faq: request for tender for parentsnext 2018–2021 · web viewot maps by employment region have...

Frequently Asked Questions

Request for Tender

for

ParentsNext 2018–2021

Employment Services Purchasing

12 December 2017

Commonwealth of Australia 2017This work is copyright. You may download, display, print and reproduce this material in unaltered form only (retaining this Notice) for your personal, non-commercial use or use within your organisation. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, all other rights are reserved.

Document HistoryDate Comments

13 November 2017 Initial Release

15 November 2017 Added FAQs—5.11 and 8.13

17 November 2017 Added FAQs—5.12, 8.14, 8.15 and 8.16

21 November 2017 Added FAQs—2.8, 2.9, 4.5, 5.13, 5.14, 5.15 and 8.17

21 November 2017 Updates to FAQs—7.6, 9.3, 9.4 and 10.1

29 November 2017 Updates to FAQs—2.9 and 5.12

29 November 2017 Added FAQs—2.10, 2.11, 2.12, 2.13, 2.14, 4.6, 4.7, 6.5, 6.6, 6.7, 6.8, 6.9, 8.18, 8.19, 8.20, 8.21, 8.22, 8.23, 8.24 and 9.9

5 December 2017Added FAQs—2.15, 2.16, 2.17, 2.18, 2.19, 2.20, 2.21, 2.22, 2.23, 2.24, 2.25, 3.4, 4.8, 4.9, 4.10, 5.16, 5.17, 5.18, 5.19, 5.20, 5.21, 5.22, 5.23, 5.24, 5.25, 6.10, 6.11, 7.9, 8.25, 8.26, 8.27, 8.28, 8.29, 8.30, 8.31, 9.10, 9.11, 9.12, 10.4

8 December 2017 Added FAQs—2.26, 2.27, 2.28, 2.29, 2.30, 2.31, 2.32, 2.33, 2.34, 5.26, 5.27, 5.28, 6.12, 7.10, 8.32, 8.33, 8.34, 8.35, 8.36, 8.37, 8.38, 9.13, 11.6 and 11.7

8 December 2017 Added duplicates of FAQs from Section 4—11.1, 11.2, 11.3, 11.4 and 11.5

11 December 2017 Added FAQs—2.35, 4.11, 5.29, 6.13, 6.14, 6.15, 6.16, 7.11, 8.39, 9.14, 11.8, 11.9 and 11.10

12 December 2017 Added FAQs—7.12 and 7.13

Frequently Asked Questions—Request for Tender for ParentsNext 2018–2021 ii

Contact DetailsThe Employment Services Purchasing Hotline ([email protected]) (the Hotline) is the primary means of contact during the Request for Tender for ParentsNext 2018–2021 process.

Questions and requests for clarification about this process can be provided by:

Phone: 1300 733 514, the Employment Services Purchasing Hotline (Monday to Friday, 9.00 am to 5.00 pm Canberra time, excluding ACT and national public holidays)

Email: Employment Services Purchasing Hotline ([email protected]).

Requests for Information or Clarification

All requests for information or clarification must be submitted to the Hotline before 5.00 pm (Canberra time) on 15 December 2017. There will be no obligation on the Department to answer questions received after this time.

Please note that any answer to a question or request for clarification about this process that is not available publicly will need to be submitted by email.

The Department will determine what, if any, response should be given to a Respondent’s question or request for clarification and may publish responses on the Employment Services Purchasing Information website (www.employment.gov.au/purchasing).

Responses will be published without disclosing the source of the questions or revealing any confidential information of a Respondent.

Frequently Asked Questions—Request for Tender for ParentsNext 2018–2021 iii

http://www.employment.gov.au/employment-services-procurement-information

mailto:[email protected]


Table of Contents1. ParentsNext 2018–2021.................................................................................................................4

2. Participant Eligibility and Referrals.................................................................................................5

3. Locations.......................................................................................................................................14

4. Quality and Performance..............................................................................................................15

5. Provider Payments........................................................................................................................18

6. Eligibility to Apply.........................................................................................................................26

7. General Questions........................................................................................................................31

8. Responding...................................................................................................................................35

9. Evaluation Process........................................................................................................................46

10. Timing...........................................................................................................................................50

11. IT Requirements............................................................................................................................52

Frequently Asked Questions—Request for Tender for ParentsNext 2018–2021 iv

1.ParentsNext 2018–20211.1 What is ParentsNext? [Added 13 November 2017]

ParentsNext is a pre-employment program that aims to help parents with young children to plan and prepare for employment once their youngest child reaches school age. It has been operating in ten locations across Australia since April 2016. It has engaged thousands of parents and had a positive impact on their lives and those of their young children.

Reference: RFT Section 2.1—Introduction

1.2 What are the objectives of ParentsNext? [Added 13 November 2017]

The objectives of ParentsNext are to: target early intervention assistance to parents at risk of long-term welfare dependency help parents identify and reach their education and employment goals through participation

in activities, and connect parents to local services that can help them to prepare for employment.

Reference: RFT Section 2.2—Why the need for ParentsNext?

1.3 How does ParentsNext 2018-2021 differ from the current ParentsNext program? [Added 13 November 2017]

ParentsNext is expanding to provide national coverage in all non-remote regions of Australia. While the program objectives will remain the same, it will be delivered in two streams, an Intensive Stream and a Targeted Stream. The Intensive Stream will operate in 30 locations identified as having a high level of disadvantage and/or a high proportion of Indigenous parents. The Targeted Stream will operate in all non-remote regions excluding any Intensive Stream locations in those non-remote regions.

The Intensive Stream includes the same services as the current program as well as access to employment-focussed support and incentives including a Participation Fund, Outcome Fees, Wage Subsidies and Relocation Assistance to Take Up a Job. The Targeted Stream is similar to the current program with some changes to eligibility.

Requirements to deliver ParentsNext 2018–2021 are set out in the draft ParentsNext 2018–2021 Deed, which is expected to be published on the Employment Services Purchasing Information website (http://www.employment.gov.au/purchasing) on 20 November 2017.

Reference: RFT Chapter 2—About ParentsNext

1.4 When will ParentsNext commence? [Added 13 November 2017]

ParentsNext will commence in all non-remote regions of Australia from the beginning of July 2018.

Reference: RFT Section 2.1—Introduction

Frequently Asked Questions—Request for Tender for ParentsNext 2018–2021

http://www.employment.gov.au/purchasing


2.Participant Eligibility and Referrals2.1 Who is eligible to participate in ParentsNext 2018–2021? [Added 13 November 2017]

ParentsNext 2018–2021 will assist Parenting Payment recipients with a youngest child aged under six years who have not been employed for the past six months. The eligibility criteria for ParentsNext vary between the Intensive and Targeted Streams.

Reference: RFT Section 2.5—Eligible Parents

2.2 What are the eligibility criteria for Compulsory Participants? [Added 13 November 2017]

Parents will be required to participate in ParentsNext as a Compulsory Participant if they meet all of the following base eligibility criteria:

have a child aged under six years have been continuously receiving Parenting Payment for at least six months have no reported earnings from employment in this six month period, and meet one of the following additional Stream eligibility criteria:

Intensive Stream Targeted Stream

For those residing in an Intensive Stream Location, one of the following:o an Early School Leaver with a youngest child

at least six months of ageo assessed as being highly disadvantaged and

has a youngest child at least six months of age, or

o has a youngest child at least five years of age.

For those residing in a Targeted Stream Location, one of the following:o an Early School Leaver with a youngest child at

least one year of ageo assessed as being highly disadvantaged and

has a youngest child at least three years of age, or

o has a youngest child at least five years of age and is part of a jobless family 1.

1 a jobless family is defined as the parent (for parenting payment single recipients) or the parent and their partner (for parenting payment partnered recipients) with no reported employment earnings in the previous six months.

Reference: RFT Section 2.5.1—Compulsory Participants

2.3 How will Compulsory Participants be referred to ParentsNext 2018–2021? [Added 13 November 2017]

Compulsory Participants will be referred to a ParentsNext Provider by the Department of Human Services (Centrelink). Providers will be required to accept all referrals from the Department of Human Services and ensure sufficient appointments are available in the online diary system in the Department’s IT Systems.

Compulsory Participants in the current ParentsNext program as at 30 June 2018 will continue in ParentsNext as Compulsory Participants.



2.4 Are Volunteers able to participate in ParentsNext 2018–2021? [Added 13 November 2017]

Parents will be eligible to participate in the Intensive Stream of ParentsNext as a Volunteer if they are in receipt of Parenting Payment, have a child aged under six years and reside in an Intensive Stream Location.

There will be no Volunteers in the Targeted Stream of ParentsNext.

Volunteers can be referred by the Department of Human Services (Centrelink) or directly registered by a ParentsNext Provider. A Provider will need to check that a parent meets the ParentsNext eligibility criteria before directly registering them as a Volunteer.

Volunteers in the current ParentsNext program will be exited if they are not receiving Parenting Payment as at 30 June 2018.

Reference: RFT Section 2.5.2—Volunteers

2.5 What happens if a Participant moves from a Targeted Stream Location to an Intensive Stream Location and vice versa? [Added 13 November 2017]

If a Participant relocates, the Department of Human Services will automatically reassess a Participant’s eligibility when the Participant informs them of their new address. This may result in a referral to a ParentsNext Provider in the Participant’s new location or a Participant being informed that they are no longer able to participate in ParentsNext.

Reference: RFT Section 2.12.6—Movement between Streams

2.6 Will ParentsNext Providers have a caseload from Day 1? [Added 13 November 2017]

Details on expected Day 1 caseloads will be provided to successful Respondents prior to 1 July 2018.

Reference: RFT Section 2.6.2—Start-up Caseload

2.7 Will there be a transition phase for current providers? [Added 13 November 2017]

The current ParentsNext program will cease on 30 June 2018. The Department will provide advice on the transition period to current ParentsNext providers and participants in the lead up to 1 July 2018.

2.8 How many Participants are commenced in the current ParentsNext program? [Added 20 November 2017]

As at the end of October 2017, there were approximately 13,600 Participants on the ParentsNext caseload. This comprises Participants who are commenced, suspended (exempt) or pending.


2.9 Of the current ParentsNext caseload, what is the average proportion that is exempt from participation requirements (i.e. suspended) at any point in time? [Added 20 November 2017]

Approximately 20 per cent of the current ParentsNext caseload is exempt from participation requirements. The Suspension rate for the 10 Local Government Areas range from 12 per cent to 36 per cent. Exemption periods are granted for the duration appropriate to the exemption reason, up to a maximum period. Generally, they range from 2 weeks to 52 weeks. For further details please refer to the Guide to Social Security Law (http://guides.dss.gov.au/guide-social-security-law).

Update: Respondents are advised that the second sentence above has been added. [Updated 29 November 2017]

2.10 Are ParentsNext Participants able to undertake a PaTH internship? What incentives, if any, can ParentsNext Providers offer to employers? [Added 29 November 2017]

ParentsNext Participants are not able to undertake a PaTH internship, even where concurrently commenced in jobactive as a Stream A volunteer.

ParentsNext Providers will have access to Wage Subsidies to help place Intensive Stream Participants in employment. See Section 2.17—Wage Subsidies—Intensive Stream Only of the Request for Tender for more information.

Reference: RFT Section 2.17—Wage Subsidies—Intensive Stream Only

2.11 What is the definition of ‘highly disadvantaged’ in the context of Participant eligibility? [Added 29 November 2017]

The Department of Human Services will use the Job Seeker Classification Instrument (JSCI) to determine a Parenting Payment recipient’s level of disadvantage. A parent who is eligible for ParentsNext and is assessed as highly disadvantaged will be referred to a ParentsNext Provider.

The JSCI measures an individual’s relative level of disadvantage in the labour market based on their expected difficulty in finding employment due to their personal circumstances and labour market skills. Factors used by the JSCI to determine the level of disadvantage include: age and gender; educational attainment; job seeker history; work experience; geographic location; and proximity to a labour market.


2.12 How is Participant eligibility determined for each Stream? [Added 29 November 2017]

Participant eligibility will depend on whether a Participant resides in an Intensive Stream Location or a Targeted Stream Location. See Section 2.5.1—Compulsory Participants of the Request for Tender for ParentsNext base and Stream eligibility criteria.



http://guides.dss.gov.au/guide-social-security-law

2.13 Is ParentsNext available to culturally and linguistically diverse parents? [Added 29 November 2017]

ParentsNext is available to all parents that meet the eligibility criteria, as set out in Section 2.5.1—Compulsory Participants of the Request for Tender.


2.14 Noting that approximately 20 per cent of the current ParentsNext caseload is suspended at any point in time, can you advise if suspended Participants will count toward a Provider’s caseload and Business Share? [Added 29 November 2017]

Suspended Participants will count towards a Provider’s Business Share. Provider Caseloads in ParentsNext will be based on the available Participants within the Employment Region, and the Business Share the Provider has been awarded. A Provider’s Business Share is determined by counting all Participants that the Provider has had an opportunity to provide services to, compared to all those in the Employment Region. Therefore, all Participants who Commence on a Provider’s Caseload will be counted in calculating the Provider’s Business Share. Participants who are subsequently Suspended or Exited will still count towards the Provider’s Business Share calculation. Where a Provider has not exceeded their Business Share for the Employment Region, including the 30 per cent additional tolerance, Providers may still be referred Participants to their Caseload.

2.15 Are there any changes to the Reasonable Excuse definition that will apply to ParentsNext Participants? [Added 5 December 2017]

The Reasonable Excuse provision will be consistent across the application of the Targeted Compliance Framework to Participants in jobactive, Disability Employment Services and ParentsNext. Social Security legislation requires that, before any penalty can be imposed, it must be established if the Participant had a Reasonable Excuse for failing to meet their requirements. This is determined by the Department of Human Services.

There are two components in establishing if a Participant has a Reasonable Excuse:

1. if the reason the Participant gave for not complying was considered acceptable, and2. where the reason they gave was acceptable, why the Participant did not give prior notice of

their inability to meet the requirement (i.e. whether the nature of the reason meant they could not give prior notice).

Following any Participant non-compliance with compulsory requirements, ParentsNext Providers will use the same principles as those used for Reasonable Excuse determinations in considering whether the Participant has an acceptable reason for non-compliance. In considering this, the Provider will take into account the individual circumstances of the Participant and whether the reason would generally be accepted by a member of the public.

Reference: RFT Section 2.13.3—Valid Reason and Reasonable Excuse


2.16 Do Participants take part in ParentsNext for a set period of time? [Added 5 December 2017]

No, participants are eligible to stay in ParentsNext until the youngest child turns six, or they meet other exit rules.

The reasons for exit will be made available in the Program Guidelines, which will be published in the lead up to the commencement of ParentsNext.

2.17 Is there a maximum period that a Participant can receive ParentsNext services? [Added 5 December 2017]

There is no maximum period of service in ParentsNext. A Participant may continue to receive ParentsNext services while they meet eligibility requirements.

2.18 Will Participants be able to volunteer in jobactive while in ParentsNext, and for how long? [Added 5 December 2017]

Compulsory ParentsNext Participants will be eligible to concurrently receive jobactive services as a Stream A volunteer for six months.

Volunteer ParentsNext Participants will not be able to receive concurrent services.

2.19 If a Participant chooses to participate in jobactive while they are a Participant in ParentsNext, can they access the full range of services offered by jobactive? [Added 5 December 2017]

Participants who choose to concurrently participate in ParentsNext and jobactive may receive the services and assistance available to jobactive Stream A Volunteer clients.

2.20 Will there be targeted Participants within an Intensive Local Government Area (LGA)? [Added 5 December 2017]

No. Participant eligibility is based on their home address. A Participant’s address will be used to determine whether they are assessed for eligibility against the Targeted or Intensive Stream.

2.21 Will ParentsNext Providers be able to grant Participant Exemptions? [Added 5 December 2017]

ParentsNext Providers will be able to grant a Compulsory Participant an Exemption from their Mutual Obligation Requirements where they experience a major personal crisis, personal disruption, or other circumstances which may warrant an Exemption.

More information about granting Exemptions is available in the draft Deed and will included in Program Guidelines, which will be published in the lead up to the commencement of ParentsNext.


2.22 If partnered parents are both receiving a Parenting Payment, can they each participate in the ParentsNext program? [Added 5 December 2017]

Yes, as long as they meet the other program eligibility requirements to participate in ParentsNext. To participate in the program an individual will need to be in receipt of a Parenting Payment and have a child under six years. Further information is in Section 2.5—Eligible Parents of the Request for Tender.


2.23 Are Participants required to exit the ParentsNext program if a Provider finds employment for them? [Added 5 December 2017]

No, employment earnings are not an automatic exit from ParentsNext.

2.24 Does the Department of Human Services review a Participant's circumstances before applying an income support suspension? [Added 5 December 2017]

The Department of Human Services does not review a participant's circumstances before applying an income suspension. Income suspension will be applied automatically in accordance with the Targeted Compliance Framework. More information can be found in Section 2.13.1—Targeted Compliance Framework of the Request for Tender.

Reference: RFT Section 2.13.1—Targeted Compliance Framework

2.25 Can Parents in remote areas be Volunteers in ParentsNext? [Added 5 December 2017]

No, ParentsNext will not be delivered in remote regions of Australia for Voluntary or Compulsory Participants.

2.26 Are parents only required to participate in ParentsNext if they meet eligibility criteria and reside in an Intensive Stream Location (e.g. Brighton, Burnie)? [Added 8 December 2017]

No. All parents will be required to participate in ParentsNext if they meet the eligibility criteria and reside in an Intensive Stream Location or Targeted Stream Location. Base eligibility for ParentsNext and eligibility for each Stream is in Section 2.5—Eligible Parents of the Request for Tender.


2.27 Can all parents in Tasmania who meet Intensive Stream criteria participate in ParentsNext as a Volunteer? [Added 8 December 2017]

No. Parents will only be eligible to participate in the Intensive Stream of ParentsNext as a Volunteer if they are in receipt of Parenting Payment, have a child aged under six and reside in an Intensive Stream Location. There will be no Volunteers in the Targeted Stream of ParentsNext.

Reference: RFT Section 2.5.2—Volunteers


2.28 What ParentsNext services can parents receive outside Intensive Stream Locations? [Added 8 December 2017]

Eligible parents residing outside the Intensive Stream Locations will receive services under the Targeted Stream of ParentsNext. Details of services to be provided under the Targeted Stream are in Section 2.4.1—Targeted Stream of the Request for Tender.

Reference: Section 2.4.1—Targeted Stream

2.29 Will ParentsNext Participants who choose to volunteer in jobactive be eligible for the National Work Experience Programme (NWEP) or Youth Jobs PaTH? [Added 8 December 2017]

ParentsNext Participants concurrently commenced in jobactive as a volunteer will not be eligible to participate in NWEP or Youth Jobs PaTH.

2.30 Can the Department provide any data on average duration for Participants in ParentsNext? [Added 8 December 2017]

The Department is unable to provide projections of average durations of Participants in ParentsNext. Section 2.12.5—Transfers and Exits of the Request for Tender advises when Participants may be exited from the program.

Reference: RFT Section 2.12.5—Transfers and Exits

2.31 Will ParentsNext Participants be eligible to receive Jobs, Education and Training Child Care Fee Assistance (JET Child Care Fee Assistance) once they have signed their Participation Plan? [Added 8 December 2017]

From 2 July 2018, JET Child Care Fee Assistance will be replaced by measures in the New Child Care Package. Information about the assistance available under the New Child Care Package is available from the Department of Education and Training’s New Child Care Package website (education.gov.au/ChildCarePackage).

2.32 Can you confirm what the expected caseload numbers at Appendix D—ParentsNext Maps of the Request for Tender are based on (i.e. is it the expected number of Participants that will commence annually or over the term of the contract)? [Added 8 December 2017]

The expected caseload of Compulsory Participants at Appendix D—ParentsNext Maps of the Request for Tender represents the number of potentially eligible parents currently residing in each Employment Region.

Reference: RFT Appendix D—ParentsNext Maps


2.33 If a Provider refers a ParentsNext Participant to the South Australian funded Building Family Opportunities program, would it be considered double dipping where the same organisation receives funding to deliver both programs? [Added 8 December 2017]

Although the Department aims to minimise duplication of government funded programs of services, successful Respondents will be expected to work with local community and education organisations that offer Complementary Services to support Participants to work towards the goals in their Participation Plan.

Complementary Services generally include:

programs with funding to support participation in education and training programs or intensive support services that support Participants to address a specific barrier

or achieve a goal, and programs that support employers to hire, train or sustain employment including wage

subsidies, Vocational Training and Employment Centres and apprenticeship support.

Where a successful Respondent also receives funding for a Complementary Service, the Department will allow the organisation to refer its ParentsNext Participants to its Complementary Service, where the Complementary Service is a good fit for the Participant’s individual circumstances and will help them achieve the goals in their Participation Plan.

Detailed information about Complementary Services will be in program Guidelines, which will be published in the lead up to July 2018.

Respondents are requested to declare any actual or potential contractual relationships with public funding bodies (Australian, state, territory or local government) under which it may be entitled to a fee for the provision of the same or similar services, on the Double Funding form.

References: RFT Section 3.4—Double Funding, and Appendix B—Glossary


2.34 If an organisation is contracted to deliver ParentsNext and is also a Registered Training Organisation (RTO) for specific funding requirements, would referring Participants to the RTO constitute double funding (and therefore breach clause 18.3 of the ParentsNext2018–2021 Deed)? [Added 8 December 2017]

If a ParentsNext Provider is also an RTO, the Provider may refer a Participant, in accordance with the Deed, to a training course delivered by the Provider in its capacity as an RTO. One of the main Deed obligations relating to the training of Participants is,

“… the Provider must, for each Participant, as appropriate to their needs, and in accordance with any Guidelines, … refer them, where appropriate, to Education courses that help them to complete a training course that is part of the SEE program, Year 12 or gain a Certificate III or higher qualification…” (clause 84.1(f) of the Deed).

The Deed does not prohibit a Provider from referring a Participant to a training course that is delivered by the Provider in its capacity as an RTO, so long as the Provider complies with the Deed requirements when doing so.

Clause 18.3 applies to funding that is for ‘providing services to Participants that are the same as, or similar to, the [services that the Provider must provide under the Deed]’. If the Provider in its capacity as an RTO receives funding for delivering the training course the Participant is referred to, it is unlikely that this would be a breach of clause 18.3. This is because the RTO’s services (i.e. delivering the training course) differ from the services that the Provider must provide under the Deed. As outlined above, the key training related service that the Provider must provide under the Deed is referral of Participants to appropriate training.

This information is provided as guidance only. Please note that the Department cannot provide advice on the legal interpretation of the draft Deed to Providers. Providers are advised to seek their own professional (including legal) advice.

2.35 Can ParentsNext Participants participate in ParentsNext and Disability Employment Services (DES)? [Added 11 December 2017]

ParentsNext Compulsory Participants will not be eligible to participate in DES. Participants in ParentsNext can be referred to jobactive, Transition to Work and the New Enterprise Incentive Scheme while participating in ParentsNext.


3.Locations3.1 Where will ParentsNext be delivered? [Added 13 November 2017]

From July 2018 ParentsNext will be delivered in all non-remote areas across Australia.

The Intensive Stream will be delivered in the ten existing ParentsNext locations and 20 new locations where a higher proportion of Parenting Payment recipients are Indigenous.

The Targeted Stream will be delivered in all 51 Employment Regions excluding Intensive Stream locations.

References: RFT Section 2.7—Service Areas, and Appendix D—ParentsNext Maps

3.2 Will ParentsNext be delivered in Norfolk Island? [Added 13 November 2017]

No, ParentsNext will not be delivered in Norfolk Island.

3.3 What are the 30 Intensive Stream Locations? [Added 13 November 2017]

The 30 Intensive Stream locations are: NSW: Bankstown1, Wyong1, Shellharbour1, Dubbo, Inner Sydney, Mid Coast, Orange,

North Coast and Tamworth NT: Darwin-Palmerston and Alice Springs SA: Port Augusta & Whyalla, Playford1 and Port Adelaide QLD: Cairns, Logan1, Rockhampton1, Toowoomba, Mackay and Townsville WA: Kwinana1, Perth-South, Perth-East, Geraldton and Broome TAS: Burnie1 and Brighton VIC: Greater Shepparton1, Hume1 and Mildura.

Reference: RFT Appendix D—ParentsNext Maps

3.4 Will the Department release data on the proportion of Participants who are in each of the cohorts? [Added 5 December 2017]

The Department is not planning to release data on the proportion of Participants who are in each of the cohorts. The Department released data on the expected number of Indigenous Participants due to the national rollout’s emphasis on supporting Indigenous parents, and to inform bids by specialist Indigenous providers.

1 One of the current 10 ParentsNext locations.


4.Quality and Performance4.1 How will ParentsNext Providers performance be monitored? [Added 13 November 2017]

The Department will regularly monitor and assess Provider performance. Formal performance monitoring against a number of Key Performance Indicators will commence after July 2018. Key Performance Indicators will be included in the draft ParentsNext 2018–2021 Deed which is expected to be published on the Employment Services Purchasing Information website (http://www.employment.gov.au/purchasing) on 20 November 2017.

The Department will gather performance information from a variety of sources, including through the Department’s IT systems and monitoring surveys.

References: RFT Section 2.20—Performance Framework, and Section 2.20.1—ParentsNext Performance Measures

4.2 Will there be a data reporting and operational management system available to ParentsNext Providers? [Added 13 November 2017]

The Department’s IT Systems will be used to provide ParentsNext services. It will interface with the Department of Human Services system. Some IT functionality will be available from March 2018 to enable ParentsNext Provider training and the booking of Participant appointments with all functionality being released just prior to July 2018. Functionality will include (but is not limited to) the ability:

to enable Participants to be referred to the service from Department of Human Services to directly register a Volunteer Participant for Providers to view their caseload and manage Participant appointments to develop Participation Plans record the granting of Exemptions from Mutual Obligation Requirements to monitor and manage a Participant’s participation requirements and compliance with the

program to refer Participants to local activities including education, pre- employment preparation,

non-vocational and employment activities to claim payments, including outcomes payments to place Participants into vacancies to upload Service Delivery Plans, and for Participants to search for Providers on Australian JobSearch.

Reference: RFT Section 2.22—Use of the Department’s IT Systems

4.3 Will ParentsNext Providers need to be IT accredited? [Added 13 November 2017]

All ParentsNext Providers will need to meet certain requirements in relation to IT accreditation. Further information regarding the accreditation process will be included in the draft ParentsNext 2018-2021 Deed which is expected to be published on the Employment Services Purchasing Information website (http://www.employment.gov.au/purchasing) on 20 November 2017.





4.4 Will ParentsNext Providers have access to training? [Added 13 November 2017]

Yes, a range of training and resources on ParentsNext operational policy and the Department’s IT Systems will be available to ParentsNext Providers. Some training will be compulsory for Provider staff to complete, including training on Participation Plans, Exemptions and Compliance.

The Department will provide more details on training to successful Respondents in the lead up to July 2018.

Reference: RFT Section 2.23—ParentsNext Provider Training

4.5 Will WorkStar™ be the compulsory work readiness tool for ParentsNext 2018–2021? Will Providers have a choice of work readiness tool? [Added 21 November 2017]

The Department is determining the work readiness tool that will be utilised to measure the progress of Participants. To enable the improvement in work readiness to be measured consistently across the ParentsNext program, the Department expects that one tool will be used by all Providers across the program. The Department will notify successful tenderers of the work readiness tool to be used for ParentsNext Participants prior to the commencement of the program.

Reference: RFT Section 2.19—Work Readiness Assessments

4.6 Will Providers be required to undertake the IT Pathway to Accreditation process? [Added 29 November 2017]

Providers that currently hold Deeds with the Department may already have begun the Pathway to Accreditation process. For those Providers, if they successfully tender for ParentsNext 2018-2021, there may be reduced cost to include ParentsNext into their current IT accreditation pathway as the Department will acknowledge any progress already made by a Provider toward completing the Pathway to Accreditation process.

Other successful ParentsNext Providers will be required to undertake the Pathway to Accreditation process. The cost of accreditation is usually dependent on the size of the organisation, the complexity of its IT infrastructure, and how many sites it operates from. An independent Information Registered Assessor Program (IRAP) assessor will be required to complete and submit the following submissions on behalf of these Providers to the Department:

Phase 2 (18 months from commencement of service) and Phase 3 (36 Months from commencement of service).

Note: Organisations can self-assess Phase 1. This does not need to be completed by an independent IRAP assessor.

Further information regarding the accreditation process is included in the draft ParentsNext 2018-2021 Deed, which is published on the Employment Services Purchasing Information website (http://www.employment.gov.au/purchasing).



4.7 Are the ParentsNext Performance Measures related to education and employment outcomes, designed to cause competition between Providers? [Added 29 November 2017]

While the ParentsNext performance measures, as set out in Section 2.20.1—ParentsNext Performance Measures of the Request for Tender, include the proportion of Participants who achieved Education or Employment Outcomes, it is not yet decided if this will be measured at a Provider level.

The Department does not intend to create competition between Providers, but will need to measure Outcomes to evaluate the program's effectiveness.

Reference: RFT Section 2.20.1—ParentsNext Performance Measures

4.8 What will happen if legislation for the new Targeted Compliance Framework is not passed? [Added 5 December 2017]

If legislation for the new Targeted Compliance Framework is not passed by both houses of Parliament, the Department will need to reconsider the compliance policy for ParentsNext. In this event, ParentsNext compliance policy decisions will be made publicly available as soon as possible.

Reference: RFT Section 2.13.1—Targeted Compliance Framework

4.9 Will ParentsNext Providers be required to have or gain Quality Assurance Framework certification? [Added 5 December 2017]

ParentsNext Providers will not be required to have or gain Quality Assurance Framework certification.

4.10 Will there be Indigenous Outcome Targets in ParentsNext? [Added 5 December 2017]

Indigenous Outcome Targets will not form part of the ParentsNext performance framework. The Department may monitor Indigenous Outcomes as part of program management.

4.11 How will the Department provide training to Providers as outlined in the Request for Tender? Will training be online or at a specific location? [Added 11 December 2017]

The Department is currently developing a Provider training strategy for the national rollout of ParentsNext. A range of training products and training methods will be made available.



5.Provider Payments5.1 How will ParentsNext Providers be paid? [Added 13 November 2017]

All payments will be made through the Department’s IT Systems.

5.2 How will ParentsNext Providers be paid? [Added 13 November 2017]

ParentsNext Providers will be paid a Service Fee of $600 (GST inclusive) per Participant every six months. This will include a partial upfront payment of Service Fees at the start of each six month period based on the Provider’s expected or actual caseload. The upfront payment is designed to provide greater certainty around funding, and ensure ParentsNext Providers are able to fund services or activities that will support Participants. The Department will offset the upfront payment against the Provider’s Service Fee entitlement for each Participant. Once a Provider’s upfront payment is fully offset, Providers will be entitled to a Service Fee for each Participant who commences or completes six months of continuous active service.

References: RFT Section 2.14—Provider Payments, and Section 2.14.1—Upfront Payment of Service Fees

5.3 How will the upfront Service Fees be calculated? [Added 13 November 2017]

Upfront Service Fees will be calculated on the following basis:

Expected/Actual Caseload Upfront Payment Proportion Upfront Payment Calculation0-99 Participants 95% of expected/actual caseload Caseload x 95% x $600100-249 Participants 85% of expected/actual caseload Caseload x 85% x $600250-399 Participants 75% of expected/actual caseload Caseload x 75% x $600400 or more Participants 65% of expected/actual caseload Caseload x 65% x $600

The upfront payment for the first six month period will be based on a Provider’s expected caseload. Upfront payments for subsequent six month periods will be based on the Provider’s actual caseload on the last day of the previous six month period.

The first upfront payment will be paid to Providers from 1 July 2017. For each Participant that commences on a Provider’s caseload, a $600 (GST inclusive) Service Fee will be offset against the total amount paid upfront. Once the Provider has fully offset the upfront payment, the Provider will be entitled to a Service Fee for each additional Participant commenced in that six month period.

In subsequent six monthly payment periods, a Provider’s upfront payment will be offset each time: a new Participant commences on their caseload, and a Participant completes six months of continuous active service.

The Department does not intend to recoup any of the partial upfront payment where a Provider’s caseload does not reach the expected/actual caseload for which the upfront payment was calculated.

References: RFT Section 2.14.1—Upfront Payment of Service Fees, and Section 2.14.2—How the


Upfront Payment of Service Fees will work

5.4 How will a Provider’s actual caseload be calculated? [Added 13 November 2017]

A Provider’s actual caseload is based on the number of Participants commenced on a Provider’s caseload. Any Participants who are exited, suspended or pending will be not included in the actual caseload count.

5.5 How will a Participant’s continuous active service be calculated? [Added 13 November 2017]

Continuous active service relates to the length of time a Participant is commenced on a Provider’s caseload excluding any Suspension periods.

For example, a Participant commences on 2 July 2017 and receives five months of ParentsNext services before their Provider grants them a two month Exemption period, resulting in a Suspension on the Provider’s caseload.

The Participant’s continuous active service will pause when the Suspension for the Participant’s Exemption period starts and will resume when the Suspension period for the Exemption ends. The Participant will complete their six months of continuous active service one month after the end of the Exemption period (eight calendar months after commencement), resulting in an offset against the Provider’s second upfront payment, or a new Service Fee if the second upfront payment is fully offset.

5.6 Will a ParentsNext Provider be paid additional Service Fees if their caseload has more Participants than what their upfront payment was calculated on? [Added 13 November 2017]

Yes. If in a six monthly payment period a Provider’s caseload exceeds the number of Participants used to calculate the corresponding upfront payment, the Provider will be paid a Service Fee for each additional Participant that commences on their caseload or completes six months of continuous active service.

Reference: RFT Section 2.14.2—How the Upfront Payment of Service Fees will work

5.7 What will happen to the Service Fee for a Participant who transfers to another ParentsNext Provider? [Added 13 November 2017]

When a Participant transfers between ParentsNext Providers in either stream, a pro-rata Service Fee will be paid to the gaining Provider. The Department will not recover any portion of the Service Fee from the former Provider. The pro-rata amount payable to the gaining Provider will be based on the period of time from the Commencement of the transferred Participant by the gaining Provider to the end of the six month period in which the date of transfer occurs in the Department's IT Systems.

For example, a Participant commences with Provider A on 2 July 2017. After receiving five months of continuous active service the Participant transfers to Provider B. When Provider B commences the Participant, Provider B will be entitled to a pro-rata Service Fee for one month. This Service Fee will either offset Provider B’s upfront payment or be paid to Provider B if their upfront payment is fully offset.

Reference: RFT Section 2.14.3—Pro-rata Service Fees


5.8 What other payments are available? [Added 13 November 2017]

ParentsNext Providers delivering the Intensive Stream will also have access to Education and Employment Outcome Payments.

A Provider will be eligible to receive an Employment Outcome when a Participant they place into employment sustains that employment for an average of at least 15 hours per week (30 hours per fortnight) over a period of 12 weeks.

A Provider will be eligible for an Education Outcome when a Participant completes any of the following:

a Certificate III (or higher) Year 12, or the Skills for Education and Employment (SEE) program.

Participants may achieve more than one Education Outcome provided the education attained is at a higher level than the Participant’s previous education, including any education attained prior to commencing in ParentsNext.

References: RFT Section 2.4.2—Intensive Stream, Section 2.15—Outcomes—Intensive Stream Only, and Section 2.15.1—Education Outcomes

5.9 What are the evidence requirements for Outcomes? [Added 13 November 2017]

There are two ways in which Employment Outcomes will verified—through information from the Department of Human Services or documentary evidence, such as pay slips.

To claim an Education Outcome for a Participant, Intensive Stream Providers will need to upload relevant documentary evidence in the Department’s IT Systems showing:

the Participant’s name the qualification achieved details of the institution or Registered Training provider that issued the qualification the date of the qualification, and the course code or unit code identified on the Department of Education and Training’s

Training website (training.gov.au).

Detailed information on evidence requirements for Outcomes will be set out in program Guidelines.

Reference: RFT Section 2.15.3—Verification of Outcomes

5.10 Can a ParentsNext Provider claim an Outcome Payment for a Participant who achieves an Employment Outcome while concurrently commenced in another program, such as jobactive or a Vocational Training & Employment Centre (VTEC)? [Added 13 November 2017]

Where a Participant is connected to a ParentsNext Provider and a jobactive or VTEC provider and is placed in a job leading to an Employment Outcome, both the ParentsNext Provider and the other provider will be able to claim an Outcome Payment.

Reference: RFT Section 2.15.2—Employment Outcomes


5.11 Where a ParentsNext Provider is also a Participant’s jobactive provider, is it able to claim an Outcome Payment under each contract where the Participant achieves an Employment Outcome? [Added 15 November 2017]

If a ParentsNext Provider places a Participant into employment leading to an Employment Outcome, it will receive an Outcome Payment even if it has received an outcome payment for the Participant’s employment under its jobactive service.

5.12 Will the Department publish Local Government Area (LGA) Participant numbers? [Added 17 November 2017]

The Department will release hotspot maps to show where expected Compulsory Participants reside. These maps, along with the Expected Caseload numbers for each Employment Region, will assist Respondents in nominating service areas and site locations.

The Department cannot guarantee that all Participants within the LGA will be serviced by Providers within the LGA, because Participants may elect to be serviced by their most accessible Site which may be in a neighbouring LGA or Employment Region.

If a Respondent is successful in winning business in an LGA, this does not necessarily mean that the Respondent will be the only Provider providing services in that LGA. Referrals to a Provider will be based on the Provider’s assigned Business share which is at the Employment Region level.

Update: Respondents are advised that the first sentence in paragraph 1 of this response has been updated from, “The Department will publish expected Participant numbers for all LGAs shortly”. [Updated 29 November 2017]

Update: The ParentsNext Hotspot Maps by Employment Region have been published on the Employment Services Purchasing Information website (https://www.employment.gov.au/employment-services-procurement-information) under the Request for Tender for ParentsNext 2018–2021 link. [Updated 5 December 2017]

5.13 What, if any, are the mandated rates or caps on each type of assistance available under the Participation Fund? [Added 20 November 2017]

The Participation Fund is a pool of funds that can be accessed by ParentsNext Providers delivering the Intensive Stream to help Participants prepare for employment.

A one-off credit of $1,200 will be made to the Participation Fund when a Participant commences in the Intensive Stream of ParentsNext. The credits in the Participation Fund are not quarantined to any one Participant and can be used flexibly to provide services to any Participant in the Intensive Stream.

The types of assistance for which Providers may seek reimbursement through the Participation Fund are identified in the Request for Tender in Section 2.16—Participation Fund—Intensive Stream Only.

Details of any mandated rates or caps for each type of assistance will be included in Program Guidelines, which will be published in the lead up to the commencement of ParentsNext.

Reference: RFT Section 2.16—Participation Fund—Intensive Stream Only


https://www.employment.gov.au/employment-services-procurement-information

5.14 What are the Intensive Stream Participant outcome rates for the current ParentsNext program? [Added 20 November 2017]

The current ParentsNext program does not have Outcome Payments. Outcome Payments will be available under the Intensive Stream of ParentsNext which commences from the beginning of July 2018.

5.15 What are the eligibility conditions relating to Employment Outcome Payments? [Added 20 November 2017]

ParentsNext Providers are able to claim one 12 week Employment Outcome Payment per job placement per Intensive Stream Participant. The 12 week Outcome is payable where the Participant is employed for 12 consecutive weeks, for an average of at least 15 hours per week (30 hours per fortnight). Multiple Employment Outcome Payments cannot be claimed for the same job placement.

Further eligibility conditions will be included in the ParentsNext Deed and may also be included in Guidelines when released.

5.16 Are payments in the Request for Tender GST inclusive or exclusive of GST? [Added 5 December 2017]

Unless otherwise stated in the Request for Tender, all payment amounts are GST inclusive.

Reference: RFT Section 1.2—Scope

5.17 What is ‘continuous active service’? What is the impact of Employment on a Participant’s continuous active service? [Added 5 December 2017]

Continuous active service:

a) begins on commencement of a Participant in ParentsNextb) stops when the Participant is suspended and recommences when the Suspension ends, andc) ends when the Participant is exited.

A Participant’s continuous active service will not pause where employment is their activity in their Participation Plan.

However, where a Participant is in stable employment, their ParentsNext Provider will be required to exit the Participant from their caseload.

Information on how to determine if a Participant is in stable employment will be set out in Program Guidelines, which will be published in the lead up to the commencement of ParentsNext.


5.18 Will Volunteers attract the same fees as the Compulsory Participants, and will they have access to the same assistance, for example the Participation Fund? [Added 5 December 2017]

Yes. Volunteers will attract the same fees and payments as Compulsory Participants and will also have access to the same assistance, including the Participation Fund, wage subsidies, relocation assistance and outcome payments (subject to eligibility). To participate, Volunteers must be eligible for the Intensive Stream. Further information is in Section 2.5.2—Volunteers of the Request for Tender.

References: RFT Section 2.5.2—Volunteers

5.19 What happens to Participation Fund credits when a Participant transfers or Exits from ParentsNext? What if the Provider has committed credits to purchase training for the Participant? [Added 5 December 2017]

Where an Intensive Stream Participant is transferred to another ParentsNext Provider, the Participation Fund credits to be transferred with the Participant will be a matter for the relinquishing and receiving Providers to negotiate.

More information about Participation Fund credits where a Participant exits ParentsNext is included in the draft Deed and will also be included in Program Guidelines, which will be published in the lead up to the commencement of ParentsNext.

5.20 How often is the Participation Fund credited for each Participant? [Added 5 December 2017]

Each ParentsNext Participant who commences in the Intensive Stream will attract a one-off credit of $1,200.


5.21 Does the drivers’ licence category in the Participation Fund include driving lessons? [Added 5 December 2017]

Yes, driving training is included. Further details on the Participation Fund is in Section 2.16—Participation Fund—Intensive Stream Only of the Request for Tender.


5.22 Is more detail available about using the Participation Fund to access childcare payments? [Added 5 December 2017]

Further detail is not available at this time. Additional information will be made available in the Program Guidelines, which will be published in the lead up to the commencement of ParentsNext.


5.23 Will ParentsNext Providers be able to access other state government funding? [Added 5 December 2017]

Providers may apply for funding from a State or Territory government. Respondents should, however, note the requirements of clause 18 of the draft Deed in relation to ‘double payment’.

5.24 Can organisations refer ParentsNext Participants to their own jobactive or Transition to Work service? [Added 5 December 2017]

Yes, organisations can concurrently refer Participants to their own jobactive or Transition to Work service.

5.25 Can organisations use the Employment Fund to assist Participants that are concurrently participating in jobactive? [Added 5 December 2017]

Participants concurrently participating in jobactive can receive all assistance available to Stream A volunteers.

5.26 Are Wage Subsidies part of the Participation Fund or separate? [Added 8 December 2017]

ParentsNext Providers delivering the Intensive Stream will have access to Wage Subsidies to help place Intensive Stream Participants in employment. Wage Subsidies are separate from the Participation Fund. More information can be found in Section 2.17—Wage Subsidies—Intensive Stream Only of the Request for Tender.

Reference: RFT Section 2.17—Wage Subsidies—Intensive Stream Only

5.27 When are Outcome Payments made? [Added 8 December 2017]

Unlike upfront Service Fees, Outcome Payments do not have a specific schedule for payment. Once a Provider is eligible, they can make a claim for the Outcome Payment and it will be made part of the next payment run.

Reference: RFT Section 2.15—Outcomes—Intensive Stream Only

5.28 Can the Participation Fund be used to purchase services from the ParentsNext Provider? [Added 8 December 2017]

Where a ParentsNext Provider purchases goods/services through the Participation Fund from its own organisation or related entity, there will be additional requirements. These can include maximum reimbursement rates for certain types of services (e.g. post placement support or mental health services) and/or Documentary Evidence. A Provider must not claim reimbursement through the Participation Fund for prohibited purchases, as outlined in Section 2.16—Participation Fund—Intensive Stream Only of the Request for Tender. Detailed information will be in the ParentsNext Guidelines, which will be available in the lead up to services commencing in July 2018.



5.29 Are the payments for additional commencements or anniversaries paid as they occur? [Added 11 December 2017]

After the initial upfront Service Fee payment has been offset, Service Fees are paid on commencements or anniversaries as they occur, noting there will be system processing time required.

Reference: RFT Section 2.14.2—How the Upfront Payment of Service Fees will work


6.Eligibility to Apply6.1 Who is eligible to tender to deliver ParentsNext? [Added 13 November 2017]

To be eligible to apply, organisations must have a current and valid Australian Business Number (ABN). Where a response is being submitted by a group of organisations (see Question 6.2 below), each member of the group must have a current and valid ABN.

Local Government entities are eligible to apply, however, Australian Government and state/territory government departments, agencies, employees or agents are not eligible to respond.

The Department will only accept a response from a foreign company if it is registered under Part 5B.2 of the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth).

References: RFT Section 3.1—Eligibility to Apply, Section 3.1.5—Local Government, and Section 3.1.6—Foreign Companies

6.2 Can a group of organisations tender to deliver ParentsNext? [Added 13 November 2017]

Yes. Organisations can tender as part of a consortium, joint venture, partnership or other group arrangement, subject to each member of the group having a valid ABN to deliver ParentsNext.

If the organisation is applying as part of a group arrangement, the response must specify the business structure and arrangements proposed to deliver ParentsNext.

The response must also identify a lead organisation that is authorised to act on behalf of, and contractually bind the group.

The group’s response must include the written agreement of each group member for the lead organisation to act on their behalf. This written agreement must be uploaded in the ‘Group Respondent’ tab in 360Pro. Any proposed changes to the group’s members must be requested of, and agreed in writing by, the Department.

Reference: RFT Section 3.1.2—Group Respondents

6.3 Can my organisation subcontract some or all of ParentsNext? [Added 13 November 2017]

Yes. If your organisation wishes to use a subcontractor to deliver any part of ParentsNext, you must include details of these arrangements in your response by completing a Subcontractors Form detailing the proposed arrangements. A Subcontractors Credentials Information Form will also be required to be completed for each subcontractor.

If you are awarded business, as the Provider you will be responsible for, among other things, the actions of any and all subcontractors working directly to you to deliver ParentsNext.

Reference: RFT Section 3.1.3—Subcontracting Arrangements


6.4 Do current ParentsNext providers need to submit a response to deliver ParentsNext 2018–2021? [Added 13 November 2017]

Yes. As the current ParentsNext Deed will end on 30 June 2018, current providers will need to submit a response to the Request for Tender for ParentsNext 2018–2021 if they wish to continue delivering ParentsNext. Current providers should be aware that their response will be assessed in accordance with the Request for Tender for ParentsNext 2018–2021 in the same way every other response will be assessed.

6.5 Are TAFEs eligible to apply to deliver ParentsNext 2018–2021? [Added 29 November 2017]

TAFEs that are statutory corporations and/or bodies corporate in their own right are eligible to respond to this Request for Tender, providing they have a current and valid Australian Business Number (ABN) as required by Section 3.1—Eligibility to Apply of the Request for Tender.

You are advised, however, to make your own enquiries as to your organisation’s circumstances and its eligibility.

Reference: RFT Section 3.1—Eligibility to Apply

6.6 Can an organisation currently delivering VTEC, jobactive or another similar service apply to deliver ParentsNext 2018–2021? If so, what are the implications, if any, on Provider payments and Employment Outcomes? [Added 29 November 2017]

Organisations currently contracted to deliver VTEC, jobactive and other similar services can apply to be a ParentsNext Provider if they are eligible, as per Chapter 3—Applying to Deliver ParentsNext of the Request for Tender.

If a VTEC, jobactive or other similar service provider successfully tenders for ParentsNext, there will be no impact on Service Fees for Participants commenced in both programs delivered by the organisation.

If a ParentsNext Provider also delivers VTEC to a Participant and places them in Employment leading to an Employment Outcome, it will not be able to claim an Outcome Payment under both ParentsNext and VTEC.

However, if a ParentsNext Provider also delivers jobactive services to a Participant and places them in Employment leading to an Employment Outcome, it will be able to claim an Outcome Payment under both ParentsNext and jobactive.

Note: Only Intensive Stream Participants attract Outcome Fees in ParentsNext.

Reference: RFT Chapter 3—Applying to Deliver ParentsNext


6.7 What is the definition of ‘employment services’ in the context of the Department’s expectation that ParentsNext will not be co-located with employment services (such as jobactive)? [Added 29 November 2017]

Clause 5.3 of the draft ParentsNext Deed 2018–2021 specifies that a location from which Services are provided should be a welcoming environment that caters to the needs of parents and their Children, providing a safe space for Children during Contacts at that location. The Deed also requires that Services only be co-located with another employment service (such as jobactive) if there is a clear physical delineation between the location from which Services are provided and the employment service, and co-locating the Services with an employment service does not compromise the Provider’s ability to provide the welcoming, safe environment.

While ‘employment services’ is not defined in the Deed, an employment service would generally be a service that is the same or very similar to jobactive.

Respondents may describe how they intend to create a welcoming, safe environment in their responses to the Request for Tender, as well as how any employment services would be physically delineated from ParentsNext Services.

Reference: RFT Section 2.10—Sites

6.8 Can a non-Indigenous organisation apply to deliver specialist Indigenous services? [Added 29 November 2017]

The Department will consider tenders to deliver specialist Indigenous ParentsNext services from non-Indigenous organisations where they demonstrate suitable capability against the selection criteria.

6.9 Would it be considered double funding where an organisation receives funding under ParentsNext and jobactive for the same Participant? [Added 29 November 2017]

The Department does not want to discourage responses for ParentsNext from Respondents that receive other public sector funding. However, a Respondent cannot claim payments from the Department that would constitute double funding, that is, receiving a fee from another Australian Government, state, territory, or local public funding source for the same or similar services.

Compulsory ParentsNext Participants will be eligible to concurrently receive jobactive services as a Stream A volunteer. It would not be considered double funding where an organisation also delivers jobactive services to a ParentsNext Participant, as the services being delivered under jobactive will be different to those under ParentsNext.

Reference: RFT Section 3.4—Double Funding


6.10 With regards to having a separation between ParentsNext sites and other Employment Services, does this apply to all Employment Services? [Added 5 December 2017]

No matter what employment services an organisation delivers, there needs to be a clear delineation between ParentsNext services and other employment services. ParentsNext should be clearly seen as a stand-alone program. It can be delivered within the same building or the same floor, as long as there is a clear separation between the services.


6.11 Are staff connected to another Employment Service allowed to be co-located with ParentsNext staff, where the other Service is not delivered from that location? [Added 5 December 2017]

Staff connected to another employment service can be co-located with ParentsNext staff, provided that the requirements of clause 5.3 of the draft Deed, in relation to the location from which ParentsNext Services are delivered, are otherwise met.

6.12 Is Disability Employment Services considered an employment service? [Added 8 December 2017]

Yes, Disability Employment Services is considered an employment service.

6.13 If an organisation is contracted to deliver ParentsNext and also receives funding to deliver other services to ParentsNext Participants, does that constitute double funding, and therefore breach clause 18.3 of the Deed? [Added 11 December 2017]

The Deed does not prohibit a Provider from referring a Participant to other services delivered by the Provider, so long as the Provider complies with the Deed requirements when doing so.

Clause 18.3 of the Deed applies to funding that is for, “providing services to Participants that are the same as, or similar to, the [services that the Provider must provide under the Deed]”. If the Provider receives funding for delivering other services to ParentsNext Participants this would not breach clause 18.3, as long as the other services are not the same as, or similar to, the services that the Provider must provide under the Deed.

This information is provided as guidance only. Please note that the Department cannot provide advice on the legal interpretation of the draft Deed to Providers. Providers are advised to seek their own professional (including legal) advice.

Refer to FAQ 2.33 for information about referring Participants to Complementary Services delivered by a Provider’s own organisation.



6.14 If Respondents deliver services under the Time to Work Employment Service 2018–2021, is this regarded as double funding? [Added 11 December 2017]

ParentsNext Participants will not be eligible to participate in the Time to Work Employment Service and vice-versa. As the Time to Work Employment Service is an in-prison service, it would not be considered double funding where an organisation delivers both Time to Work and ParentsNext.

Refer to FAQ 6.13 for further information about double funding.


6.15 Do the Employability Skills Training program and Reconnect constitute double funding? [Added 11 December 2017]

As ParentsNext Participants will not be eligible to participate in the Employability Skills Training (EST) program, it would not be considered double funding where an organisation delivers both EST and ParentsNext.

Reconnect may be considered a Complementary Service. Refer to FAQ 2.33 for information about referring Participants to Complementary Services delivered by a Provider’s own organisation.

Refer to FAQ 6.13 for further information about double funding.


6.16 Are Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) that receive public funding eligible to apply to deliver ParentsNext? [Added 11 December 2017]

Information about eligibility to apply for ParentsNext 2018–2021 is in Chapter 3—Applying to Deliver ParentsNext of the Request for Tender.

Commonwealth, State and Territory government departments, agencies or employees are not eligible to apply to deliver ParentsNext. However, Respondents that receive a form of public funding may apply to deliver ParentsNext.

Respondents who receive public funding should note the double funding provisions in Section 3.4—Double Funding of the Request for Tender, and clause 18 of the draft ParentsNext Deed 2018–2021. Information on the eligibility of TAFE organisations is in FAQ 6.5.

References: RFT Chapter 3—Applying to Deliver ParentsNext, and Section 3.4—Double Funding


7.General Questions7.1 Where can I find answers about the Request for Tender or more information?

[Added 13 November 2017]

The Request for Tender provides details about the ParentsNext 2018–2021 purchasing process.

Frequently Asked Questions will be published on the Employment Services Purchasing Information website (www.employment.gov.au/purchasing) and will be updated regularly. Potential Respondents should regularly monitor this website.

If you still have unanswered questions, contact the Employment Services Purchasing Hotline ([email protected]). Note that the Hotline cannot interpret or advise on how to respond to the Request for Tender, or provide information that is not contained in the Request for Tender or is otherwise not publicly available.

All questions or requests for information regarding the Request for Tender must be submitted to the Hotline before 5.00 pm (Canberra time) on 18 December 2017. There will be no obligation on the Department to answer questions received after this time.

References: RFT Contact Details (page iii), and Appendix A—Communication Protocol

7.2 Where can I view responses to questions from other Respondents? [Added 13 November 2017]

Responses to questions or requests for information will be added to the Frequently Asked Questions, which are published on the Employment Services Purchasing Information website (www.employment.gov.au/purchasing).

Questions and responses that are published will not identify who asked the question. Questions may be modified to address this requirement. Questions may also be modified to assist with readability and context.

If you think your question or request for information contains confidential or commercially sensitive information or personal information, please identify this clearly so the Department can ensure the information is appropriately protected before a response is published.

References: RFT Contact Details (page iii), and Appendix A—Communication Protocol



mailto:[email protected]?subject=Time%20to%20Work%20Employment%20Service:%20Question



7.3 Will there be information sessions or webinars? [Added 13 November 2017]

The Department will hold information sessions about this Request for Tender in most capital cities between 20 November 2017 and 24 November 2017. For those unable to attend the sessions, information webinars will be held on 24 November 2017 and 30 November 2017. Details of the information sessions and webinars are available on the Employment Services Purchasing Information website (www.employment.gov.au/purchasing) or by calling the Employment Services Purchasing Hotline on 1300 733 514.

Registration is required to participate in a session or webinar and can be completed using the online booking form available at the Department’s webinar registration webpage (ivvy.com.au/event/PNRFT).

Reference: RFT Section 1.3—Information Sessions and Webinars

7.4 Will the information session and webinar content be published? [Added 13 November 2017]

The Department intends to make a copy of the presentation used in the information sessions and webinars available on the Employment Services Purchasing Information website (www.employment.gov.au/purchasing) after the last webinar session is conducted.

Reference: RFT Section 1.3—Information Sessions and Webinars

7.5 Will the questions raised in the information sessions and webinars be answered? [Added 13 November 2017]

Yes. It is intended that answers will be added to the Frequently Asked Questions document and published on the Employment Services Purchasing Information website (www.employment.gov.au/purchasing).

7.6 I am a current Department of Employment provider and plan to respond to the Request for Tender, can I still talk to my Account Manager? [Added 13 November 2017]

Yes, Providers can continue to contact Departmental officers for business-as-usual matters.

During the Request for Tender process, the Department will continue to interact with relevant stakeholders as a part of its ongoing business (on a business-as-usual basis), including continuing any regular discussions with a range of interest groups and industry representative bodies.

During business-as-usual interactions, the Department will not discuss the Request for Tender or answer any questions about ParentsNext 2018–2021. Questions about these must be directed to the Employment Services Purchasing Hotline ([email protected]).

All contact from interested parties regarding the Request for Tender will be fully documented.

Reference: RFT Appendix A—Communication Protocol

Update: Respondents are advised that a previous reference to the ‘Time to Work’ program has been removed. [Updated 21 November 2017]


mailto:[email protected]?subject=Time%20to%20Work%20Employment%20Service:%20Question



https://www.ivvy.com.au/event/PNRFT



7.7 How do I make a complaint about the purchasing process? [Added 13 November 2017]

The Department has a complaints handling process in place for purchasing under the Request for Tender. This process requires, as is appropriate, involvement of senior management and officials independent of the process.

Consistent with these requirements, persons with any concern about the probity or integrity of the response process can raise these with the current internal legal adviser, Luke de Jong ([email protected]). Where appropriate, Mr de Jong may refer enquiries to the external Probity Adviser.

Reference: RFT Appendix A—Communication Protocol

7.8 Will a ParentsNext Provider get a guaranteed minimum level of business?[Added 13 November 2017]

The Department does not, and will not, guarantee a specified or minimum level of business to any ParentsNext Provider.

Reference: RFT Section 3.5—Coverage

7.9 How will eligible parents be notified about ParentsNext and their requirements under the program? [Added 5 December 2017]

The Department of Human Services (Centrelink) will identify Parenting Payment recipients who are required to participate in ParentsNext. Centrelink will send a letter to new Participants advising them of the program, the support they can receive, what their participation requirements will be and details of their initial appointment.

7.10 Is there an opportunity to provide feedback or other input into the ParentsNext 2018–2021 service model, particularly in relation to Outcomes? [Added 8 December 2017]

The Department sought feedback on the design of ParentsNext 2018–2021 in September and October 2017. Interested parties were able to provide written feedback on a Discussion Paper setting out the proposed service model or could attend one of the 18 consultation sessions held across states and territories. Feedback received during this time contributed to the final design, purchasing arrangements and implementation of the program. The Discussion Paper and corresponding Frequently Asked Questions can be found on the Department’s ParentsNext National Expansion – Discussion Paper purchasing website (https://www.employment.gov.au/parentsnext-national-expansion-discussion-paper).

The Department is unable to consider feedback on the ParentsNext 2018–2021 service model now that procurement has commenced.


https://www.employment.gov.au/parentsnext-national-expansion-discussion-paper

https://www.employment.gov.au/parentsnext-national-expansion-discussion-paper


7.11 Are Providers expected to meet every Participant face-to-face? Can meetings occur via Skype or another interface where distance is an issue? [Added 11 December 2017]

Providers will be required to have an initial appointment with Participants, followed by minimum quarterly appointments. The initial appointment should be face-to-face unless there are exceptional circumstances (as described in the Guidelines or as agreed with the Department, and to be determined on a case by case basis). It is generally expected that subsequent appointments be face-to-face, however these appointments can be via other methods if agreed between the Participant and the Provider. Further information is in Section 2.12.1—Regular Contact with Participants of the Request for Tender.

Reference: RFT Section 2.12.1—Regular Contact with Participants

7.12 Can the Department advise if current ParentsNext Providers in each of the ten locations operate as a consortium to deliver the service, or do they operate as independent organisations? [Added 12 December 2017]

The 25 Providers delivering the 31 Projects in the current ParentsNext program are not working together as a formal consortium. However, in some Local Government Areas, individual Providers have established collaborative networks, in which they discuss strategies employed to assist Participants to achieve their goals, and lessons learned from different approaches taken by Providers in delivering their ParentsNext Project. Some have also organised shared activities, joint events and publicity for the program.

Current ParentsNext Project Providers were selected through a grant funding application process. In line with the Commonwealth Grants Rules and Guidelines, the Department publishes details of all grants awarded on its website. Details of ParentsNext grants, including grant recipients, value and funding locations, can be found at the Department’s Employment Grant Announcements up to 30 June 2016 document (https://docs.employment.gov.au/documents/employment-grants-announcements-1-july-2015).

7.13 Is there an opportunity to provide feedback on, or negotiate the terms of, the ParentsNext 2018–2021 Deed, particularly in relation to the insurances that successful Respondents will need to obtain and maintain during the term of the Deed? [Added 12 December 2017]

The Department will not agree to waive or vary the requirements in relation to insurance under clause 36 of the draft ParentsNext 2018–2021 Deed. This is a standard clause contained in all employment services deeds executed by the Department. Other employment service providers are expected to, and do, comply with the requirements under this clause.

Where a Respondent’s current insurer is unable to provide the required insurance, it should pursue other avenues that will enable it to comply with the Deed.


https://docs.employment.gov.au/documents/employment-grants-announcements-1-july-2015).

https://docs.employment.gov.au/documents/employment-grants-announcements-1-july-2015).

8.Responding8.1 When are responses due? [Added 13 November 2017]

Responses are due by 5.00 pm (Canberra time), 18 December 2017.

The Department will not accept a late response, unless the response is late due solely to mishandling by the Department.

Reference: RFT Section 6.2—Closing Date and Time

8.2 Where can I find the Request for Tender documentation? [Added 13 November 2017]

Respondents wishing to respond to the Request for Tender must register with 360Pro (http://www.tinyurl.com/360Pro-employment) to access all Request for Tender documentation. Registration is available free of charge.

The Request for Tender will also be advertised on AusTender (www.tenders.gov.au).


8.3 How will I be notified of any changes to the Request for Tender? [Added 13 November 2017]

If necessary, Addenda will be issued on AusTender (www.tenders.gov.au) and 360Pro (http://www.tinyurl.com/360Pro-employment). Respondents registered with AusTender and 360Pro will receive email notifications if Addenda are issued.

Respondents can register with AusTender and 360Pro free of charge.


8.4 How do I submit a response? [Added 13 November 2017]

Responses must be lodged electronically through 360Pro (www.tinyurl.com/360Pro-employment).

Responses cannot be submitted by any other means (including by hand, courier, post, facsimile, email or via AusTender).

The 360Pro Tender Response Portal will not accept responses after the closing date and time (see Question 8.1 above). Respondents are strongly encouraged to submit their response well before the closing date and time, to allow enough time to resolve any issue that may arise.

References: RFT Section 6.1.2—Response Lodgement, and Section 6.2—Closing Date and Time


http://www.tinyurl.com/360Pro-employment


http://www.tenders.gov.au/

http://www.tenders.gov.au/


8.5 How do I know my response has been submitted successfully? [Added 13 November 2017]

When responses have been successfully submitted, an official receipt is automatically emailed to the registered 360Pro user. Respondents should save and print this receipt as proof of lodgement. Failure to receive a receipt means lodgement of the response has not completed correctly.

Respondents should contact the Employment Services Purchasing Hotline ([email protected]) as a matter of priority if they do not receive an official receipt and believe they have successfully submitted their response.

Reference: RFT Section 6.3.1—Proof of Lodgement of Response

8.6 Can I change my response once it has been submitted? [Added 13 November 2017]

Prior to the closing date and time, Respondents can re-open their submitted response to make changes. Note that after re-opening a response, Respondents must re-submit the amended response if they wish it to be assessed.

Only responses with a status of ‘submitted’ in 360Pro after the closing date and time will be considered by the Department.

Respondents can withdraw from the process by re-opening their response and not resubmitting it.

Reference: RFT Section 6.3.2—Changing or Withdrawing Responses

8.7 What is 360Pro? [Added 13 November 2017]

360Pro is the tool the Department uses to collect responses to Request for Tenders, Request for Proposals and Grant Funding applications. It contains all documents Respondents (who can also be referred to as bidders, applicants or participants) need, including forms requiring completion and is also where the responses are submitted.

A potential Respondent is encouraged to read the 360Pro Reference Guide available from the ‘Job Info’ tab in 360Pro. It can also be found under ‘Resources’ on the Employment Services Purchasing Information website (www.employment.gov.au/purchasing).

Reference: RFT Appendix F—360Pro Frequently Asked Questions

8.8 Can attachments be included with the response? [Added 13 November 2017]

The Department will not accept any attachments submitted with the response with the exception of those documents specifically requested by the Department in the Request for Tender.

Reference: RFT Section 6.1.3—Attachments





8.9 Is there a specific format or example to authorise a Lead Group Respondent? [Added 13 November 2017]

There is no pre-set format or examples for this document.

If lodging a response as a Group Respondent, each member of the Group must be a legal entity and the Group must appoint a lead member to lodge the response on behalf of all members of the Group, and must complete and submit a Group Respondents Form in 360Pro.

Reference: RFT Section 3.1.2—Group Respondents

8.10 If my organisation is part of a Group response can we also submit a stand-alone response for the same Region or Location? [Added 13 November 2017]

No. A Respondent must not compete against itself by submitting alternative or multiple responses for the same Region or Location.

This provision does not apply to Subcontractors. A Subcontractor may be nominated as part of a response by one or more Respondents for the same Region or Location. A nominated Subcontractor may also respond in its own right for that Region or Location.

Reference: RFT Section 3.2—Competing Entities

8.11 Are spaces included in the character limit for the selection criteria? [Added 13 November 2017]

Yes. The selection criteria character limit includes spaces and formatting. The Department reserves the right to not consider any text in a Response that is in excess of the character limits.

Reference: RFT Section 3.7—Responding to Selection Criteria

8.12 Are written referee endorsements required? [Added 13 November 2017]

Yes. Each Respondent must provide a minimum of two and up to four Referee Endorsements to verify claims in its response to the selection criteria.

Referee Endorsements must be completed using the Referee Endorsement Form available from 360Pro. The form must be sent by the Respondent to each referee providing a Referee Endorsement. Referees must complete the form and return a signed copy to the Respondent for uploading to 360Pro with the response as a scanned document.

Reference: RFT Section 3.8—Referees


8.13 How do I respond to the selection criteria? [Added 15 November 2017]

Respondents are required to respond to the selection criteria and provide all other information required by the Request for Tender by completing the forms provided in the Response pack available through 360Pro.

Potential Respondents are advised that the forms available for ParentsNext 2018–2021 are identified at Appendix E—Respondent Checklist of the Request for Tender document.

Appendix E—Respondent Checklist also identifies which forms are mandatory and those that are required if they are applicable, e.g. if the Respondent is proposing subcontractors the Subcontractors Form and Subcontractors Credentials Information Form(s) must be completed covering each subcontractor.

Respondents must include a response to each selection criterion listed in this section on the relevant forms and in the supplied file format.

Respondents should address each of the sub-criteria under each selection criterion. Failure to address each of the sub-criteria may have a negative impact on the assessment of a Response in relation to that selection criterion.

References: RFT Section 3.7—Responding to Selection Criteria, and Appendix E—Respondent Checklist

8.14 How do I elect to be both a Specialist and non-Specialist Provider in the same Employment Region? [Added 17 November 2017]

A Specialist Provider is one that provides a ParentsNext service to Indigenous parents only.

The Coverage and Conditionality form on 360Pro allows a Respondent to specify Provider coverage for multiple Employment Regions. Respondents should tick the relevant boxes in the ‘Intensive Location LGAs’ row for all the Local Government Areas (LGAs) they wish to provide services in. To elect to be a Specialist Provider, Respondents should tick the ‘Specialist Provider’ box, and then specify in the ‘Conditionality’ row if they wish to be a Specialist Provider in only one or some of the elected LGAs.

References: RFT Section 3.1.7—Specialist Providers, and Appendix B—Glossary

8.15 Do I need to specify addresses of potential Sites where services will be delivered? [Added 17 November 2017]

To nominate potential Sites (i.e. sites not yet operating, but proposed to deliver services from), Respondents are required, as best as practicable, to identify the sites by location (suburb, town or city) and postcode. Where the exact address cannot be provided, place `potential site' in Address Line 1.

Please see the Coverage and Conditionality form on 360Pro for further instructions.


8.16 Will the Department consider Outreach Sites? [Added 17 November 2017]

The Department will consider Outreach Sites in areas where there is a low number of Participants and the proposed service offer will meet the needs of Participants in that area.

Please see the Coverage and Conditionality form on 360Pro for instructions on how to propose Outreach Sites in your application.

8.17 Is there further information on how to fill out the Coverage and Conditionality Form? [Added 20 November 2017]

Contact the Employment Services Purchasing Hotline via email ([email protected]) or phone on 1300 733 514 (Monday to Friday, 9.00 am to 5.00 pm Canberra time, excluding ACT and national public holidays) to request an example of the Coverage and Conditionality Form.

8.18 Are organisations required to specify the Business Share they are willing to accept as part of their application within a given Employment Region? [Added 29 November 2017]

The Department has forecast average caseloads of 400–500 Participants in the Request for Tender based on Providers’ caseloads from the existing ParentsNext program. Details of expected Participant numbers for each Employment Region are at Appendix D—ParentsNext Maps of the Request for Tender. However, the Department cannot guarantee that expected Participant numbers will eventuate.

As outlined in Section 2.9—Business Share of the Request for Tender, Respondents may specify the Business Share they are willing to accept as part of their application within a given Employment Region. This may be more or less than the forecast average caseload of 400–500.

If an Employment Region has an expected Compulsory Participant number of 4,000, and all Respondents who submit tender applications indicate they would only accept a minimum Business Share of 25 to 50 per cent, it may be that four providers are awarded 25 per cent (or an expected caseload of 1,000 Participants).

Should a Respondent want to service only part of an Employment Region, and service a small number of Participants (for example 160), the Respondent would nominate their areas of service, and submit a Business Share of four percent (160/4000).

Reference: RFT Section 2.9—Business Share, and Appendix D—ParentsNext Maps

8.19 Will preference be given to organisations who apply to deliver services across an entire Employment Region? [Added 29 November 2017]

All Employment Regions will need to be covered by at least one Provider. When assessing responses to the Request for Tender, the Department will consider the need for strong local connections, but preference will be given to Respondents that propose to deliver services across the entire Employment Region. Further information can be found in Section 2.8—Coverage of the Request for Tender.




8.20 Can organisations specify location conditionality in their applications? [Added 29 November 2017]

A Respondent may specify that its provision of ParentsNext is conditional on it winning business in specific other locations (in the Coverage section of the Coverage and Conditionality Form). Respondents should consider the implications of specifying conditional tenders. Specified conditions could mean that the Respondent’s partial or entire tender is unsuccessful. Further information is in Section 3.6—Conditionality of the Request for Tender.

Reference: RFT Section 3.6—Conditionality

8.21 Are organisations required to specify the types of sites they will deliver services in? [Added 29 November 2017]

Providers are expected to specify the sites from which they will deliver services, including whether these are Full-time, Part-time or Outreach. If specifying a Part-time site, Respondents are required to provide operating hours of these sites.


8.22 Should Respondents declare all government funding in their applications? [Added 29 November 2017]

Each Respondent is asked to declare, by completing the Double Funding Form, any actual or potential contractual relationships with public funding bodies (Australian, state, territory or local government), under which it may be entitled to a fee for the provision of the same or similar services prior to a Deed being finalised (should its Response to the Request for Tender be successful).

Whenever such actual or potential contractual relationships exist, the Respondent must also provide details of the controls and arrangements it intends to put in place to ensure separation of claims, receipts and fees from different public funding sources.

Where the Department becomes aware that a Respondent has failed to disclose actual or potential contractual relationships with public funding bodies as described above, the Department may, in its absolute discretion, exclude their response from further consideration in this process.

Reference: Section 3.4—Double Funding

8.23 I am having issues downloading forms individually through 360Pro. Is there another way to download the forms? [Added 29 November 2017]

Ensure your Adobe Reader is up-to-date. You are able to download all 360Pro forms in one go. On the home page in 360Pro (www.tinyurl.com/360Pro-employment), select the Export icon and save the downloaded files on your computer, keeping the file names as they are.

Reference: RFT Section 6.3—360Pro



8.24 The Request for Tender requires at least one full time site in an Employment Region. If applying for an entire Employment Region, can a site in an Intensive Stream location qualify as the full-time site, even where there would not be a full-time site in the Targeted location? [Added 29 November 2017]

Respondents must indicate whether the proposed sites are Full-time, Part-time or Outreach. However, there is no requirement to nominate at least one Full-time site, or any other specific type of site as part of the response. Respondents are expected to nominate the site or combination of sites that will enable the best servicing of the proposed locations. As per Section 2.10—Sites of the Request for Tender, Respondents are expected to offer appropriate facilities in the Employment Region(s) or Location(s) they intend to service, to outline where their proposed sites would be located.


8.25 For intensive locations that cross over multiple Employment Regions (for example Bankstown), can a Respondent apply to just deliver part of the location within only one of the Employment Regions? [Added 5 December 2017]

Yes. Respondents can apply to deliver only part of an Employment Region but, at a minimum, a Respondent must propose to service at least one Local Government Area within the Employment Region. Further information is in Section 2.8—Coverage and Section 3.5—Coverage of the Request for Tender.

References: RFT Section 2.8—Coverage, and Section 3.5—Coverage

8.26 Is coverage based on a wider location or within an Employment Region? [Added 5 December 2017]

Coverage is based on an Employment Region. Respondents can apply to service only part of an Employment Region. When assessing responses, the Department will consider the need for strong local connections, but preference will be given to Respondents that propose to deliver services across the entire Employment Region. Further information is in Section 2.8—Coverage and Section 3.5—Coverage of the Request for Tender.

References: RFT Section 2.8—Coverage, and Section 3.5—Coverage


8.27 Does an organisation need to complete one or multiple applications if applying to deliver services to both Intensive and Targeted Stream locations within the same Employment Region? [Added 5 December 2017]

If an organisation is tendering for both Streams in an Employment Region, only one application is required. Applications are at the Employment Region level.

A Provider should have the ability and capacity to deliver services across large geographical areas if they propose to cover an entire Employment Region.

Further information is in Section 2.8—Coverage of the Request for Tender.


8.28 If a Provider only wants to provide assistance to the Targeted Stream cohort in an Employment Region, and wants to operate only from a single site and seeking to cover 200 targeted clients, what total would they use to calculate the Business Share – the total for the Targeted Stream cohort or the total combined Targeted and Intensive Stream cohort numbers? [Added 5 December 2017]

As outlined in Section 2.9—Business Share of the Request for Tender, Business Share is calculated at the Employment Region level, and does not use Targeted or Intensive Stream Participant totals in the calculation. If a Respondent is proposing to service 200 Participants in the Targeted Stream, and the Employment Region had an expected caseload of 549 (of which 295 are expected to be in the Targeted Stream), the Respondent would indicate a preferred Business Share of 36% in the response, which is 200 calculated as a percentage of 549 (the entire Employment Region Expected Participant number).

Please note that Respondents are able to indicate a maximum and minimum Business Share as part of the response.

Reference: RFT Section 2.9—Business Share

8.29 How does an organisation apply for ParentsNext as both a sole trader and as part of a Group Respondent? [Added 5 December 2017]

You will need to submit two separate responses to the Request for Tender for ParentsNext 2018–2021. Please refer to Section 3.1.1—Sole Traders and Section 3.2.1—Group Respondents of the Request for Tender for further information on these types of entities. As the responses will be treated separately, it will not be possible for the single organisation response to specify conditionality relating to the Group Respondent response, and vice versa. The entities must not compete against each other in the same Employment Region, as per Section 3.2—Competing Entities of the Request for Tender.

References: RFT Section 3.1.1—Sole Traders, Section 3.2.1—Group Respondents, and Section 3.2—Competing Entities


8.30 What are the guidelines around Federal or State Government referees? [Added 5 December 2017]

As per Section 3.8—Referees of the Request for Tender, a Respondent may nominate, as a referee to confirm/support claims in its Response, an employee of a federal or state government entity, apart from current employees of the Department of Employment.

The referee should ensure that they abide by their organisation's guidelines or policies on being a referee.


8.31 How are Participants involved in program governance? [Added 5 December 2017]

It is up to Respondents to describe how they will give Participants a say in the services they deliver.

Reference: RFT Section 2.20.4—Service Delivery Plan

8.32 Where an Intensive Stream Location covers one or more Employment Regions, do Respondents need to submit a response to Selection Criterion 3 for each Employment Region covered by the Intensive Stream Location? [Added 8 December 2017]

If a Respondent wishes to deliver services in an Intensive Stream Location which crosses one or more Employment Regions, a response to Selection Criterion 3 must be submitted for each Employment Region. The response for each Employment Region should be a stand-alone response.


8.33 Do Respondents need to provide a minimum of two referees for each Employment Region they apply for? [Added 8 December 2017]

Respondents are not required to provide a minimum/maximum number of referee endorsements per Employment Region they apply for. Respondents must provide a minimum of two and up to four referee endorsements to verify claims in their responses to the selection criteria as a whole.


8.34 What Site type (Full-Time or Part-Time) should a Respondent select on the Coverage and Conditionality form if it intends to deliver a Part-Time ParentsNext service from an existing Site, which is operating on a Full-Time basis? [Added 8 December 2017]

Where a Respondent intends to offer ParentsNext services on a Part-Time basis from any given Site, it should select the ‘Part-Time’ Site type on the Coverage and Conditionality form, even if the Respondent operates the Site on a Full-Time basis in another capacity.



8.35 How should a Respondent complete the Coverage and Conditionality form where: it intends to cover an entire Employment Region; within that Employment Region there is a Local Government Area (LGA) that overlaps with another Employment Region; and the Respondent proposes to also cover the part of the LGA that is in the other Employment Region? [Added 8 December 2017]

ParentsNext 2018–2021 business will be awarded at the Employment Region Level. Respondents proposing to deliver ParentsNext services over an entire Employment Region should select ‘All Employment Region’ from the Coverage drop-down menu on the Coverage and Conditionality form.

Where an LGA crosses Employment Region boundaries, a successful Respondent will only be required to deliver services in the part of the LGA that is within the Employment Region applied for, i.e. the Respondent will only receive referrals for Participants residing within the relevant Employment Region boundaries.

Where a Respondent proposes to cover part of an Employment Region (for example, an area/s of an LGA that overlaps with another Employment Region that a Respondent proposes to cover), it will need to submit a separate response to Selection Criterion 3 for the Employment Region it intends to partially cover. On the Coverage and Conditionality form, a Respondent should select the relevant option (All Intensive, All Targeted, Partial Intensive, Partial Targeted, All Intensive and Partial Targeted, All Targeted and Partial Intensive, or Partial Intensive and Partial Targeted) from the Coverage drop-down menu, and select the relevant Intensive and Targeted Stream Location/s it proposes to cover in the Employment Region.

8.36 Can an organisation provide both the Intensive and Targeted Stream services if they are located in the same Employment Region? [Added 8 December 2017]

Yes, Providers may propose to service Participants from both the Intensive and Targeted Streams within the same Employment Region.


8.37 Do you expect the responses to Selection Criteria 3 to distinguish between Targeted and Intensive service delivery strategies? [Added 8 December 2017]

Selection Criteria 3 responses may distinguish between Targeted and Intensive service delivery strategies where the strategies used differ.



8.38 What proportion of the response to Selection Criterion 1 does the Department expect to be about the Respondent’s organisation generally, as opposed to the Respondent’s organisation in the context of delivering ParentsNext? [Added 8 December 2017]

The Department is unable to give specific advice to Respondents on how to respond to selection criteria. Each Respondent should decide what proportion of their response to Selection Criterion 1 addresses each sub-criterion. Respondents’ attention is drawn to Section 3.7—Responding to Selection Criteria of the Request for Tender which provides that, “Failure to address each of the sub-criteria may have a negative impact on the assessment of a Response in relation to that selection criterion.” Where indicated, the Respondent should demonstrate in its response how any current processes/frameworks will be changed or adapted to deliver ParentsNext.


8.39 Can Respondents nominate to only deliver ParentsNext to a select group of families, e.g. carers/parents of a child with a disability? [Added 11 December 2017]

The Department will only consider the provision of specialist services for Respondents wishing to nominate as Indigenous Specialist Providers. ParentsNext Providers will be required to deliver services to all Compulsory Participants referred to them from Centrelink.

Providers operating in an Intensive Stream Location may choose to target services for Volunteers toward particular cohorts, e.g. a Provider could seek to attract eligible Volunteers who are carers/parents of a child with a disability.



9.Evaluation Process9.1 How will the Department evaluate the responses? [Added 13 November 2017]

The evaluation of responses to the Request for Tender will be conducted by Departmental staff with the appropriate expertise, training and knowledge.

Reference: RFT Section 4.3—Evaluation Process

9.2 What is the Department’s evaluation process? [Added 13 November 2017]

Each response will be downloaded from 360Pro after the closing date and time. The Department will check responses to ensure that:

the response includes all information required, as listed in the Respondent Checklist at Appendix E—Respondent Checklist in the Request for Tender, and

the response has been submitted using the correct forms, in the correct format and containing completed information, including responses to the selection criteria.

All responses that meet these checks will then be assessed against the eligibility requirements outlined in Section 3.1—Eligibility to Apply in the Request for Tender. Failure to meet the eligibility requirements may result in exclusion from further consideration in the evaluation process.

All eligible responses will then be assessed against the selection criteria.

The Department will also undertake a financial viability assessment.

References: RFT Section 3.1—Eligibility to Apply, Section 4.3—Evaluation Process, andAppendix E—Respondent Checklist

9.3 Selection Criterion 1 will be assessed as Pass or Fail. If a response fails this criterion, will it be excluded? [Added 13 November 2017]

Yes. Only responses that receive a ‘pass’ for Selection Criterion 1 will be assessed against Selection Criteria 2 and 3 and assessed for value for money.


Update: Respondents are advised that a previous reference to Selection Criteria 4 has been removed. [Updated 21 November 2017]


9.4 How is value for money assessed? [Added 13 November 2017]

A committee of senior Departmental managers will oversee the evaluation process and make recommendations to the Delegate based on a value for money assessment.

In addition to the broader principles underpinning Australian Government procurement, the committee will consider a range of factors when determining value for money, including but not limited to:

responses to the selection criteria a comparison of coverage the overall diversity of Respondents the capacity and capability of a Respondent, based on their responses to Selection

Criteria 1 to 3 (inclusive), to deliver ParentsNext services, and any relevant risk to the Australian Government.

References: RFT Section 4.1—Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013, and Section 4.3—Evaluation Process

Update: Respondents are advised that a reference to Selection Criteria 4 has been removed. [Updated 21 November 2017]

9.5 Who makes the final decision? [Added 13 November 2017]

The Deputy Secretary—Employment for the Department, or their delegate, will consider the recommendations and make the final decisions. Respondents will then be advised by email of the outcome of their response. The decision of the Delegate is final.


9.6 What if I do not agree with the decision? [Added 13 November 2017]

The decision of the Delegate is final.

You can provide feedback on the process via the Employment Services Purchasing Hotline ([email protected]).

The Department has a complaints handling process in place for purchasing under the Request for Tender. This is outlined in Appendix A—Communications Protocol in the Request for Tender.

References: RFT Section 4.3—Evaluation Process, and Appendix A—Communication Protocol

9.7 What happens if the Department needs additional information to assess a response? [Added 13 November 2017]

The Department may, at any stage of the evaluation process, contact Respondents (including members of a Group Respondent who are not the lead member) or nominated Subcontractors, to clarify aspects of their response, or seek additional information. This contact will be on a confidential and without prejudice basis and does not mean the Department will be offering a Deed to the associated Respondent.




9.8 Can I get more information about my response? [Added 13 November 2017]

All Respondents will, on request, receive a verbal debriefing following the announcement of the procurement process outcomes. The request for a debriefing must be made within one month of the final announcement of the procurement process, via email to the Employment Services Purchasing Hotline ([email protected]).

Reference: RFT Section 4.5—Debriefing

9.9 If an organisation is tendering for more than one Employment Region, will the weighting for Selection Criterion 3 be 50% for each Employment Region? [Added 29 November 2017]

The weighted score for each Employment Region is considered along with the weighted score for Selection Criterion 2, to arrive at an overall score for each Employment Region.

9.10 How will the Department evaluate responses against selection criteria elements that relate to cultural and Indigenous capability, in areas with a low proportion of Indigenous parents? [Added 5 December 2017]

The Department will evaluate all responses to the selection criteria as per the process in Chapter 4—The Department’s Evaluation Process of the Request for Tender.

Reference: RFT Chapter 4—The Department’s Evaluation Process

9.11 The Request for Tender states that an average caseload is expected to be about 400-500 Participants. If an area's expected caseload is 700 Participants, how many Providers would cover that area? [Added 5 December 2017]

The number of Providers that cover an Employment Region will be determined by the Department during the purchasing process. The Department could give business to any number of Providers within a location, depending on the expected caseload of the region. Many factors will be considered during this process, including conditionality, business share and required coverage for the region.

References: RFT Section 2.8—Coverage, and RFT Section 2.9—Business Share

9.12 Can the Department provide clarification on Selection Criterion 2 requirements? [Added 5 December 2017]

Respondents should describe their skills, experience, and knowledge under the broad umbrella of what they have done, and then link that capacity to how they propose to deliver ParentsNext services.





9.13 Will there be more than one Provider selected for each Employment Region? [Added 8 December 2017]

The Department may select more than one Provider for each Employment Region. Further information is in Section 2.8—Coverage of the Request for Tender. If more than one Provider is selected, the Department will allocate Business Share as outlined in Section 2.9—Business Share of the Request for Tender.

References: RFT Section 2.8—Coverage, and Section 2.9—Business Share

9.14 Will current ParentsNext Providers be given any additional advantages in the selection process? [Added 11 December 2017]

No, the Department will ensure the ParentsNext process is fair and transparent. All responses to the Request for Tender will be assessed as per Section 4.3—Evaluation Process of the Request for Tender. Competitive neutrality requires that competition is fair and, therefore, assessments of relative performance against the selection criteria for responses are made on the same basis.

References: RFT Section 4.2—Probity, Section 4.3—Evaluation Process, and Section 5.6.7—Competitive Neutrality


10. Timing10.1 What is the indicative timeline for the ParentsNext tender? [Added 13 November 2017]

Indicative Date Key Event

13 November 2017 Release of the Request for Tender for ParentsNext 2018–2021.

20 November 20172 Release of the ParentsNext 2018–2021 Draft Deed.

20 to 24 November 2017 RFT information sessions held in capital cities

24 and 30 November 2017 Two webinar information sessions conducted.

5.00 pm (Canberra time)15 December 2017

Last day for requests for further information regarding the Request for Tender for ParentsNext 2018–2021. There will be no obligation on the Department of Employment to answer questions received after this date.

5.00 pm (Canberra time)18 December 2017

Closing date and time for the submission of responses to the Request for Tender for ParentsNext 2018–2021.

March to April 2018 Notification to Respondents and Announcement of outcomes.

Dispatch of Deed offers and execution of ParentsNext 2018–2021 Deed.

2 July 2018 Successful Respondents commence delivery of ParentsNext.

30 June 2021 End date of the ParentsNext 2018–2021 Deed, unless the Department applies an extension.

Please note that these are indicative dates only and subject to change at the Department’s discretion.

Reference: RFT Indicative Timeline (page ii)

10.2 When will the ParentsNext 2018–2021 draft Deed be made available? [Added 13 November 2017]

It is expected that the draft Deed will be published on the Department’s Employment Services Purchasing Information website (www.employment.gov.au/purchasing) on or about 20 November 2017.


2 The release date for the draft Deed has been delayed. As advised in Addendum No 7, the draft Deed is anticipated to be published by 27 November 2017. [Updated 21 November 2017]




10.3 When will successful ParentsNext Providers be notified? [Added 13 November 2017]

It is anticipated that notification to Respondents and Announcement of outcomes will be made from March to April 2018.


10.4 What is the duration of the ParentsNext Deed? [Added 5 December 2017]

The draft Deed is for an initial term of three years from 2018 to 2021. The Department may extend the term of the Deed for a further three years. See clause 2 of the draft Deed for further information.


11. IT Requirements11.1 Will there be a data reporting and operational management system available to

ParentsNext Providers? [Added 13 November 2017]

The Department’s IT Systems will be used to provide ParentsNext services. It will interface with the Department of Human Services system. Some IT functionality will be available from March 2018 to enable ParentsNext Provider training and the booking of Participant appointments with all functionality being released just prior to July 2018. Functionality will include (but is not limited to) the ability:

to enable Participants to be referred to the service from Department of Human Services to directly register a Volunteer Participant for Providers to view their caseload and manage Participant appointments to develop Participation Plans record the granting of Exemptions from Mutual Obligation Requirements to monitor and manage a Participant’s participation requirements and compliance with the

program to refer Participants to local activities including education, pre- employment preparation,

non-vocational and employment activities to claim payments, including outcomes payments to place Participants into vacancies to upload Service Delivery Plans, and for Participants to search for Providers on Australian JobSearch.

Reference: RFT Section 2.22—Use of the Department’s IT Systems

Note: This is a duplicate of FAQ 4.2. [Duplicate added 8 December 2017]

11.2 Will ParentsNext Providers need to be IT accredited? [Added 13 November 2017]

All ParentsNext Providers will need to meet certain requirements in relation to IT accreditation. Further information regarding the accreditation process will be included in the draft ParentsNext 2018–2021 Deed which is expected to be published on the Employment Services Purchasing Information website (http://www.employment.gov.au/purchasing) on 20 November 2017.


11.3 Will ParentsNext Providers have access to training? [Added 13 November 2017]

Yes, a range of training and resources on ParentsNext operational policy and the Department’s IT Systems will be available to ParentsNext Providers. Some training will be compulsory for Provider staff to complete, including training on Participation Plans, Exemptions and Compliance.

The Department will provide more details on training to successful Respondents in the lead up to July 2018.






11.4 Will WorkStar™ be the compulsory work readiness tool for ParentsNext 2018–2021? Will Providers have a choice of work readiness tool? [Added 21 November 2017]

The Department is determining the work readiness tool that will be utilised to measure the progress of Participants. To enable the improvement in work readiness to be measured consistently across the ParentsNext program, the Department expects that one tool will be used by all Providers across the program. The Department will notify successful tenderers of the work readiness tool to be used for ParentsNext Participants prior to the commencement of the program.

Reference: RFT Section 2.19—Work Readiness Assessments


11.5 Will Providers be required to undertake the IT Pathway to Accreditation process? [Added 29 November 2017]

Providers that currently hold Deeds with the Department may already have begun the Pathway to Accreditation process. For those Providers, if they successfully tender for ParentsNext 2018–2021, there may be reduced cost to include ParentsNext into their current IT accreditation pathway as the Department will acknowledge any progress already made by a Provider toward completing the Pathway to Accreditation process.

Other successful ParentsNext Providers will be required to undertake the Pathway to Accreditation process. The cost of accreditation is usually dependent on the size of the organisation, the complexity of its IT infrastructure, and how many sites it operates from. An independent Information Registered Assessor Program (IRAP) assessor will be required to complete and submit the following submissions on behalf of these Providers to the Department:

Phase 2 (18 months from commencement of service) and Phase 3 (36 Months from commencement of service).


Further information regarding the accreditation process is included in the draft ParentsNext 2018–2021 Deed, which is published on the Employment Services Purchasing Information website (http://www.employment.gov.au/purchasing).


11.6 Will all members of a successful Group Respondent be required to undertake the IT Pathway to Accreditation process, or does this requirement only apply to the lead member? [Added 8 December 2017]

Yes. All members of a successful Group Respondent will be required to undertake the IT Pathway to Accreditation process. See the draft ParentsNext 2018–2021 Deed for more information about IT Systems accreditation requirements.




11.7 Can the Department provide clarification on the definition of the Third Party System as referred to in clause 27 of the draft Deed for ParentsNext 2018–2021? [Added 8 December 2017]

To assist with answering your question about the Third Party System definition and relationship to the Department’s portal (i.e. the Department’s IT System), it is important to confirm the Department’s objective, and also other definitions.

Annexure 1—Definitions of the Deed sets out definitions for:

‘Provider IT System’ means an information technology system used by the Provider or any Subcontractor to provide any Services or to Access the Department’s IT Systems.

‘Third Party IT Provider’ means an entity contracted by the Provider to provide information technology services to the Provider for the purposes of providing the Services, whether or not the entity is a Subcontractor, and includes as relevant, its Personnel, successor and assigns, and any constituent entities of the Third Party IT Provider's organisation. To avoid doubt, a Third Party IT Provider includes a cloud services provider, an infrastructure as a service provider, a software as a service provider, a platform as a service provider, an applications management provider, and also any provider of infrastructure (including servers and network hardware) used for the purpose of Accessing or storing Records.

‘Third Party System’ means (a) a Provider IT System, or(b) an information technology system of a Third Party IT Provider used by the Provider

or any Subcontractor to provide any Services or to Access the Department’s IT Systems.

The Department’s objective is to get assurance that:

(a) All data/information associated with Australian Government Employment Service programs that is stored, processed, or communicated by non-Government systems, is adequately safeguarded, and

(b) The Departments systems that are used, and/or accessed, to support the delivery of the Employment Services by the contracted Employment Service providers, either directly or indirectly, are safeguarded.

A Third Party System is then any system that is used by a Provider, or their sub-contractors, to store, process, or communicate information/data that is related to the delivery of services for an Australian Government Employment Program. A Third Party System could be owned and operated by the Provider itself, or by a Third Party IT Provider that is delivering IT Services and/or Systems to a Provider. A Third Party System can include a system that stores, processes, or communicates Employment Program information/data in a structured or unstructured manner.

A structured Third Party System can include bespoke or commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) systems/products designed to support the delivery of an Australian Government Employment Program, and which may or may not add workflow functionality and features.

An unstructured Third Party System can include systems/processes that leverage general ICT capabilities within an organisation, e.g. based on a network file share, a local drive, email system and folders, or off-site Third Party systems. Third Party off-site systems can include generally inflexible contracted cloud based products (e.g. Office 365, OneDrive, Dropbox, Gmail, iCloud, etc.) or a dedicated Third Party IT Systems Provider that has provided infrastructure under a negotiated contract.


Where a Provider exclusively uses the Department’s online systems

For a Provider to exclusively use the Department’s portal (Department’s online web application), it would mean that no Employment Program related data is stored, processed, or communicated on a Providers IT System, which covers information/data obtained from the Department, provided by an Employment Program participant, or created by a Provider in the management or delivery of the service.

A Provider would not be considered to exclusively use the Department’s system if, for example (and not limited to):

a Provider has any records on their IT systems about their Employment Program participants a Provider communicates via email with an Employment Program participant in relation to an

Employment Program related support/service provided to a Program participant, and a Provider’s IT system receives, or is used in the development of, digital/electronic copies of a

Program participant’s resume or CV, whether completed or partially completed.

Where a Provider does exclusively use the Department’s system, then the Security requirements under clause 27.2 and System Accreditation requirements under clause 27.4 do still apply. However, it is likely that the extent of ICT security controls required would be greatly reduced, as a number of IT security controls would be ‘not applicable’.

Additionally, for Provider furnished Third Party Systems, the Australian Government Australian Signals Directorate (ASD) Information Security Manual (ISM) requirements, as identified in clause 27.2(b)(iii), is limited to the Provider system accreditation requirements. The Provider ‘System Accreditation – Statement of Applicability (SoA)’ (outlined in clause 27.4) provides a reduced set of ASD ISM controls that Provider systems will be assessed against.

Providers who currently hold deeds with the Department will already have begun the Pathway to Accreditation, and there should be a minimal cost to include the other program processes and sites into their current IT Accreditation Pathway.

The progress a Provider has made toward IT Security Accreditation will be acknowledged and they will continue on their current Accreditation timeline.

New Providers will be required to undertake IT Security Accreditation. The cost of Accreditation is synonymous with the size of the organisation, the complexity of their IT infrastructure, and how many sites they operate from. An independent Security Assessor that is an IRAP program member is required to complete the following submissions to the Department:

Phase 2 (18 months from commencement of service), and

Phase 3 (36 Months from commencement of service).


For a small organisation, the independent Security Assessor will likely require a minimum of 1 week’s work to review all relevant documentation, assess procedures and conduct site visits. A list of IRAP program members can be found at the Department of Defence’s IRAP Assessors website (https://www.asd.gov.au/infosec/irap/assessors.htm).


https://www.asd.gov.au/infosec/irap/assessors.htm


11.8 Where can Respondents find more information about what is involved in the IT Pathway to Accreditation process? [Added 11 December 2017]

Potential Respondents can find more information about the accreditation process in the Pathway to Accreditation—Statement of Applicability document available on 360Pro.

A list of Information Registered Assessor Program (IRAP) assessors is available on the Department of Defence’s IRAP Assessors website (https://www.asd.gov.au/infosec/irap/assessors.htm).

11.9 Can the Department outline what the role of an organisation's ICT contacts will be? [Added 11 December 2017]

As per Appendix C—Access to the Department’s IT Systems of the Request for Tender, successful Respondents will need to nominate an IT contact. The Department will send any notifications and updates relating to the Department’s IT Systems to the IT contact. Generally, a Provider’s IT contact will also be its Organisation Security Contact (OSC) who will act as the security administrator for the organisation. The OSC performs security management functions such as managing systems access for the organisation’s personnel. More information will be available to successful Respondents in the lead up to July 2018.

Reference: RFT Appendix C—Access to the Department’s IT Systems

11.10 The cost of gaining IT accreditation can be significant. Will the Department provide any additional funding for this cost, or consider reducing the requirements? [Added 11 December 2017]

As per the draft ParentsNext 2018–2021 Deed, ParentsNext Providers will be responsible for bearing any costs associated with gaining system accreditation. Further information about requirements for system accreditation is in the Pathway to Accreditation—Statement of Applicability document available on 360Pro.




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