DOCUMENT 1

NOIA

Graduate Program 2016

Written Activity

Administration instructions

Objectives

Candidates complete a one page written summary in response to a topic.

The written exercise is not assessing the candidates’ knowledge of current departmental policies and initiatives; assessment is against the following competencies:

• Shows Judgment, Intelligence and Common Sense • Listens to, understands and recognizes the value of individual differences and diversity • Commits to Action • Communication

Requirements

Time Allocated

• 5 minutes to introduce activity • 15 minutes of reading time • 25 minutes to write a one-page summary.

Total time = 45 minutes

Resources required

• Pen and paper for note-taking • Access to computer

Administration Instructions

Introducing the activity

Welcome the candidates and read the following instructions:

’Thank you for attending the assessment center today. This activity is a written activity. The activity will consist of two parts, the first part of the activity will be reading time, you will not be permitted to type during this time however feel free to use the pen and pad to take some notes. The second part of the activity will be typing time, you are free to type your response in this time.

You will have 15 minutes reading time, immediately followed by 25 minutes to write your one page summary.’

Distribute the relevant written activity to each candidate. Inform the candidates:

‘You now have 15 minutes to read your materials and consider the approach that you might toke to respond to the question. Please note that we are not assessing your knowledge of current departmental policies and initiatives, but your ability to present information in a logical sequence and make coherent recommendations, as well as your ability to demonstrate analytical/critical thinking.’

After 15 minutes, inform the candidates:

‘You have 25 minutes to complete your response’

After 20 minutes, provide a time warning to the group:

‘You have five minutes remaining’

After 5 minutes, end the activity.

‘Please stop typing, this activity is now finished. Thank you for your participation’.

Allow candidates to proceed to the next point in their schedule.
Assess the response using rating guides provided.

Activity Evaluation

Rating Guidelines

WHEN RATING THE RESPONSES, ENSURE THAT EACH BEHAVIOUR IS AFFORDED A RATING ACCORDING TO THE FOLLOWING GUIDELINES:

To assess the candidate’s performance, you should look for evidence of the candidate having demonstrated the key behaviours that are listed under each competency. Use symbols in the ‘Evidence’ columns to indicate the strength of the evidence as described below:

• If there is some evidence of the behavior in question, rate the behavior with a single tick. • Mark 2 ticks if the behaviour is strongly demonstrated. • Mark a horizontal line if unsure of whether behaviours have been demonstrated. • Mark an ‘ND’ if behaviours have not been demonstrated. • Mark a cross if there is a negative evidence of behavior demonstrated.

A negative example of behavior indicates the opposite, or behavior, which cancels out any positives. Remember to attach notes to support the ratings you have given. In particular, strong examples of behavior (two ticks) or negative examples of behavior (a cross) should always be explained with a brief note. This is so that if feedback is to be given to the candidates, it should be clear from your notes that what was done and why they received a particular rating.

N/E	1	2	3	4	5
No evidence for this area obtained	Poor Very low level of competency, no demonstration of most behaviours/ negative behaviours strongly evident.	Marginal Few behaviours demonstrated. Several behaviours not demonstrated. Some negatives. Development needed	Moderate Some evidence of most behaviours provided. Some not sure oro not demonstrated. No strong negative indicators.	Good Strong evidence of most behaviours. No negative behaviours	Excellent All behaviours demonstrated strongly. Hard to see how could do any better.

The written exercise is not assessing the candidates’ knowledge of current departmental policies and initiatives so do not assess candidates on how consistent their responses are with current policies and initiatives. Instead assess their responses in terms of how well they demonstrate behaviours consistent with the target competencies, as detailed on the following pages.

Assessment Centre - Written Activity

Background

For this activity you are to assume the role of a graduate officer within the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) located in the new program expansion zone of Logan city in Southern Queensland. As part of the continuing expansion of services across the nation an opportunity has arisen to fund a trial initiative aimed at increasing individual ownership and engagement with disability services. You are working in one of the newly established areas receiving NDIS support and your area has been singled out as the test case for this new initiative.

As part of the NDIS mandate for greater community involvement in the delivery of services, a Request for Submission was put out three months ago requesting interested community groups to put forward innovative solutions for service delivery. Out of over 60 submissions, two have progressed to the final stage of approval.

Your supervisor has requested that you review the two proposed projects and select the most appropriate for immediate funding and implementation in your region. Your supervisor has suggested that you weigh the various benefits of each proposal in light of the 3 main Strategic Goals of the NDIS initiative of:

(1) People with a disability are in control and have choices, based on the UN Convention on Rights of Persons with disabilities

(2) The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is financially sustainable and governed using insurance principles

(3) The community has ownership, confidence and pride in the National Disability Insurance Scheme and the National Disability Insurance Agency.

In particular, you should focus on how each particular project will meet these started goals and contribute to the stated outcomes and success indicators of the respective goal (see attached strategic plan 2012-2015 document for details).

For this activity you can assume that the difference in cost and project implementation times is negligible for both solutions.

The Activity

Your task is to review the two projects and provide a recommendation for which should receive the first government grant, note: only one project can be put forward as the preferred option. You should base your recommendation on the relative merits of the projects and the achievement of maximum benefit to the community based on your analysis of key statistics compiled on the community and alignment with the goals of the NDIS.

As Logan City is being used as a test case, there is considerable political, media and public interest in the success or otherwise of the strategy, hence it is vital that the initial grant be given to the project that will demonstrate that greatest immediate positive impact to the community.

To assist in your reasoning and decision making you have been provided with an outline of the NDIS Strategic Plan Goals as wel as some key metrics about Logan City, in addition to briefs on the proposed intervention programs.

Program 1

In-House Culturally Sensitive Services – Part of the Closing the Gap Initiative

Metropolitan and Regional agencies providing services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders with disability have developed a new tool to help new indigenous communities transition to the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).

Australia’s Closing the Gap Initiative focusses on working with Indigenous people and communities to identify ways to deliver culturally appropriate services through the new scheme. A corner stone of this scheme is the In-House Culturally Sensitive Services (ICSS) team.

The goals of the ICSS are to:

• Ensure that members of the indigenous community with a disability have access to top line services • Ensure cultural appropriateness in services offered to Indigenous people • Develop methods to encourage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to participate more strongly in the NDIS roll out, and • Fundamentally close the gap in services currently existing, with regard to barriers to indigenous access.

Typically, social marginalisation, cultural attitude and culturally inappropriate services are significant barriers for Indigenous people with disability when accessing support services.

Moreover, Indigenous Australians experience close to double the rate of disability compared to the non-Indigenous community.

It is the goal of the ICSS to substantially close this gap and provide a significant improvement in the living standards of indigenous community members with a disability. The ICSS will make a difference by engaging and working in partnership with Indigenous people and communities, building their ideas, strengths and leadership, to find practical and sustainable solutions to long-standing problems. Indigenous people with disability, their families and carers are able to have their say in the strategies used by the ICSS to assist in the transition to the NDIS.

Program 2

My money – my way

A new financial toolkit is helping people with disability find the best way to manage their National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) funding package.

The NDIS gives people with disability greater freedom, choice and control, including where and how to spend their support package. To truly deliver this in an innovative and effective way the My Money - My Way application has been developed to provide eligible participants with the opportunity to take a greater role in the management of their support services.

The My Money - My Way application offers a simple explanation of money management and helps people pick the most suitable outcomes for their individual needs. Under the Self-Manage model, eligible recipients receive their full funding and can spend the money on approved NDIS support as required. The key benefits of the My Money- My Way application are:

• Flexibility of providers – individuals are empowered to exercise choice over their providers leading to greater alignment with personal circumstances and ultimately better health outcomes. • Engagement of users in the process - The self-managed model has a proven history of strongly engaging participants in the management of their own health and outcomes. This empowerment can create substantial health and functioning gains in individuals through better alignment to personal goals and circumstances. • Improved delivery of services - the self-managed model in addition to the greater choice of providers will lead to an overall improvement in the quality of services provided through free-market effects. Providers will be required to tailor their services better to individual needs, achieving greater alignment to individual health plans and goals. • Education in money management - real life skills development is a cornerstone of the NDIS model. The My Money - My Way application provides one of the crucial first steps in achieving greater independence for many individuals with a disability in our community. • Ownership of the process - We believe that through creating an environment of greater ownership, individual functional outcomes will be greatly enhanced. Outcomes will be positively influenced by increased commitment to outcomes facilitated by the more active role participants will play in the process.

Logan City - Key Metrics and Demographics

Table 1: Population of Logan City

2014 census	305,110

Table 2: Current NDIS participants in Logan City

2015 data	4,392

Table 3: Logan City basic Demographics

Estimated Resident Population 2014	Under 5 years	Over 65 years	Median age	Speaks another language	Indigenous	Median household income (Weekly)
Logan City	305,110	25,019	28,985	33	39,054	8,543

Table 4: Logan City current NDIS Participants with approved plans by primary disability

	Percentage of population
Intellectual Disability	31%
Autism	21%
Neurological	13%
Developmental Delay	7%
Psychiatric	14%
Sensory	4%
Cerebral Palsy	4%
Global Developmental Delay	3%
Other Physical	3%