Increasing Innovation and Flexibility (2011-2015)

This project explored how tax-funded social services are delivered by non-government agencies in Australia.

As part of the project, investigators developed a new model of the way regulation and innovation interact in public-private partnerships within social policy, including how such partnerships create ‘mission drift’ for both the policy programs and the agencies contracted to deliver social services.

By comparing the Australian case with other welfare systems using similar policy instruments and delivery mechanisms, this project has assisted agencies and government regulators to better understand how service delivery innovation can be achieved without excessive gaming and opportunism by private agencies or the loss of their distinctive missions.

Publications associated with this project

Industry reports

• Considine, M., O’Sullivan, S., Nguyen, P. and Toso, F. (2013), Increasing Innovation and Flexibility in Social Service Delivery: A Comparison of the Australian and UK 2012 Frontline Employment Services Survey Results, The University of Melbourne
• Considine, M., O’Sullivan, S., Nguyen, P. and Toso, F. (2013), Increasing Innovation and Flexibility in Social Service Delivery: UK Report back to Industry Partners, The University of Melbourne
• Considine, M., O’Sullivan, S., Nguyen, P. and Toso, F. (2013), Increasing Innovation and Flexibility in Social Service Delivery: Australian Report back to Industry Partners (1.2Mb pdf), The University of Melbourne

Academic publications

• Considine, M., O’Sullivan, S. and Nguyen, P. (2014), “New public management and welfare-to-work in Australia: Comparing the reform agendas of the ALP and the Coalition,” in Australian Journal of Political Science, 49(3), pp. 469-485
• Considine, M., O’Sullivan, S. and Nguyen, P. (2014), “Mission-drift? The Third Sector and the pressure to be business-like: Evidence from Job Services Australia,” in Third Sector Review, 20(1), pp. 87-107
• Considine, M., O’Sullivan, S. and Nguyen, P. (2014), “Governance, Boards of Directors and the Impact of Contracting on Not-for-profit (NFP) Organisations: an Australian study,” in Social Policy and Administration, 48 (2), pp. 169-187
• Considine, M. and O’Sullivan, S. (2014), “Introduction: Markets and the New Welfare - Buying and Selling the Poor,” in Social Policy and Administration, 48 (2), pp. 119-126
• Considine, M. and O’Sullivan, S. (2012), “Les réformes de l’activation des aides aux chômeurs en Australie” (The Reform of Active Labour Market Policy in Australia), in Informations Sociales
• Considine, M. and Lewis, J.M. (2012) “Networks and interactivity: making sense of front line governance in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Australia,” in Public Management Review, 14(1), pp. 1-22