For decades, Australia has relied heavily on competitive tendering and short-term, transactional contracts to commission social services. While intended to drive efficiency, this approach has often left the sector in crisis, forcing providers to prioritise contract survival over investing in high-quality, innovative services.

Short-term, insecure contracts actively discourage providers from building long-term capability. Rather than strengthening their workforce, improving systems, or innovating delivery, providers are locked into cycles of compliance and contract retention. There is a clear and urgent need for a better way forward.

This timely webinar will explore practical, evidence-based alternatives to traditional competitive tendering. It will examine the potential of relational contracting models, social impact bonds, and place-based approaches to foster deeper, more effective partnerships.

Relational contracting shifts the focus away from rigid, transactional, output-driven agreements and towards long-term, trust-based relationships between governments (or commissioners) and service providers. These partnerships emphasise shared objectives, mutual accountability, adaptability, and continuous learning.

In Europe and North America, relational contracting has helped build stronger, more collaborative systems that deliver better outcomes for communities. Australia now stands at a critical juncture to embrace these lessons and move beyond purely transactional approaches.

The Australian Welfare and Work Lab, in partnership with the University of Oxford’s School of Government, is pioneering a new framework called Formal Relational Contracting. This model aims to embed trust, enable innovation, and focus on outcomes that genuinely improve the lives of vulnerable Australians.

Amplify Alliance strongly advocates for moving away from short-term, transactional models toward approaches that support sustained relationships, sector capability-building, and long-term service improvements.

We encourage all members and stakeholders to join this important and thought-provoking session to consider how we can reshape Australia’s social services system for the future.

About the Presenter

Professor Mark Considine AM
Redmond Barry Distinguished Professor of Political Science, University of Melbourne; Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences of Australia; Co-Director, Australian Welfare and Work Lab.

Professor Mark Considine AM is a prominent leader in social policy reform and public administration innovation. His recent books include:

• Buying and Selling the Poor: Inside Australia’s Employment Services Industry (MUP, 2022)
• The Careless State: Reforming Australia’s Social Services (MUP, 2023)

Through the Australian Welfare and Work Lab, Mark works closely with social service agencies and local development initiatives across Australia to improve service delivery in disability, aged care, childcare, employment services, and vocational education and training. The Lab’s collaboration with Oxford University further strengthens its research and reform agenda.

We look forward to welcoming you to explore how we can build a stronger, fairer, and more sustainable social services future for all Australians.