Section 3 - Selection Criteria and Selection Process
Following the application Closing Date, the Department will conduct an assessment of all applications.
To enable a comprehensive and accurate assessment of applications against the Selection Criteria, applicants must provide the information required in the format, and to the extent specified in the Application Guidelines and Application Form.
Current service providers will still need to respond fully to the Selection Criteria in the Application Form and provide the information required in the format, and to the extent specified in the Application Guidelines and Application Form.
The Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA) will assess applicants for funding primarily on the basis of the information provided in the Application Form. FaHCSIA may use information about an applicant that is, or becomes known to FaHCSIA in the course of FaHCSIA's business, as well as any publicly available information.
Decisions on the parameters and methodology for assessment of applications will be final.
3.1 Principle
The overriding principle guiding the Selection Process is value in social service delivery to the Australian Government (See glossary). The Department has funding principles in place to guide Selection Processes. The selection process will be conducted in accordance with these principles.
3.2 Process
The process will be an open competitive selection process.
3.3 Selection Criteria
The following selection criteria will be applied in each application:
- Demonstrate your ability to provide family focussed early intervention services addressing youth homelessness.
- Demonstrate your capacity to achieve sustainable outcomes for young people and their families within the Reconnect Operational Guidelines.
- Identify your strategies to work collaboratively with other agencies to provide culturally appropriate services for young people and their families.
3.4 Stages in the Assessment Process
Assessments will be undertaken by the Department in accordance with an Application Assessment Plan. The assessment will be conducted in accordance with the following stages.
- Stage 1 - Receipt and registration of applications (Id), initial screening for compliance;
- Stage 2 - Assessment of applications against the Selection Criteria;
- Stage 3 - Financial Viability Assessment;
- Stage 4 - Selection of Preferred Applicant/s; and
- Stage 5 - Negotiation/Offer of Funding Agreements.
Stage 1 - Receipt and Registration of Applications, Initial Screening for Compliance
Following the receipt and registration of applications, there will be an initial screening of applications to ensure:
- Eligibility of organisations;
- Applicants comply with the terms and conditions detailed in the Application Guidelines and Application Form; and
- Complete information has been provided in the Application Form to enable a fully informed assessment to be made.
Stage 2 - Assessment of funding proposals against selection criteria
An Assessment Team will undertake assessment of applications and will consider the applicant's response to each Selection Criterion against a 6-point (0 to 5) scale (see Table below).
The Assessment Team will assess applications primarily on the information provided in the Application Form.
| Rating | Score |
|---|---|
| Excellent quality - excellent claims against the criterion, exceeds expectations, supporting information confirms consistent superior performance | 5 |
| Very good quality - very good claims against the criterion, meets all expectations to a high standard with complete and comprehensive supporting information | 4 |
| Good quality - good claims against the criterion, meets all expectations with convincing supporting information | 3 |
| Satisfactory quality - adequate claims against the criterion, mostly meets expectations, but may be lacking detail and/or supporting information | 2 |
| Marginal or poor quality - poor claims against the criterion, does not meet expectations, has deficient supporting information | 1 |
| Does not meet criterion at all | 0 |
Stage 3 - Financial Viability Assessments
Applications will be subject to Financial Viability Assessments.
Note: The Department may not fund applicants that are assessed as high-risk in terms of Financial Viability.
Information required from applicants for the Financial Viability Assessment is gathered via the information requested in Section 4 of the Application Form, and Addressing Selection Criterion 5 (Information on Financial Viability). If your Service is part of a larger organisation or has a parent company, then these organisations must also provide the information requested in Section 4 of the Application Form.
Stage 4 - Selection of Successful Applicants
Following assessment against the Selection Criteria, and consideration of the Financial Viability Assessment, assessors will rank applications that have been successful from stages two and three in an Assessment Report.
Selection of Successful Applicants: The Department's decision relating to the selection process methodology, Successful Applicants and Selection Process outcomes will be will be finalised when the Minister or her Delegate indicate their acceptance of the final list of successful applicants.
Stage 5 - Entering into Funding Agreements
Successful applicants will be invited to enter into Funding Agreements with the Department. The Funding Agreement will contain the entire agreement between the parties. There is no binding agreement on any parties until the Funding Agreement is agreed to and signed by the Delegate and the applicant's Authorised Representative.
Unsuccessful applicants will be offered feedback (debrief) on their application.
Any or none of the applications under this selection process may be accepted.