Redesigning Service Delivery for Success Under IEA
With the new Performance Framework setting the tone for Inclusive Employment Australia (IEA), the next challenge for providers is how to deliver. Getting policies, procedures and people ready by November is no small task, particularly for those entering new ESAs or scaling up rapidly.
This was a strong focus of Prospert and DEA’s recent webinar, “IEA: Anticipating the Performance Framework and Making a Flying Start.”
From Tender Promises to Real-World Delivery
Paul Diviny, Founder and Director of Prospert, explained that many providers will be bringing on staff from multiple legacy organisations, each with their own way of working. So providers must focus on a consistent service delivery model that aligns with their own identity and values.
“All of the providers we’re working with are now going back to what they committed to deliver in their tenders and saying, how do we translate that into policies and procedures that our teams can follow consistently across ESAs?” says Paul.
The lesson? Layer your unique strengths, whether it’s expertise with mental health, ex-offenders, or refugee communities, into your model so participants and employers see a genuine difference.
Becoming Customer Experience–Focused
IEA will measure not just outcomes, but also participant experience. This requires a shift in mindset, starting with how providers hire and induct staff.
“Providers are getting really smart at screening people for their customer experience focus. Because the days of just relying on compliance are not going to give you great job seeker satisfaction,” says Paul.
From day one, consultants must build rapport, listen deeply and co-design meaningful goals with participants who may have had disappointing experiences in DES. Early engagement is critical: those who are job-ready in November need to be in placements quickly, particularly with the slowdown in hiring that typically occurs at Christmas.
Peter Bacon, CEO of DEA, reminded providers that this shift requires real cultural change: “The emphasis has to be on the intrinsic motivation of somebody to go to work rather than the extrinsic hammer. How are we coaching our staff, how are we training our staff, and how are we managing our staff to reflect that?”
Don’t Forget the Wider Ecosystem
Too often, providers talk only about participants. But IEA’s success depends on the whole ecosystem:
Employers, who need support to recruit, retain and include participants
Community organisations, who play a key role in referrals and wraparound support.
As Paul emphasised: “Service delivery isn’t just about participants. It’s about employers and community organisations too. They are part of the ecosystem, and providers need to have that covered off.”
Building strong partnerships in both directions will be crucial in sustaining placements and improving satisfaction metrics.
A Roadmap for Service Delivery
In Prospert’s roadmap for providers transitioning from licence to launch, there are three non-negotiables for service delivery success:
Translate your tender into a workable model – Build policies and procedures that bring commitments to life.
Invest in customer-focused hiring and induction – Choose staff who can deliver experiences participants value, not just compliance.
Embed employer and community engagement – Don’t lose sight of the partners who influence outcomes as much as your internal team.
“This isn’t DES 2.0,” Paul reminded webinar participants. “It’s a totally different contract. Providers who recognise that early and design for it will have the edge.”
Prospert’s Take
Redesigning service delivery isn’t about reinventing the wheel, it’s about aligning your model with IEA’s priorities from the start. Providers that move beyond compliance, focus on customer experience, and bring employers and communities into the fold will set themselves apart in the crucial first six months.
In the next blog, we’ll explore how to build employer engagement skill sets that drive results under IEA.