Overview of partnerships and collaborations

The Australian Social Inclusion Agenda calls for significant changes in the way government works and in the way in which government interacts with other sectors in society. The key to these changes is co-ordination and co-operation.

The Australian government established the Australian Social Inclusion Board to provide advice on the government’s Social Inclusion Agenda.

The Third Sector, consisting of non-profit organisations and other non-government groups that work in the community, plays a critical role in helping the disadvantaged and advancing social inclusion. In recognition of this the government is developing strong relationships with this sector through a National Compact.

The Community Response Task Force was also established so that the Third Sector could deal directly with the government about the impact of the global financial crisis on vulnerable Australians.

The government is also changing the ways in which policies and programs are being designed, developed and delivered across the government. Social Inclusion sections have been established in many government departments to actively foster these changes as they address specific social inclusion priorities.

The Commonwealth is collaborating with the states and territories through the Social Inclusion Ministers’ Meetings.