Identifying Sectors for Reform
Issues paper
Released 16 / 06 / 2016
This paper assists participants in preparing a submission to the public inquiry into Human Services. It outlines a range of issues about which the Commission seeks information.
Submissions were due by 25 July 2016.
Download the issues paper
- Media release
Placing users at the heart of service delivery
The Productivity Commission today released more information about its inquiry into Human Services.
The inquiry follows the Harper Competition Policy Review recommendation that the human services sector be assessed to see where there would be opportunity to apply competition principles.
The inquiry is being conducted in stages. The first stage will look to identify which human services will respond best to users being offered more choice over the services they need. In the second stage, market design and incentive structures relevant to each prospective service will then be proposed.
"There is no one-size-fits-all solution to improving human services. Solutions will almost certainly differ and for some services competition principles may even prove to be ineffective. All this needs to be tested." the Chairman of the Commission Peter Harris said.
"One of the clearest benefits of increasing the choice of service providers vying to attract users is a tendency to focus more on the needs of each individual."
Mindful that human services, like health, education, job services, social housing and aged care are extremely complex, the Commission is taking a staged approach to finding ways that competition and user choice can improve outcomes, both for users of services and the broader community.
"Reforms will have the greatest benefits where it is possible for users to have genuine choice or where user-oriented information can be drawn on to improve service delivery".
"Where there are millions of services provided each year, even small improvements can have a profound effect on standard of living and quality of life," he added.
The Productivity Commission issues paper provides guidance about the type of information it is looking for to help it undertake the first stage.
The Commission has previously delivered several well-regarded reports in the social services sector including Caring for Older Australians, Disability Care and Support, and Childcare and Early Childhood Education.
The deadline for submissions is 25 July 2016.
Information on how to make a submission, which can be a short comment submitted online, can be found at www.pc.gov.au/inquiries/current/human-services/identifying-reform.