Review of the National Disability Agreement

I, Scott Morrison, Treasurer, pursuant to Parts 2 and 4 of the Productivity Commission Act 1998, hereby request that the Productivity Commission undertake a review into the National Disability Agreement (NDA).

Background

The NDA is a high-level agreement between the Commonwealth and state and territory governments relating to the provision of disability services for people with disability. It is a key accountability mechanism for the achievement of outcomes in the disability services sector, supported by Commonwealth and state own source funding provided separate to the agreement.

It contains roles and responsibilities for each level of government and joins these efforts together through nationally agreed objectives and outcomes to measure performance in the delivery of services to people with disability, their families and carers.

Scope

The intent of this review is to consider:

• the relevance of the objectives, outcomes and outputs of the NDA in the context of contemporary policy settings
• progress against the performance framework of the NDA and the extent to which it has supported improved outcomes for people with disability, their families and carers including performance benchmarks and indicators, and associated timeframes and reporting responsibilities
• the roles and responsibilities of the Commonwealth, and state and territory governments under the NDA
• whether the NDA needs updating in light of these considerations, to reflect the changing policy landscape, including the introduction of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) and the National Disability Strategy (NDS).

In undertaking this review, the Commission should have regard to:

• Current reform priorities including:
  • the NDIS rollout including the progressive transition of disability services to full-scheme arrangements (noting that not all jurisdictions are at the same point in transition)
  • implementation of the NDS.
• The interface between the NDIS and mainstream service systems, noting that many people who are unable to directly access the NDIS may access support through alternative service providers, mainstream services, and their communities.
• Responsibility for ensuring that people with disability have access to government services, provided by the Commonwealth and state and territory governments, together with development of agreed performance measures.

Process

The Commission is to consult broadly, including with people with disability, their families and carers, other stakeholders and the Commonwealth and state and territory governments, and report within eight months of receipt of the terms of reference.

The Hon Scott Morrison MP
Treasurer

[Received 25 May 2018]