Young people playing hacky-sack.

Investing in Services for Outcomes

Annually the Ministry of Social Development (MSD) funds approximately 2400 social sector organisations a total of $530 million under around 4400 contracts. It’s vital the services MSD funds make a tangible difference to those who need support. We must achieve better outcomes for people, including vulnerable children, youth, those dependent on welfare and their family/whānau and communities.

The Investing in Services for Outcomes (ISO) approach is about changing the way we work in order to drive positive social development. It aims to improve outcomes for people, families/whänau and communities through:

  • ensuring that key priorities, such as the Government’s Better Public Service targets, drive funding decisions
  • providing one MSD contract and one monitoring and reporting framework 'one and one' and a single MSD approval process
  • reducing the administrative burden of contract management , including making better use of multi-year and multi-agency contracts to create more stability for MSD-funded organisations
  • shifting funding to results-focused services that can make a proven difference and requiring results to be demonstrated in order for providers to receive on-going funding
  • implementing the Organisational Capability Framework including a self-assessment tool and Capability Investment Resource to support MSD-funded organisations to become stronger, adaptable, integrated and more sustainable
  • encouraging MSD-funded organisations to work collectively for integrated service delivery.

Doing things differently; working together and in more efficient and effective ways is at the heart of Investing in Services for Outcomes. No single organisation can be solely responsible for these complex social issues; we need to work together to achieve the best outcomes for people, families/whānau and communities.

For clients that could mean improved access to a suite of services that support long-term outcomes. For providers it could mean more long term contracts, a reduction in the administrative burden of contract management and a social sector that works together better and more often. The vision of ISO is client centred – it’s about ensuring the services MSD funds make a tangible difference to people, families/whänau and communities.