In the financial year 2018-2019, we saw tremendous changes within Auburn Diversity Services Inc (ADSi), which affect the organisation in the areas of finance, service provision, human resources, risk management and compliance.
It is obvious that the organisation’s traditional core business in the last 20 years, i.e. settlement services were hit hard in the last 12 months, as a result of mixed reasons such as more rural and regional rather than metropolitan settlement allocations, and a revised funding model based on initial arrivals rather than second migration. Though there was dramatical reduction in block funding, we observed increased responsibilities as a frontline service provider as a result of transition from output to outcome focused in our daily work, where service provision must be able to demonstrate it actually makes a positive change to people’s lives, or at least help to do
so.
On the other hand, it is also evident that fee for services became much more important in terms of revenue, employee headcount, growth speed and ultimately financial sustainability for the whole organisation. However, the fee for services model requires the organisation to have robust systems in finance, human resources, compliance, risk management, and service delivery, and ability to consolidate all such systems to provide a solution package to clients, in a free market where not-forprofits, commercial companies, individuals are competing for service quality and value for money to attract and retain clients.