March 2024: How investing in human services improves outcomes and makes economic sense: the NSW Investment Approach and Forecasting Future Outcomes model

Webinar

Missed the live webinar? A captioned recording is available to view now.

Details

The Department of Communities and Justice is working with government and non-government partners on the Investment Approach for human services in NSW. The goal is to improve outcomes for children and families in need across NSW. An Investment Approach uses data to understand the needs of children and families who receive human services as well as their outcomes. This approach relies on modelling and analysis, to help improve decision making and identifies groups that are more likely to have poorer life outcomes. Evidence-based programs that bring about meaningful improvements in people’s lives make economic sense because they help to reduce the need for services in future. In this way, funding can be prioritised to produce the greatest impact.

In this FACSIAR Lunch and Learn Webinar, speakers from the Investment Modelling team in FACSIAR presented the main component of the NSW Investment Approach - the Forecasting Future Outcomes model. This model uses service usage and life outcomes information from multiple NSW and Commonwealth government agencies as well as evaluation results to:

• better understand what services people receive
• understand the factors that affect people’s use of human services
• project service use into the future
• build evidence of what works to improve outcomes and reduce costs.

This webinar was chaired by Jessica Stewart (Executive Director, FACSIAR).

Presentation materials

How investing in human services improves outcomes and makes economic sense: the NSW Investment Approach and Forecasting Future Outcomes model

Alexander Cockburn – Manager Investment Modelling, FACSIAR, DCJ

Hannah Kenyon – Senior Investment Modelling Analyst, FACSIAR, DCJ

Ramanan Sornarajah – Investment Modelling Analyst, FACSIAR, DCJ

Download slides (PDF, 3.6 MB)

Additional resources

Forecasting Future Outcomes

• 2022 Report
• 2018 Report

Investment Approach for Human Services in NSW

The Department of Communities and Justice is working with government and non-government partners on an investment approach for human services. The goal is to improve outcomes for children and families in need across NSW. Learn more about the Investment Approach for Human Services in NSW.

Human Services Dataset (HSDS)

Learn more about the Human Services Dataset (HSDS).

Contact: ResearchPartnerships@facs.nsw.gov.au