Departmental Structure Chart

DNA Overview

In 2010, the Australian Government commissioned a strategic review of the administrative arrangements within the Health and Ageing Portfolio. The purpose of the review was to examine the alignment of resources within the portfolio to ensure it is best placed to implement and manage the Government’s key health and ageing priorities and programs, including the National Health Reform agenda.

The outcomes of the strategic review are continuing to be implemented through a range of significant reforms under the DoHA National Alignment (DNA) banner.

DNA integrates the Department’s overall change management program, and was supported by a significant investment through the 2011-12 Budget. DNA will see the Department become a more modern and contemporary, capable and flexible organisation, where staff are better enabled and supported to deliver on the Government’s agenda.

DNA programs are implementing various efficiencies that will be gained through measures such as streamlining financial services and human resources, improving governance of IT spending and introducing a range of shared corporate services across the portfolio. Investment in new and improved corporate systems and processes will enable the portfolio to continue to realise efficiencies over the medium and longer term.

Flexible Funds

As part of the DNA program, the Department consolidated 159 programs into 18 flexible Funds. These changes took effect on 1 July 2011. The 18 Funds are:

• Chronic Disease Prevention and Service Improvement Fund;
• Communicable Disease Prevention and
  Service Improvement Grants Fund;
• Substance Misuse Prevention and Service Improvement Grants Fund;
• Substance Misuse Service Delivery Grants Fund;
• Health Social Surveys Fund;
• Aged Care Workforce Fund;
• Aged Care Service Improvement and Healthy Ageing Grants Fund;
• Single Point of Contact for Health Information, Advice and Counselling Fund;
• Regionally Tailored Primary Care Initiatives through Medicare Locals Fund;
• Practice Incentives for General Practices Fund;
• Rural Health Outreach Fund;
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Chronic Disease Fund;
• Health System Capacity Development Fund;
• Health Surveillance Fund;
• Quality Use of Diagnostics, Therapeutics and Pathology Fund;
• Health Workforce Fund;
• Indemnity Insurance Fund; and
• Health Protection Fund.

The flexible Funds are intended, over time, to reduce red-tape, provide increased flexibility to respond to emerging issues and deliver better value for money with quality and evidence-based funding. The flexible funding pools will streamline grant funding processes for stakeholders, reducing the administrative burden, which will allow service providers to focus on service delivery.

No program funding was reduced through the consolidation process, with all existing program funding being rolled into the flexible Funds. A full list of activities consolidated to establish flexible Funds is at Part 3.6.

Guidelines developed for each Fund describe the aims, objectives, priorities and relevant procedural aspects of the Funds.

Six flexible Funds advertised grant rounds in November 2011, closing in December 2011 with funding commencing from 1 July 2012.

Details of future funding opportunities will be advertised on the Department’s website.