Collaboration and Participation

Two submissions made specific recommendations regarding collaboration and participation in policy decision-making: BelongTo and LGBTI.

In their submission, BelongTo focused on Government consultation with LGBTI+ youth, recommending that the Department:

Establish an oversight / advisory committee with young LGBTI+ people and LGBTI+ and youth experts (e.g. those who sat on the oversight committee to develop the Strategy) to work in partnership with officials on implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the National LGBTI+ Youth Strategy.

The submission also included a recommendation regarding a collaborative and interagency approach to service delivery:

Provide a mechanism to ensure a coordinated approach to the delivery of effective LGBTI+ services and funding of services for young people through inter-agency cooperation e.g. forum for service providers, funders and young LGBTI+ people to discuss ideas as part of departmental funding rounds.

LGBTI echoed these recommendations, and also recommended that the DCEDIY:

implement a whole of Government approach to devising solutions to structural issues affecting the LGBTI+ community by enhancing and strengthening interagency, cross-department collaboration.

In relation to LGBTI+ “family recognition”, LGBTI suggested that the Department:

enhance cross-departmental collaboration to deliver comprehensive legislation that includes and recognises the right of all children to a legal relationship with their parents.