding of the CGIS are set out in Appendix 7 and achievements to date are outlined in Appendix 8.

2.2 Mid-term evaluation DLGPSR has undertaken a mid-term evaluation of the CGIS. The evaluation was based on consultations with councils, senior government representatives, peak bodies and stakeholders culminating in a conference in Cairns on 14-15 June 2006 (Appendix 1 outlines review consultations).


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Key issues identified by the consultation included: ⋅ concern expressed by the Queensland Audit Office about the on-going high number of

unqualified audits for Aboriginal shires and Island councils; ⋅ the need to recruit and retain suitably qualified and trained local staff; ⋅ council responsibility for a broad range of activities within communities, not just

municipal functions; ⋅ extending periods of training or consultation within communities, i.e. not just a day or

two; ⋅ lack of awareness in the communities about the role and responsibilities of councils; and ⋅ concern that the nominated 4 year transition to shire status may not be long enough.

2.3 Opportunities for improvement The mid-term evaluation identified opportunities to revise the CGIS to improve outcomes for Aboriginal and Island communities in 2007 and 2008. Improvements will build on the current CGIS by providing more targeted objectives, actions and better performance. A stronger case-management model will be implemented, with better use of partnerships across all tiers of government and with other key stakeholders such as training providers and peak local government bodies. The proposed revisions for the CGIS mainly relate to improvements for how activities are undertaken. The CGIS goal will remain the same, that is “to assist councils achieve sustainable good governance to enable effective service delivery”. The objectives have been simplified to focus on better service delivery, stronger engagement strategies and a more holistic approach to supporting councils through the transition for the next two years. The four new CGIS objectives are: 1 Councils’ human resource capabilities will be improved. 2 Councils will achieve improved business performance and good governance. 3 Councils will be sustainable through expanding opportunities for collaboration to

improve services. 4 Councils will engage more effectively with their communities, Government and other

stakeholders. A table detailing the current and new objectives and elemental strategies is shown at Appendix 3. The table also notes links to other across-government initiatives.

2.4 Improvements The revised CGIS adopts a more strategic approach to implementation. It will mean more collaboration and coordination between the three tiers of government including: ⋅ a higher profile for CGIS activities in the Queensland Government’s Negotiation Tables; ⋅ alignment of CGIS activities with the 2005-2010 Bilateral Agreement; ⋅ working with Government Champions and decision-makers; and ⋅ facilitating different ways of delivering services through shared services models. Particular actions resulting from this new approach are: ⋅ Tailoring training and development to meet local and cultural needs.


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⋅ Encouraging and supporting a mentoring/coach/partnering approach. ⋅ Advancing local recruitment and retention of staff. ⋅ Building capacity for strong community leadership. ⋅ Promoting success stories. ⋅ Concentrating on the basics e.g. financial management and staff training. ⋅ Actioning relevant and practical community engagement. ⋅ Supporting councils to raise community awareness of the roles of council.

2.5 Implementation The revised CGIS can be implemented immediately as it continues the focus of building council staff skills, improving systems, performance and accountability and community engagement. Key elements for implementation include: ⋅ a coordinated approach across relevant units to provide more targeted case-management

activities; ⋅ broader access to whole-of-department resources; ⋅ greater accountability linked to councils’ performance; ⋅ a collaborative, whole-of-government approach to Performance Development Plans

(PDPs) - the shared responsibility agreements between the councils and government that underpin the CGIS - by actioning these plans through the Negotiation Table process;

⋅ elevating the profile of CGIS and the councils’ and government agencies’ commitments, with Negotiation Tables acting as a mechanism for sign-off on PDPs and monitoring of all parties’ activities;

⋅ strengthening partnerships to deliver on-site training, coaching, mentoring and development for councils, including cadetships through the Department of Employment and Training;

⋅ enhancing the case-management approach with longer and more targeted stays in Indigenous communities by DLGPSR officers and other support personnel; and

⋅ supporting regional resource-sharing and shared-services arrangements. A revised objective of the CGIS is that councils will be more sustainable through expanding opportunities for collaboration to improve services. The Auditor-General’s report tabled in July 2006 also noted that, Size, Shape and Sustainability (SSS) was as a potential policy instrument to provide Indigenous councils with the necessary economies of scale to address significant accountability issues within their administration. SSS or other reform initiatives will be examined to improve the sustainability of Indigenous councils through CGIS. Implementation of the revised CGIS will be aligned with the Agreement on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Service Delivery between the Commonwealth of Australia and the Government of Queensland 2005-2010. The revised CGIS is based on no increase to the originally approved budget and remodels the current CGIS with a focus on building council staff skills and support systems within councils. Full details of the Implementation Plan and Performance Measures are detailed in Appendix 6.


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2.6 CGIS key performance targets Under the revised CGIS objectives, the high level key performance targets for 2006-2008 will include: 1. Councils’ human resource capabilities will be improved.

- Stability in council management/administrative staffing. - Increased access to broad spectrum of training and development activities by councils.

2. Councils will achieve improved business performance and good governance. - % of councils with unqualified audits. - % of councils fully compliant with LGA statutory requirements.

3. Councils will be sustainable through expanding opportunities for collaboration to improve services. - % of councils implementing collaborative service delivery arrangements.

4. Councils will engage more effectively with their communities, with Government and with other stakeholders. - % of councils engaged in measurable community engagement, e.g. public meetings,

newsletter, community advisory committee. - Community and the Government Champions’ level of satisfaction with councils’

engagement in Negotiation Table process.

DLGPSR CGIS

- Targeted funding - Better resource

sharing - Enhanced case

management approach

- Council staff skills development (mentoring, coaching, training)

- Targeted engagement INTERVENTIONS - e.g. bureau services,

online access and financial controllers

Capacity Building and Partnerships

Governance

External stakeholders

State and Australian

Government departments, through the Bilateral

Agreement and Negotiation Tables

Delivery Partners Examples: Bush TV

Local Government Association Qld

Indigenous Community Volunteers

Wal-Meta unit - DETA

Funding and Infrastructure


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2.7 Communication and community engagement strategy Whole-of-government The Senior Officers Group for the 2005-2010 Bilateral Agreement provides an opportunity for promotion of the CGIS with relevant Australian and Queensland Government agencies. The CGIS will be put on the agenda for the next 2005-2010 Bilateral Agreement working group. This will assist in raising awareness across State Government departments and with the Commonwealth, and ensure the CGIS is a key deliverable under this Agreement. The CGIS will also be promoted through the Government Champion initiative to ensure coordination of agencies’ efforts in Indigenous communities. Government Champions for Aboriginal and Island communities will be requested to support the revised CGIS and to consider it at their next Negotiation Table meeting. Advice will also be provided about particular issues/challenges facing the council in their community. This will assist in communicating the CGIS to community representatives and other government representatives, and ensure the progress of the CGIS is considered at subsequent Negotiation Table meetings. A Ministerial media statement will coincide with the launch of the revised CGIS and be promoted to relevant Indigenous and mainstream media. The CGIS will also be posted on the Department's website and all correspondence and communication tools will direct the reader to the website for further information. Councils and communities A short and concise four-page communication tool, using appropriate and relevant language and images, will be developed to communicate and promote the revised CGIS. This would particularly target Aboriginal shires and Island councils and could be used by the councils to promote the CGIS to their communities, and to raise community awareness about the transition to shire status. Councils will be encouraged to disseminate information provided by the DLGPSR and to make use of meetings where Departmental officers may attend. This communication tool would be developed in conjunction with ATSIP and the Aboriginal Local Government Association of Queensland (ALGAQ) and the Island Coordinating Council. Stakeholders Information announcing and describing the revised CGIS will be sent to all key stakeholders, including Indigenous council Mayors and CEOs, peak Indigenous organisations such as the ALGAQ, the Local Government Association of Queensland (LGAQ), Local Government Managers Australia (LGMA), mainstream council Mayors and CEOs and the Office of Indigenous Policy Coordination. The CGIS will continue the partnership with Bush TV to promote positive stories on councils’ achievements and this will provide on-the-ground opportunities to increase the communities’ awareness of the roles of councillors, council staff and government.


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3 INTERVENTION STRATEGIES

3.1 Auditor-General’s Report No. 3 2006 The Auditor-General highlighted his concerns regarding financial management by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island councils in his Report No. 3 to Parliament in July 2006. The concerns he expressed were important considerations in the development of the revised CGIS. The report made two recommendations for consideration in any initiatives to improve financial management practices associated with the application of government grant funding for the provision of services for the people living in those communities: 1. (a) That the Government and councils undertake an analysis of the strengths and

deficiencies in governance of each Aboriginal and Island council to assist in identifying the specific issues impacting on individual communities which shape either a successful or unsuccessful financial management regime.

(b) That the Government and councils negotiate individual action plans for each council with the aim of achieving satisfactory and sustainable governance arrangements. These plans should include actions which address the critical governance and accountability factors outlined in the report.

(c) That the Government and councils strongly consider supporting the implementation of the agreed action plans through the use of appropriate skills transfer and a tailored process of intensive and frequent review to assist councillors and chief executive officers in the early identification and resolution of issues which could prevent the introduction of sustained good financial management.

2. In the absence of clearly demonstrated improvements by 30 June 2007 in financial

management standards of the councils which have received a qualified audit opinion for 2004-05, it is recommended that the Government consider the continued suitability of the grant funding process used to deliver the services for each of these councils.

The intervention strategy is practical and outcomes-focused with the short-tem goal being to show demonstrable improvement in financial management by the end of 2006-07. There are non-negotiable outcomes required by the State Government under this approach. Where councils do not embrace the approach, a recommendation will be made to the Minister to either appoint a financial controller or dismiss the council.

3.2 Activities and priorities The implementation of these strategies can proceed immediately with DLGPSR continuing to deliver a range of critical activities that focus on building basic skills and capability. The activities will support council staff in the short to medium term. During this time further negotiations will take place with partnering agencies and the private sector to develop responses to the identified medium and long term activities.


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The priorities identified for implementation have been grouped as follows: • Short term (0 – 6 months)

- Monitor audit results, deliver capacity building programs and undertake longer visits to mentor and support council staff in basic financial and administrative activities.

• Medium term (6 – 12 months)

- Negotiate with councils to utilise available bureau services to avoid more stringent interventions such as the appointment of a financial controller or dismissal.

- Case-manage, with other Government agencies, issues of grants management. - With other agencies, assist councils to reduce outstanding debts, particularly

councillors’ debts.

• Long term (12 – 24 months) - Continue to offer accredited training for councillors, with training now delivered using

real situations at councils. - Address turnover particularly of chief executive officers (CEOs) and senior managers. - Reinforce the importance of separation of powers to address friction between staff and

council. - Attract school-leavers, existing council staff and other local job seekers to develop

locally grown CEOs and senior management. - Continue to encourage councils to examine alternative providers for a range of non-

municipal and social services.

3.3 Intervention strategies and trigger criteria

Intervention Type Trigger Council agreement required?

Assessments and reporting

1 low

• Qualified or disclaimed audit report; or • Failure to provide adequate financial information to

DLGPSR as required by grant funding agreements; or

• Apparent or alleged breach of any provisions of the Local Government (Community Government Areas) Act 2004 (LGCGA), Local Government Act 1993 (LGA) or Community Services (Torres Strait) Act 1984 (CSA), whichever is relevant (e.g. failure to receive financial information at council meetings; failure to meet within required timeframes; failure to keep minutes of meetings); or

• No accountant or adequate financial services provider in place for more than a month.

NO

Investigation, inquiries and inspections under the LGA

1 • As the result of a recommendation made in an assessment or report ( see above intervention); or

• Council refuses assessment and reporting intervention.

NO#


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Outsourcing of functions

2 • Inadequate performance of that function for a period of three months and recommendation made by assessment/report or in Auditor-General’s report.

YES

Extended visits

2 • Recommendation made by assessment/report or in Auditor-General’s report.

YES

Advisors 2 • Recommendation made by assessment/report or in Auditor-General’s report.

YES

Bureau services

2 • No accountant or adequate financial services provider in place for more than three months; or

• Breach of any relevant provisions of the LGA/CSA that has not been rectified or continues to be breached over a three month period.

YES

Online access 2 • Council has: - made non-budgeted expenditure; or - misspent grant monies; or - not complied with legislative requirements relating

to its budget or other financial matter; or - not implemented suitable financial management

strategies for the funds under its control; or - not complied with the quarterly financial reporting

requirements for the Grant Agreement for the State Government Financial Aid Grant; or

- acted, or is about to act in a way that caused or may cause a significant deterioration in its financial viability; or will, or may, cause it to become insolvent.

YES

Withholding grants

3 • It has been identified in an assessment, report, inquiry, inspection, investigation or Auditor-General’s report that there is considerable risk to grant funds from mismanagement; or

• Allegations of fraud or misappropriation have been made and are of such magnitude that the Director-General considers the grant funds would be at risk if released; or

• The relevant funding agreement has not been complied with. Funds are to be withheld pending other appropriate intervention e.g. appointment of financial controller or administrator.

NO

Revocation and suspension of resolutions and orders

4 • No requirements specified in S161 of the LGA • S14 of the CSA states that the Minister must be

satisfied, on reasonable grounds, that: - the resolution or order is unlawful; or - the resolution or order was made for an improper

purpose.

NO


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Financial Controller

4 • The Minister is satisfied, on reasonable grounds, that Council has (S22 of the LGCGA or S31 of the CSA): - made a disbursement from a fund that is not

provided for in the Council’s budget; or - made a disbursement from grant monies for a

purpose other than the purpose for which the grant was given; or

- contravened the provisions of the LGA/CSA relating to its budget;

- not implemented suitable financial management strategies for the funds under its control; or

- acted, or is about to act, in a way that: - caused or may case a significant deterioration in

financial viability; or - will, or may cause it to become insolvent.

NO

Dissolution and appointment of an Administrator

4 high

• The Minister is satisfied that Council has (S164 of the LGA or S18 of the CSA): - acted unlawfully or corruptly; - acted in a way that puts at risk its capacity to

exercise properly its jurisdiction of local government; or

- is incompetent or can not properly exercise its jurisdiction of local government.

NO

Type of intervention

1. Initial investigation or assessment – this will determine the next level of intervention to be taken, if necessary.

2. Voluntary – these interventions require the agreement of Council before they can be implemented.

3. Director-General authorisation is required. 4. Intervention made by Governor-in-Council pursuant to legislation.

# not available for Torres Strait Island Councils under the CSA. See Appendix 2 on intervention strategies decision tree diagram.


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4 RISK ASSESSMENT There will be a number of risks to be managed in revising the CGIS and applying intervention strategies. Some of these risks are detailed below:

Risk Likelihood Mitigation Delays in recruitment of CEO and senior council positions

High Assistance and, where necessary, temporary appointments arranged by council in consultation with DLGPSR.

Inability of councillors and council staff to cope with pace of change required to meet performance standards

High Referred by DLGPSR to the consultative group which can re-prioritise the level of activity.

Councils are non compliant with legislative requirements

High

Ability to call on expertise from other branches to create a collaborative case management team. Monitoring of outcomes and performance measures may provide indicators for more intensive case management.

Lack of reasonable safe accommodation compromises case management approach.

High Department has commenced discussions with the Department of Public Works about the coordination of access to whole-of-government accommodation available in communities.

In delivering on the intervention strategies councils may interpret this as imposing a range of interventions that question the autonomy and independence of councils which could result in adverse publicity for the Government.

Medium DLGPSR is seen as taking a strong stance in the public interest and directly dealing with the possible issues of unsatisfactory accountability of public funds.

Lack of acknowledgement by councils of the importance / benefits of the transition to full shire status.

Medium Through the ongoing engagement of councils and the implementation of the supporting communication strategy for the revised CGIS.

Shared responsibility presumes a shared vision and clearly identified short, medium and long term

Medium Council/Community Capacity Plans and Performance Development Plans (PDPs) need to have clearly defined and achievable goals that can be monitored.


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Risk Likelihood Mitigation needs and goals. Inability to reach short term goals jeopardizes medium and long term needs or goals

Agreements can be developed within the PDP process and actioned before Negotiation Table Rounds commence. Negotiation Tables can endorse agreements, making them transparent and accountable.

Poor council staff attendance and retention

Medium Mentoring and training to provide supportive work environment. Clear role separation from councillors.

Enhanced case management approach is ineffective

Medium Well developed team formation process, communication strategy and handover strategy within DLGPSR.

Local Government Collaboration staff may not have ‘right mix’ of skills and require up skilling and time to develop new skills. LGC staff may be stretched beyond capacity to deliver.

Medium Development of a clearly articulated process for managing flexible teams within a Case Management Framework. Ability of teams to call on resources within the department and outsource to external providers.

Enhanced Case Management model could create greater dependency

Medium Develop clear exit strategy and ensure the mentoring role of case manager is clearly communicated to all stakeholders.

Statutory requirement for DLGPSR staff to engage with mainstream council through CEO may be viewed as culturally inappropriate for Aboriginal and Islander communities.

Medium Clear communication strategy that defines roles and responsibilities to councillors, council staff and DLGPSR. Peak Body for Aboriginal councils to be perceived as having significant ‘voice’.

Conflict between council and State Government (after PDP executed)

Low Refer to the consultative group for re-negotiating PDP.

Unavailability of CGIS funding to implement activities

Low Funds can be brought forward from 2006-07.

Council does not accept shared responsibility

Low

Strategies may include budget incentives. Negotiation Tables can provide a mechanism for endorsement/sign-off.


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Other significant challenges for councils Without incentives for councils, such as extra funds for staff housing or council chambers and quantum increases to the State Government Financial Aid program, councils have stated it is difficult to adequately deliver all services expected by both the communities and Federal and State governments.

5 CONCLUSION The revised CGIS will provide a more flexible and dynamic model for delivering services to Aboriginal and, increasingly, Torres Strait Island local governments. It will incorporate a cross-government approach that will encourage partnerships with other agencies, with a particular focus on aligning with the strategic intent of the 2005-2010 Bilateral Agreement and Partnerships Queensland. The revised CGIS will also underpin collaborative actions to support councils, for example working with the Department of Employment and Training on initiatives such as the cadetship proposal and with non-government partners such as Bush TV and the Local Government Association of Queensland to improve corporate governance and service delivery for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island communities. The revised CGIS will concentrate on going back to the basics – mentoring, training and coaching of targeted council staff. There will be an increased focus on linking councils with the Government Champions and more targeted participation in the Negotiation Table process to support the CGIS goal of assisting councils to achieve sound governance and sustainable communities. The intervention strategies provide stricter controls to address poor financial management and accountability. The acceleration of a range of measures specifically to deal with financial accountability problems will demonstrate to the Government that the Department is being responsive to the Auditor-General’s recommendations. It will also lay a strong foundation for the continued transition of Aboriginal Shires over the coming years.

LIST OF ATTACHMENTS Appendix 1 Consultation for mid-term evaluation of the CGIS Appendix 2 Intervention strategies decision tree diagram Appendix 3 CGIS objectives and elemental strategies Appendix 4 CGIS enhanced activities Appendix 5 Performance Development Plan model Appendix 6 CGIS implementation plan Appendix 7 Background information on CGIS Appendix 8 Recent CGIS achievements Appendix 9 Implementation details-

case management, shared responsibility, cross agency collaboration


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Appendix 1- Consultation for mid-term evaluation of the CGIS In order to focus the mid-term evaluation, pre-conference consultations were conducted. Comment was sought from: • Mayors, councillors and chief executive officers, to gain an on-the-ground perspective; • 14 Directors-General and/or their representatives - as Government Champions of

communities for a whole-of-government view; and • Aboriginal Local Government Association of Queensland, Local Government Association

of Queensland and Local Government Managers Australia (QLD), State and Australian Government CGIS partners, key stakeholders, including service providers, to capture broader observations.

Over 140 delegates attended the June 2006 conference, including Mayors from each Aboriginal shire, councillors and staff members, some Island councils, Government Champions, senior representatives of government agencies including targeted interstate guests with significant expertise in delivering support to local governments, DLGPSR officers and other key stakeholders. Peak bodies - the Local Government Association of Queensland, Local Government Managers Australia, the Aboriginal Local Government Association of Queensland Inc, and the Island Coordinating Council also participated. The following table lists the organisations consulted for the original CGIS and those during the 2006 review. Organisation Original

CGIS Mid term review of CGIS

Revised CGIS

Reference Group – post CBRC endorsement of revised CGIS

Local Governments, peak bodies and regional groups Aboriginal Shires Aboriginal Coordinating Council

n/a n/a n/a

Aboriginal Local Government Association QLD

n/a

Island Councils Island Coordinating Council Local Government Association QLD

Local Government Managers Australia QLD

Selected mainstream councils, eg Cook and Torres Shire

Regional bodies - Regional Organisation of Councils of Cape York, Gulf Savannah Development Association


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Organisation Original CGIS

Mid term review of CGIS

Revised CGIS

Reference Group – post CBRC endorsement of revised CGIS

State Government Departments 14 Government Champions DLGPSR DATSIP Treasury Premier and Cabinet Public Works Housing Communities Natural Resources, Mines and Water

Emergency Services Industrial Relations Primary Industries and Fisheries

Corrective Services Employment and Training Police Health Tropical North Queensland Institute of TAFE

Qld Audit Office Crime and Misconduct Commission

Queensland Ombudsman

Australian Government Department Office of Indigenous Policy Coordination

Key Partners Bush TV Natural Partners P/L Indigenous Community Volunteers

Appendix 2 – Intervention Strategies Decision Tree

Diagram

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Appendix 3 - CGIS OBJECTIVES AND ELEMENTAL STRATEGIES

Current CGIS Revised CGIS Links to other initiatives

Objectives Elemental Strategies Objectives Elemental Strategies

Objective 1 Community and Councillors will have an understanding of good governance and will sustain a professional workforce to deliver good governance.

o Skills development for councillors, staff and community members

o Councillor induction o Corporate governance

and innovative leadership training

o Corruption prevention training

o Staff skills development

Objective 1 Councils’ human resource capabilities will be improved.

o Increase on site training /mentoring/ coaching

o Staff skills development, eg, Council Employee Administration Training (CEAT), cadetships, traineeships


o Specialised training, eg corruption prevention training

o CEO performance appraisal

Agreement on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Service Delivery between the Commonwealth of Australia and the State of Queensland (2005-2010 Bilateral Agreement) * Harnessing the mainstream * Developing a learning framework * Focusing on priority areas Partnerships Queensland * Goal 4 – Skilled and prosperous people and communities - Action 6: Build capacity and strengthen standards of councils’ corporate governance Blueprint for the Bush * Better government coordination

Objective 2 Councils will improve business systems and procedures to support good governance.

o Business system improvement

o Policies and procedures

Objective 3 Councils will achieve improved financial and administrative performance.

o Resources management – revenue and costs

o Consolidation of municipal services funding

o Research on costs of

Objective 2 Councils will achieve improved business performance and good governance.

o Longer visits to councils to shadow/mentor


o Policies and procedures o Resources management –

revenue and costs o Consolidation of municipal

services funding o Performance and

accountability

2005-2010 Bilateral Agreement *Sharing responsibility * Harnessing the mainstream * Streamlining service delivery * Establishing transparency and accountability * Developing a learning framework * Focusing on priority areas Partnerships Queensland

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Objectives Elemental Strategies Objectives Elemental Strategies municipal services

o Performance and accountability

o Organisational structures o Corporate planing and

performance framework o Comparative performance

information CEO performance appraisal

o Organisational structures o Corporate planing and

performance framework

* Goal 4 – Skilled and prosperous people and communities - Action 6: Build capacity and strengthen standards of councils’ corporate governance Blueprint for the Bush * Rural image and relationships – making connections

Objective 4 Councils will plan for and manage full resource impact of undertaking non-municipal services

o Service delivery models for non-core council functions

o Pilot alternative delivery of community services

Objective 3 Councils will be sustainable through expanding opportunities for collaboration to improve services.

o Research on costs of municipal services

o Comparative performance info

o Increase delivery opportunities, eg contracting out, joint arrangements, bureau hubs, enterprises and resource sharing

2005-2010 Bilateral Agreement * *Sharing responsibility * Harnessing the mainstream * Streamlining service delivery * Establishing transparency and accountability * Developing a learning framework * Focusing on priority areas Partnerships Queensland * Goal 4 above: * Goal 3 – Healthy Living Action 3: Promoting a whole-of-life approach to health for families and communities: Indigenous Environmental Health Worker program (QH and DLGPSR) Blueprint for the Bush * Better government coordination * Integrated regional planning

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Objectives Elemental Strategies Objectives Elemental Strategies

Objective 5 Councils will increase their engagement with the community, industry peak bodies and other councils.

o Stakeholder engagement o Community awareness

Objective 4 Councils will engage more effectively with their communities, with Government and with other stakeholders.

o Stakeholder engagement o Community awareness o Collaboration across three

tiers of government – protocol model for coordination point

2005-2010 Bilateral Agreement * *Sharing responsibility * Harnessing the mainstream * Focusing on priority areas Partnerships Queensland * Goal 4 above: * Goal 3 – Healthy Living - Action 3: Promoting a whole-of-life approach to health for families and communities: Blueprint for the Bush * Better government coordination * Integrated regional planning

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Appendix 4 – CGIS ENHANCED ACTIVITIES Councillor skills development • Continue the Councillor Training Program which includes the original non-accredited and the

more recent accredited program: Certificate IV in Local Government Administration – LGA40204. • Development of a set of template key questions for councillors to ask of officers at council

meetings (e.g. is the budget on track? What is the state of council’s debtors/creditors? Have projects been fully costed?) and a list of the key reports councils should receive each month. This would assist councillors to focus on the important issues and also help them to manage the performance of senior council staff.

• Continuing to encourage councillors to attend key local government conferences (eg LGAQ regional and annual conferences) by subsidising registration, travel costs, helping councillors to “mainstream” local government thinking and build professional networks.

• DLGPSR officers and other personnel on site for longer blocks of time to support mentoring and skills transfer to key council staff. Continuation subject to review and evaluation at the end of that period.

• DLGPSR officers to attend council meetings to provide advice and assistance on matters coming before the council, meeting procedures, etc.

• DLGPSR and LGAQ could offer an extensive range of other capacity building programs for both councillors and council staff.

• Develop collaborative partnerships with all agencies/organisations (Commonwealth, State and local government) which have an interest in capacity building in Indigenous communities to ensure a coordinated, planned and properly resourced approach.

Council staff skills development • Implement scholarships/cadetships proposal in partnership with the Department of Employment

and Training (DET). • Negotiate and support formal mentoring arrangements with neighbouring councils to include

opportunities for Indigenous staff to gain local government work experience outside their community. It would also provide an avenue for mayors and CEOs to run ideas and concerns past their equivalents in another council if the need arose.

• Mentoring and support can also be provided through the Indigenous Community Volunteers (ICV) organisation which has a vast range of professionals available to assist communities free of charge.

• The Australian Government’s Office of the Registrar of Aboriginal Corporations (ORAC) to undertake integrated capacity building with councils. ORAC is at the leading edge in developing culturally appropriate strategies and activities for Indigenous organisations covering corporate governance, organisational performance and leadership.

• The Council Employees Accredited Training (CEAT) program commenced with the first block training in May 2006 and will conclude in June 2007. Wal-Meta, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Employment Development Unit in DET is providing a pilot program for 15 Indigenous base-grade administrative staff in Aboriginal shires and Island councils. CEAT consists of three by one week block training in Cairns plus additional Wal-Meta Regional officers visiting participants on-the-job as well as providing Wal-Meta mentors.

• DLGPSR has worked with the LGAQ to develop a Diploma in Local Government Administration, and assists in the ongoing delivery of the Diploma program. The Diploma targets middle managers in local governments who have no qualifications and looks to provide them with a good grounding in areas such as governance, consultation and budgets. DLGPSR has negotiated 2 free places per course for use by councils.

• The SOLID business systems’ tool developed under the CGIS in collaboration with the Open Learning Institute will continue to be implemented.

• Indigenous council staff will be subsidised to attend LGMA conferences.

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Community Engagement • Specific activities will be implemented with council to promote open council meetings and

public meetings and for councillors to take deputations from the community on a regular basis. Councils need to develop appropriate communication strategies with their communities to improve the level of understanding about activities and the provision of municipal services more generally. A council newsletter could be developed and circulated on a regular basis.

• Specific community engagement will occur in relation to council local laws and environmental health issues. Councils will be assisted to develop and implement education and awareness raising activities covering local laws policy and enforcement mechanisms. A similar education program could be developed to assist the councils’ environmental health workers implement a range of initiatives.

Engagement with Government • DLGPSR officers will actively support councils to more effectively engage with Government

through the Negotiation Table processes being led by the Department of Communities. These tables provide an opportunity for councils to enter partnerships with various agencies to pursue local priorities.

• To ensure that Performance Development Plans for councils are a whole of government response to councils’ needs in terms of funding, support and capacity development, the Plans will be included in the Negotiation Table processes. This will open up opportunities for the plans to include other forms of support for councils available through partnerships with other Government agencies.

Service Delivery Initiatives • DLGPSR will undertake a comprehensive review and research on costs of municipal services

for each Aboriginal shire and Island council to establish a sound rationale for the funding provided under the State Government Financial Aid (SGFA) Program.

• Develop and implement a suitable comparative service delivery performance information collection and reporting system for remote Indigenous councils.

• Opportunities to increase service delivery options, eg by contracting out, joint arrangements, bureau hubs, enterprises, NGOs, regional arrangements and resource sharing, will be researched and analysed. DLGPSR will engage and collaborate with councils, key stakeholders and funding agencies to evaluate, promote and develop effective approaches for the delivery of human services in Aboriginal shires and Island councils.

• Councils will be encouraged to take advantage of a range of Queensland Government initiatives to support effective municipal and human service delivery including Regional Collaboration; Size, Shape and Sustainability; and Strengthening Indigenous NGO’s under the Blueprint for the Bush Initiative. The role of the Regional Organisations of Councils (ROC) in developing regional and shared service arrangements is important and councils will be encouraged to have active participation and contribution to their respective ROC.

Governance Performance and Accountability • Review each council’s Performance Development Plan (PDP) to identify innovative ways to

deliver capacity building. The basis for renegotiating PDPs will include the Department and each council undertaking an analysis of the strengths and deficiencies in governance and the specific issues impacting or impeding on good governance by the council and developing actions to address the identified issues.

• Renegotiation of new PDPs will require councils to have developed an Audit Action Plan for the most current audit with a timeframe to implement identified response actions. Councils assessed in the Auditor-General’s rankings from 3 to 6 must include actions to bolster record keeping and improve the control environment over expenditure and all councils must address the high risk matters arising from the most current audit.

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• The renegotiation of the PDP will require the council and the CEO/Council Clerk to agree to a CEO and senior staff Performance Appraisal.

• Councillors will be assisted through a combination of training and mentoring on a day to day basis and within council meetings to ensure that financial reporting is able to be interpreted and analysed.

• Councils will be assisted to ensure that council meetings are conducted in accordance with legislation and sound meeting procedures and that accurate minutes are maintained and available to the residents of the community.

• Councillors will be assisted through advice and mentoring to understand and comply with the Code of Conduct for Councillors adopted by the council.

• Where they have not been adopted, councils will be assisted to adopt Local Laws and Subordinate Local Laws (Standing Orders).

• Councils will be assisted the develop and maintain a current Financial Administration and Procedures Manual that relates to the computerised business system environment of the council and be readily used as the procedural reference for each identified administrative position within the council structure.

• Councils will be assisted to satisfy financial management/reporting requirements and develop local capacity to complete these requirements. This may require the financial management and reporting function to be partially or wholly outsourced, depending on each council’s ability to attract suitably qualified personnel. Where councils that are currently ranked by the Auditor-General in the 3 to 6 tier of audit performance and do not make substantial and sustained improvement in record keeping and control over expenditure at the end of the two year period, outsourcing to a professional accounting provider will be negotiated.

• Councils will be assisted to identify and institute an appropriate and sustainable system of internal control appropriate to the size and shape of the council structure. Where required support will be provided to councils to undertake an internal systems audit for the purpose of recommending an appropriate control system for the council.

• Councils will be assisted to implement the transitional requirement of creating a Corporate and Operational Plan and producing an Annual Report that come into effect from 1 July 2007. The Corporate and Operational plans required by the Local Government Act 1993 will strengthen the forward planning of councils and improve the budget preparation process as prioritised projects will have been identified from the planning regime. Councils will have a clear set of objectives to measure their performance in the short-term (1 yr) and medium-term and be able to provide performance information in the annual report to residents of their communities.

• The Department and key government agency stakeholders will support the LGAQ project to map legislative responsibilities of councils and assist councils to align the mapped legislative responsibilities to positions within the corporate structure for each council.

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Appendix 5 - Performance Development Plan Model Negotiated between: xxxxxxxxxx Council and the Department of Local Government, Planning, Sport and Recreation Last Audit: Year 200 - 200__ Audit Opinion: ______________

Action Timeframe Risk/ Priorities (1 = highest 10 = lowest)

Auditor-General Results (List items)

Action Plan response

xxxx Council

DLGPSR

Estimate of Costs Subject to approval

xxxx Council

DLGPSR

How will we measure our success

High

Medium

Low

Transitional Requirements

Other needs

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SIGNED for and on behalf of the State of Queensland by: The SEAL of ………………………….…..Council Was affixed hereto in accordance with a resolution of the Council Max Barrie this ………..….. day of ………….………….200 Director, Capacity Building and Partnership Branch Department of Local Government, Planning Sport and Recreation in the presence of Signature Signature Signature of Witness: Name: Name: This …………..day of ……………… ……………200 Name of Witness: Position held: Position held:

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Appendix 6 - CGIS IMPLEMENTATION PLAN

Revised CGIS Objectives

Elemental Strategies Links to other initiatives Supporting Actions Performance measures (for each financial year of strategy)

Objective 1 Councils’ human resource capabilities will be improved.

o Increase on site training /mentoring/ coaching

o Staff skills development, eg CEAT, cadetships, traineeships


o Specialised training, eg Corruption prevention training

o CEO performance appraisal

Agreement on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Service Delivery 2005-10 (Bilateral Agreement) *Sharing responsibility * Harnessing the mainstream * Streamlining service delivery * Establishing transparency and accountability * Developing a learning framework * Focusing on priority areas Partnerships Queensland * Goal 4 – Skilled and prosperous people and communities - Action 6: Build capacity and strengthen the standard of corporate governance of councils Blueprint for the Bush

• Implement scholarships/cadet-ships for council staff.

• Continue Councillor Training Program. • Develop template of key questions for

councillors. • Councillors to attend key local government

conferences. • DLGPSR officers and other personnel to

spend longer on site. • DLGPSR staff to attend council meetings. • Offer extensive range of other capacity

building programs. • Develop collaborative partnerships with

agencies & organisations to support councils.

• Mentoring arrangements with neighbouring councils.

• Mentoring and support provided through the Indigenous Community Volunteers (ICV).

• Support from the Office of the Registrar of Aboriginal Corporations (ORAC) for capacity building with councils.

• Support the Council Employees Accredited Training (CEAT) program in partnership with Wal-Meta and DET.

• Encourage participation by council CEOs in Diploma in Local Government

Output measures: • No. of person-days of training

delivered per council under CGIS: (a) for councillors (b) for council staff

• % of participants receiving accreditation (where applicable)

• Average level of participant satisfaction with training

• No. of person-days of coaching/ mentoring by Dept officers and other personnel

• No. of person-days of councillors/staff attending LGAQ, LGMA, seminars, conferences & other professional development opportunities outside community

Outcome measures: • % of management positions in

councils held by local residents • No. of councillors/ staff receiving

accreditation • Level of turnover of council

management/ administrative staff • % of councils with a performance

appraisal system

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* Better government coordination

Administration. • Support councils to utilise the ‘SOLID

business systems’ tool to manage council information.

• Subsidise Aboriginal and Island council staff to attend LGMA conferences.

Objective 2 Councils will achieve improved business performance and good governance.

o Longer visits to councils to shadow/mentor


o Policies and procedures

o Resources management – revenue and costs

o Consolidation of municipal services funding

o Performance and accountability

o Organisational structures

o Corporate planning and performance framework

o Comparative performance

2005-2010 Bilateral Agreement *Sharing responsibility * Harnessing the mainstream * Streamlining service delivery * Establishing transparency and accountability * Developing a learning framework * Focusing on priority areas Partnerships Queensland * Goal 4 – Skilled and prosperous people and communities - Action 6: Build capacity and strengthen

• Renegotiate Performance Development Plans (PDPs) - actions to address specific issues.

• Ensure councils prepare & implement Audit Action Plans.

• Activate CEO and senior staff Performance Appraisals in councils.

• Mentoring councillors to interpret, analyse and question financial reports.

• Assist councils to conduct sound council meetings in accord with legislation.

• Monitor councils’ maintenance and provision to community of accurate minutes.

• Assist councils to comply with Code of Conduct for councillors.

• Assist councils to adopt Local Laws and Subordinate Local Laws (Standing Orders).

• Ensure councils have current Financial Administration and Procedures Manual in place.

Output measures: • Total CGIS grant funding

allocated to business system improvement projects

• No. of person-days spent by DLGPSR officers in communities

• Level of council satisfaction with contribution of DLGPSR officers (survey)

• % of councils assisted to develop or adopt local laws

Outcome measures: • Improvement in council audit

results (% of UQ audits, % of councils that improve result)

• Improvement in council financial management performance (see Council Performance Measures)

• Improvement in council service delivery performance (see

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information

the standard of corporate governance of councils Blueprint for the Bush * Rural image and relationships – making connections

• Ensure councils have satisfactory financial management and reporting systems. (Where necessary these functions may need to be partially or wholly outsourced).

• Sustainable system of internal control appropriate to the size and shape of council.

• Implementing Corporate and Operational Planning as required by the LGA.

• Ensure councils implement and produce Annual Report to provide performance information to residents of their communities.

• Collaborate with LGAQ to map legislative responsibilities of councils.

• Develop suitable comparative performance information reporting system.

Council Performance Measures) • % of councils fully compliant

with statutory requirements (eg, corporate plan, operational plan, organisational structure, annual report, complaints process, revenue policy, loans policy etc)

• Average no. of non-mandatory policies adopted by council resolution per council each year

• % of councils that adopt local laws

• % of councils submitting data returns for comparative performance information collection

Objective 3 Councils will be sustainable through expanding opportunities for collaboration to improve services.

o Research on costs of municipal services

o Comparative performance information

o Increase delivery opportunities, eg contracting out, joint arrangements, bureau hubs, enterprises and resource sharing

2005-2010 Bilateral Agreement *Sharing responsibility * Harnessing the mainstream * Streamlining service delivery * Developing a learning framework * Focusing on priority areas

• Undertake comprehensive review and research of costs of municipal services for Aboriginal shires and Island councils.

• Develop suitable comparative performance information reporting system.

• Explore opportunities to increase effective service delivery options and approaches.

• Engage and collaborate with councils, key stakeholders and funding agencies to advance effective human service delivery.

• Encourage and assist councils to take advantage of a range of Queensland

Output measures: • No. of collaborative agreements

entered by DLGPSR with other agencies to provide assistance to councils (eg, joint funded projects, third party grants or training brokered by DLGSPR, etc)

• % of councils assisted by DLGPSR to explore collaborative service delivery models (contracting out, joint service

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Partnerships Queensland * Goal 4. Skilled and prosperous people and communities - Action 6: Build capacity and strengthen the standard of corporate governance of councils * Goal 3 – Healthy Living - Action 3: Promoting a whole-of-life approach to health for families and communities: Blueprint for the Bush * Better government coordination * Integrated regional planning * Strengthening Indigenous NGOs

Government initiatives including Regional Collaboration; Size, Shape and Sustainability; and Strengthening Indigenous NGO’s under the Blueprint for the Bush Initiative.

• Strengthen councils’ participation in Regional Organisations of Councils (ROC) to foster developing regional and shared service arrangements.

delivery, bureau, service hub, resource sharing etc)

• % of councils accessing Size, Shape and Sustainability funding

Outcome measures • % of councils implementing

collaborative service delivery • % of councils that have visited

another Indigenous council in past 12 months

• % of councils that have visited a mainstream council in past 12 months

% of councils participating in ROCs

Objective 4 Councils will engage more

o Stakeholder engagement

o Community

2005-2010 Bilateral Agreement *Sharing responsibility

• Promote open council meetings, public meetings

• Establish process for councillors to take

Output measures Community engagement • Total CGIS grant funding

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effectively with their communities, with Government and with other stakeholders.

awareness o Collaboration across

three tiers of government – protocol model for coordination point

* Harnessing the mainstream * Streamlining service delivery * Establishing transparency and accountability * Developing a learning framework * Focusing on priority areas Partnerships Queensland * Goal 4. Skilled and prosperous people and communities - Action 6: Build capacity and strengthen the standard of corporate governance of councils Blueprint for the Bush * Better government coordination * Integrated regional planning * Strengthening Indigenous NGOs * Rural image and

deputations from community residents. • Assist councils to develop appropriate

communication strategies for their communities.

• Encourage councils to produce a regular newsletter that is circulated in their communities.

• Conduct specific community engagement and awareness activities for implementing local laws and addressing environmental health issues.

• Support councils to effectively engage with other levels of government through Negotiation Tables.

allocated to community engagement activities

• No. of person-days spent by DLGPSR officers on awareness and education activities in communities

• Level of council satisfaction with DLGPSR resources and assistance for community engagement (survey)

Government engagement • % of Negotiation Tables attended

by DLGPSR officers Outcome measures Community engagement • % of councils that: hold 4 or more

public meetings per year; publish a monthly newsletter; have community advisory committees

• % of community residents aware of (a) roles and responsibilities of council, councillors and staff and

• (b) council’s strategic plans and priorities (survey needed)

Government engagement • Government Champions’ level of

satisfaction with councils’ engagement in Negotiation Table

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relationships – making connections

process (survey needed)

Notes for Appendix 6: • No input measures are shown (ie, amount of financial resources spent and amount of human resources allocated) because these resources are fixed for

the CGIS. The overview of the CGIS will indicate amount allocated and number of staff. • Output measures included are generally quantity, quality or client satisfaction. No efficiency measures (eg, the cost per day of training, cost per day of

departmental visits) have been included because these are not considered a high priority in this context. • The outcome measures are both short term and long-term. • The measures of council performance are the ultimate outcome measures for CGIS effort. These have been flagged under Objective 3 (improved

business performance and good governance) and then listed in more detail in a separate table. These measures are the headline indicators for the whole strategy, which has as its goal “to assist councils achieve sustainable good governance to enable effective service delivery.”

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Appendix 7 - Background information on CGIS • The Community Governance Improvement Strategy (CGIS) is a major initiative under the

State Government’s Meeting Challenges, Making Choices strategy to build capacity and strengthen the standard of corporate governance in Aboriginal shires, with some components being offered to Island councils and to Aurukun and Mornington Shire Councils. The initiative assists Aboriginal shires to meet new responsibilities under the Local Government (Community Government Areas) Act 2004, and transition period over four (4) years to the Local Government Act 1993.

• The Cabinet Budget Review Committee in April 2004 approved $16.616M CGIS

expenditure over four (4) years with the CGIS 2004-2008 implementation plan endorsed by Cabinet in September 2004.

• The CGIS was developed by the Department of Local Government, Planning, Sport and

Recreation (DLGPSR) and the Department of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Policy (DATSIP) in consultation with the Department of the Premier and Cabinet and Queensland Treasury. Aboriginal and Island councils and their peak bodies were consulted in 2003 and common issues raised by councils influenced development of the CGIS.

• Since commencement in July 2004 the CGIS has been managed by DLGPSR through the

Local Government Collaboration Division. • The CGIS is a comprehensive, integrated and targeted strategy. The CGIS differs

significantly from past strategies in that council-specific performance development plans have been negotiated with agreed performance targets. The goal of the CGIS is to “help councils achieve sustainable good governance to enable effective service delivery”.

• The five (5) CGIS objectives target: skill development for councillors and staff; business

systems improvements; resource management, performance and accountabilities; managing resource implications for service delivery for non-core municipal services; and stakeholder engagement.

• CGIS expenditure to date has focused on the following key activities:

Councillor training program Council staff skills development Councils’ business systems improvements Councils’ policies and procedures Councils’ organisational structures Councils’ corporate planning Community awareness

As a result of feedback from Indigenous communities received through the Cape York Justice Study in 2001-02, the Government announced a review of the governance arrangements in Aboriginal communities. Following further consultations through a Green Paper process, it was decided to introduce new legislation so that Aboriginal Community Councils could transition to full shire status over a four year period. The Community Governance Improvement Strategy (CGIS) was implemented in July 2004 to support the transition.

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Investigating the costs of municipal services Piloting alternate delivery services

• DLGPSR set up teams of regional based management consultants in both Cairns and

Brisbane to work directly with Aboriginal shires and Island councils. • These project teams advise, assist and implement the various elements of the CGIS,

particularly through negotiated relationship-building Performance Development Plans, covering off on the non-negotiables during the transition phase.

• Significant achievements by councils have occurred during the past two (2) years (July 2004 to June 2006) in the delivery of the CGIS (see Appendix 3) including: Partnership with Bush TV, an independent Indigenous multi-media company,

producing over 50 Murri Minutes - stories broadcast on WIN television (Nine network) and the Imparja Network, with coverage on council initiatives and improvements;

Delivery of Certificate IV in Local Government Administration for councillors and council staff, with 74% attendance to date and an approval rating of four point three (4.3), out of a possible five (5);

Partnerships formed with other government and non-government departments and agencies to deliver specific training, mentoring and professional activities including the Corruption Prevention Training, Council Employees Accredited Training Program and Workplace Health and Safety Training; and

Seventeen (17) mandatory policies models developed for councils’ implementation in meeting transition requirements to full shire status.

Funding The approved CGIS funding is as follows: 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 Total $2.98m expended

$3.02m expended

$4.5m allocated

$6.116m allocated

$16.616m

From 2008-09 forward funding is recurrent at $6.116 million per annum. A recent 2006 Cabinet Budget Review Committee submission, based on the findings of the Morton review completed in December 2005 into the State Government Financial Aid (SGFA) program, gained endorsement for an increase in SGFA funds of $0.94M per annum. These funds were set against future CGIS funds from the out years commencing 2008-09. Therefore the CGIS funds of $6.116 million per annum recurrent may be reduced by the equivalent increase in SGFA funds. Example for 2008-09

CGIS funds $6.116 million per annum less SGFA funded increase $0.94 million per annum Total CGIS funds $5.176 million per annum The principles upon which the strategy is based are: • collaborative partnerships to build skills and capability; • effective engagement with stakeholders; • shared responsibility between the State Government and the council; and

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• a robust performance-based framework to evaluate progress. Research into Councils’ performance • DLGPSR has, through Mr Michael Limerick’s PhD research (on secondment from

DATSIP), undertaken a number of council case studies, in particular with Yarrabah Aboriginal Shire Council, Lockhart River Aboriginal Shire Council and Hopevale Aboriginal Shire Council. PRELIMINARY RESEARCH FINDINGS

Preconditions for councils’ success • Shared vision of self-

management • Political culture of equity and

fairness • History of exposure to the

outside world

Successful approach to governance • Mainstream standards and good administration • Investment in local capacity • Strategic engagement with Government • Commitment to separation of powers and rule

of law

Key inhibiting factors • Lack of community engagement • Generational differences in values regarding work and education • Community political conflict • Kinship/family pressures on councillors and staff • Welfare dependency/lack of economic development

• Data collected is being analysed to inform performance measures and part of this research

is the development, collection, publication and distribution of comparative performance information in Aboriginal shires and Island councils.

• The comparative data will help to inform councils, community residents and the

Department about how well councils are performing across a wide range of services and programs that councils deliver. Extra indicators recognise that many Aboriginal shires and Island councils have important responsibilities in areas such as housing, CDEP, community police and land management.

• The comparative information will have a number of uses, including:

⋅ councils can look to follow the example of councils that are performing well in delivering particular services (known as ‘benchmarking’);

⋅ councils will know the areas or services where they are performing well in comparison to other Indigenous councils, and the areas where their performance can be improved. This will help councils to decide what to focus on in their corporate planning and budgeting;

⋅ councils can report to their residents on their achievements in improving services; ⋅ DLGPSR can identify, for each council, the areas or services where the council needs

more support under the CGIS; ⋅ DLGPSR can assess, over a number of years, whether its work with councils is

making a difference.

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Current CGIS Business Model • The current business model is based on a case management approach across four (4)

project teams, three (3) based in Cairns and one (1) in Brisbane, with each team responsible for approximately four (4) Aboriginal shires and four (4) Island councils.

• An additional team in Brisbane manages all state wide CGIS programs, including training,

skills development, funding and policy implementation.

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Appendix 8 – Recent CGIS achievements Performance targets and current status

Original CGIS key performance targets for June 2006

Current status as at July 2006

75% of councils are implementing a systems improvement plan

100% of councils are implementing systems improvement plans – through Performance Development Plans and Audit action plans

90% of senior staff recruitments are based on a merit selection process with external panel members

Not met

100% of councils have internal controls for ethical behaviour

100% of councils have adopted a Code of Conduct.

While Aboriginal shires are currently on schedule for transitioning to the requirements of the Local Government Act 1993, it is recognised that the capacity within each council needs to be built in order for all transition functions to be reached and maintained in the long-term. Performance Development Plans • DLGPSR has negotiated Performance Development Plans with all Aboriginal shires and

Island councils outlining the agreed commitments and obligations of the councils and the Department under the Community Governance Improvement Strategy (CGIS). The plans are currently under review with all councils following the first 12 months of implementation.

Progress of strategies

1 Strategy - Skills Development

Councillor Induction Program • Training for all Aboriginal shires and Island councils was completed August 2004.

Corruption Prevention Training • The Crime and Misconduct Commission was resourced by the CGIS to deliver corruption

prevention training to all 15 Aboriginal shires (completed November 2005) and the 17 Island councils (completed by 30 June 2006). This also facilitated the delivery of Ombudsman Training to councils through the CMC package.

Corporate governance and innovative leadership training – Councillor Training Program • Over 120 modules were delivered under the non-accredited Councillor Training Program

to elected councillors and senior council staff of Aboriginal shires and Island councils by registered training organisations to November 2005.

• After a number of councils indicated they would prefer to gain a formal qualification, the Councillor Training Program is now delivered with participants able to choose accredited training under Certificate IV in Local Government Administration. Following a new

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tendering process in November 2005, the Local Government Association of Queensland and Natural Partners Pty Ltd were each contracted to deliver training to 16 councils.

• The following competencies are being delivered to Aboriginal shires and Island councils:

provide team leadership; represent council’s role and value in community; participate in negotiation; work with others in local government; conduct community consultations; contribute to policy development; implement and facilitate community development strategies and programs; manage a local government project; coordinate and facilitate a change process; prepare a budget; monitor council procedures to ensure compliance with relevant legislation; and administer contracts.

• 74% of councillors and senior council staff are attending the new accredited training with

their formal evaluation of the course delivery being four point three (4.3), out of a possible five.

Council Employees Accredited Training Program • The Council Employees Accredited Training Program project is a joint partnership

between the Department and the Wal-Meta Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Employment Development Unit (Department of Employment and Training). The pilot program is being undertaken by 15 Indigenous base grade administrative staff within Aboriginal shires and Island councils.

• Council Employees Accredited Training Program comprises four key components: on-

the-job training and development, accredited and non-accredited training and workplace coaching.

• Training began in May 2006 with a one week residential training block in Cairns.

Workplace visits conducted by Wal Meta regional officers also play an important part in the success of the project. Participants will achieve a Certificate III or IV in Local Government Administration by June 2007.

Workplace Health and Safety Training • This program is being implemented in a joint partnership with the Department of Industrial

Relations. The program will target all 34 Aboriginal shires and Island councils with training for councillors, chief executive officers and line managers. The 2 day training sessions will be delivered as follows: ⋅ Aboriginal Shire training will run from June 2006 to December 2006 ⋅ Island council training will commence in March 2007 and conclude in December 2007

2 Strategy – Business System Improvement

• Funding has been provided to 12 councils for new accounting systems and the associated

training of staff in the financial year 2005-2006.

• The Sound Organisational Leadership Information Disc CD was launched for use by administrative staff of the councils in Cairns in August 2005. This interactive virtual office CD was developed with the Open Learning Institute of TAFE. It outlines the roles and responsibilities of staff, policies and procedures, templates and standard forms.

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• Model policies (17) were developed to assist the councils with legislative responsibilities and provided to councils in September 2005.

3 Strategy - Performance and Accountability • Aboriginal shires and Island councils have been funded under CGIS to improve

performance and accountability and asset management, including the development of human resource policies and procedures manuals, staff development and training packages, and records management systems.

4 Strategy - Stakeholder Engagement • Between July 2005 and April 2006, Department officers made over 230 visits to

Aboriginal shires and Island councils to assist in a range of activities such as facilitating Queensland Audit Office visits, working with council chief executive officers on developing Performance Development Plans and advising mayors, councillors and chief executive officers on a variety of organisational and strategic issues.

• An Indigenous media production company, Bush TV, has been contracted by the Department to highlight positive aspects of the transition of Aboriginal councils to shire status and other achievements of both Aboriginal shires and Island councils.

• The Indigenous Community Volunteers (ICV) project commenced in October 2005, incorporating Departmental funding for engagement of an Indigenous Community Volunteers project officer to work with Aboriginal and Island councils and DLGPSR officers to identify and support councils’ ICV projects and to offer skills transfer activities for councillors and council staff. 16 councils have been visited with over 50 ICV proposals outlined with four (4) ICV council projects to date actioned.

• In May 2006 a protocol was signed between the Queensland Indigenous Working Group,

DLGPSR and the Department of Natural Resources, Mines and Water. CGIS funds to Queensland Indigenous Working Group assisted in the recent negotiations in resolving the land trust issues at Lockhart River and the Northern Peninsula Area relating to the development of infrastructure projects.

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Appendix 9 – Implementation details: - case management, shared responsibility, cross agency collaboration

Enhancement of CGIS case management model The current case management model will be adapted and extended to meet specific needs of individual councils. Through more effective planning, taking into account resources available across the three branches of Local Government Collaboration – Governance, Capacity Building and Partnerships, and Funding and Infrastructure - it will address capacity requirements identified by skills audits and performance indicators. It is proposed to have a dual focus: o strengthening the basics and instituting performance measures; with o underpinning actions to develop skills and capability in councils and communities. Case management approach Support will be provided to councils through ongoing mentoring by DLGPSR officers or contracted training providers to facilitate skills transfer opportunities for key council staff. Their role will include assisting councils to implement a number of identified activities. The officers will spend longer blocks of time in the communities with periodic reviews to determine the level of ongoing support required. Appendix 4 details enhanced CGIS activities.

Shared Responsibility The strategy will be underpinned by a negotiated, shared responsibility agreement (Performance Development Plan - PDP) between government and councils. To strengthen commitment by all agencies, including the Australian Government, components of this agreement will be actioned through the Negotiation Table process. Councils will be required to demonstrate commitment through the PDP (Appendix 5). Specifically, DLGPSR would seek certain guarantees from councils as follows: • full participation by councillors, CEO and staff in the capacity building activities of the

CGIS; • ensuring that a high standard of corporate governance and financial accountability is

paramount; • recruitment to key positions is completed promptly and staff performance is actively

managed by the CEO; • commitment to outsourcing or alternative models of service delivery where expertise is

not available within the community; and • frequent rigorous performance appraisals of the council’s progress. The CGIS and PDP process for Indigenous councils will work best with a genuine commitment by the councils and government to the process. Successful outcomes have not been achieved in the past where councils have been unsupportive of change or simply passive in the process.

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Cross-Agency Collaboration In addition to working with other Queensland Government partners, DLGPSR will work with Australian Government agencies to improve governance outcomes and the councils’ ability to engage appropriately with community members. State Government partners for implementing the CGIS include: • Department of Housing (review of housing policies, rental collections and debtor

management prior to the introduction of One Social Housing requirements from 1 July 2006);

• Department of Employment and Training (Wal Meta and other initiatives, e.g. cadetships);

• Department of Communities (Blueprint for the Bush; and particularly as co-chair for the Senior Officers Group for the 2005-2010 Bilateral Agreement).

Listed below are some examples of how improvements could be made to service delivery under the revised CGIS model.

1. The revised CGIS model will provide for a partnership between DLGPSR, the Department of Employment and Training and the TAFE to provide cadetships for young people in communities to provide skills and prepare them for working in councils and prepare them for a career in local government. This type of traineeship would allow people to work alongside skilled workers while gaining formal qualifications. The proposal also includes assessment of program participants to recognise formal skills and prior learning. 2. The revised CGIS model will provide in-situ training where required, with either DLGPSR staff or external training providers working alongside council staff in a mentoring role to transfer skills. While the Council Employee Accredited Training program currently relies on external block-training and occasional visits from Wal Meta Regional officers to the councils, the revised model will provide additional support such as longer stays in councils by DLGPSR officers and trainers.

3. Aboriginal Shires undertake a number of activities that are not core municipal services, such as the management of housing in the community. Under the revised model, better across-government coordination will assist councils with capability to manage these activities.

For example, as rental arrears are a recognised issue, DLGPSR officers will facilitate, in partnership with councils and the Department of Housing, an across-agency response to develop and implement specific rental arrears strategies.

Review of governance and service delivery A revised objective of the CGIS is that councils will be more sustainable through expanding opportunities for collaboration to improve services. The Auditor-General’s Report No. 3 2006 tabled in July 2006 also noted that Size, Shape and Sustainability (SSS)was as a potential policy instrument to provide Indigenous councils with the necessary economies of scale to address significant accountability issues within their administration. SSS or other

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local government reform initiatives will be investigated to improve governance and service delivery for Indigenous communities. A CGIS Aboriginal Shires Workshop is planned for May 2007, jointly hosted by DLGPSR and the Department of Communities. The workshop will bring together the Mayors and CEO’s from Aboriginal Shire Councils and the two Island Councils in the Northern Peninsula Area with government representatives and other key stakeholders to discuss the future implementation of CGIS. Collaborative service delivery and governance arrangements will be a key feature of the workshop. The workshop will provide an opportunity to work with council representatives to consider collaborative approaches to service delivery and governance that reflects the special needs and circumstances of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander local governments.

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