Elements and Performance Criteria

Government includes:
Federal
State
Local

Co-operative working arrangements may include, but are not limited to:
Regular liaison with government on a range of contractual issues
Co-operative resolution of any issues relating to contract
Attendance at meetings of providers arranged by government purchaser and/or Centrelink
Involvement in and contribution to surveys and studies arranged by government

Contracts include:
Contracts to deliver employment services entered into with government

Contractual requirements include, but are not limited to:
Types of contracted services/business streams
Service delivery methods
Standards for documentation/record keeping and for management of information
Performance requirements (quantitative and qualitative), performance milestones
Performance analysis methods, including audit processes
Legislation relevant to delivery of employment services
Codes of Conduct/Practice
Duty of Care provisions
Conflicts of interest
Fees, payment processes and schedules; payable and non payable outcomes
Fraud prevention measures
Contract dispute processes
Penalties and implications of non-compliance with contractual requirements

Key business performance requirements may include, but are not limited to:
Any key performance indicators (KPIs) contained in a contract that may relate to specific contacted services; specific client groups and/ or may relate to quality of service delivery
Percentages/numbers of outcomes achieved against contracted number of outcomes as at contract milestone dates
Percentages/numbers of outcomes achieved for particular client groups (e.g. people unemployed for extended periods or those facing particular barriers)
Percentages/numbers of outcomes where employment is sustained for a certain period

Mechanisms to measure achievement of targets can include, but are not limited to:
Records and reports of work achievements against performance standards and measures
Internal audit processes
Regularly scheduled statistical monitoring of performance using organisational information systems
Random checking of files and other documentation, both hard copy and electronic

Action to resolve performance related issues can include, but is not limited to:
Strategies in accordance with business and performance improvement plans
Quality and continuous improvement processes of the organisation
Skill and knowledge development of individuals and groups
Process improvement strategies
Reallocation of resources
Clarification of roles and performance expectations relating to individuals and groups
Team effectiveness improvement measures
Communication improvement strategies

Legislation relates to, but is not limited to:
Privacy Act
Trade Practices Act
Social Security Act
Disability Services Act
Employment Agents Act
Federal legislation that addresses discrimination, e.g. Disability Discrimination Act, Race Discrimination Act, Sex Discrimination Act
State legislation relating to Anti-Discrimination
Financial Management and Accountability Act
Crimes Act
Corporations law
Archives Act
Freedom of Information
Workplace Relations Act
Human Rights and Equal Opportunity
Occupational Health and Safety

Key stakeholders are organisations and individuals, who may include, but are not limited to:
People in receipt of employment services (clients and employers)
Organisations providing services under a government contract
Federal, State and Local government departments and agencies
Area Consultative Committees
Community organisations
Enterprise and Career Education Foundation (ECEF)
Jobs Pathways providers
Boards of Management
Peak bodies
Industry associations
Employee associations

Service standards may relate to, but are not limited to:
Customer service standards referring to key interaction points
Documentation standards
Data input
Records management
Complaint handling
Confidentiality
Standards may be written or oral

Client and employer satisfaction surveys can relate to, but are not limited to:
Formal or informal surveys
Those conducted by own organisation or by external experts
Written or verbal surveys

Organisational standards for ethical behaviour may relate to, but are not limited to:
Standards that are written or oral, stated or implied by the way the organisation conducts its business
Avoidance of conflicts of interest
Confidentiality of information
Professional relationships

Reports on contractual compliance can relate to, but are not limited to:
Reports on incidents and resultant action following complaints made direct to government purchaser
Reports to organisation on potential and real incidences of non compliance, with details of follow up action taken and results

Critical aspects of assessment must include:
Demonstrates an understanding of the needs of government stakeholders and can identify strategies to establish and maintain co-operative working relationships
Demonstrates an understanding of the relevance of key contractual business performance and service quality requirements to own role and responsibilities, and those of the work group
Compliance with these contract requirements is managed via a range of appropriate methods, including the development of service standards, and regularly obtaining stakeholder feedback
Plans, processes, and work practices are adjusted to improve performance against key contractual requirements
Is able to resolve complaints and issues to the satisfaction of stakeholders, including dealing with challenging behaviours

Essential knowledge required includes:
Contractual requirements
Codes of Conduct/Practice
Organisational policies and procedures pertaining to contract compliance
Relevant legislation
The principles of anti-discrimination, duty of care, ethical behaviour, natural justice
Implications for organisation and self of non-compliance with contractual requirements
Performance monitoring and quality assurance processes and benchmarking
Risk assessment and management

Essential skills required include:
Skills to access contractual documentation and relevant organisational policies and procedures
Oral communication skills (language competence) required to communicate plans, goals and ideas to work group and management; to liaise with stakeholders on a wide range of contractual matters; to negotiate, to be assertive, to provide and elicit information; to deal with complaints and issues and to report on potential and actual instances of non compliance
Written communication skills (literacy competence) ranging from reading and understanding contracts and organisational policies and procedures to preparing plans, reports on business performance and contractual compliance, correspondence, and business documents.
Numeracy skills to use and understand spreadsheets calculate targets and monitor performance
Interpersonal skills required include working with others, dealing with challenging behaviours and resistance, displaying empathy with clients and an ability to relate to persons from diverse backgrounds and with a wide range of barriers to employment.
Negotiation skills and dispute resolution
Problem solving skills required include an ability to use available resources, analyse information and make decisions to improve service delivery that reflect an understanding of contractual requirements
Planning skills to ensure service delivery arrangements meet contractual requirements, to allocate resources effectively and to monitor achievement of plans
Technology skills to use business equipment and software

Resource implications:
Access to appropriate workplace where assessment can be conducted or simulation of realistic workplace setting for assessment
Access to equipment and resources normally used in the workplace

Method of assessment:
Observations
Questioning
Project
Written assignment
Evidence gathered from the workplace environment
Demonstration over a period of time to ensure consistency of performance

Context of assessment:
Evidence must include observation of performance in the work environment or in a simulated work setting.