Policy statement

DCJ engages service providers to deliver human services across a range of funded programs.

When pricing, procuring, contracting and funding these services, we apply standard practices across most of our programs to ensure that individuals, families and communities receive the services they need, the service system has ongoing capacity and capability, and there is accountability for how funding is used.

The standard practices are aspects of our broader approach to commissioning human services in NSW and include:

• how we price service delivery
• how we procure human services
• how we contract service providers
• how funds are to be used
• our payment process, and
• how we manage performance.

As a government sector finance agency under the Government Sector Finance Act 2018 (NSW) (GFS Act), DCJ has strict responsibilities in relation to the use of public funds. These include:

• promoting sound financial management, budgeting, performance, financial risk management, transparency and accountability in the government sector
• requiring the efficient, effective and economical use and management of government resources, including government money
• facilitating the keeping and sharing of performance information in the government sector for the purposes of decisions about resource allocation. 

In this way, DCJ seeks to ensure that

• contracted services are provided effectively and suitably for individuals, families, and communities in NSW
• NSW Government contracts provide value for money
• we prevent serious wrongdoing and misconduct
• we maintain public trust in the NSW Government and its administration.

To comply with the requirements of GSF Act, DCJ must exercise robust oversight over how service providers use government funding. To that end, we expect service providers to have sound governance structures in place, which includes keeping detailed records of all financial expenditure in relation to the contract with DCJ and making those available to DCJ when requested. Failing to comply with legal, policy and/or contractual requirements can result in a service provider being in breach of its contract with DCJ. Consequences of a breach may include termination.