A comprehensive database of social and community services based in the Northern Rivers indicates some 3000 service providers it is estimated that about one half of these are services providers which operate under the States Incorporated Associations Act. In other words they are service providers which require a volunteer Management Committee to run their organisations under rules set by the Act.

Community based management or CBM, emerged as a significant issue for the Northern Rivers community sector in the 1990’s, when it was reported as having become so complex that it was barrier to provision of efficient service.

Perhaps the greatest challenge for the small to medium CBM service provider will be their ability to compete with larger organisations, both non-government and private as the NSW State Government brings in new competitive funding arrangements anticipated within the next few years.

The Evidence

Many non-government organisations now have:

1. reduced ability to plan for future directions within organisations, due to an emphasis on compliance issues. An inability to plan is a precursor to reducing emphasis on why the organisation is important to members in the first instance and may indicate decreasing or disconnected membership;
2. difficulty in implementing change due to a number of factors including levels of IT skills, prevalence of part-time managers and the increasing amount of time required to overhaul and/or update policies and procedures; undertaken mandatory training e.g. OHS; meet compliance measures within funding agreements;
3. fewer opportunities to network, so that opportunities to share resources and avoid service are reduced and opportunities to establish relationships of trust are limited;
4. increased vulnerability to crises – management/financial - (increased costs of public liability, heavy responsibilities for Mgt Committees and other HR/ Industrial issues) including lack of time or resources to pursue training needs required to keep up with in a challenging service delivery environment;
5. a sense of increasing disconnection between meeting client needs and meeting governance requirements.

"Recruitment of volunteer management committee members has been the issue most raised and a recent paper published on the internet confirms that recruitment of volunteers for all types of activities is decreasing in rural and regional areas." (Community Builders)

"Data that shows an inverse relationship between organizational size and time spent in administration compared to service delivery, with larger organisations benefiting from multiple funding sources and programs that enable them to devote more funding dollars to service delivery compared to administration." (SNOW)

Current & Proposed NRSDC Actions

Northern Rivers Social Development Council continues development of initiatives that provide management support functions at a regional level, e.g. organisational self-assessment, audit framework, IT etc. to further define areas of training need.

With funding, NRSDC is able to provide appropriate management support services to the regional NGO sector. The NGO sector has central monitoring of community based management issues and becomes increasingly informed about specific needs to remedy existing problems with CBM.

By funding Management Support Unit functions at a regional level, service providers have greater opportunity to participate in programs and products that are specific to and tailored to the needs of services in the region.

Sources

Community-Based management in DoCS Funded Services, Barbara Carol, 1999, NSW Department of Community Services, Far North Coast (for summary: Download JustNews 19 from our Publications/ Just News Section.

Community Based Management, unpublished issues paper, 2001 St Lawrence Consulting
SNOW Report, Bradfield and Nyland, 2004 (http://www.voiceforsong.com/ )
Communitybuilders (http://www.communitybuilders.nsw.gov.au/ )