DIMIA Annual Report 2001-02
2.1.3 Support for community services
Objective
To support the delivery of settlement services through administration of community grants.
Description
This output component supports the administered item grants for migrant community services.
A study of the settlement experience of new migrants conducted by the National Institute of Labour Studies (referred to earlier in this report) indicates that:
'Most migrants were satisfied with the assistance they received… For the majority of services, the percentage satisfied was in the high eighties to low nineties.'
Professor Sue Richardson, National Institute of Labour Studies
DIMIA supported the provision of settlement services to the migrant community through the administration of 318 service agreements with organisations funded under the Community Settlement Services Scheme (CSSS) and through core funding of 30 Migrant Resource Centres (MRCs) and four Migrant Service Agencies (MSAs).
The department has provided core funding for a network of MRCs (and recently, MSAs) since 1976. The MRCs/MSAs provide a base to deliver, support and attract services to assist migrants in their local areas to settle and participate equitably in society.
Core funding of the network enables the government, volunteers and the community to work together to achieve this outcome. The MRC/MSA network provides services across Australia to all migrant communities.
The CSSS complements the core funded services provided through the MRC/MSA network.
The CSSS is an application-based grants program that provides the flexibility to respond to areas of greatest need, taking into account factors such as changes in the composition of the migrant intake and settlement patterns, and high priority needs that emerge in an area.
Funding may be awarded for a period of one, two or three years.
DIMIA supported the funded organisations in the delivery of their services through effective grants management, assistance with identifying and clarifying work programs, advising on reporting and financial accountability requirements, and providing training for management committees/boards and staff.
The Grants Management System (GMS) is a centralised database system that allows assessment, management and reporting of CSSS grants. It has been developed and deployed in DIMIA's central, state and territory offices.
This database, together with the associated Internet-based Electronic Application Form (EAF), implemented for the 2001 CSSS Grants Funding Round, allowed community organisations to apply for funding via the Internet.
Key results
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a total of 352 work programs and service agreements were negotiated and effectively managed.
During the program year formal dispute resolution procedures were required in one instance only. Eighteen grants had payments significantly delayed because of performance or other related issues -
a total of 191 grants ceased on 30 September 2001. In all, 96 per cent of workplans which ceased in the 2000-01 program year have been satisfactorily acquitted. State and Territory offices are following up on outstanding requirements
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the Grants Management System facilitated development of an accurate and timely reporting process
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the internet-based Electronic Application Form has continued to streamline the application and assessment phases of the CSSS funding round since its implementation in 2001, and is consistent with the government's Online and More Accessible Government Strategies.
Organisations can lodge applications quickly and easily and update their organisation details online. Applications are loaded directly into the Grants Management System, facilitating earlier and more efficient assessment.
2.1.4 AMEP administration
Objective
To ensure the Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP) contract management regime accords with 'best practice' in Commonwealth contracts management.
Description
This output component supports the administered item, the AMEP administered by the department through 25 major contracts for tuition and anciliary services.
Key results
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regular meetings with service providers are the main focus of contract management, enabling issues to be dealt with as they arise
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service providers fulfilled contractual requirements in 2001-02, with no breaches notified
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tuition contracts were awarded in 1998 for three years, with an extension to five years subject to a satisfactory evaluation in the third year.
All tuition contracts are due to expire at the end of the 2002-03 financial year. A tender process has started for new AMEP service delivery arrangements to start in July 2003.
2.1.5 Fee-free translating and interpreting services
Objective
To facilitate full participation of migrants from non-English speaking backgrounds in Australia's social and economic life through the provision of effective communication means.
Description
This output component delivers fee-free translating and interpreting services to eligible individuals and organisations.
Fee-free translations into English of extracts from settlement-related personal documents are provided to permanent residents or Australian citizens within their first two years of arrival or grant of permanent residence.
These documents may include birth or marriage certificates, drivers' licences and educational, trade or professional qualifications.
Fee-free telephone and on-site interpreting services are provided to approved individuals and organisations to assist them to communicate with non-English-speaking migrants and refugees who are Australian citizens or permanent residents.
Key results
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the 10 highest demand languages for fee-free translating and interpreting in 2001-02 were Vietnamese, Arabic, Serbian, Mandarin, Cantonese, Spanish, Bosnian, Persian, Turkish and Russian.
The languages in greatest demand were the same as those of last year, with the exception of Russian, which replaced Croatian in the top 10 list this year -
the number of fee-free document translation services decreased. 5,223 services were provided, compared with a forecast of 8,000
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during 2001-02, collection of Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS) translations was out-sourced to the Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP), which has 119 offices.
This change has significantly expanded the number of document collection points and is expected to lead to increased expenditure on fee-free translations during 2002-03 the number of fee-free telephone interpreting services increased, particularly among doctors.
Overall, non-government organisations were the greatest users of telephone services. 67,522 fee-free telephone interpreting services were provided, compared with a forecast of 61,000 -
the number of fee-free on-site interpreting services increased, with doctors being the greatest users of these services. 26,673 fee-free on-site interpreting visits were provided compared with a forecast of 24,000
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promotion of the Doctors' Priority Line, which was launched in November 2000, contributed to an increase in use of telephone interpreting by doctors of 20 per cent from 6,192 services in 2000-01 to 7,445 in 2001-02
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increased awareness among doctors of the availability of fee-free interpreting services contributed to a 16 per cent increase in usage of on-site interpreting by this client group.
Fee-free on-site medical interpreting rose from 16,174 services in 2000-01 to 18,807 in 2001-02.