2012 A Spatial Odyssey:Common geographies and place-based stories

ABS Stats Show | 13 October 2011

Dr Kate LileyEvidence and Modelling (EMU)

Queensland Department of Communities

The spiral view from big picture to on the ground– the Queensland Department of Communities– Evidence based management – The use of spatial data in human service planning– Data opportunities and challenges– The future’s looking bright…

A User’s perspective

Government Context In March 2009, Queensland Premier Anna Bligh made significant changes to the

Queensland Government to provide better coordination and services to Queenslanders.

The new streamlined government is the most significant reform in almost two decades and involves the restructure of 23 departments into 13 departments.

The Queensland Department of Communities service areas now span:– Housing and Homelessness services– Child Safety, Youth and Families, Community Participation– Disability and Community Care Services & Multicultural Affairs Queensland– Sport and Recreation Services– Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships

Our Strategic Framework and Strategic Plan translate to prioritising activity that aligns with the department’s vision of Fair, cohesive and vibrant Queensland communities and our purpose in providing integrated community services that strengthen Queensland.

Policy and Service Priorities Contributing to the Toward Q2: Tomorrow’s Queensland Strong, Healthy, Green,

Smart and Fair ambitions by leading the Target Delivery Plan on Volunteering and contributing to reducing Chronic Disease, Waiting Lists, and Jobless Households targets;

Implementing National Agreement and Partnership commitments effectively, including those on Affordable Housing, Disability, Mental Health and Home and Community Care;

Closing the Gap by working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Queenslanders and others, supporting reconciliation and driving reform in services, infrastructure and planning in communities and making mainstream services more responsive;

Supporting Queensland’s children and families at risk of entering the child protection system through earlier intervention and better access to a range of services;

Driving policy and service reform to strengthen Queensland’s community service system and working with the NGO sector to implement the Queensland Compact;

Supporting Queenslanders impacted by natural disasters and other crises; and Delivering a substantial capital works program to support improved client services.

From the Queensland Department of Communities Strategic Framework at http://www.communities.qld.gov.au/about/our-organisation/documents/doc-strategic%20framework.pdf

QLD Context: Disadvantage Profile 1991-2011

In 2011– People who are socially included (approx 84% of

population or 3.8 million people who don’t and probably won’t ever need our services).

– Marginal socially included (approx 10% of population or 450,000 people ‘at risk’. Target for prevention and early intervention services).

– Socially excluded (approx 6% of population or 270,000 people at high priority need. Target for intensive support and continuing care services).

QLD Context: Disadvantage Profile 1991-2011Between 1991-2011 QLD’s population increased by

more than 50%.As the population has grown and aged over this

period the number of socially excluded has grown and the caseload become more complex.

Nonetheless, Queensland has ‘held the line’ in the sense that the proportion of socially excluded and marginally included is virtually unchanged since 2001.

There is indirect evidence that this profile of disadvantage has been in place since 1991.

Clustering of Disadvantage in QLD

Disadvantage is not distributed randomly or uniformly across QLD;

It clusters in particular areas; It concentrates among particular groups; These clusters and concentrations are very stable; and The same groups and places have been the source of most

of the departments clients for over 20 years.

Where does Evidence and Modelling Unit (EMU) fit in?

Deliver sound evidence, data, business modelling and a consistent process that informs policy development, program design and service delivery and assist in resource allocation decisions; and

Establish, coordinate and maintain consistent procedures around land

use planning, research, evaluation and review and needs based planning. This activity includes:

sourcing relevant internal and external data and information; providing strategic research coordination, guidance and quality assurance; conducting qualitative and quantitative analysis including complex mathematical and economic modelling; and sharing and mobilising knowledge and resources towards continuous improvement. These functions are described as Evidence Based Management

Key functions of the Evidence and Modelling Unit (EMU)

Evidence Based Management is a means for the Queensland Department of Communities

to match human services to priority community needs.

This means that planning decisions and funding allocation are based on evidence of need so that resources will be

allocated on an effective and efficient basis.

What is Evidence Based Management (EBM)?

Key Steps in Evidence Based ManagementSTEP 1: CONSTANT UPDATE OF COMSIS, DEPARTMENTAL RESEARCH, EVIDENCE

GATHERING AND ANALYSIS

STEP 2a: NEEDS IDENTIFICATION AND

ANALYSIS (DNR)Where are we now in terms

of this population/issue?

STEP 2b: REGIONAL VALIDATION OF NEEDS

ANALYSISWhat is the regional

experience?

STEP 5: IMPLEMENTATION, MONITORING AND REVIEW

STEP 4: SYNTHESIS OF THE DATA (QUANT AND QUAL) TO SUPPORT DEVELOPMENT OF OPTIONS FOR IMPROVEMENT(Towards a systematic approach to maximising client benefit)

STEP 3: SERVICE SYSTEM ANALYSIS

Includes Service System Analysis (Mapping of need against service locations, service capacity, catchments, service continuum

and community capacity)

Disadvantage-need-risk ranking (DNR) An ordinal and indicative index calculated for each statistical local area (SLA) in Queensland. The DNR rank is an output of internal analyses is a composite of:

Disadvantage: the Socio-Economic Index for Areas (SEIFA) Disadvantage; Sentinel Indicators of Need such as births to mothers aged 15–19 years, and/or child

protection notifications in the case of identifying vulnerable children and families; and Risk is based on the proportion of the target population within the general population.

Localities with a lower DNR rank are identified as having a higher need for support services than localities with higher DNR ranks. However, the ranks do not represent an absolute comparison of need (i.e., a locality with a lower DNR rank than another locality is not necessarily more ‘needy’).

This ranking provides a first indication of need within relevant populations that can be checked against the local knowledge of regional service staff.

The sector has access to the DNR ranks through COMSIS as a means of accessing internal analyses based on small area protected data.

COMSIS COMSIS is the Community Services Information System and is availably publicly at

https://statistics.oesr.qld.gov.au/comsis; is built and maintained by the Office of Economic and Statistical Research (OESR – a portfolio

office of Queensland Treasury) for the Department of Communities; is a key tool in establishing a core set of common standards and information across

Queensland for identifying disadvantage need and risk; ABS data (needs focus) presented at SLA, LGA and DoC region level and includes specific

administrative data from other agencies; COMSIS delivers regional profiles and access to automatically updated data from over 200

datasets for localities and population groups; is a key part of Evidence Based Management; and is available to the sector. (see Queensland Compact at http://210.247.155.209/department/about/corporate-plans/queensland-compact/)

Evidence Based Management

EMU’s business decision support tools – EBM v2.0 toolkit

Need-Demand Analysis

Business Analytics and Modelling

Supply AnalysisOrganisational

Knowledge

Applied and targeted evidence to inform decisions about what works and why

Evidence showing the present and future demand for

services (eg client group, quantum, location, needs) to inform strategic, tactical and

operational planning

Evidence showing whether new or existing interventions can meet identified outcomes in the most cost effective and

efficient way.

Evidence showing the present and potential service system

and community capacity, including productivity and

performance, to respond to need

· Research Theory· Research Synthesis· Strategic Research· Applied Research· Data – internal & external· Information & knowledge

sharing

· Existing & projected demand for services

· Service need (based on needs assessment information)

· Unsatisfied demand · Statistical & trend analysis· Market segmentation · Service utilisation rates and

projections (including barriers/preconditions to service use)

· Economic analysis & modelling o Cost efficiencyo Cost effectivenesso Cost benefit analysiso Sensitivity analysis

· Financial modelling· Resource allocation modelling· Other quantitative analysis

method

· Spatial (GIS) analysis· Statistical & trend analysis· Service System effectiveness· Community Capacity

Assessment· Network pathways analysis· Organisational networks· Performance data, information

and benchmarking· Reviews & Evaluations

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EMU – Tools, Processes, GuidelinesAcross service and business areas following an agreed ‘standards-based’ approach and a core set of standards and principles

A Mosaic approach is the fusion/fission of art and science (or qualitative and quantitative) using many small elements to make a picture that tells a story about an at risk population or specific issue…but how do we make sense of the evidence?

A ‘Mosaic’ approach

‘I refer the Minister to Column YZ, Row 386...the figure speaks for itself!’

Spatially enabling government (SEG)The term spatial enablement of government (SEG) has appeared relatively recently and mainly in Australia although it is starting to be used elsewhere. There is no agreement yet on a definition of SEG, however, spatial practitioners and researchers generally see it as the deployment of spatial technology across government in a way that enables government to make better decisions and become more efficient. In the words of Williamson (2009) the enabling science, technology and infrastructure provided by spatial information is transforming the way governments do business.

Holling, P. (2009).Understanding spatial enablement of government. Proceedings of the Surveying & Spatial Sciences Institute Biennial International Conference, Adelaide 2009, Surveying & Spatial Sciences Institute, pp. 65-73 .

The Mappers Toolboxviewing /exploring datacreating and editing data (the dataset is extended/ modified)Storing dataconflation (integrating datasets from different sources)transforming data (into different representations resulting in new representation/format of the same data)querying (resulting in a selection from the dataset)analysing (resulting in a new dataset, with new information obtained from the original dataset) create maps

Layering of :

basic map of Queensland by region and small area (currently SLA and SA2 level forthcoming)

thematic layer (such as SEIFA IRSD disadvantage or DNR rank for a program area) catchment area (custom boundary)

service system points dot density of target population other relevant services other relevant features such as transport networks or water

Case Study 1: Need-Demand post disaster

Question: How many potential additional clients are services likely to see post disaster in the short to medium term?-Modelled on place-based data using assumptions about severity of impact and SEIFA IRSD at CCD level-Households identified through Rapid Damage Assessment data provided by Department of Community Services

SEIFA IRSD at CCD Level

Roads

Services (inc. Child Safety)

Services (inc. Child Safety, HACC and Disability Providers)

Additional clients for the medium term

Additional clients for the short term

All Additional clients up to the medium term

All data

Case Study 2: Feasibility testing of cross sector catchment dataDeveloping catchment data to identify opportunities for integrated service provision across the North Coast Region with the Action Network Team (includes, Education Queensland, Queensland Health, Queensland Police Service, Boystown, Mission Australia, Department of Human Services)-Modelled on shared target population demand for services (at risk persons 0-5 years and persons 6-17 years) -Supporting the sector to identify the benefits of developing catchment data

The power of spatially enabled data

http://www.anu.edu.au/aphcri/Hub_Research/GIS_REPORT_FINAL.pdf

GIS methods have been used nationally and internationally to better understand the relationship between communities and services (not just health services). There is a strong argument that social catchment areas are more valuable, useful and relevant as a base geography to plan and understand services, rather than artificial administrative boundaries that do not necessarily relate to the way communities connect with each other.

North Coast Region

At Risk population

Catchments

Catchments and At Risk population

Catchment/At Risk population/Services

DNR

Recent QLD developments The Queensland Regionalisation Strategy is currently under public consultation and includes:

Strategic direction 4 – fostering partnerships at the local, state and national levels to promote coordination and drive local leadership; and Common regional boundaries across government to provide greater consistency across planning, programming, reporting and service delivery

http://waytogrow.qld.gov.au/queensland-regionalisation-strategy

Recent QLD developmentsAgreement between key agencies to develop the conditions for a common spatial understanding across government (DLGP, OESR, ABS, DoC). Department of Communities is feasibility testing:

Adoption of ABS ASGS SA2 as the basic geography for performance-administrative data collection and reporting;Agreement to link data to place (geocoding);Agreement to define broader administrative boundaries as aggregates of SA2s; andData sharing on a place basis.

This common understanding will form a locality based evidence base for whole-of-government policy and service development delivering red-tape reductions and savings (data measured once for multiple applications)

Opportunities include: Queensland Regionalisation Strategy Results from Census 2011 Standards based spatial sources and examples

of better practice:– ABS, OESR, DERM, DLGP, Queensland

Health– Information Queensland

(http://intranet.iq.govnet.qld.gov.au/index.html)

– Queensland Government Information Service http://dds.information.qld.gov.au/dds/

– Other agency data (e.g. RDA data from DCS)

Challenges include: Differing levels of maturity across

government in the availability and use of spatial information: Speed of access, data quality, data

sharing arrangements Closing the loop – turning data into

evidence and creating audience understanding of analytical results: Differing skillsets across government

and the sector as consumers of data and GIS outputs (not what does it mean, but rather what are the options for implementation)

…but the future’s looking bright

2012 A Spatial Odyssey:Common geographies and place-based stories

ABS Stats Show | 13 October 2011

Dr Kate LileyManager | Evidence and Modelling (EMU)Queensland Department of Communities

Level 1, 61 Mary Street, PO Box 806, Qld 4001 E: Kate.Liley@Communities.qld.gov.au | T: 3224 5588 | M: 0467 811 806

Tomorrow's Queensland: strong, green, smart, healthy and fair -

www.towardQ2.qld.gov.au