Item No.	Item Title	Page No.
1	Community Donations Report	7
2	Community Donations Program - Update	12
3	Ipswich Youth Advisory Council IYAC and the IYAC Ambassador Program	25

Communities Committee NO. 11

12 November 2019

AGENDA

1. Community Donations Report

This is a report providing detail about the year to date allocation of community donations, as at 30 September 2019 (Attachment 1), and providing a summary of these community donations by recipient type, (Attachment 2).

Recommendation

That the Interim Administrator of Ipswich City Council resolve:

That the report be received and the contents noted.

2. Community Donations Program - Update

This is a report concerning an update on the Community Donations Program since the Community Donations Policy was adopted by Council on 18 September 2018, following the dismissal of Councillors on 22 August 2018.

Recommendation

That the Interim Administrator of Ipswich City Council resolve:

That the report be received and the contents noted.

3. Ipswich Youth Advisory Council IYAC and the IYAC Ambassador Program

This is a report concerning the Ipswich Youth Advisory Council (IYAC) and the IYAC Ambassador Program.

Ipswich City Council has been coordinating a youth council initiative for many years. In 2017 (as per the Council Ordinary Meeting of 27 June 2017) (Attachment 1) Council made four recommendations relating to the structure of IYAC and the IYAC Ambassador Program.

This report recommends that the 2017 council recommendations be repealed as IYAC and the IYAC Ambassador Program have evolved since that time and those recommendations are no longer suitable.

Recommendation

That the Interim Administrator of Ipswich City Council resolve:

That the previous decision of Council, as per Item No. 7 of the Library, Youth and Seniors Committee No. 2017(06) of 19 June 2017 and adopted at the Council Ordinary Meeting of 27 June 2017, be repealed.

** Item includes confidential papers

and any other items as considered necessary.

Communities Committee

Meeting Agenda

12 November

2019

Doc ID No: A5838625

ITEM: 1

SUBJECT: Community Donations Report

AUTHOR: Community Grants Coordinator

DATE: 11 October 2019

Executive Summary

Recommendation/s

That the Interim Administrator of Ipswich City Council resolve:

That the report be received and the contents noted.

RELATED PARTIES

There are no known related party matters associated with this report.

Advance Ipswich Theme

Caring for the Community and Listening, Leading and Financial Management

Purpose of Report/Background

Through the provision of community donations, Ipswich City Council seeks to support the role of community organisations and recognise the significant role they play in developing and delivering initiatives that encourage participation in community life, foster social cohesion, celebrate diversity, and contribute to a vibrant, healthy and sustainable city.

The Community Donations Program allows for funds to be allocated to not-for-profit community organisations for community purposes and supports community organisations to deliver initiatives that address identified local community needs.

Management and Coordination of the Community Donations Program

The Community Development Branch manages the receipt, assessment and allocation of funding applications received through the Community Donations Program in accordance with the Community Donations Policy and associated Administrative Guidelines.

Legal/Policy Basis

This report and its recommendations are consistent with the following legislative provisions:

Local Government Act 2009 and Local Government Regulations 2012.

Specifically, section 109 of the Local Government Act 2009 provides local governments with the ability to utilise discretionary funds in accordance with the requirements prescribed under the Local Government Regulation 2012.

Section 202 of the Local Government Regulation 2012 prescribes a number of requirements for –

a) a local government for making discretionary funds available; and

b) a councillor for using discretionary funds.

Discretionary funds allocated are required to be publically reported under section 202 of the Local Government Regulation 2012.

RISK MANAGEMENT IMPLICATIONS

There are no risk management implications associated with this report.

Financial/RESOURCE IMPLICATIONS

Within the Community Development Branch, the Community Grants Team is responsible for the management and coordination of Council’s Community Donations Program and Community Grants and In-Kind Assistance Program. The Community Grants Team is a team of two (2) full-time staff.

Funding for the provision of community donations is contained within the Community Engagement Branch 2019-2020 financial year budget.

There are no additional resourcing or budget implications associated with this report.

COMMUNITY and OTHER CONSULTATION

The contents of this report did not require any community consultation.

Conclusion

Applications for funding through the Community Donations Program are assessed in accordance with the eligibility criteria and assessment process outlined in the Community Donations Policy and associated Administrative Guidelines.

This report provides detail about the allocation of community donations for the 2019-2020 financial year up to 30 September 2019 (Attachment 1), and provides a summary of these community donations by recipient type (Attachment 2).

Attachments and Confidential Background Papers

1.	Community Donations - September 2019 - Report ⇩
2.	Community Donations - September 2019 - Recipient Type ⇩

Josie Berry

Community Grants Coordinator

I concur with the recommendations contained in this report.

Abbey Richards

Community Engagement Manager

I concur with the recommendations contained in this report.

Ben Pole

General Manager - Community, Cultural and Economic Development

“Together, we proudly enhance the quality of life for our community”

Communities Committee

Meeting Agenda

12 November

2019

Doc ID No: A5829238

ITEM: 2

SUBJECT: Community Donations Program - Update

AUTHOR: Community Grants Coordinator

DATE: 4 October 2019

Executive Summary

Recommendation/s

That the Interim Administrator of Ipswich City Council resolve:

That the report be received and the contents noted.

RELATED PARTIES

There are no known related party matters associated with this report.

Advance Ipswich Theme

Caring for the Community and Listening, Leading and Financial Management.

Purpose of Report/Background

Background

The first policy in relation to community donations was adopted by Council on 27 October 2008. This policy was titled ‘Community Donations Policy’. This policy was amended a number of times between 2009 and 2016, however, no substantial changes occurred throughout these various amendments.

The Community Donations Program was reviewed in May 2018 to align the program with legislative requirements.

In May 2018, the Mayoral and Councillor Discretionary Funds Policy was adopted, with the new program coming into effect on 1 July 2018. This new program achieved the following:

1. Alignment to the requirements of the Act and the Regulation relating to Councillors’ discretionary funding (i.e. publication of Availability Notice and Funding Register);

2. Public advertisement of the program;

3. Publication of Administrative Guidelines for potential applicants;

4. Introduction of comprehensive online application process via SmartyGrants;

5. Gateway (centralised) assessment of applications against eligibility criteria; and

6. Robust acquittal process.

Responsibility for assessment and approval of discretionary funding lay with the Mayor and/or Councillors until their formal dismissal on Wednesday 22 August 2018.

Following the dismissal of Councillors, the Mayoral and Councillor Discretionary Funds Program was re-titled the Community Donations Program and the Community Donations Policy was adopted by Council on 18 September 2018. Administrative changes to the Community Donations Policy also occurred on 29 January 2019. Attachment 1 is the current Community Donations Policy.

For further detail about the eligibility criteria and assessment process, see the Administrative Guidelines at Attachment 2.

Update

The changes which have occurred to the Community Donations Program over the last 12-18 months have been significant. Accordingly, the Community Grants Team has supported community organisations through this transition period in the following ways:

- Where requested, one-on-one meetings/telephone conversations with community organisation representatives to talk them through the program and the application process; and

- Public grant writing workshops in Ipswich (5 over the last 12 months, with more scheduled for February 2020). These workshops are designed to take community organisations through Council’s funding programs (including the Community Donations Program) and also outline other potential available funding (i.e. State Government funding).

The following information outlines the community donation applications received and processed between September 2018 and September 2019.

During this time, 110 eligible community donation applications have been processed and total funding of $406,750 has been allocated. The following information categorises the applicant type and percentage of overall funding allocated by project type.

Figure 1: Community Donations Program – Applicant Types:

Figure 2: Community Donations Program – Funded Activity Types:

While no formal complaints have been received about the Community Donations Program or the new processes, the Community Grants Team has received feedback from community organisations that the process is more detailed and time-consuming than was previously the case. Having said this, commentary has also been received from some community members (specifically, some members of the Resilient Communities Community Reference Group) that the new process is now more transparent and equitable.

The Community Grants Team recognises that there are always opportunities for policy and process improvements. Of particular note is the weighting which is applied to applications and the outcomes of this weighting methodology.

Currently, applications for community donations are assessed against the following weighted criteria:

1. Alignment to Council’s Corporate Plan 10%

2. Demonstrated need for the project 30%

3. Expected outcomes of the proposed project 35%

4. Sustainability of the project beyond Council funding 25%

Of the 110 eligible community donation applications received between September 2018 and September 2019:

- 34 applications received 100% of the requested funding;

- 57 applications received 75% of the requested funding; and

- 19 applications received 50% of the requested funding.

It is noted that the sustainability weighting of 25% (criteria 4 above) impacts on the overall amount that an organisation may receive. That is, only 15% of applications have achieved the full weighting for the sustainability criteria, indicating that many applicant organisations are unlikely to be able to implement or achieve sustainability for the initiative which the application relates to.

Next steps

Following a decision by the Executive Leadership Team in June 2019 to centralise the management and administration of all Council grants and funding (outgoing grants and funding), Ipswich City Council has engaged PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC) to assist with this process.

PWC will undertake the following work over the course of the next couple of months:

- Review of all of Council’s current grant and funding categories, including policies, procedures and processes;

- Undertake stakeholder engagement across Council with Council staff responsible for the various funding categories;

- Undertake a benchmarking exercise against comparable local governments to assess the necessity of current grant categories offered by Ipswich City Council and identify any funding gaps;

- Consider current funding amounts, e.g. too high or insufficient, and whether further investment is required in relation to particular areas/topics;

- Address monitoring and reporting of multiple funding activity;

- Draft a whole of Council policy, procedure and guidelines document;

- Make recommendations regarding staff resourcing requirements for ongoing management of Council grants under a centralised model; and

- Review Council’s funding approval processes and consider the appropriateness of the funding approval processes.

The expected timeframe for completion of the above work is December 2019, with a report scheduled to be submitted to Council in early 2020. A draft policy is being prepared for consideration at the December 2019 Council meeting.

As part of the above-mentioned process, the Community Donations Program will be reviewed with an emphasis on the weighted criteria and consideration being given, in particular, to the weighting for the sustainability criteria.

Legal/Policy Basis

This report and its recommendations are consistent with the following legislative provisions:

Local Government Act 2009 and Local Government Regulation 2012

RISK MANAGEMENT IMPLICATIONS

There are no risk management implications associated with this report.

Financial/RESOURCE IMPLICATIONS

There are no additional resourcing or budget implications associated with this report.

COMMUNITY and OTHER CONSULTATION

The contents of this report did not require any community consultation.

Conclusion

This report provides detail about the allocation of community donations between September 2018 and September 2019 and provides a summary of the community donations by recipient type and funded activity type.

Upon completion of the funding review currently being undertaken by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC), a report will be submitted to Council early in 2020, outlining the findings and recommendations of the funding review and incorporating a whole of Council policy for review and adoption.

Attachments and Confidential Background Papers

1	Community Donations Policy ⇩
2	Community Donations Program - Administrative Guidelines ⇩

Josie Berry

Community Grants Coordinator

I concur with the recommendations contained in this report.

Abbey Richards

Community Engagement Manager

I concur with the recommendations contained in this report.

Ben Pole

General Manager - Community, Cultural and Economic Development

“Together, we proudly enhance the quality of life for our community”

Communities Committee

Meeting Agenda

12 November

2019

Doc ID No: A5723749

ITEM: 3

SUBJECT: Ipswich Youth Advisory Council IYAC and the IYAC Ambassador Program

AUTHOR: Children and Youth Development Officer

DATE: 15 August 2019

Executive Summary

This is a report concerning the Ipswich Youth Advisory Council (IYAC) and the IYAC Ambassador Program.

This report recommends that the 2017 council recommendations be repealed as IYAC and the IYAC Ambassador Program have evolved since that time and those recommendations are no longer suitable.

Recommendation/s

That the Interim Administrator of Ipswich City Council resolve:

RELATED PARTIES

There are no known related party matters associated with this report.

Advance Ipswich Theme Linkage

Caring for the community.

Purpose of Report/Background

Ipswich City Council has been coordinating a youth council initiative for a number of years. In 2017 (as per the Council Ordinary Meeting of 27 June 2017) (Attachment 1) council made four recommendations relating to the structure of IYAC and the IYAC Ambassador Program:

a. Expanding the structure to allow for a wider representation of youth in Ipswich (up to 25 years old).

b. Implementing a two-tiered approach to split the age demographic into Ipswich Youth Advisory Council Ambassadors (12 – 15 years of age) and Ipswich Youth Advisory Council (16 to 25 years of age).

c. Targeting youth aged between 12 and 15 years of age for the Ipswich Youth Advisory Council Ambassador program, allowing these youth to benefit from team building, skills development and networking.

d. Forming an active Ipswich Youth Advisory Council of youth aged between 16 and 25 years, empowering members to advocate for the needs of young people and to deliver outcomes in a supportive and structured environment.

Over the past two and a half years since the 2017 council recommendations, the IYAC Program has developed into an important part of council’s Community Development portfolio. A 12 month report detailing the outcomes achieved to date has been compiled (Ipswich Youth Advisory Council - 12 Month Report, see Attachment 2).

However, the recommendations of the 2017 report are no longer suitable and are restrictive to IYAC’s continued progress. Specifically, recommendations B and C concerning a two-tiered structure with Ipswich Youth Advisory Council Ambassadors is deemed unnecessary.

IYAC Ambassadors was intended to operate as a pathway program to IYAC for young people aged between 12-15 years of age. A public Expression of Interest process was undertaken between 1 April and 1 May 2019. During this process Council arranged for the printing and distribution of 100 posters across the Ipswich CBD and surrounding suburbs, in addition to a digital billboard and an email distribution campaign specifically targeting Ipswich secondary schools, vocational schools, youth services and other community services. Additionally, the launch of the Expression of Interest process was raised at the monthly Ipswich & West Moreton Youth Interagency Meeting held at the Ipswich Youth Justice Service Centre on Tuesday, 16 April 2019. However, there was limited interest in the program and zero (0) applications were received.

Due to the limited interest in the IYAC Ambassadors Program, this highlighted to the Community Development Team that the proposed model is not necessarily compatible with the needs of young people aged 12-15 years in the Ipswich community. Duplication is another concern with young people already eligible to access and participate in other Ipswich City Council programs, such as the Discover Ipswich Ambassador Program (which allows young people aged 14 years and above to volunteer at the Ipswich Visitor Information Centre and/or activations at key events). Accordingly, it is proposed that Council does not seek to implement the IYAC Ambassador Program and, instead, consolidates its focus on the IYAC Program.

Furthermore, the current development of the Children, Youth and Families Policy and the current community engagement being undertaken as part of the development of this policy, may result in information for Council concerning community needs and aspirations about, among other things, the 12-15 year cohort in the Ipswich community. Accordingly, activities related to this age cohort may occur as result of the development and implementation of the Children, Youth and Families Policy.

Financial/RESOURCE IMPLICATIONS

There are no financial or resource implications with this report.

RISK MANAGEMENT IMPLICATIONS

There is a risk in the recommended approach that there is no longer a specific program for Ipswich’s 12-15 year old cohort. Having said this, as the public Expression of Interest process undertaken between 1 April and 1 May 2019, received limited interest and zero (0) applications being received, it is considered that the risk associated with Council no longer seeking to implement the program is minimal.

Further, as young people are already eligible to access other Ipswich City Council programs, such as the Discover Ipswich Ambassador Program, there are alternative avenues available to young people to participant in Council programming. Also, with the current development of the Children, Youth and Families Policy and the current community engagement being undertaken as part of the development of this policy, specific activities related to the 12-15 year old cohort may occur as result of the development and implementation of the Children, Youth and Families Policy.

Legal/Policy Basis

This report and its recommendations are consistent with the following legislative provisions:

Not Applicable.

COMMUNITY and OTHER CONSULTATION

A public Expression of Interest process was undertaken for the IYAC Ambassador Program between 1 April and 1 May 2019. However, there was limited interest in the program and zero (0) applications were received.

Conclusion

This report recommends that the 2017 council recommendations be repealed as IYAC and the IYAC Ambassador Program have evolved since that time and those recommendations are no longer suitable.

IYAC has since developed into an important part of council’s Community Development portfolio and has proven to be a successful program (as evidenced in the Ipswich Youth Advisory Council - 12 Month Report, see Attachment 2).

The IYAC Ambassador Program, however, has received limited interest and zero (0) applications were received in response to a public Expression of Interest process. Accordingly, the proposed model is not necessarily compatible with the needs of young people aged 12-15 years in the Ipswich community.

This report recommends that the 2017 council recommendations be repealed as IYAC and the IYAC Ambassador Program have evolved since that time and those recommendation are no longer suitable.

The IYAC Program will continue to be managed by the Community Development Team on an operational basis and the program will continued to be monitored and evaluated to ensure the program continues to deliver upon its objectives.