Non-government organisations in the alcohol and other drugs sector: issues and options for sustainability

A report by the Australian National Council on Drugs (ANCD) which highlights the problems faced by NGOs in this sector in balancing front line work with administration and comliance issues.

Drug and alcohol NGOs currently face a number of significant challenges which leave many of them struggling to survive. In order to ensure their future viability and capacity to provide services, new thinking is required. It is in this context that the Australian National Council on Drugs (ANCD) commissioned Dr Catherine Spooner and Ms Ann Dadich from the Social Policy Research Centre at the University of New South Wales to undertake a project that investigated the implications of the current context of sustainability, governance and funding of NGOs in the drug and alcohol sector and that provided options for their future survival and enhancement.

NGOs providing services in this sector recognise that their experience is akin to that of NGOs in other sectors. Some are finding that, given the type and level of funding available to them, they have to make choices between standards they set and whether they provide services at all; others have had to sacrifice frontline staff in order to appoint administrative staff to support increasing administrative and compliance requirements without any additional funding provided for this purpose.

This report identifies the key issues facing the sector which will resonate with those who provide services within it, including problems with sustaining workforce capacity, dealing with risk management, adherence to compliance requirements, funding and governance issues. In addition, the report suggests ways of addressing these issues, by outlining strategies for strengthening the sector.

Source: communityNet

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