Services for the Unemployed
Australia led the world in franchising the management of its Job Network in the 1990s to private providers. The Australian experience has been closely studied, and is now being followed in a number of jurisdictions around the world, including the UK, France and British Columbia.
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The End of Entitlement (PDF) Cawston, Thomas; Haldenby, Andrew and Nolan, Patrick, 2009 Reform This report calls for reform of the UK welfare system. Its key recommendations include increased replacement of social security benefits with private provision, and transferred operation to social enterprises and private companies. UK
DWP's Commissioning Strategy and the Flexible New Deal (PDF) Commons Work and Pensions Select Committee, 2009 The Stationery Office The committee's second report into the UK government's flagship welfare and unemployment policy. UK
Administration of Job Network Outcome Payments (PDF) Australian National Audit Office (ANAO), 2009 ANAO/Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations
This report assesses the Job Network Program, under which the government does not provide employment services directly to job seekers but instead purchases provision from a national network of government and non-government organisations.
AustraliaRaising Expectations and Increasing Support: Reforming Welfare for the Future (PDF) Department for Work and Pensions, 2008
This White Paper 'sets out a vision and route map for a welfare state where everyone is given the help they need to get back to work, matched by an expectation that they take up that support'.
UKRealising Potential: A Vision for Personalised Conditionality and Support (PDF) Gregg, Professor Paul, 2008 Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)
This independent research paper for the DWP presents a new model for unemployment welfare: a single personalised conditionality regime where virtually everyone claiming benefits and not in work should be required to fulfil a new set of obligations. It also includes recommendations for government to assist these recipients.
UKNo-One Written Off: Reforming Welfare to Reward Responsibility (PDF) Department of Work and Pensions, 2008 The Stationery Office A public consultation paper which proposes greater use of private, public and voluntary suppliers to help the long-term unemployed back to work on a payment by results basis as well as greater choice for social care recipients over providers and budgets. ISBN 978-0-10-173632-9 UK
International Insights: Best Practice in Employment Programmes (PDF) Jordan, Hannah, 2008 Ingeus Centre for Policy and Research Comparing three contracts in the UK, France and Germany, this paper provides insight into the elements of contract design crucial to achieving successful outcomes in employment programmes. It is intended to inform the debate on the provision of active labour market services and to contribute to the body of knowledge on policy transfer across countries. UK
Paying for Success: How to Make Contracting Out Work in Employment Services (PDF) Lilley, Peter and Hartwich, Oliver (eds), 2008 Policy Exchange A collection of reports reviewing the impact of international welfare reforms based on the contracting out of employment services in Australia, US, Netherlands, Germany and Denmark. UK
DWP Commissioning Strategy (PDF)
Department of Work and Pensions, 2008
In Work, Better Off: Next Steps to Full Employment - A Response from Work Directions UK (PDF) WorkDirections UK , 2007 A response to the UK Government's plans for welfare reform and recommendations for better procurement and service delivery. UK
In Work, Better Off: Next Steps to Full Employment (PDF) Department of Work and Pensions, 2007 The Stationery Office A green paper setting out the steps that the UK Government will take to achieve full employment through the use of Local Employment Partnerships and by engaging fully with private and voluntary sectors in its delivery. Cm 7130 UK
Performance Measures for Welfare-to-Work Programmes: The Relevance of Australian Star Ratings (PDF) Lam, Dr May , 2007 Work Directions UK A report on the star ratings performance measurement system used in Australia for welfare-to-work contracts and it potential relevance to the UK. UK
Dependency, Increasing Opportunity: Options for the Future of Welfare to Work- A Response from Work Directions (PDF) Work Directions UK, 2007 Initial response to issues raised in the Freud Report (below). UK
Reducing Dependency, Increasing Opportunity: Options for the Future of Welfare to Work (PDF) Freud, David, 2007 Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) A review of the Government's Welfare to Work Scheme since 1997 which recommends focusing resources on encouraging the least advantaged to work by outsourcing such programmes to the private and voluntary sector so as to give them the incentive to improve performance. ISBN 978 1 84712 193 6 UK
Buying Quality Performance: Procuring Effective Employment Services (PDF)
Mansour, Jane and Johnson, Richard, 2006
Work Directions UK
Skills and Sustainable Welfare-to-Work (PDF) Mansour, Jane, 2005 Work Directions UK A paper arguing that welfare-to-work interventions need to extend beyond the pre-employment phase to retention and progression so as to become truly sustainable. Part of this involves improving the procurement of employment programmes. UK
Independent Review of the Job Network: Inquiry Report (PDF)
Productivity Commission, 2002
Commonwealth of Australia
A report by an independent government commission into the first phase of the Job Network scheme
Does Arizona Works Work? Welfare Reform in Arizona (PDF) Phillips, Karla and Franciosi, Robert, 2001 Goldwater Institute A report on a pilot welfare reform programme in Arizona which was contracted out with performance based incentives to encourage the placement of individuals in paid employment and reduce overall caseloads. This programme was also compared to the in-house state welfare programme. USA
Innovations in Labour Market Policies: The Australian Way (PDF) Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), 2001 An analysis of the Job Network system and the wider labour market policies implemented by the public employment Sservice. Australia
Management of Job Network Contracts (PDF)
Department of Employment, Workplace Relations and Small Business , 2000
Australian National Audit Office (ANAO)
Audit Report No. 44, 1999-2000
Management of the Implementation of the New Employment Services Market (PDF)
Department of Employment, Education, Workplace Relations and Small Business, 1998
Australian National Audit Office (ANAO)
Audit Report No. 7, 1998-99
Contracting Out Case Management Services for the Unemployed in Australia Maddock, Lyn; Corden, Simon & Hunt, Timothy , 1997 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), 'Contracting Out Government Services: Best Practice Guidelines and Case Studies', Public Management Occasional Papers, No.20, Chapter 1 A case study of the 'case management' phase of the reform of labour market assistance in Australia. Australia
Implementation of Competition in Case Management
Department of Employment, Education, Training and Youth Affairs, Employment Services Regulatory Authority, 1996
Australian National Audit Office (ANAO)
Report No. 30, 1995-96